Q: What are the possibilities of funding for postgraduate study? Are there many opportunities at home, in other EU countries and the US?
- Limerick student
Normally, if you have been in receipt of grants for undergraduate study, then you should also be eligible for a grant for full-time postgraduate study in Ireland, including Northern Ireland. This applies if you are taking a higher degree or a diploma course.
These are available as Higher Education Grants from your local authority or in the form of scholarships from VEC committees.
Scholarships are also available from industry. These include scholarships for science and engineering/ technology graduates such as those available from Enterprise Ireland which offers a basic research award for PhD studies or an industry award for a master's degree when there is an industrial partner involved in the project. An example is the one-year MSc courses in petroleum-related technologies.
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) offers scholarships for research at home and abroad in economics, sociology and social psychology. The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies offers six scholarships each in theoretical physics, cosmic physics and Celtic studies. The Irish American Partnership offers scholarships in association with industry for master's degrees by research in science, technology or business.
The National Rehabilitation Board has a number of research scholarships to promote research on disability rehabilitation in Ireland which are open to all postgraduates from any discipline. RTE gives four scholarships for master's or doctoral research into the social effects of broadcasting.
ESF funding is available for fees in many postgraduate degrees and diplomas which are one-year taught programmes only but not for research. Aimed at direct entry to employment, they are known as ATS courses and are predominantly in the science, business, engineering and IT areas. These are available in many colleges but especially in the institutes of technology throughout the State. The ESF also funds a limited number of studentships for a master's degree by research to train graduates to a high level in research and development skills.
All colleges provide some financial support for postgraduates in the form of demonstratorships, tutorials or research assistantships as well as scholarships. Most of the bursaries and scholarships go to those graduates with a 2.1 honours degree or better.
Information on these is available from the registrar, dean of graduate studies or individual faculties/ departments in each college. Examples of these are the eight NUI travelling studentships available at £9,000 each for three years. Five are available in the arts, one from the group engineering/architecture, agriculture, food science and technology and commerce, one from science and law, one from medicine and veterinary medicine.
NUI bursaries are also available and are valued at £7,500 for one year with three in engineering, one in agriculture and one in food science and technology.
UCD's Newman Scholars Scheme is similar in that it aims to attract from all degree backgrounds to do research there. UL, DIT and DCU also have research scholarships and again these are advertised in the national press. TCD has a postgraduate research fund which is available to graduates of all colleges.
You should also consider some well-known centres in Europe such as the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, the John Hopkins Centre at the University of Bologna, Italy, and the Amsterdam School of International Relations in the Netherlands.
If you wish to pursue postgraduate study in the USA, there are many possibilities for scholarships, fellowships and assistantships. If you have a good rating on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or, in the case of business graduates, on the Graduate Management Test (GMAT), you should apply up to about 15 months in advance. You should also consider Canadian universities.
DCU is used as a permanent GMAT test centre - phone (01) 704 5000 - and there is a second centre in Belfast. It's also possible to arrange for testing in Cork and Galway by phoning the registration centre in the Netherlands - phone 0031 263521111.
The US Embassy in Dublin also supplies the GMAT bulletins. If you wish to get information on other countries, phone the same centre at 0031 348484.
Fulbright Scholarships (closing date in the October of the year prior to entry) are jointly awarded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy covering many areas such as science and technology, creative and performing arts, management studies, Irish studies and journalism. In addition many universities offer their own scholarships.
The British Council in Dublin also offers scholarships to include maintenance and fees, principally to those with a first-class honours degree; applications close in mid-January for entry the following year. The British Foreign Office is offering 10 scholarships to Irish students studying in Britain - these are worth about £6,500 sterling each and are also administered by the Council. In addition, funds are available for fees only from the British Academy, local authorities and research councils.
Oxford and Cambridge have scholarships specifically for Irish graduates. Many other colleges have scholarships for study in particular areas such as Bristol, Dundee, Edinburgh, Keele, Leeds, Sheffield etc. There are not as many ESF-funded courses in English colleges but there are more in Scottish and Northern Ireland colleges. All of these cover both maintenance and fees.
Many other countries have exchange scholarship arrangements with Ireland, among them Australia, Japan and several European countries. Information on these is available from Department of Education and Science, Scholarship Section, Marlboro Street, Dublin 1.
The Council of Europe also has exchange scholarships between member countries. Your best point of contact is the graduate careers service (AGCSI) in your own college. Several booklets are available, among them A Guide to Postgraduate Study and Awards Available; Graduate Opportunities in Ireland 1999 (AGCSI and FAS) and Guide to Postgraduate Study in Ireland by Miriam Arundel (Oisin Publications)
Queries can be answered only through this column and not by phone or post. Write to Sile Sheehy, Education & Living, The Irish Times, D'Olier Street, Dublin 2 - or by email to education@irish-times.ie
