Application
Opportunities for research leading to postgraduate awards are
advertised in the press and on the WIT website and promoted at postgraduate
fairs, nationally and internationally.
Prior to submitting the application, the candidate will normally
consult with the appropriate department to ensure it is in a position to
consider their application.
EU applicants submit an application form and any supporting
documentation to the Postgraduate Admissions Office at Waterford Institute of
Technology.
Non-EU applicants submit an application form and any supporting
documentation to the International Office at Waterford Institute of Technology.
Applications are logged and their receipt is acknowledged. Incomplete
applications will be returned to the applicant.
Although applications are accepted at any time of the year, most
applications are made in May and June.
Selection
All applications are reviewed within a department. In the case of a research topic which spans more than one department, all associated departments will be involved.
In the case of applications to undertake research within an autonomous research centre in WIT, the review process will involve feedback from the director of the centre in addition to the normal departmental procedures.
As a first step, the head of department will verify the qualifications and reject unqualified applicants or those for whom WIT is clearly unable to provide supervision or other resources required.
Remaining applicants will be accepted or rejected on the basis of their qualifications and the capacity of the school / department to provide the required student supervision, support and resources.
These are reviewed by the school or departmental research committee or a sub-group selected for this purpose. The selection process may involve an interview with the applicant. A selection interview is a normal requirement for postgraduates competing for positions on funded research projects.
Interview panels will be chaired by the head of department or his/her nominee and will comprise at least three persons, and will include the proposed supervisor and one person external to the institute and with both genders represented.
Applicants will be accepted or rejected on the basis of their qualifications and the capacity of the school or department to provide the required student supervision, support and resources. Not all qualified candidates will be admitted. Cognisance will be taken of the Institute’s equal opportunities policy.
The head of department will inform the Postgraduate Admissions Office of the departmental decision.
In general, this part of the procedure should not take more than four weeks.
Offer, Admission and Enrolment
The registrar informs the applicant in writing of the departmental decision. This offer letter makes it clear to the applicant that admission at this stage does not automatically mean admission to the postgraduate register. A six-month period is provided for the preparation of the submission to register.
Successful applicants will be invited to accept or reject the offer and to enrol at WIT.
Enrolment will involve completion of the enrolment forms and the Giro for payment of postgraduate fees. Applicants who are grant aided or funded by a research project will provide evidence of this.
When the enrolment process is complete, the registrar will advise the department.
The head of department will write to the student setting out the start up arrangements, referring specifically to supervisory, space and resource arrangements and the date of commencement.
The head of department and the supervisor will meet the new postgraduate and arrange for their induction. The head will stress to the student and supervisor the importance of commencing the process of preparing the registration submission without delay.
Re-enrolment
Continuing Masters and PhD students must re-enrol in each year in which they are undertaking the course. Initial enrolment and commencement may be at any time during the year but re-enrolment occurs on a calendar basis and must be completed on request.
All students, whether full-time or part-time, pay two annual fees for Masters degrees and three annual fees for PhD degrees. Students taking longer periods of time may be charged an additional annual registration fee.
Failure to re-enrol within the prescribed annual re-enrolment period will lead to withdrawal of supervision. A postgraduate may be reinstated, if their supervisor provides a satisfactory progress report. A reinstatement fee will be levied.
