Doctoral outcomes

Doctoral education programmes in Ireland educate and develop researchers to the highest skills levels so that they become creative, critical and independent individuals who will advance the boundaries of research. Through the process of doctoral education, the student is provided with opportunities to develop a range of skills to a very advanced level. These skills relate both to the research process itself and to broader professional training and development. The National Framework for Doctoral Education endorses the following skills and attributes, as articulated in the IUA Doctoral Skills Statement, as key educational objectives for all graduates of Irish doctoral programmes;

  • research skills;
  • ethics and social understanding skills;
  • personal effectiveness transferable skills;
  • team-working and leadership skills;
  • communication skills;
  • entrepreneurship and innovation skills.

The core and essential component of doctoral education remains the advancement of knowledge through original research—a fundamental societal value in itself, based on freedom of enquiry, the fostering of innovative thinking and the development of advanced critical skills.

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