Tourism – Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD)

• Your first step is to make contact with us for an informal discussion.
• We will then connect you with appropriate supervisors and work on a project proposal with you.
• Admission is offered in February and October.
• Contact us early – the proposal writing process and admission can take several months.

Please contact us for an informal conversation if you are interested in pursuing a PhD with us. You can contact a potential supervisor by searching through our staff interests, or contact the Head of Department for further information.

Please contact fees office for latest PhD fees.

• Academic careers: A PhD is often a requirement for lecturing and research roles in universities.
• Research positions: Many organisations, including private companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, hire PhDs for research positions. These roles may involve conducting original research, analysing data, and developing new products or technologies.
• Consulting: PhDs with expertise in specific fields may work as consultants, advising businesses and organizations on topics related to their area of expertise.
• Entrepreneurship: PhDs may use their specialized knowledge to start their own businesses, particularly in fields such as science, engineering, and technology.
• Government and policy: Many government agencies and non-profit organizations require experts with advanced degrees to help shape policy decisions.
• Non-academic research roles: PhDs may work in research roles outside of academia, such as in think tanks, research institutes, or other organisations.

• Cross disciplinary research connecting business/ society/ engineering, arts and science
• International collaborative research with our partners
• Business Management/ Tourism/ Data Analytics and all related sub-disciplines
• Part-time Ph.D which involve TUS co-operating with industry
• Ph.D in conjunction with our RUN-EU partners and the RUN-EU Plus project
• We are passionate about research which has meaningful impact for society.

Our current students are working on the below projects:

• Brand activation in thanatourism: A comparative study of the Whitby Goth Weekend and the Bram Stoker Festival, Dublin
• Evolution of the role of the Chinese family in third level international education decision making
• An analysis of film tourism as a crucial strategy in the competitiveness of the creative destination: Comparatively examining Portugal and Ireland
• Framework for the Development of Integrated Sports Tourism Strategies
• Developing a model to understand the Impacts of Tourism on Poverty Alleviation in Central Asia
• An examination of the sustainable management of tourism in Portugal
• An examination of sustainable and green practices and the adoption of indicator systems in the hospitality industry in Portugal

The structured elements of this programme facilitate the student to develop his/her generic transferable skills, discipline specific competencies and attributes associated with a graduate who has completed a level 10 programme at TUS. This structured element requires the student to complete a minimum of 15 ECTS credits in each year of study. A PhD student must complete a minimum of 50 ECTS credits by the end of Stage 3 of their programme of study; students have the option of completing a further up to 10 ECTS credits of study in stages 2 and 3, should they so wish.

Persons whose prior experiential learning equips them adequately for entry to a master’s programme by research, including persons who have made a significant contribution in a field of study that falls within the ambit of disciplines catered for by TUS and whose contribution in their chosen field is evidenced by patents, publications, books, compositions, works of art, inventions or any other scholarly endeavours that may be deemed by TUS to be appropriate contributions to the particular field of study. Persons who have a qualification other than a degree and who possess a substantial portfolio of industrial, artistic, commercial, laboratory, professional, teaching or research experience, usually developed over a period of not less than eight years, by virtue of which they could be deemed to be suitable entrants to a master’s research programme. Applicants who fall into any one of the categories listed shall be considered in the first instance at the Faculty Research Committee followed by a recommendation to the Graduate School Research Committee, and will be reviewed under the university’s accreditation of prior learning policy. Candidates approved under the process described in regulations will be required to register for, and complete successfully, a master’s qualifying programme prior to formal progression to research master’s studies. The format and requirement of the programme will be agreed by the Graduate School Research Committee on the advice of the Faculty Research Committee.

Assessment on a Doctoral programme is rigorous and includes: Continuous Assessment on taught modules, Annual progression presentations, Transfer viva from Master’s to PHD between 18-24 months. A final viva voce examined by internal and external examiner(s). Examinations for Doctor of Philosophy in TUS consist of thesis : submitted before the end of the student registration period in the format indicated, and the Viva voce: for successful completion of a PhD qualification Candidates are assessed by at least two examiners after the thesis has been submitted. One examiner will be appointed internally in line with requirements and at least one independent external examiner will be appointed in line with requirements.