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POL50230

Academic Year 2025/2026

'PhD Professional Development (POL50230)

Subject:
Politics
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Politics & Int Relations
Level:
5 (Doctoral)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Professor Ben Tonra
Trimester:
Autumn and Spring (separate)
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Pass/Fail (GPA Neutral)

Curricular information is subject to change.

The overall aim of the Module is to strengthen the professional development of our PhD graduates to devise and deliver a full Level 3 undergraduate or Level 4 graduate module based upon their research and field of study, under the mentorship of an academic staff colleague.

Eligibility

The Module is open to all Stage II full-time students enrolled in any of the following PhD programmes and whose supervisor is based in SPIRe:

a. PhD Politics and International Relations
b. PhD Quantitative Systems and Computational Social Science
c. PhD Complex Systems and Computational Social Sciences
d. PhD Quantitative Social Sciences

Registration to the module must be with the approval of Supervisor and RSP.

Students will be assigned a staff mentor whose role will be to discuss the module proposal, advise on and review a final draft of the syllabus, provide feedback on a 'spot-check' lecture, and assist in a final professional reflection on the module at the conclusion of its first delivery.

The timetable for delivery of the module will be agreed with the Head of School. No tutorial assistance will be provided for the module. The student will be the designated Module Coordinator as an Occasional Lecturer and receive formal student feedback on their module. Close liaison will be kept with the Undergraduate Administrator to ensure that all curriculum and timetabling requirements and deadlines are adhered to.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Students will

* be aware of pedagogical options in the design and delivery of modules
* gain direct transferable experience in design and delivery of a graduate/undergraduate module in their research field
* acquire direct professional, mentored feedback on their teaching
* gain university teaching experience and micro accreditation

Indicative Module Content:

Students will be assigned a staff mentor whose role will be to discuss the module proposal, advise on and review a final draft of the syllabus, provide feedback on a 'spot-check' lecture, and assist in a final professional reflection on the module at the conclusion of its first delivery.
The timetable for delivery of the module will be agreed with the Head of School. No tutorial assistance will be provided for the module. The student will be the designated Module Coordinator as an Occasional Lecturer and receive formal student feedback on their module. Close liaison will be kept with the Undergraduate Administrator to ensure that all curriculum and timetabling requirements and deadlines are adhered to.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

40
Autonomous Student Learning

40
Placement/Work Experience

24
Total

104

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module will be paid at the standard Occasional Lecturer rate. Grading of essays will be at the standard rates. If a student is in receipt of a Honohan Scholarship, they will also continue to receive the benefits of the scholarship but will not be expected to fulfil normal tutoring duties for the trimester in which they are providing the module. On successful conclusion o the module, students may apply to the Head of School to run the module again in subsequent trimesters. That decision will be taken in accord with the teaching needs of the School.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

Students will be assigned a staff mentor whose role will be to discuss the module proposal, advise on and review a final draft of the syllabus, provide feedback on a 'spot-check' lecture, and assist in a final professional reflection on the module at the conclusion of its first delivery.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Practical Skills Assessment: With School agreement and professional mentorship the design and delivery of a full graduate or undergraduate module Week 1, Week 6, Week 12 Pass/Fail Grade Scale No
100
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
Repeat Within Two Trimesters
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

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