Explore UCD

UCD Home >

Graduate Diploma Digital Policy

GradDip (NFQ Level 9)

This course is available through the following application route(s)

Contact Us
Graduate Diploma Digital Policy course is hybrid learning comprising of online & face-to-face delivery for 2025/2026. Following, it will return to fully face to face.

With support from Microsoft Ireland, UCD’s School of Information and Communication studies has estabished the Microsoft-UCD Digital Policy Programme with the goal of building digital policy training and capability in Ireland and Europe.

The innovative programme mixes the abstract and the applied with core modules from the School of Information and Communication Studies. This programme introduces students to basic concepts and issues in digital policy, giving a historical and critical understanding of how to theorise digital objects and environments by learning to situate them in perspectives such as platform capitalism, governance, data infrastructures and information analytics.

The Grad Dip in Digital Policy is designed to prepare graduates for careers in evaluating, implementing, and studying core topical, theoretical, and methodological issues that arise in digital policy today. The course will take a multi-disciplionary approach to investigating the institutional and public policy dimensions of the prevalence of digital technology, as well as the underlying social conditions (economic, political, and cultural) and public/private sector contexts that give rise to such technologies and their governance.

Our Digital Policy programmes are interdisciplinary. Flowing from content developed at our UCD Centre for Digital Policy, they are designed to offer graduates the opportunity to study some of the core topical, theoretical, and methodological issues that arise today. These include investigating the institutional and public policy dimensions of the prevalence of digital technologies, digital infrastructures, and data processing in all dimensions of life. Our programmes will allow students to study the underlying social
conditions (economic, political, and cultural) that give rise to and influence such technologies and their governance, as well as the multiple public sector and commercial contexts where policy is made and enacted.

 

About This Course

Knowledge and understanding

• Understand both theoretical and applied issues in digital policy

• Demonstrate advanced conceptual knowledge of digital technologies and their implications for socio-political life

• Understand the dilemmas and tensions involved in regulating digital technologies

Applying knowledge and understanding

• Critically appraise evidence from research papers concerning topics in digital policy

• Critically evaluate existing digital policies and policy proposals and their limitations

Making judgements

• Systematically analyse the research literature in a key area of digital policy as part of their dissertation

• Decide, under guidance, on appropriate methodology and materials to be analysed for their dissertation

Communications and working skills

• Articulate theoretical concepts, current debates and research findings to both specialist and non-specialist

audiences from a digital policy perspective

• Work effectively with peers in learning, research, and presentation

Learning skills

• Collect or source data using research methodologies taught on the programme

• Engage in independent research and analysis under supervision

• Write to a high academic standard

On graduating, our students will be able to embark on a variety of careers in Ireland and globally. Our Digital Policy programme is designed to prepare graduates for careers in evaluating, implementing, and studying core topical, theoretical, and methodological issues that arise in digital policy today, both in the public and private sectors.

Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.

Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.

Module Type Module   Trimester Credits
Stage 1 Core Modules
 IS40820 Research Theory and Practice Autumn  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
 IS40840 Data & Society Autumn  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
 IS40910 Digital Policy Autumn  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
 IS40960 Digital Policy II Spring  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
 IS41190 Regulation and Emerging Technology Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
IS40640 and POL42540 are face to face only. All other modules are hybrid or online.
 IS40730 Quantitative Data Analysis Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
IS40640 and POL42540 are face to face only. All other modules are hybrid or online.
 IS40640 Research Methods Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
IS40640 and POL42540 are face to face only. All other modules are hybrid or online.
 IS40970 AI & Ethics Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
IS40640 and POL42540 are face to face only. All other modules are hybrid or online.
 IS41050 Platform Governance Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:
IS40640 and POL42540 are face to face only. All other modules are hybrid or online.
 IS41550 Digital Media Literacy Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
(Option Module:)
 POL42540 Applied Data Wrangling and Visualisation Autumn  5

Graduate Diploma Digital Policy (W507) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 7460
nonEU    fee per year - € 15070

GradDip Digital Policy (W508) Part Time
EU          fee per year - € 4890
nonEU    fee per year - € 7090

***Fees are subject to change

A primary degree NFQ Level 8 with at least upper second class honours (2.1) or international equivalent in any discipline is required.  

Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 7.0 (no band  less than 6.5 in each element) or equivalent

 

.  
You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EU) applicants: No

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants: No


We welcome applicants:




  • Who present with a primary (bachelor's) degree in any subject with an overall score of 2.1 or higher - or have equivalent professional qualifications;

  • Who present names and contact details of two referees who can assess their intellectual ability, maturity and motivation;

  • Whose first language is not English but demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 7 (no band less than 6.5 in each element), or equivalent; and

  • Who apply up to September of the year of entry. Please note owever that offers are made to suitably qualified candidates on a first-come-first-served basis and so early application is recommended. Entry to the programmes is very competitive and the number of places is limited.


Print this page

General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to Graduate Diploma Digital Policy:

ROWCLASS Apply to
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt
W507
Graduate Diploma Digital Policy
Graduate Diploma

Full-Time
Commencing September 2025
Graduate Taught
Not available to International applicantsApply
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt
W508
Digital Policy
Graduate Diploma

Part-Time
Commencing September 2025
Graduate Taught
Not available to International applicantsApply
* you can change options at the top of the page
Contact UsOpen Days & EventsDownload Brochure
Fill in the following details:
Enter the body of your query here.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.