Understanding Fourth Level
In Ireland, higher education is referred to as third level education. To promote its importance and distinctiveness, graduate education is increasingly referred to as the ‘Fourth Level’.
Irish universities are committed to strengthening their graduate research capacity with a concomitant increase in graduate students. Over 90 per cent of Irish higher education research takes place in universities. Consequently, the universities are lead participants in achieving the national policy of increasing the country's research output and increasing Ireland’s innovative capacity through investment in graduate education.
The development of Fourth Level Ireland involves an enhanced research environment in our universities. The development of structured PhD programmes represents one of the primary initiatives to engender Fourth Level Ireland. Structured programmes preserve the PhD’s traditional strengths and embed activities that support the acquisition of a range of relevant specialist and generic skills.
A PhD graduate receives an education that equips them with the skills and attributes of an independent researcher and the thesis involves a contribution of new knowledge to an area of learning. However, the skills and attributes the PhD experience bestows are transferable across a broad range of professional careers. Many PhD holders pursue highly successful and rewarding non-academic careers. Notable PhD holders involved in non-academic roles include:
- Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister
- Condoleezza Rice, former US Secretary of State
- John Reid, Former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Chairman of Glasgow Celtic football club
- Conor Cruise O' Brien, prominent Irish politician and statesman
- Garret FitzGerald, former Irish Taoiseach, (Prime Minister)
- Brian May, Guitarist with Queen
- Bill Cosby, American comedian
- Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the US Federal Reserve
The doctorate constitutes the most advanced form of graduate education. The core component of doctoral education is the advancement of knowledge through original research. In Irish universities, the doctorate principally takes three forms. The predominant form is the PhD (Doctor of Philosophy). The core of a PhD is the thesis, which is a significant contribution to knowledge through original research that extends knowledge frontiers or professional practice parameters by the development of a body of work, some of which merits publication in national or international refereed journals.
Professional doctorates are relatively few. A professional doctorate is a doctoral level award where the field of study is a professional discipline and distinguished from the PhD by a title that refers to that profession. The degree is normally characterised by a shorter research thesis and the research normally has a professional environment context; for example exploring the development and operation of a new work practice, data management or marketing techniques.
Universities award higher doctorates to those who have demonstrated an exceptional contribution to their field and new knowledge through published work. There is no formal coursework or programme of study. Those awarded higher doctorates are typically very experienced and senior researchers.
A wide range of Masters both taught and research and post-graduate diploma programmes, are available in most disciplines in all Irish universities. These cater for a wide range of potential students including those with other commitments and those who are seeking to enhance their professional profile.
