# School of Social Work and Social Policy

**Source**: https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-social-work-and-social-policy/
**Parent**: https://www.tcd.ie/courses/

- [Postgraduate](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/)
- [Postgraduate Research](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/)
- [Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/)
- [School of Social Work and Social Policy](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-social-work-and-social-policy/)

# School of Social Work and Social Policy

- **Head of School:** Dr. Catherine Conlon
- **Director of Teaching & Learning (Postgraduate):** Dr. Eavan Brady
- **Telephone:**+ 353-1-896 2009
- **Email:**[jennifer.otoole@tcd.ie](mailto:jennifer.otoole@tcd.ie )
- **Url:**[www.tcd.ie/swsp/postgraduate/phd-programme](https://www.tcd.ie/swsp/postgraduate/phd-programme/%20)
- **How to apply:**[Please see links below](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/research/schools/socialwork-socialpolicy.php#apply-sits)

## School Description:

The School offers professional education and training in social work, multidisciplinary courses in the broad social welfare area, courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level in general and specialist aspects of social policy, and postgraduate training in applied social research, as well a range of opportunities for postgraduate research students. The School is pleased to acknowledge the special public sector, corporate and philanthropic support it attracts for a number of its teaching and research activities.

Through high quality scholarship, the School seeks to identify, explore and impact on key social issues.

**Research Programmes**

The School has a lively community of postgraduate research students, whether studying independently or within research centres or programmes. Some are full-time students; others combine their studies with their work.

The School has particular strengths and capacity in research supervision in the following areas: Ageing and social policy; Drug and alcohol policy and services; Child protection and welfare; Criminology and penology, Domestic violence; Family and gender; History of social policy; Immigration and Social Policy, Intellectual disability; Mental health; Social work; Sociology of reproduction.

In addition to the research activities of individual academic staff, the research effort of the School is also focused through the following significant research ventures.

The Children’s Research Centre conducts policy relevant research on children’s lives and issues and is co-sponsored with the School of Psychology. With other Trinity colleagues, Centre personnel will play a significant role in the major National Longitudinal Study on Children’s Development, the contract for which was awarded to the Economic and Social Research Institute and Trinity College Dublin.

The Policy Institute is a multi-disciplinary public policy research institute. Based in Trinity College, the Institute has close links with the School of Social Sciences and Philosophy, the School of Social Work and Social Policy, and the School of Business.

The School is also one of the three Schools in the University that founded the Trinity Immigration Initiative which brings together key strands of Trinity's strategies in research, teaching and contribution to society, positioning the University to play an influential role in developing a more inclusive, multicultural society for Ireland’s future.

**In exceptional circumstances it may be possible to register retrospectively. Applicants wishing to be considered for retrospective admission should contact the Graduate Studies Office by emailing [research.admissions@tcd.ie](mailto:research.admissions@tcd.ie)**

## March 2026 Entry

- [Master in Letters in School of Social Work and Social Policy (Part-Time) - Part-Time*31/Mar/2026*](https://my.tcd.ie/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login?process=siw_ipp_app&code1=DPMSW-SWSP-2P03&code2=0016)
- [Master in Letters in School of Social Work and Social Policy (Full-Time) - Full-Time*31/Mar/2026*](https://my.tcd.ie/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login?process=siw_ipp_app&code1=DPMSW-SWSP-3F03&code2=0016)
- [Doctor in Philosophy, Social Work and Social Policy (Part-Time) - Part-Time*31/Mar/2026*](https://my.tcd.ie/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login?process=siw_ipp_app&code1=DPRSW-SWSP-2P03&code2=0016)
- [Doctor in Philosophy, Social Work and Social Policy (Full-Time) - Full-Time*31/Mar/2026*](https://my.tcd.ie/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login?process=siw_ipp_app&code1=DPRSW-SWSP-4F03&code2=0016)

## September 2026 Entry

- [MLitt in Social Work and Social Policy (Part-Time) - *01/MAY/2026*](https://my.tcd.ie/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login?process=siw_ipp_app&code1=DPMSW-SWSP-2P09&code2=0017)
- [MLitt in Social Work and Social Policy (Full-Time) - *01/MAY/2026*](https://my.tcd.ie/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login?process=siw_ipp_app&code1=DPMSW-SWSP-3F09&code2=0017)
- [PhD in Social Work and Social Policy (Part-Time) - *01/MAY/2026*](https://my.tcd.ie/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login?process=siw_ipp_app&code1=DPRSW-SWSP-2P09&code2=0017)
- [PhD in Social Work and Social Policy (Full-Time) - *01/MAY/2026*](https://my.tcd.ie/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login?process=siw_ipp_app&code1=DPRSW-SWSP-4F09&code2=0017)

### Postgraduate

- [A-Z of PG courses](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/a-z-of-pg-courses/)
- [Postgraduate Research](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/)
  - [Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/)
    - [School of Business](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-business/)
    - [School of Creative Arts](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-creative-arts/)
    - [School of Education](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-education/)
    - [School of English](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-english/)
    - [School of Histories and Humanities](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-histories-and-humanities/)
    - [School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-languages-literatures-and-cultural-studies/)
    - [School of Law](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-law/)
    - [School of Linguistic, Speech and Communications Sciences](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-linguistic-speech-and-communications-sciences/)
    - [School of Psychology](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-psychology/)
    - [School of Religion, Theology, and Peace Studies](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-religion-theology-and-peace-studies/)
    - [School of Social Sciences and Philosophy](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-social-sciences-and-philosophy/)
    - [School of Social Work and Social Policy](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-social-work-and-social-policy/)
  - [Engineering, Mathematics and Science](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/engineering-mathematics-and-science/)
    - [School of Biochemistry and Immunology](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/engineering-mathematics-and-science/school-of-biochemistry-and-immunology/)
    - [School of Chemistry](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/engineering-mathematics-and-science/school-of-chemistry/)
    - [School of Computer Science and Statistics](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/engineering-mathematics-and-science/school-of-computer-science-and-statistics/)
    - [School of Engineering](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/engineering-mathematics-and-science/school-of-engineering/)
    - [School of Genetics and Microbiology](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/engineering-mathematics-and-science/school-of-genetics-and-microbiology/)
    - [School of Mathematics](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/engineering-mathematics-and-science/school-of-mathematics/)
    - [School of Natural Sciences](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/engineering-mathematics-and-science/school-of-natural-sciences/)
    - [School of Physics](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/engineering-mathematics-and-science/school-of-physics/)
  - [Health Sciences](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/health-sciences/)
    - [School of Dental Science](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/health-sciences/school-of-dental-science/)
    - [School of Medicine](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/health-sciences/school-of-medicine/)
    - [School of Nursing and Midwifery](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/health-sciences/school-of-nursing-and-midwifery/)
    - [School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/postgraduate-research/health-sciences/school-of-pharmacy-and-pharmaceutical-sciences/)
- [How to Apply](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/how-to-apply/)
  - [Entry Requirements](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/how-to-apply/entry-requirements/)
  - [International Students](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/how-to-apply/international-students/)
- [Closing Dates](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/closing-dates/)
- [Fees](https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/fees/)