Human Performance and Innovation - Professional Doctorate

During this programme, you will:  

• Appraise existing knowledge and industry practices. Learn to apply research methodologies to create innovative solutions to your industry’s challenges and practices.  

• Enhance your leadership, planning, and change management skills, essential for leading innovations and navigating complex professional environments. 
  
• Engage in a comprehensive self-assessment to identify your professional strengths, determine areas for growth and future goals. Create a tailored development plan for your professional and industry practice. 

• Resolve complex real-world challenges by combining multi-disciplinary knowledge and abilities to innovate and transform professional practice. 

• Students can exit with an MSc in Human Performance and Innovation after successful completion of year 2. 

Key information:  

• Complete part-time over four years. 

• Delivered online.  

• Designed for working professionals – a choice of online lectures and tutorials times are provided and are repeated and recorded.   

• Online meetings schedule will be flexible and agreed between you and your supervisor. 

• The taught assessment modes include written and oral presentation and defence; critical written review of current research and engagement with course experiences. 

• Option to exit with Professional Masters in Human Performance and Innovation following successful completion of year two. 

• Submission of your final thesis and the successful conclusion of your oral ‘Viva Voce’ is a requirement for the award of the doctorate degree . It is our experience that the viva voce examination takes place following your first four years as a registered student. 

• The learning experience is primarily self-directed which is supported by online interaction with your doctoral supervisor. 

Year 1 

Autumn Semester  

• Personal Review and Development Planning (SS8011) will offer you the opportunity to reflect on the challenges presented by your programme of study and to construct a personal and professional development plan facilitating the timely and successful completion of your Professional Doctorate.  
  

Spring Semester  

• The Professional Paradigm 1: Practical and Theoretical Frameworks (SS8012) will allow you to critically explore and align professional practices with academic theories, facilitating the development of a coherent narrative for your doctoral research. 
  
• Evaluation Methods and Analysis 1 (SS8022) will help enhance your ability to critically evaluate various research paradigms and methodologies, enabling you to design effective evaluation strategies and develop comprehensive research innovation proposals within your professional practice.
  

Summer Semester 

• The Professional Paradigm 2: Evolving the Theory, Evidence, Practice and Innovation (SS8013) will enable you to critically synthesise diverse knowledge bases, articulate the necessity for the research innovation in your professional domain, and develop a coherent narrative to substantiate your doctoral research objectives. 

Year 2 

Autumn Semester  

• Professional Innovation: Intervention Design and Evaluation 1 (SS8031) will empower you to systematically evaluate and implement key innovations within your professional practice, enhancing your research skills, critical thinking, and ability to contribute effectively to your professional environment. 

Spring Semester  

• Evaluation Methods and Analysis 2 (SS8023) will help you customise your evaluation and analysis approach for your targeted professional innovation. 

• Innovation Progression 1 (SS8041) will allow you to organise and codify your doctoral journey to date, with a committee determining whether your progress has been sufficient and stage-appropriate. 
  

Summer Semester 

• Professional Innovation: Intervention Design and Evaluation 2 (SS8032) will allow you to actively engage with, implement and present the effective systematic evaluation of your identified professional innovations. 
  

Exit Award in year 2 – Professional Masters in Human Performance and Innovation 

Year 3 

Autumn Semester  

• Professional Innovation: Intervention Design and Evaluation 3 (SS8033) will provide you with a further opportunity to work on the research innovation component of your Professional Doctorate. 

Spring Semester  

• Professional Innovation: Intervention Design and Evaluation 4 (SS8034) will provide you with a further opportunity to work on the research innovation component of your Professional Doctorate. 

Summer Semester 

• Professional Innovation: Intervention Design and Evaluation 5 (SS8035) will provide you with a further opportunity to work on the research innovation component of your Professional Doctorate. 

Year 4 

Autumn Semester  

• Professional Innovation: Intervention Design and Evaluation 6 (SS8036) will provide you with a further opportunity to work on the research innovation component of your Professional Doctorate. 

Spring Semester  

• Professional Innovation: Intervention Design and Evaluation 7 (SS8037) will provide you with a further opportunity to work on the research innovation (research) component of your Professional Doctorate. 

Summer Semester 

• Professional Innovation: Intervention Design and Evaluation 8 (SS8038) will conclude your work on the research innovation component of your Professional Doctorate and in the event of a successfully defended viva voce examination culminate in the award of Doctor of Human Performance and Innovation.  
  
• Innovation Progression 3 (SS8043) will allow you to organise and codify the extent of your progress after 12 semesters, which will be assessed by a committee determining whether your progress has been sufficient and stage-appropriate.
    

Books and journal articles needed for the course will be available online through the UL Glucksman Library.  

For more information on each module, you can search the faculty, school and module code on UL’s Book of Modules 

• Applicants should hold a bachelor’s degree (NFQ Level 8) with at least a second class honours, grade 2 (2:2) or equivalent.  
  
• All applicants should have at least five years of professional work experience. 

• The university may shortlist and invite you to an interview.  

Other Entry Considerations: 

We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet the standard entry requirements, as long as you can show that you have the knowledge, skills, and experience needed for the programme. 

At UL, we value all kinds of learning and support different ways to qualify through our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy. 

International students:  

• For details on country-specific qualifications visit postgraduate entry requirements for international students. 

Checklist of documents:   

• Academic transcripts and certificates
  • UL graduates only need to provide their student ID number
• Completed Additional Application Documentation form .
• Copy of your birth certificate or passport
• Copy of your CV
• One page outline of your intended research proposal for the Doctorate (approx. 500 words).
• English translation of your qualifications and transcripts 

English Language: 

• English Language Competency certificate
• For details on accepted language qualifications visit English Language Requirements 

Guidelines on Completing your Application  

• To make sure we can review your application quickly, please:
  • Upload all documents. Your application can’t be reviewed until we have all the documents on the checklist. 
  • Title the documents you are uploading. For example, "Personal Statement", "Undergraduate Transcript", "Postgraduate Transcript", "English Language Certificate" etc. 
• *If you are waiting to graduate, submit your application with the documents you have to date, you don’t need to have finished final exams before applying. 

EU - €5,100 per annum*

Non-EU €7,800 per annum*

* Year 2 fees are subject to change 

Please note that international study visas are only available to students studying full-time in Ireland. This programme does not qualify for a study visa.  

Annual fees are billed by semester. Once registered, students may be eligible to apply for a monthly payment plan.  

Full fees are paid for the initial four years of registration. In the following years, students will pay a reduced continuation fee until completion of their award. 

Further information on fees and payment of fees is available from the Student Fees Office website. All fee related queries should be directed to the Student Fees Office (Phone: +353 61 213 007 or email student.fees.office@ul.ie).  

 
Funding 

Find further information on funding and scholarships.

The Human Performance and Innovation Professional Doctorate can lead graduates to the following sectors and careers:     

• Advancement within your profession
• Expanded professional opportunities
• Performance Consultancy
• Leadership roles
• Roles that require experienced professionals to evolve and bring innovations to their sector.  

Still Curious?  

The team regularly host and take part in webinars to support future students. If you would like to learn more or ask questions at an online information session, click below.     

 Online Information Sessions 

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Keith Wood, Company Director at W2 Consulting and year 4 student on the Human Performance and Innovation Professional Doctorate programme 

The work that Keith has done as part of the doctoral programme has become an integral part of W2 Advisory’s everyday leadership programme. A Former Irish Rugby Captain and British and Irish Lions player, Keith believes that the evaluation tools he has developed during UL’s programme help him to highlight leadership and team issues long before they become a problem.