Higher Degree Research
Higher Degrees by research lead to either Masters or Doctoral awards and are designed to assist graduates to investigate and contribute to advanced knowledge in their chosen discipline and to develop proficiency in conducting research.
To be eligible for consideration for admission to the Master of Philosophy (MPhil), an applicant must normally possess a Bachelor degree with first-class or second-class Honours, or other evidence of research ability, from a recognised university or another tertiary institution. To be eligible for admission to a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program a candidate must normally possess either a Bachelor degree with first-class or second-class honours division 1, or a Master degree with a substantial research component from a recognised university or other tertiary institution. In the Faculty of Science students can complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Preparation to supplement the requirement for prior research.
The program of advanced study and research for the degree includes the submission of a thesis embodying the results of the student’s work. The thesis for a PhD must form a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and afford evidence of originality by the discovery of new facts or the exercise of independent critical power. A candidate’s program of study must be supervised by a member of the academic staff of the University, and will normally be carried out within the University.
For further information for prospective students, please visit the Science Research page, Doctor of Philosophy or Master of Philosophy pages, and research section of New and Current Students page.
You can find out more about our current postgraduate research topics in Research Student's Projects.