The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is offered in all faculties of the University of New South Wales and encourages initiative and originality in research. Candidates should make a significant contribution to knowledge in their field.

As a general guide, the UNSW entry requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy are as follows:

However, as each Faculty manages its own PhD programs, prospective local and international research students should check with the relevant Faculty and/or School for specific entry requirements.

English language requirements also apply. Please see: www.unsw.edu.au/futureStudents/postgradResearch/res/fspgrengreqpolicy.html

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree encourages initiative and originality in research. Students will make a significant contribution to knowledge in their field and will be competent to carry out research in their chosen area.

This program involves a minimum of three years full-time study. Students undertake supervised research leading to the production of the thesis.

The length of a doctoral thesis normally should not exceed 100,000 words of text and should be submitted for examination within 4 years of full-time study.

1. The degree of Doctor of Philosophy may be awarded by the Council on the recommendation of the Research Committee of the appropriate faculty or board (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) to a candidate who has made an original and significant contribution to knowledge.
Qualifications
2. (1) A candidate for the degree shall have been awarded an appropriate degree of Bachelor with Honours from the University of New South Wales or a qualification considered equivalent from another university or tertiary institution at a level acceptable to the Committee.
(2) In exceptional cases an applicant who submits evidence of such other academic and professional qualifications as may be approved by the Committee may be permitted to enrol for the degree.
(3) If the Committee is not satisfied with the qualifications submitted by an applicant the Committee may require the applicant to undergo such assessment or carry out such work as the Committee may prescribe, before permitting enrolment as a candidate for the degree.
Enrolment
3. (1) An application to enrol as a candidate for the degree shall be lodged with the Registrar at least one month prior to the date at which enrolment is to begin.
(2) In every case before making the offer of a place the Committee shall be satisfied that initial agreement has been reached between the *School and the applicant on the topic area, supervision arrangements, provision of adequate facilities and any coursework to be prescribed and that these are in accordance with the provisions of the guidelines for promoting postgraduate study within the University.
(3) The candidate shall be enrolled either as a full-time or a part-time student.
(4) A full-time candidate will present the thesis for examination no earlier than three years and no later than five years from the date of enrolment and a part-time candidate will present the thesis for examination no earlier than four years and no later than six years from the date of enrolment, except with the approval of the Committee.
(5) The candidate may undertake the research as an internal student i.e. at a campus, teaching hospital, or other research facility with which the University is associated, or as an external student not in attendance at the University except for periods as may be prescribed by the Committee.
(6) An internal candidate will normally carry out the research on a campus or at a teaching or research facility of the University except that the Committee may permit a candidate to spend a period in the field, within another institution or elsewhere away from the University provided that the work can be supervised in a manner satisfactory to the Committee. In such instances the Committee shall be satisfied that the location and period of time away from the University are necessary to the research program.
(7) The research shall be supervised by a supervisor and where possible a co-supervisor who are members of the academic staff of the School or under other appropriate supervision arrangements approved by the Committee. Normally an external candidate within another organisation or institution will have a co-supervisor at that institution.
Progression
4. The progress of the candidate shall be considered by the Committee following report from the School in accordance with the procedures established within the School and previously noted by the Committee.
(i) The research proposal will be reviewed as soon as feasible after enrolment. For a full-time student this will normally be during the first year of study, or immediately following a period of prescribed coursework. This review will focus on the viability of the research proposal.
(ii) Progress in the course will be reviewed within twelve months of the first review. As a result of either review the Committee may cancel enrolment or take such other action as it considers appropriate. Thereafter, the progress of the candidate will be reviewed annually.
Thesis
5. (1) On completing the program of study a candidate shall submit a thesis embodying the results of the investigation.
(2) The candidate shall give in writing to the Registrar two months notice of intention to submit the thesis.
(3) The thesis shall comply with the following requirements:
(a) it must be an original and significant contribution to knowledge of the subject;
(b) the greater proportion of the work described must have been completed subsequent to enrolment for the degree;
(c) it must be written in English except that a candidate in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences may be required by the Committee to write a thesis in an appropriate foreign language;
(d) it must reach a satisfactory standard of expression and presentation;
(e) it must consist of an account of the candidate’s own research but in special cases work done conjointly with other persons may be accepted provided the Committee is satisfied about the extent of the candidate’s part in the joint research.
(4) The candidate may not submit as the main content of the thesis any work or material which has previously been submitted for a university degree or other similar award but may submit any work previously published whether or not such work is related to the thesis.
(5) Four copies of the thesis shall be presented in a form which complies with the requirements of the University for the preparation and submission of theses for higher degrees.
(6) It shall be understood that the University retains the four copies of the thesis submitted for examination and is free to allow the thesis to be consulted or borrowed. Subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act, 1968, the University may issue the thesis in whole or in part, in photostat or microfilm or other copying medium.
Examination
6. (1) There shall be not fewer than three examiners of the thesis, appointed by the Committee, at least two of whom shall be external to the University.
(2) At the conclusion of the examination each examiner shall submit to the Committee a concise report on the thesis and shall recommend to the Committee that one of the following:
(a) The thesis merits the award of the degree.
(b) The thesis merits the award of the degree subject to minor corrections as listed being made to the satisfaction of the head of school.
(c) The thesis requires further work on matters detailed in my report. Should performance in this further work be to the satisfaction of the higher degree Committee, the thesis would merit the award of the degree.
(d) The thesis does not merit the award of the degree in its present form and further work as described in my report is required. The revised thesis should be subject to re-examination.
(e) The thesis does not merit the award of the degree and does not demonstrate that resubmission would be likely to achieve that merit.
(3) If the performance in the further work recommended under (2)(c) above is not to the satisfaction of the Committee, the Committee may permit the candidate to submit the thesis for re-examination as determined by the Committee within a period determined by it but not exceeding eighteen months.
(4) After consideration of the examiners’ reports and the results of any further examination of the thesis, the Committee may require the candidate to submit to written or oral examination before recommending whether or not the candidate be awarded the degree. If it is decided that the candidate be not awarded the degree, the Committee shall determine whether or not the candidate be permitted to resubmit the thesis after a further period of study and/or research.
Fees
7. A candidate shall pay such fees as may be determined from time to time by the Council.
* ‘School’ is used here and elsewhere in these conditions to mean any teaching unit authorised to enrol research students and includes a department where that department is not within a school, a centre given approval by the Academic Board to enrol students, and an interdisciplinary unit within a Faculty and under the control of a Dean of a Faculty. Enrolment is permitted in more than one such teaching unit.

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html

If you are considering applying for a PhD at UNSW you will need to make contact with the relevant School or Faculty. This is necessary in order to establish that your research interests and those of the School and Faculty are aligned, and that there is a suitable supervisor for your particular area of research.

Prospective students are strongly advised to make contact with potential supervisors before applying for research study at the University.

Please refer to the relevant Schools and Departments home page for contact details (via http://www.unsw.edu.au).

Please refer to the following web-page for further information on how to apply, scholarships, English language requirements, thesis preparation and other research related matters: www.unsw.edu.au/futurestudents/research