Postgraduate
Doctor of Philosophy
Contact us
Address
The University of Western Australia (M355), 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, Western Australia 6009
Telephone
(+61 8) 6488 2807
Hours
Frequently asked questions
Events you may be interested in
Show more eventsCareers and further study
Take your studies to a new level with a postgraduate degree and discover what career opportunities lie ahead.
Career Pathways
Fees and scholarships
Learn more about the fees that apply to you for this course. For fee type definitions and further assistance, see the Fee Calculator Help page. You can also search our database for scholarships that are relevant to you or this course.
Domestic Student Fees
There is no current fee information available for this course. Please visit the fee calculator to browse course fees from a previous year, or other courses.
Scholarships
Scholarships support UWA's position as one of Australia's leading research-intensive universities and the premier research institution in WA.
The range of scholarships available at UWA include those funded by the Australian Government, the University, philanthropy, external organisations and industry. Scholarship packages may be awarded that include benefits such as: tuition fee scholarship, stipend (living allowance) scholarship, travel and research support costs, a relocation allowance within Australia, and overseas student health cover for international students.
At UWA we award research scholarships through a competitive merit-based selection process which includes publicly available annual scholarship rounds and some additional selection processes. Eligible applicants are ranked according to academic achievement and research potential, based on evidence provided.
Research Training Program
Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens are offered a Tuition Fee Offset Scholarship which offsets the requirement to pay a contribution toward the cost of their research courses if UWA provides them with a Research Training Program (RTP) place.
This Tuition Fee Offset Scholarship is applied for up a maximum of four years full-time equivalent study for the Doctor of Philosophy. The RTP is a performance-based funding scheme administered by the Australian Government Department of Education.
Cost of living
International Student Fees
Onshore international students are charged an annual course fee, charged per credit point at a rate dependent on the course in which the student is enrolled. Annual course fees are calculated based on an annual study load. Check the handbook to confirm the annual study load for your course.
Find out more about international student tuition fees and visit the fee calculator for the relevant course fees.
Fees are subject to annual indexation.
Scholarships
Scholarships support UWA's position as one of Australia's leading research-intensive universities and the premier research institution in WA.
The range of scholarships available at UWA include those funded by the Australian Government, the University, philanthropy, external organisations and industry. Scholarship packages may be awarded that include benefits such as: tuition fee scholarship, stipend (living allowance) scholarship, travel and research support costs, a relocation allowance within Australia, and overseas student health cover for international students.
At UWA we award research scholarships through a competitive merit-based selection process which includes publicly available annual scholarship rounds and some additional selection processes. Eligible applicants are ranked according to academic achievement and research potential, based on evidence provided.
Cost of living
Admission requirements
If you’re interested in furthering your career by studying this postgraduate degree, find out the admission details below.
Admission Requirements
(1) academic merit, and
(2) adequate research preparation, and
(3) English language competency.
(1) Academic merit can be demonstrated by the completion of either:
A UWA Bachelor Honours Degree, or Postgraduate Degree, or equivalent, with a thesis mark of at least 70% and a course WAM of at least 70%; or
A qualification and additional demonstrable experience in a relevant field that is deemed to be of a standard comparable to at least a UWA Bachelor Honours Degree with an overall result of at least 70%.
(2) Adequate research preparation can be satisfied by one of the following:
By completing a UWA Bachelor Honours degree or Postgraduate degree or equivalent, with a research project, such as a thesis or dissertation, which is at least 25% of an annual full-time enrolment with a mark of at least 70%; or
By having previously undertaken work towards a Higher Degree by Research at a standard acceptable to the Board; or
By providing evidence of research preparation gained during a relevant occupation since graduation at a standard acceptable to the Board; or
By producing scholarly papers as sole or primary author, that appear in recognised academic journals or in volumes published by recognised academic publishers; or
By producing research reports for industry, government or business, as sole or primary author, which adhere to the broad conventions of academic publishing (i.e. contain a review of relevant literature, a description of relevant research methods and an evaluation of results); or
By presenting a portfolio of published creative work together with published critical discussion of some or all, of that work, or of a comparable body of work by others, and which demonstrates the applicant's development of a scholarly approach to creative work as research investigation.
(3) English language competency:
To be eligible for admission to a HDR course, an applicant must demonstrate adequate English language competency.
The Board determines, via the qualifications, tests and equivalents that it recognises, the minimum level of English language competency and the period of currency, required for admission to a Higher Degree by Research course.
Schools may set a higher level than the University's minimum level of English language requirement for entry into some courses.
The Board may deem an applicant as meeting the English language competency requirement if evidence demonstrates the applicant's English language ability is sufficient.
Doctor of Philosophy
To be eligible for admission, an applicant must demonstrate:
- academic merit, and
- adequate research preparation, and
- English language competency
English competency
English is the language of instruction and assessment at UWA and all applicants, including domestic applicants will need to meet the University’s English language requirements to be eligible for a place. A higher level of English is required for admission to the PhD course.
Academic supervision
The role of an academic supervisor is to guide you to develop your own research. There needs to be a good alignment between their area of expertise and your research project.
Applicants will need to identify potential academic supervisor/s and determine if their research outputs match your own intended research direction.
Search the UWA Research Repository to identify and contact potential supervisors in your field of interest.
Identifying and securing academic supervision is an essential component for admission.
How to apply

Ready to join us?
Find out how to apply through our online application portal.
We’ll guide you through the application process including important steps, entry pathways and documents you’ll need.
Course details
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the University's flagship research degree, which can be taken in any discipline area in the University, providing that appropriate supervision and resources are available.
About the course
Research Internships
Find out more
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Frequently Asked Questions
What is a PhD?
- A program of independent, supervised research that is assessed solely on the basis of a thesis and a viva voce.
- The work presented for a PhD must be a substantial and original contribution to scholarship, demonstrating mastery of the subject of interest as well as an advance in that field of knowledge.
Explore our research
Want to search for all research-related activities available at UWA?
Quick details
- Available
- Perth (Crawley campus)
- Albany
- Kalgoorlie
- Full-time
- Part-time
- On-campus
- Off-campus
- By agreement with their supervisors, students may commence at any time throughout the year, except December and January.
Full-time students are expected to spend at least 30 hours per week on their research throughout the year. Part-time students are expected to spend at least 15 hours a week on their research throughout the year.
- Postgraduate
- 00810
- 003310F
- 003311E
- 003312D
- 003314B
- 003316M
- 003317K
- 003318J
- 003319G
- 003320D
- 003321C
- 013797F
- 024816F
- 024818D
- 037146K
- 037147J
- 037148G
- 037149G
- 037157G
- 037158F
- 037159E
- 037160A
- 055301K
- 058936F