Research Degrees - Application Procedures

Application for Admission

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Step 1: Decide on your research program

The first step is to decide which research program best suits your needs: Master of Philosophy, Master by Research or PhD. You must also check that you meet the eligibility criteria to apply:

• For Master of Philosophy
• For Master by Research and PhD

Please also note, the language of instruction at UNSW is English. If you are not an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or permanent resident, please check the English Language Requirements.

Step 2: Obtain information package and selection criteria

All applicants must contact Catherine Webster to request an information package before submitting an application for a postgraduate research degree: resdegree-sphcm@unsw.edu.au. This information package will provide you with further details about the application process.

Step 3: Establish contact with prospective supervisors

All students must have two supervisors who have confirmed their willingness to supervise the research. It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact prospective supervisors. Once you have one supervisor who is willing to consider supervising you, you should discuss an appropriate second supervisor with them. There are a number of links which may help you to find potential supervisors with expertise in your area of interest:

• SPHCM and Centre staff research interests
• SPHCM Research strengths
• SPHCM Affiliated Centres

Usually you should start to develop your research proposal BEFORE you contact a potential supervisor (see Step Four below). You can then finalise this proposal with the input of your proposed supervisor. In some cases, academics will advertise for PhD students for an existing or upcoming project on the following websites:

• Centres and Units
• Postgraduate research projects and scholarships

Finding a prospective supervisor does not guarantee entry to a research program. However, you must have 2 supervisors who have agreed to supervise you before you can submit your application.

Step 4: Plan your research proposal

SPHCM requires a research proposal in order to assess your application. Your proposal must be approved by your primary supervisor.

• If you need to do the coursework component: your proposal should be approximately half a page long and include: the proposed project title and a brief description of the background, research objectives and main methods planned.
• If you are applying for advanced standing for coursework: your research proposal should be approximately 2 pages in length and include: the proposed project title, background (including 2-3 key references from relevant literature), research objectives, proposed methods and anticipated benefits.

You must complete a detailed proposal (3-5 pages). Please use the following headings for the proposal:

Step 5: Discuss funding for your research with your supervisor

Students will need to ensure they can cover:

• tuition fees - see Fees & Costs (if applicable);
• research costs (including any travel, equipment, etc); and
• living expenses

Although SPHCM does not provide funding to students, there are a range of alternative funding opportunities.

Step 6: Submit your application to SPHCM and the Graduate Research School

You must submit TWO (2) separate applications:

1. SPHCM Application: this should include all of the requested documents in the Prospective Postgraduate Research Student Information package (which will be sent to you once you have contacted Catherine Webster, as outlined above). Please ensure that you email this application to the Research Student Support Officer via resdegree-sphcm@unsw.edu.au
2. Graduate Research School (GRS) Application: you will need to complete the GRS application procedure outlined on the GRS How to Apply website.

We recommend that you submit the 2 applications at the same time to minimise processing time.

Closing dates for applications

Applications can be submitted throughout the year. However there are deadlines which will determine whether you are eligible to apply for entry into Semester 1 (starts February) or Semester 2 (starts July).

• Master of Philosophy application deadlines: The deadlines for applications are 24 January (for Semester 1 intake) and 24 May (for Semester 2 intake), in order to meet the coursework enrolment deadlines.
• Master by Research and PhD application deadlines: The deadlines are 31 January (for Semester 1 intake) and 30 May (for Semester 2 intake).

Please note that applications take time to process. If you are also applying for a scholarship with UNSW, you will need to submit your application to the School several weeks in advance of the scholarship deadline.

Selection for Admission

Selection for admission to all Graduate Programs is based on the information supplied in your application. All applications will be acknowledged and assessed for eligibility. Successful applicants will be sent an offer of admission with details of acceptance and enrolment procedures. Once the acceptance (and deposit for international students) is received, a confirmation of offer will be mailed to the applicant. In certain cases, specific security, health and financial documents must also be completed.

Information for International Students

The UNSW International website includes useful information for international students so you may like to take a look. The website also contains important information about living expenses in Sydney with details on accommodation and living expenses in the areas around the University.

For further information, please contact:

Graduate Research Student Support Officer
School of Public Health and Community Medicine
Tel: + 61 (2) 9385 3588
Email:

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