Program Overview

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Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is an opportunity to pursue a topic at the highest academic level. It is an independent, supervised research project that is assessed on the submission of a thesis or creative work and exegesis.

About the Course

This course may be undertaken in any School within ECU, provided there are supervisors available in the proposed research area, and the resources and facilities required to complete the proposed project are accessible. ECU encourages interdisciplinary research that may span two or more disciplines.

Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Level

This course has been accredited by ECU as an AQF Level 10 Doctoral Degree Award.

Course Code

L61

Entry Requirements

ECU admission and English language requirements apply. Academic admission requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:

• Masters Degree (Research)
• Bachelor Honours Degree (First or Upper Second class)
• Demonstrated capacity to undertake original PhD-level research

English competency requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:

• IELTS Academic Overall band minimum score of 6.5 (no individual band less than 6.0)
• Bachelor degree from a country specified on the English Proficiency Bands page
• Successfully completed 0.375 EFTSL of study at postgraduate level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent)
• Where accepted, equivalent prior learning, including at least five years relevant professional experience
• Other tests, courses or programs defined on the English Proficiency Bands page

Fees

If you're a domestic student enrolled in a Higher Degree by Research program, you won't be required to pay tuition fees. The Australian Government provides domestic students with tuition fee offsets under the Research Training Program (RTP) for up to 4 years full-time (or equivalent) for Doctoral studies.

International students - estimated 1st year indicative fee: AUD $42,450

Duration

4 years full-time or part-time equivalent

Availability & Campus

Location | Semester 1 | Semester 2
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City Campus | FT PT | FT PT
Joondalup | FT PT | FT PT
South West | FT PT | FT PT
Sri Lanka | |
Online | FT PT | FT PT

Course Structure

Students are required to continue re-enrolling in the relevant discipline-specific thesis unit of their study until the thesis is submitted for examination.

For candidates commencing from 2018, the examination process will consist of both a written and oral component.

Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points
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AGR7200 ^| Doctor of Philosophy Thesis (Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies)|
ARC7200 ^| Doctor of Philosophy Thesis (Architecture and Building)|
ART7200 ^| Doctor of Philosophy Thesis (Creative Arts)|
COM7200 ^| Doctor of Philosophy Thesis (Management and Commerce)|
ERT7200 ^| Doctor of Philosophy Thesis (Engineering and Related Technologies)|
ETN7200 ^| Doctor of Philosophy Thesis (Education)|
HLT7200 ^| Doctor of Philosophy Thesis (Health)|
INF7200 ^| Doctor of Philosophy Thesis (Information Technology)|
NAT7200 ^| Doctor of Philosophy Thesis (Natural and Physical Sciences)|
SCL7200 ^| Doctor of Philosophy Thesis (Society and Culture)|

PhD Unit Sets

You can study in the following areas:

• Biology
• Business
• Chemistry
• Communication, Media Studies and Journalism
• Computer Science
• Counselling
• Criminology
• Cyber Security
• Design
• Education
• Engineering - Chemical
• Engineering - Civil
• Engineering - Computer Systems
• Engineering - Electrical and Electronic
• Engineering - Environmental
• Engineering - Materials
• Engineering - Mechanical and Mechatronics
• Engineering - Petroleum
• Environmental Studies
• Exercise and Sports Science
• Law
• Mathematics
• Medical Science
• Nursing and Midwifery
• Nutrition and Dietetics
• Occupational Therapy
• Paramedical Science
• Performing Arts
• Physics
• Politics and Government
• Psychology
• Public Health
• Security Science
• Social Science
• Speech Pathology
• Visual Arts and Design
• Writing

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, you will be able to:

1. Integrate substantial and systemic understanding of complex discipline knowledge with research principles and methods to demonstrate expertise in the field.
2. Use expert skills and authoritative judgement to adapt and implement research methodologies and conduct systematic and independent investigation of theory and/or practice at the frontier of a discipline.
3. Apply communication skills to explain and critique theoretical propositions, methodologies and conclusions, and cogently present findings of a complex and original investigation to peers and the broader community.
4. Take responsibility and show initiative for designing and executing original research, demonstrating capacity to generate new knowledge with intellectual independence.

Career Opportunities

Throughout your PhD, you will be supported to develop high-level research and professional skills such as project design and execution; problem identification, definition and solving; critical thinking and analysis; data management; utilising research methods and methodologies; teamwork, negotiation and networking; high-level technical skills in your field; and communicating to different audiences. With the majority of PhD graduates now pursuing careers outside academia, the skills and research training embedded in the PhD assist you to move into a variety of sectors and roles, including management, consulting, commercial R&D, research management, entrepreneurship, public policy, government, finance, technical services, biotech, education, and project coordination/management.