Application dates

There are two selection rounds each year for entry to the Doctor of Philosophy - Education. All applications must be submitted and complete by the closing dates below to be considered for each round.

We recommend you submit your application at least four weeks before the closing dates, just in case any additional documentation is required.

Meeting the minimum entry requirements does not guarantee admission into the course, as entry to candidature is very competitive. Entry to the PhD is particularly competitive; and a grade average in excess of 80% (H1) or equivalent is usually required to be admitted into this degree.

Application process

1. WRITE YOUR RESEARCH PROPOSAL

You must provide an extended research proposal with your application. Research proposals should be in between 5-6,000 words for PhD applications and 3-4,000 words for all other graduate research degrees (such as Masters by Research and Doctor of Education degrees). The list of references (bibliography) should not be counted toward the overall wordcount.

Your research proposal must succinctly address the following points under separate headings:

Research topic:
- Outline the proposed topic of your study and explain why it is important.
Aims and focus of study:
- State the specific aims of your study and outline some of your potential research questions.
Key concepts and theories:
- Briefly discuss the key academic concepts and theories informing your study.
Approach and methodology:
- Provide a brief overview of the methodology you intend to use in your study and say why.
Rationale for coming to the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE):
- Provide a case for why MGSE is the right research environment for your project. In doing so you should take into account MGSE’s specific research strengths.
- Provide a case for why your prospective principal supervisor is a good fit for your project. In doing so you should be specific about your prospective supervisor’s expertise and what it can bring to your project. We strongly recommend engaging with some of your prospective supervisor’s publications before writing this section.
Resource needs (if applicable):
- If planning to conduct resource-intensive activities such as international fieldwork briefly outline the expected costs and how you aim to cover these.
Bibliography: Provide a list of relevant references.

2. Find a supervisor

Find a principal supervisor who will support your research proposal and application. Your supervisor must be a current staff member at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE).

We recommend that you search for a supervisor on the University’s Find an Expert page, or visit our current research projects page to find staff members working on research projects. Please attach your research proposal (or a short summary) and CV when contacting your potential supervisors via email.

You'll need to upload evidence of your intended principal supervisor’s support when submitting your application. This can be in email format and must include the intended supervisor’s agreement to supervise you should your application be successful.

Please note that all supervision arrangements are also subject to the approval of the MGSE Selection Committee. Support of a prospective supervisor does not guarantee entry to MGSE’s research higher degree program.

3. Apply online

Read the application information and apply on the Graduate Research website.

Don’t forget to provide your research proposal and evidence of your intended principal supervisors support when submitting your application. You will also need to supply a 100-word summary of your project in addition to your research proposal.

If you have any questions about how to complete or submit your application, please contact Graduate Research Admissions at rhd-admissions@unimelb.edu.au.

Scholarships

Prospective graduate research students will be automatically considered for scholarships as part of the graduate research degree application. Current graduate research students can apply for scholarships via their Student Portal.

Further information:

Application outcome

All correspondence regarding your application will be by email. If your application is successful, you will receive an offer letter via email explaining how you can accept your place.

We endeavour to communicate application outcomes for all applicants within six weeks from the application closing dates.

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Doctor of Philosophy - Education

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Entry requirements

Entry requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy - Education

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