1. Decide on a research program

The Faculty of Engineering and IT offers two research programs:

• Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

We recommend that you familiarise yourself with both these programs before deciding on the program most suitable to you.

2. Check your eligibility

The entry requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and the Master of Philosophy (MPhil) are the same.

Check that you meet the University’s English Language requirements.

3. Find a supervisor

Before submitting an application, you need to have the support of a nominated supervisor.

To find an academic that is best suited to supervise your research, explore our current research projects. Each research project has a Project Leader that you can contact to request support for your application.

If you wish to pursue an area of research that is not defined in the list of current research projects, you can search for academics within your intended research area by using our Find an Expert directory.

When contacting a potential supervisor, you should include:

• A current CV
• All higher education transcripts
• A research proposal
• Any publications or publication information.

4. Check the scholarship deadlines

Applications for admission to a graduate research program may be submitted at any time in the year. However, to be considered for a scholarship you are required to submit your application before one of the deadlines of our five scholarship rounds.

If you are a new student and have applied for a graduate research degree in the Faculty of Engineering and IT by the relevant closing date, you will be automatically considered for Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarships. You do not need to submit a separate application for Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarships.

Scholarship application rounds 2024

Scholarship application rounds 2025

5. Prepare documentation

The Faculty of Engineering and IT requires particular documents to be included with your application before assessment can take place. If you are still studying, we encourage you to apply now before completing your degree by including current transcripts of at least up to the first semester of your final year studies. To avoid delays in the assessment of your application, you must include:

• A current CV outlining work experience relevant to your proposed field of research, prior research background and details of any research publications.
  
  Sample format for the required CV 55kb RTF
• Scanned copies of your official transcript from every higher education institution you have attended, and completion statements (if relevant). Academic transcripts should give detailed information on the content and quality of your performance, courses taken each year, and grades received. The grading scale of the institution and your rank in class should be noted whenever possible.
• A 600-word research proposal.
• A copy of the email(s) showing your nominated supervisor has agreed to support your application.
• Two Academic Referee Report Forms
  • You must provide contact details for your referees in the online application form.
  • On submission of your application, the referees will be emailed a link to access the Graduate Research Referee tool and they must provide their references using this online tool.
  • You will be notified when they submit the reference.
  • It is important that you contact your referees well before submitting an application. This ensures they expect the request and understand that the University of Melbourne referee request email contains both instructions on how to access the tool and submit their references through the attached link. All references must be submitted using the online tool.
• If you have completed a thesis or research component that does not include a numeric grade and is ≥50% of your entire program, provide a copy of the thesis, the Examiner’s reports and an Academic Report for Ungraded Thesis form. Send the form to the most senior academic in the relevant department of your tertiary institution involved in the assessment of your thesis/research component and ask them to respond before the closing date of the round that you are applying for.
  
  Academic Report for Ungraded Thesis form [PDF]

6. Submit an application

Submit your application for your graduate research degree online. Quote course code MR-PHILEIT.

For admission to Graduate Research Degree Candidature and Scholarship, you must submit a course application. If you are a new student and have applied for a Graduate Research Degree in the Faculty of Engineering and IT by the relevant closing date, you will be automatically considered for Melbourne Research Scholarships. You do not need to submit a separate application for Melbourne Research Scholarships.

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automated email confirming that your application has been received. You will receive a notification if your application is incomplete.

To avoid delay in the assessment of your application, ensure you follow the online application instructions carefully and upload all the required documents.

The assessment process can take up to 12 weeks before an outcome is finalised.

Assessment of your application will only commence once you have provided all required documents.

7. Accept the offer

If your application is successful, you will receive an offer letter by email.

As a local applicant, you can accept your offer online by following the instructions in your offer letter.

Please note that conditional offers are provided for both local and international applicants.

Offers of scholarship are made at different times to offers of admission. Refer to our information on scholarships and deadlines to determine in which scholarship round you will be considered for a scholarship, and when you can expect an outcome to your consideration for a scholarship.

To accept your scholarship offer, follow the instructions in your scholarship offer letter.

8. Enrol in your program

Once you have met the conditions of your offer (or have received an unconditional offer), you will receive instructions by email about enrolling in your research program.