The Doctor of Philosophy provides candidates with opportunities to collaborate with industry partners and build the next generation of innovative products. The program takes a design-led, team-based approach to preparing students to become entrepreneurial industry-ready applied researchers in their field.

Working in multidisciplinary groups, students spend time with industry partners to identify gaps in the market and opportunities. Supported by mentors from industry and academia, students work on projects that match their skill set and pitch them to industry partners. Projects are taken through to research and development phases, and students develop detailed business plans through to commercialisation.

Applicants must have completed at least four years (or equivalent) of tertiary education studies in a relevant discipline at a high level of achievement, and must have been approved for the award of the degree(s) for which they studied.

A high level of achievement is defined as the equivalent of a four year Swinburne Honours degree that includes a significant research component in the fourth year, leading to an Honours degree class 1 (average grade between 80-100) or class 2A (average grade between 70-79) level.

Four years of tertiary studies can be demonstrated by the completion of any of the combinations of qualifications below, at the required standard of achievement:

• a bachelor degree (three or four years) and a Masters by Research or
• a bachelor degree (three or four years) and an Honours year or
• a bachelor degree (three or four years) and a Masters by Coursework or
• a bachelor degree (three or four years) and a postgraduate diploma in Psychology or
• a bachelor degree (four years) in an approved discipline.