A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is an internationally recognised graduate research program that will enable you to become an independent researcher. 

With the guidance of an advisory team, you will undertake a research project and produce an 80,000-word thesis and complete an oral examination.

A PhD will take you 3 to 4 years to complete full time and is intended to develop advanced research skills and knowledge in your chosen field.

Your research project will be developed with advice from your advisors and allow you to develop discipline and broader research skills and knowledge.

The thesis is a substantial document that makes and original contribution to the field of research.

You will need a strong academic background and you may need to submit a research proposal and other documents to support your application. About 1,000 PhD candidates join UQ each year researching a wide range of topics.

To meet the Graduate School admissions requirements for a PhD, applicants must provide evidence of the following:

• A bachelor’s degree with at least honours class IIA or equivalent from approved universities, which includes a relevant research component; or
• A research master’s degree; or
• A coursework master’s degree and an overall GPA (grade point average) equivalent to 5.65 on the 7-point UQ scale, which includes a relevant research component; or
• A postgraduate degree of at least one year full-time equivalent with an overall GPA (grade point average) equivalent to 5.0 on the 7-point UQ scale, together with demonstrated research experience equivalent to honours IIA will be considered for PhD entry on a case by case basis; or
• A bachelor’s degree plus at least two years of documented relevant research experience, including research publications.