Which Degree Should I Choose?
The completion of a higher degree by research (HDR) at the University of Adelaide will provide you with the skills and experience to undertake a range of rewarding career opportunities.
Employers recognise that the research ability and broad range of transferable skills which Adelaide graduates possess equip them well for challenging and diverse roles in industry, government and business, as well as in research and academic organisations.
Choosing the right degree for you is an important decision and one that will be influenced by your career plans, personal circumstances and prior qualifications. We recommend that you discuss the options with the relevant School. Of course, plans and circumstances can change over time and the University of Adelaide provides you with the flexibility to adapt your study pattern accordingly; this may involve converting to half-time or external candidature, taking a short leave of absence from study or perhaps transferring to a more appropriate program.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Jointly-Awarded PhD Programs (including the Cotutelle)
What are the benefits of enrolling in a Jointly-Awarded PhD program?
The Professional Doctorate
Master of Philosophy (domestic students only)
Masters by Research (international students only)
Master of Clinical Science at Ngee Ann-Adelaide Education Centre NEW
Higher Doctorates
The PhD is the basic qualification for a research career or academic position. The PhD involves two to four years of research for a full-time candidate or the equivalent in halftime candidature. In the course of completing the degree under appropriate supervision, candidates develop the capacity to conduct research independently at a high level of originality and quality and make a significant original contribution to knowledge in their chosen discipline.
A PhD thesis may comprise a conventional written narrative presented as typescript, or a combination of conventional written narrative presented as typescript and publications that have been published and/or submitted for publication and/or text in manuscripts, or a single major publication such as a book, or a portfolio of publications that have been published and/or submitted for publication and/or text in manuscripts, or creative or visual work(s).
Irrespective of the form of thesis presented, examiners will be looking for a candidate to:
- produce a clearly, accurately and cogently written thesis that is suitably illustrated and documented
- demonstrate a deep knowledge of the research topic
- relate the research topic to the broader frame-work of the discipline within which it falls
- demonstrate an independence of thought and approach and
- make a significant and original contribution to knowledge by the discovery of new facts, the formulation of theories, or the innovative reinterpretation of known data and established ideas.
Jointly-Awarded PhD Programs (including the Cotutelle) NEW
Under the provisions of an approved Jointly- Awarded PhD agreement, a PhD student at the University of Adelaide may divide his/her candidature between the University of Adelaide and a nominated approved Partner university and, following the successful completion of an agreed examination process, be awarded a single doctoral degree that is recognised in both countries. The primary intent of Jointly-Awarded PhD programs is that they form part of an ongoing or developing cooperative research collaboration between a School or research group at this University and its counterpart at the partner institution.
What are the benefits of enrolling in a Jointly-Awarded PhD program?
A Jointly-Awarded PhD program provides a mechanism:
- to enhance two way international research collaboration
- to facilitate international study and experience for PhD students
- to work in two countries and have access to the latest research equipment
- to access new funding sources.
To be admitted as a candidate under a Jointly-Awarded PhD agreement, a suitably resourced project and adequate supervision at both institutions must be available. Additionally, applicants are required to satisfy the normal admission requirements, including all language proficiency requirements, at both the University of Adelaide and the partner institution. A Jointly-Awarded agreement must be established no later than the end of the first year of enrolment. Consequently, if you are interested in a Jointly-Awarded program it is recommended that you refer to the information provided in Appendix 5 in detail and discuss the possibility of establishing a Jointly-Awarded degree with your supervisors at the time of applying for candidature.
International students wishing to apply for a Jointly-Awarded PhD with the University of Adelaide as their partner institution must demonstrate, prior to application, that:
(i) they are already enrolled in a PhD in an approved University
(ii) arrangements exist for an approximately equal sharing of candidature between institutions.
A Jointly-Awarded agreement between the University of Adelaide and a French university, is known as a Cotutelle Agreement. Further information about the French Cotutelle Scheme.
Enquiries concerning participation in Cotutelle or other Jointly-Awarded doctorates should be directed to the Dean of Graduate Studies.
The University offers four professional doctorates in the disciplines of Business Administration, Clinical Dentistry, Education and Nursing. Professional doctorates combine research, project activity and advanced coursework in a single program of study and are specifically aimed at practitioners in the field.
To qualify for a professional doctorate, a candidate is required to pass each component of the program individually and to complete any coursework or project requirements before submitting his/her thesis for examination.
Master of Philosophy (domestic students only) NEW
The Master of Philosophy is offered in every faculty as the sole research masters degree available to domestic students. Candidate’s can choose to undertake the degree by either 100% research or, if available in their School, by mixed research and coursework. A student who elects to undertake the MPhil by mixed research and coursework will complete one third of the degree (15-16 credit points) by coursework and the remaining two thirds of the degree by research culminating in the production of a thesis.
Programs are conducted over two years of full-time study (or the equivalent halftime) and students are trained in research methodology and techniques and are engaged in the critical evaluation of literature and results in the substantive area of the thesis at an advanced level. Whilst Master of Philosophy degrees may include an advanced coursework component, the focus is on research.
Examiners of a Master of Philosophy thesis will be seeking evidence that the candidate has:
- a thorough understanding of the relevant techniques and methodologies in the field as demonstrated by a thorough critical review of the literature
- demonstrated competence in the chosen field through judicious selection and application of appropriate methodology to yield meaningful results
- demonstrated the capacity to evaluate critically these results
- presented a clear and well written thesis.
Masters by Research (international students only) NEW
The University is currently transitioning towards a new structure for Masters' degrees available to international students. This will take effect in 2012 and, as a consequence, 2011 will be the last year that Masters degrees by research (with the exception of the Master of Clinical Science at Ngee Ann-Adelaide Education Centre) are offered. Candidates enrolled in a named Masters degree by Research should consult the Academic Program Rules for their year of enrolment, unless they enrolled during, or after 2010, in which case, the relevant 2009 Academic Program rules.
Master of Clinical Science at Ngee Ann-Adelaide Education Centre NEW
Ngee Ann-Adelaide Education Centre, a joint venture between the University of Adelaide and Ngee Ann Kongsi, is offering a Master of Clinical Science degree commencing in June 2011. This degree will be available to citizens and permanent residents of Singapore who will be required to pay course fees.
The aim of this degree is to train students in research methodologies and techniques associated with evidence-based healthcare and in the critical evaluation of evidence and research. Students receive full support with supervision provided through local supervisors as well as supervisors from the Joanna Briggs Institute, a research initiative of the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the University of Adelaide. The degree is for clinicians with at least two years experience and an interest in conducting high quality systematic reviews and in the translation of evidence into action in health policy and clinical practice.
The degree includes a full-time, two-semester structured program comprised of 'core' and 'development' components. Students also conduct a systematic review and/or an evidence implementation project and submit a thesis based on this work.
To be eligible for entry to the program students must have:
- a Bachelor of Nursing of the University of Adelaide, or
- a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery of the University of Adelaide, or
- an Honours Degree or a Degree from another institution accepted by the Faculty as equivalent to an Honours degree, or
- have qualified for a Bachelor degree of the University of Adelaide in an appropriate field of study, or a degree of another institution accepted by the Faculty of Health Sciences as equivalent, plus have undertaken at least two years approved professional work.
For further information regarding the program, eligibility and fee requirements.
The University of Adelaide offers eight higher doctorates: the Doctor of Dental Science; the Doctor of Engineering; the Doctor of Science in the Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences; the Doctor of Letters; the Doctor of Laws; the Doctor of Medicine; the Doctor of Music; and the Doctor of Science in the Faculty of Sciences. Higher doctorates are typically awarded on the basis of a collection of works that have been published or accepted for publication.
Candidates for a higher doctorate are required to have a substantial association with the University of Adelaide and at the time of application, to have made an original contribution of distinguished merit to their disciplines over the course of their careers. Typically, candidates are mid-career professionals who have held a doctorate such as a PhD for a minimum of five years prior to their application.
Any enquiries about higher doctorates should be directed to the Graduate Centre or the relevant Head of School.
