Research
The University of Melbourne is a globally engaged, research-intensive university, and the second-largest research institution in Australia, after the CSIRO.
Undertaking specialised research into an area you are passionate about provides an exciting career path for high-achieving students who have an analytical mind and an intrinsic desire for problem solving.
A research higher degree such as the Doctor of Philosophy or the Master of Philosophy allows you to undertake research in your chosen field while working alongside international leaders. You’ll work with an academic mentor to tackle the challenging issues facing the world.
To become a researcher:
Step 1
Undertake an undergraduate degree in any discipline.
Step 2
Undertake a fourth year honours program in your chosen field.
Step 3
Undertake the Doctor of Philosophy or the Master of Philosophy to pursue graduate research.
To become a researcher in Science:
Step 1
Undertake an undergraduate degree in Science or Biomedicine.
Step 2
Undertake the Master of Science at Melbourne. This is our premier pathway to the Doctor of Philosophy, providing advanced research training to science graduates.
Step 3
Undertake the Doctor of Philosophy.
View this study pathway here.
Example pathway
| Year 1 Undergraduate | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 Graduate | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Science | Honours | Doctor of Philosophy - Architecture, Building and Planning | ||||||||
| Bachelor of Agriculture | Honours | Doctor of Philosophy - Arts | ||||||||
| Bachelor of Arts | Honours | Doctor of Philosophy - Business and Economics | ||||||||
| Bachelor of Biomedicine | Honours | Doctor of Philosophy - Engineering and IT | ||||||||
| Bachelor of Commerce | Honours | Doctor of Philosophy - Law | ||||||||
| Bachelor of Design | Honours | Doctor of Philosophy - Science | ||||||||
| Bachelor of Arts (Extended) | Honours | Doctor of Philosophy - Victorian College of the Arts | ||||||||
| Bachelor of Science (Extended) | Honours | Doctor of Philosophy - Veterinary Science | ||||||||
| Bachelor of Fine Arts | Honours | |||||||||
| Bachelor of Oral Health | Honours | |||||||||
About the Doctor of Philosophy
Graduating with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) marks your admission to the community of scholars in your discipline and is a great step towards a career in academia.
The Melbourne PhD is awarded on the basis of a thesis of approximately 80 000 to 100 000 words, in which you report on an independent, supervised research project investigating a specialised topic.
Entry requirements
This program may have specific entry requirements such as a minimum GPA (Grade Point Average) or an honours degree that must be completed to be considered for entry.