Doctor of Philosophy - Business and Economics

The Doctor of Philosophy is administered at The University of Melbourne by the Melbourne School of Graduate Research.

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy signifies that the holder has undertaken a substantial piece of original research, which has been conducted and reported by the holder under proper academic supervision and in a research environment for a prescribed period.

The PhD thesis demonstrates authority in the candidate's field and shows evidence of command of knowledge in relevant fields. It shows that the candidate has a thorough grasp of the appropriate methodological techniques and an awareness of their limitations. The thesis also makes a distinct contribution to knowledge. Its contribution to knowledge rests on originality of approach and / or interpretation of the findings and, in some cases, the discovery of new facts. The thesis demonstrates an ability to communicate research findings effectively in the professional arena and in an international context. It is a careful, rigorous and sustained piece of work demonstrating that a research 'apprenticeship' is complete and the holder is admitted to the community of scholars in the discipline.

In scope, the PhD thesis differs from a research Masters thesis chiefly by its deeper and more comprehensive treatment of the chosen subject. It is written succinctly, in English, unless approval has been given for the thesis to be written in a language other than English. The normal length of a PhD thesis is 80,000 words, exclusive of words in tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices. Footnotes are included as part of the word limit. The thesis should not exceed 100,000 words (or equivalent) without special approval from the Research Higher Degrees Committee.

See 'Graduate Attributes'

Course structure - PhD

Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must demonstrate a capacity for independent research and must make an original contribution to learning. Candidates are required to present a thesis in such a form as the Academic Board may from time to time prescribe. Advice is available from the relevant Head of Department or the School of Graduate Research.

PhD (Actuarial Studies)

About the PhD

For those who wish to undertake extensive research and develop expertise in this discipline. In Australia, the majority of research graduates take on professional roles in business, government and other organisations, while about one third go on to careers in academia.

Duration

Three years full-time or equivalent part-time. Available by Research Thesis only (no coursework).

Course Structure PhD with Coursework

The Departments of Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management and Marketing and the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research offer a PhD with a coursework component.

The PhD course structure generally requires students to undertake a maximum of one year of coursework and two years of full-time research. Candidates enrolled in the 4-year Doctoral Program in Economics undertake an additional year of coursework prior to commencement of the PhD degree. Confirmation of candidature is approved on the basis of successful completion of the coursework subjects and an approved thesis proposal. The decision towards the degree is entirely based on the examination of the thesis. Examiners of the thesis are informed that the candidate has undertaken a course of study by thesis and coursework component, and that the thesis may be shorter than one presented by a candidate pursuing the degree by research alone, but should be comparable in research quality. The award of the PhD is based solely on the result for the Research thesis.

A detailed information booklet, 'The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy' is available from the Melbourne School of Graduate Research, The University of Melbourne.

PhD with Coursework (Accounting)

Course Structure

The first year of coursework consists of eight semester-length subjects, approved by the Director of the PhD Program.

Assessment

Normally, PhD candidates are first admitted as 'probationary' candidates. To advance from probationary candidature to confirmed candidature, students must pass all the required subjects and present an acceptable dissertation proposal. To proceed to confirmation, the student must have an overall grade, based on an average of marks obtained in the subjects in first year, equal to or greater than 75%. Post-confirmation in years two and three of the program, students will conduct research leading to the completion of their dissertation.

PhD with Coursework (Economics and MIAESR)

Course Structure

The first year of Doctoral Program coursework consists of 8 semester-length subjects approved by the PhD Director. Please refer to the Handbook entry for MC-ECO https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/2011/MC-ECO for subject details. Candidates must achieve an overall average of at least 75% to proceed to the PhD coursework. Candidates in the first year of the Doctoral Program will enrol in 6 core 12.5 point subjects and either a 25 point Economics Research Report or ECON90053 Mathematics for Economists and an elective to be determined by the PhD Director.

MC-ECO Doctoral coursework

Core Subjects:

The remaining two subjects to be chosen in consultation with the PhD Director chosen from level 9 subjects offered by the Department of Economics.

The year of PhD coursework, being the second year of the Doctoral Program, consists of two core 12.5 point subjects: ECON90055 Computational Economics and ECON90056 World Economic History, two 25-point subjects selected from ECON90057 Studies in Advanced Economics, ECON90058 Studies in Advanced Economics II and ECOM90016 Studies in Advanced Econometrics; and the 12.5 point double subject ECON90059 Economics Thesis Workshop.

The PhD degree requires students to undertake a maximum of one year of coursework and two years of full-time research. Confirmation of candidature is approved on the basis of successful completion of the coursework subjects and an approved thesis proposal. The award of the PhD is based solely on the result for the Research Thesis.

Year 1

Two Core Subjects:

Two Elective Subjects from:

AND:

Year 2 and 3: Dissertation

Assessment

Normally, PhD candidates are first admitted as 'probationary' candidates. The move from probationary candidature to confirmed candidature is decided on the recommendation of a Confirmation Committee, comprising at least three academics including the PhD Director and the student's supervisor(s). Candidates must pass all subjects to progress to confirmation and the dissertation. For confirmation, which usually occurs 12 to 15 months after enrolment in the PhD program, students are required to have prepared a written proposal that outlines the research program and shows evidence of substantive progress and to have made an oral presentation based on their thesis proposal. The presentation is open to all members of the Department of Economics and the MIAESR. The Committee will recommend confirmation if it believes there is a reasonable expectation that the student will complete the PhD thesis by the due date.

Students are required to maintain satisfactory progress throughout their candidature. In addition to the regular meetings with supervisor(s), progress is monitored through the confirmation process and annual reports. The award of the PhD is based solely on the examination of the thesis.

PhD with Coursework (Finance)

Course Structure

The first year of coursework consists of six semester-long subjects comprising one economics subject, two quantitative subjects, three finance subjects and a year-long (double subject) Thesis Workshop.

A. One economics subject selected from:

B. Two quantitative subjects selected from:

C. Two PhD-level finance subjects:

D. One finance subject chosen from:

Students may choose alternatives to those listed in A, B or D with the approval of the Department's Research Programs Academic Director. The majority of subjects taken in A, B and D must be at level 6 or above.

E. Dissertation proposal and workshop (double subject):

Assessment

Students are required to attain an average mark of at least 75 percent in their coursework in the first year and satisfy the requirements of a confirmation seminar. Candidates must complete the requirements of a confirmation seminar and thesis by the appropriate deadlines. The award of the PhD is based solely on the result of the thesis.

PhD with Coursework (Management and Marketing)

The objectives of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the Department of Management and Marketing are:

• to enable doctoral students in Management and Marketing to gain a common understanding of the research process;
• to enable doctoral students in Management and Marketing to develop research skills at the start of their candidature; and
• to prepare doctoral students for an academic career in Management or Marketing.

Duration

The duration of the PhD program is three years full time or six years part time.

Commencement

Commencement is only available at the start of semester one (February/March) of any given year. Candidates must commence their studies within the first two weeks of semester.

Structure

The PhD in Management requires students to complete two coursework subjects and a research thesis.
In the first year of their candidature students undertake two coursework subjects that introduce the key topics and decisions relevant to research in the management and marketing domains. The specific expectations of the Department are also outlined. These two subjects are:

These subjects are marked on a pass/fail basis.

Candidates also commence work on their research thesis in their first year of candidature. The thesis must be based on original work, and candidates should aim for it to be approximately 80,000 words in length in its completed form.

In the second and third full time (or equivalent) years of the program, students continue to work on their thesis.

Confirmation

Candidates should be aware that when they are accepted into the program, they are admitted as a probationary candidate. At the end of their first year of studies students must undertake the confirmation process. In order to meet the requirements of the confirmation process students must have:

• passed the two coursework subjects;
• produced a written report deemed satisfactory by the Confirmation Committee that details what the candidate has undertaken and learned since commencing their studies; and
• given a formal presentation to staff and higher degree research students of the department on their findings to date.

Assessment

The award of the PhD is based solely on the result of the thesis. The thesis will be assessed by two external examiners.

The criteria for assessing applicants' eligibility for PhD candidature are:

1. Minimum qualifications
Applicants are normally required to have completed at least a four-year honours degree at H2A standard from an Australian university, or a qualification or combination of qualifications considered by the RHD Committee to be equivalent. For particular disciplines applicants are also required to complete, at an appropriate level, a Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or a Graduate Record Entry (GRE) test.

2. Minimum level of academic achievement
Applicants should have achieved an overall H1 (80-100%) or H2A (75-79%) grade in the relevant honours or Masters degree.

3. Relevance of the degree
The completed degree must be in an area that is relevant to the intended PhD, including sufficient specialisation such that the applicant will have already developed an understanding and appreciation of a body of knowledge relevant to the intended PhD.

4. Evidence of research ability
Applicants are normally required to have completed a research project/component that accounts for at least 25% of their year's work at 4th year or at Masters level. Graduates of certain professional degrees at the University of Melbourne, including MBBS, BVSc, LLB, BPhysio and BEng are deemed to have met this requirement.

5. Currency of applicant's knowledge of the discipline
The applicant's degree/s and/or professional experience must demonstrate that their knowledge of the discipline in which they plan to undertake their research higher degree is current.

6. Assessment of level of commitment
Based on interview or other communication, an assessment should be made of the level of understanding, motivation and time commitment of the student for the proposed program of study. For example, a full-time student would be expected to devote at least 40 hours a week and a part-time student about half of this.

Applicants must also meet the University’s English Language requirements.

Additional criterion: your area of interest, see http://www.gsbe.unimelb.edu.au/future/admissions/how_research.html

All applicants are required to submit an official GMAT or GRE test result as part of their application.

For the purpose of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Description, Course Objectives and Generic Skills of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Doctoral degrees at the University of Melbourne seek to develop graduates who demonstrate academic leadership, increasing independence, creativity and innovation in their research work.

The University expects its doctoral graduates to have the following qualities and skills:

• an advanced ability to initiate research and to formulate viable research questions;
• a demonstrated capacity to design, conduct and report sustained and original research;
• the capacity to contextualise research within an international corpus of specialist knowledge;
• an advanced ability to evaluate and synthesize research-based and scholarly literature;
• an advanced understanding of key disciplinary and multi-disciplinary norms and perspectives relevant to the field;
• highly developed problem-solving abilities and flexibility of approach;
• the ability to analyse critically within and across a changing disciplinary environment;
• the capacity to disseminate the results of research and scholarship by oral and written communication to a variety of audiences;
• a capacity to cooperate with and respect the contributions of fellow researchers and scholars;
• a profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of research and scholarship;
• an advanced facility in the management of information, including the application of computer systems and software where appropriate to the student's field of study;
• an understanding of the relevance and value of their research to national and international communities of scholars and collaborators;
• an awareness where appropriate of issues related to intellectual property management and the commercialisation of innovation; and
• an ability to formulate applications to relevant agencies, such as funding bodies and ethics committees.

The University provides a variety of opportunities in addition to the supervised research program, to facilitate a students' acquisition of these attributes.

Application Procedure
Detailed information for prospective PhD students regarding the application process, including the application form is available at http://www.futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/grad/research.

It is important to note that there is a separate application form for local and international students.

PhD applicants should discuss their research interests with a potential supervisor at the department in which they would like to enrol prior to submitting an application.

The Find an Expert website may assist you to find an appropriate supervisor. Prospective PhD candidates should also investigate department websites for information on current research and contact details. Department websites are easily accessed from faculty homepages.

Applications are accepted year-round but a number of programs only offer Semester One commencement. Please check the relevant program details in the current Graduate Prospectus of the Graduate School of Business and Economics.

Which scholarship can I apply for?
Students can find information about graduate research scholarships offered by the University of Melbourne at the Melbourne Scholarships Office.

Facilities and Supports:
The Melbourne School of Graduate Research makes available a broad range of Programs & Services available to research and graduate research students.