Doctor of Philosophy - Engineering

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.

A candidate will have appropriately experienced supervisors and an advisory committee who in consultation with the candidate, arranges a course of supervised research designed to suit the project requirements and interests of the candidate. A candidate may be required to supplement their research program by attendance at, or enrolment in, additional subjects if considered necessary by the supervisor(s). All students are required to attend departmental seminars over the period of their candidature.

Duration

The normal period of candidature is three years for full-time candidates with the possibility of two, six month extensions. All PhD candidates are required to complete a minimum of 12 months full-time research at the University in order to benefit from planning, conducting and writing-up their research within a University community and environment. Normally the entire PhD is undertaken at the University. To be eligible to submit a thesis, students must be enrolled in their course for the minimum period of 24 months full-time equivalent.

Intake

Students may commence a DR-PHILENG (Doctor of Philosophy-Engineering) at any time during the year subject to prior arrangement with their nominated supervisor.

Graduate research students in the Melbourne School of Engineering are required to enrol in coursework components. Enrolment in these coursework subjects is dependent on commencement in the PhD-Engineering prior to the first day of scheduled classes. Students are encouraged to enrol into their graduate research degree prior to Semester 1 or Semester 2 class commencement if they are intending to enrol in coursework subjects in the corresponding semester.

Please check with the relevant department prior to making any arrangements for enrolment or travel.

See 'Graduate Attributes'

Coursework Component

All PhD students in the Melbourne School of Engineering must complete two subjects from the approved lists below prior to confirmation. Students in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering must complete two additional subjects after confirmation, which may be selected outside of the Departmental list with additional approval.

Awarding of Final Mark & Grade

Students must successfully complete the required coursework component in order to be awarded the Doctor of Philosophy - Engineering.

All students in the Melbourne School of Engineering must complete two subjects from the approved lists below prior to confirmation. Students in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering must complete two additional subjects after confirmation, which may be chosen outside of the Departmental list with additional approval.

If a student does not have sufficient background in the subjects or their area of research, they may be required to take preliminary undergraduate subjects or complementary subjects such as ‘LING90002:Presenting Academic Discourse’ or ‘MAST90007:Statistics for Research Workers’. Preliminary undergraduate and complementary subjects will not count towards the postgraduate level coursework requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy-Engineering (DR-PHILENG).

Students in the following Departments may select subjects from the complete list below:
• Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
• Computing and Information Systems
• Infrastructure Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Graduate/Postgraduate subjects NOT listed below may be selected in consultation with the student’s supervisor and require the endorsement from the subject coordinator and Head of Department or their nominee.

Students in Electrical and Electronic Engineering must select from the Electrical and Electronic Engineering list.

Subjects Available:

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Computing and Information Systems Engineering

Infrastructure Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Graduate School of Science

School of Botany

School of Chemistry

Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Students are permitted to undertake the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Masters level Mathematics and Statistics subjects listed below:

School of Physics

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Electrical and Electronic Engineering students may select subjects from the list below:

Subjects Available

Graduate/Postgraduate subjects NOT listed below may be selected in consultation with the student’s supervisor and require the endorsement of the subject coordinator and Head of Department or their nominee.

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

• A four-year bachelor degree in a relevant discipline which includes a substantial research component equivalent to at least 25% of one year of full-time study, and have achieved a minimum weighted average of 75% in the final year subjects or (University of Melbourne) equivalent
or
• A masters degree in a relevant discipline which includes a substantial research component equivalent to at least 25% of one year of full-time study, and achieved a minimum weighted average of 75% or (University of Melbourne) equivalent
or
• A qualification and professional experience considered to be equivalent

and

• A research proposal
• Referee reports (except for applicants who have graduated from the University of Melbourne within the last 5 years)
• The endorsement of a prospective supervisor.

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In selecting applicants, the selection committee will consider applicants’:

• Prior academic performance and, if relevant, professional qualifications
• Understanding of the research question to be explored
• Performance at an interview
• Motivation and capacity to complete the course in a timely manner
• Relevant prior research and/or professional experience
• Referee reports.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. The minimum English language requirements for this course are: Band 6.5.

http://futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/admissions/entry-requirements/language-requirements

For more information on the application process visit: http://www.eng.unimelb.edu.au/study/degrees

All PhD candidates are required to complete the equivalent of at least 12 months full-time (24 months part-time) advanced study and research in the University unless studying at an outside institution approved by the Research Higher Degrees Committee (RHDC). The RHDC will not approve entirely distance supervision or entirely on-line supervision for graduate researchers.

Throughout their candidature candidates are expected to attend the University in order to benefit from planning, conducting and writing-up their research within a University community and environment.

The residency requirement is deemed especially important during the period of probationary candidature. During probationary candidature the student is expected to interact on a regular basis with the supervisor, the department (including staff and other research students) and the University, with the aim to:

• Build the skills and knowledge necessary to carry out the proposed research program
• Acquire an understanding of the standards and requirements for a PhD awarded by the University
• Make use of support programs and facilities provided by the Univeristy.

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting the requirements of this course are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Graduate Research Adviser and Student Equity and Support.

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://futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/admissions/appliations/research.

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 your search for 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 the faculty homepages.

Applications are accepted year-round.

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 University of Melbourne makes available a broad range of Programs & Services available to graduate research students.