PhD students may choose an area of specialisation for their PhD from any of the Disciplines in the University of Sydney Business School.

Degree Rules

The PhD degree is awarded to a thesis considered to be a substantial original contribution to knowledge in its field. The thesis, normally around 80,000 words, is sent to three examiners (usually one from within the University, one from elsewhere in Australia, and one from overseas) who are required to report that in their opinion:

• The thesis is a substantial and original contribution to the knowledge of the subject concerned
• The thesis displays evidence of high quality research
• The thesis displays evidence of independent critical ability
• The literary presentation of the thesis is satisfactory
• A substantial amount of material in the thesis is suitable for publication

Admission to Research Degrees

Students wishing to undertake a PhD in Business must be able to demonstrate that they have the necessary academic background in the field of study they wish to pursue.

To be eligible for admission to PhD candidature in the Business School, applicants are required to hold an undergraduate degree with First or Second class (Division One) Honours in the proposed field of study - or an extremely good Masters degree (at least 80% average) with 25% research component from a recognised University or its equivalent. An Honours degree in Australia involves four years' study, including the preparation of a dissertation based on supervised research.

To be eligible for admission to MPhil candidature in the Business School, applicants are required to have the following:

1. An undergraduate and postgraduate degree in the proposed field of study from a recognised University or its equivalent with a distinction average.
2. Demonstration of research potential either by publication, previous work experience, related coursework or other eligible means.
3. Other factors taken into consideration when assessing a research application are the quality of the research proposal, previous performance in a thesis program if applicable, and the availability of a supervisor within the Faculty.

English Language Requirements

All International students must meet the following English language requirements:

• IELTS 7.0 (with a minimum of 6.5 in each band); OR
• TOEFL 600+ (TWE at 4.5+) or CBT 250+ (essay 4.5+) or IBT100+ (writing band 23 and no band below 22); OR
• If a degree in English has been completed within the last 5 years there is no need to provide an IELTS or TOEFL score.

Student Obligations

In the first semester of enrolment, all postgraduate students registered for research degrees are required to participate in the Discipline's Thesis Preparation Workshop and to attend the Business School Research Induction Program. In the second semester of their candidature, all students must produce and defend a Thesis Prospectus. The prospectus will outline the research topic, its relation to existing literature in the field, the specific questions that the research will address, the proposed intellectual contribution of the study, the hypotheses or propositions to be developed, and the methods that will be employed to establish them. In addition, all students are required to regularly attend the Discipline's Research-in-Progress Seminar and to make at least one annual presentation, beginning in their second year of candidature. Making successful progress annually by handing in the Annual Progress Report to the Business School Research Unit is essential. All students are also required to ensure their enrolments for each semester through their Unikeys. Students can contact the Business School Research Unit for assistance of their enrolments.

Duration

Candidature for a PhD is for a minimum of 3 years full time or 6 years part time, and for a maximum of 4 years full time or 8 years part time. This will typically include a probationary period of 12 months.

How to Apply

Application details are available from the Future Students section of the Business School web site or in person from the Business School Research Unit.