Postgraduate Research in Physics

Physics has been taught at the University of Sydney for more than one hundred and forty years. The School of Physics has always been one of the largest and most active departments of physics in Australia and that is certainly true today.

The research degrees available in the School of Physics are Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Master of Science (MSc) by research. Research degrees are offered in a wide range of experimental and theoretical research areas which are described in the School's Research Activities pages. You can also search a selection of current research opportunities at the University's Research Supervisor Connect webtool.

The University's policy for Supervision of Higher Degree by Research Students ensures candidates are supported to produce research of the highest quality and receive effective supervision during their studies.

A suitable Supervisor from within the School is appointed for each research student. In addition, one or more Associate Supervisors will be appointed. Where candidates make substantial use of facilities outside the School (e.g. the Anglo-Australian Observatory, the Australia Telescope National Facility, or CSIRO) an Associate Supervisor at the relevant institution will be appointed. Thesis topics must be arranged between the candidate and the prospective supervisors before an application for admission is submitted.

Doctor of Philosophy

This is a research degree awarded for a thesis considered to be a substantially original contribution to the subject. Candidates are also required to attend two Honours courses with the approval of their Supervisor in the first year of their candidature.

Admission Requirements
Information on Admissions may be found in the Future Students section.

English Language Requirements
Meeting the language requirement is relevant to international students and local students who do not have English as a first language. If you are a local student and you have already obtained a degree from a university where teaching is conducted in English, this requirement does not apply.

See the Faculty of Science Postgraduate English Language Requirements for details.

Progression in the PhD
The degree may be taken on either a full-time or part-time basis. In the case of full-time candidates, the minimum period of candidature is three years for candidates holding a Bachelor's degree or two years for candidates holding a Master's degree or equivalent; the maximum period of candidature is four years.

Part-time candidature may be approved for applicants who can demonstrate that they are engaged in an occupation or other activity which leaves them substantially free to pursue their candidature. The minimum period of part-time candidature is three years; the maximum period is normally eight years.

Probation and Annual Progress Reviews
The first year of a PhD is probationary. You need to demonstrate that you are capable of carrying out doctoral-level research at the University of Sydney and to satisfy any other probationary requirements set by your supervisor in order to move off probationary candidature. You will be required to complete a Probation Review Report form and attend an interview with two academic staff members.

Satisfactory evidence of achievement, research potential, evidence of scientific writing ability and a committed work ethic are assessed. This feedback is viewed as highly beneficial by postgraduate students and it is very rare that students do not satisfy probation conditions.

Each research student must complete an Annual Progress Report form and attend an interview with two academic staff members (NOT the student's Supervisor or Associate Supervisor). This process ensures that satisfactory progress is being made. It should not be the first point at which a supervisor and candidate discover there is a problem, and identification of difficulties on the form will not in itself resolve them.

Coursework Requirements updated 2012
As a PhD student you must complete at least two courses (one for MSc). The objective of this requirement is to supplement the specialised, focused training you receive during your research with broader knowledge in physics, and advanced knowledge required to be a practicing scientist. Coursework may be spread over your candidature, but students are strongly encouraged to complete it within the first three semesters.

The courses each must, at minimum, be equivalent to a full Honours course (two School of Physics "Honours half-courses" may be combined and counted as fulfilling the requirement of a single course at the PhD level). Courses should be selected from offerings within the School of Physics - especially new offerings providing rigorous PhD-level training - or related disciplines with written approval of the PG Research Coordinator and the supervisory team. In no case will a single course be counted as fulfilling more than 50% of the total coursework requirements.

Workshops and discipline-specific training courses do not generally meet the coursework requirement. However, in circumstances such as summer/winter schools where training includes a robust and verifiable assessment process, these may be counted as half-courses, with prior written approval of the PG Research Coordinator.

For courses outside of the School of Physics, permission to attend must be granted in writing by the lecturer, and presented to the PG coordinator. At the conclusion of the term, your course convenor/lecturer must report back (an email is sufficient) to the PG Research Coordinator and the that you have satisfactorily completed the course.

Courses are not done for credit at the University level, so formal enrolment is not required. All assessments must be completed and satisfactory performance (Credit or higher) demonstrated in order for the courses to be counted by the School. Your course completions are recorded in the School by Student Services, and are discussed in your Annual Progress Review. Failure to complete course requirements can prevent you from submitting your thesis.

Responsibilities of the Student
You as a candidate have a responsibility to make yourself aware both of the legislative requirements for the degree in which you are enrolled and the objectives of that degree, and to maintain familiarity with evolving University policies. You should also make yourself aware of government and institutional guidelines for the conduct of research and ensure that through your supervisor the necessary approvals for studies on animal or human subjects (including the use of questionnaires) are obtained.

While this should be made explicit as part of your induction, it is also important to ensure that you fully understand any Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) requirements in the handling of materials or equipment associated with your research project. Feel free to ask questions until you are comfortable with WHS requirements.

Part of the research training you are receiving is to be able to plan and execute a project within defined time limits. A thesis should therefore be planned and carried out within a clear timeframe, under the guidance of your supervisors.

Your degree is studied under supervision. The selection and appointment of your supervisor is a matter of great importance in your studies, and you should play an active part in that process. You also have a responsibility to establish with your supervisor agreed methods of working, especially the nature and frequency of contact, and then to fulfill your side of any agreement.

You must attend agreed consultations and provide evidence of the progress you are making throughout your candidature, including submission of the annual progress report form. You must also participate in such School activities as are expected, including completion of any coursework, and you are expected to participate in research seminars and colloquia when they are offered.

You are responsible for drawing your supervisor’s attention to difficulties you are having, either in your research or in anything that is affecting your progress. If you have problems with your supervisor you should be aware of the mechanisms that exist for resolution of problems and take advantage of them, including contacting the School's Postgraduate Research Coordinator.

Should you need to take time away from study via suspension of candidature or spend time away from the University as part of your candidature, you are responsible for obtaining School and/or Faculty approvals as appropriate.

You are also responsible for ensuring:

• that all the administrative requirements of the University, such as re-enrolling each year, are met
• that you have sufficient time allocated to write up your thesis and that you have ascertained what is necessary in terms of content, style and presentation, and
• adequate notice is given to your supervisor of the expected submission date of your thesis to allow timely selection of examiners.

If you are given permission to complete your candidature on a part-time basis or spend time away from the University (conducting observations at an institutional facility, for example), it is your responsibility to maintain regular contact with your supervisor and to provide evidence that your progress increases rather than diminishes. Problems with candidatures occur all too often in such circumstances and faculty committees tend to have little sympathy with candidates who have not maintained regular contact.

Note that you are solely responsible for the content, style and presentation of the thesis finally presented for examination, although you are strongly advised to follow the advice of your supervisory team as to whether they regard your thesis as ready for submission.

Role and Duties of the Supervisor
A postgraduate research degree is a training exercise in which the candidate acquires knowledge of research methods and experience in planning, performing and publishing research under the guidance of a supervisor. The success of that training is assessed through a thesis, which in the case of a PhD is expected to provide some evidence of originality and thereby make some significant contribution to knowledge, at least some of which is publishable.

A successful research master’s thesis will likewise demonstrate a grasp of training in research methodology but may make a less original contribution than a doctoral thesis.

The responsibility of a supervisor over the initial phase of candidature extends to: ensuring that facilities identified as necessary to the success of the project are provided; encouraging the candidate to extend his or her contacts within the School and elsewhere within the University (and outside as appropriate); ensuring that all parties in the research project are clear about their roles and responsibilities (including associate supervisors); and establishing an agreement regarding the frequency and nature of contact, especially between the candidate and supervisor.

While application procedures normally require the drafting of a research proposal, a critical early phase of any candidature is when the supervisor assists the candidate with drawing up a detailed research plan.

The supervisor must ensure the facilities are available within the School or the University to enable the project to succeed and should pay particular attention to the likely timescale of the project, bearing in mind that a three-year PhD candidature should be an objective.

The supervisor should ensure the candidate is aware of the standards expected of the degree concerned and identify with the candidate the particular research skills that will need to be acquired, if necessary providing clarification of how missing skills are to be obtained. This phase is also where the most appropriate data gathering and analysing techniques are established.

An important part of research training is the completion of a project within a particular timeframe. The supervisor and candidate should agree on the contact that will be necessary between them, particularly in the first year of a PhD candidature or first semester for master’s candidatures, acknowledging that these arrangements may need periodic review. This will include some agreed indicators of progress being made and will take note of known periods of leave for all participants.

The supervisor and the candidate should monitor progress made within the context of the overall research plan. The supervisor should ensure that sufficient time is left for writing up the thesis and that, if necessary, the scope of the project is reduced to meet the time available.

The supervisor has a responsibility to provide regular and constructive feedback to the candidate and should be aware of the need to make annual progress reports both to faculty and to any scholarship authority. Such reports require the candidate to sight and sign them. That should not be the first time at which either supervisor or candidate learns of some dissatisfaction with progress.

As the candidature progresses different contact arrangements may be appropriate and will need to be negotiated, ensuring that both candidate and supervisor are clear on what each expects of the other.

It is recognised that the research experience of a candidate is unique and that arrangements will need to be flexible depending on the nature of the project, the personalities of the participants, and the stage of the research; what is essential is that all parties communicate their expectations and adhere to any agreements made. It is advisable that such agreements should be put into writing to avoid subsequent misunderstanding.

As well as supervising the research project, the supervisor may also need to provide advice about administrative matters, and so should be aware of where to find information about degree and other administrative requirements. The supervisor should ensure that necessary approvals are sought for student absences from the University or for any variations to candidature, and that the candidate receives any due entitlements within the School.

As need arises, and often at the commencement of candidature, the supervisor is responsible for advising each candidate of applicable government and institutional guidelines for the conduct of research, including those covering ethical requirements for studies on human or animal subjects, and the requirements for the use of potentially hazardous agents and equipment. Information about requirements are detailed in the Supervision of Higher Degree by Research Students Policy, available from the University Policy Register.

As far as possible, research supervisors should ensure that the work submitted by candidates is their own and that, where there are data, they are valid. Supervisors should ensure that candidates are aware of the requirements regarding the retention of data within the University.

Agreement should be reached also between the candidate and the supervisor concerning authorship of publications and acknowledgment of contributions during and after the candidature. There should be open and mutual recognition of the candidate’s and supervisor’s contribution on all published work arising from the project, and there are guidelines established by the University governing the submission of co-authored and published work as part of a thesis.

Before the candidate commences writing the thesis, a supervisor should be able to advise on style and layout as appropriate to the discipline, and provide prompt feedback on drafts submitted.

When the thesis is submitted the supervisor is required to certify that the thesis is acceptable for examination and that appropriate ethics clearances have been obtained. The Supervisors Statement form is to be completed to confirm the suitability of the thesis for examination.

This form must be completed by the supervisor then signed by the candidate and endorsed by both the Postgraduate Research Coordinator and where relevant the Dean (or nominee) and should accompany the copies of your thesis when you lodge them for examination at the Faculty of Science office.

Difficulties of one sort or another may arise during the candidature, and supervisors should be aware of the problem-solving mechanisms and the support services which exist within the University for resolution of any issues with which they are unable to deal directly. The supervisor should also ensure that the Postgraduate Research Coordinator, Head of School and the Faculty are kept informed as necessary.

Master of Science by research

Candidates proceed by research and thesis and are also required to take one Honours lecture course with the approval of their Supervisor. Courses taken outside of the Schools of Physics or Mathematics need to be approved by the Postgraduate Research Coordinator before they can be counted as part of the postgraduate coursework requirements.

Admission Requirements
Information on Admissions may be found in the Future Students section.

English Language Requirements
Meeting the language requirement is relevant to international students and local students who do not have English as a first language. If you are a local student and you have already obtained a degree from a university where teaching is conducted in English, this requirement does not apply.

See the Faculty of Science Postgraduate English Language Requirements for details.

Progression in the MSc
In the case of full-time candidature the minimum period of candidature is one year; the maximum period is two years. In the case of part-time candidature the minimum and maximum periods are one year and four years respectively.

Annual Progress Reviews, Responsibilities of the Student and Role and Duties of the Supervisor
See PhD information above.

Facilities for Research Students

All research students have access to computers and workstations which are networked to printers and the internet. There is a central mechanical workshop as well as facilities and support in most research groups for mechanical and electronic construction. Many research groups hold weekly seminars and during semester there is a weekly School of Physics Colloquium on Mondays at 3pm in Slade Lecture Theatre. Graduate students are encouraged and supported to attend local conferences and most have the opportunity to attend an international conference during their candidature.

Further Information

For further information about postgraduate study, contact Physics Student Services via email: