You are here: Home / School of Psychology / Future Students / MSc & PhD (Postgraduate Research Only Degree)

MSc OR PhD (Postgraduate Research Only Degrees)

 

2012: PhD Priority Project Top-Up Scholarships

The School of Psychology will award up to 5 top-up scholarships to students who commence a PhD in 2012 in one the School's priority research areas and are awarded an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) or University Postgraduate Award (UPA). Download information and application form.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a research degree involve and where does it lead to?

A research degree (PhD or MSc) encompasses a substantial project, often involving a series of studies, that addresses and reaches some resolution of a research question independently developed by the student in consultation with their supervisor. Additional coursework requirements, such as presentation and participation in seminars, need to be met during candidature.

Postgraduate research is suited to students who have enjoyed the experience of conducting independent research, usually in their honours year. If there is an area of psychology you find sufficiently engaging to want to devote three years to researching, then you should consider enrolling in a research degree. The skills you acquire during your candidature will prepare you for work in academia as well for a broader range of research / policy development positions in the government or private sector.

These are some of the employment outcomes of recent PhD graduates from our School:

Thesis Title and Supervisors Currently working as...
Behavioural, neural and pharmacological effects of cat-odour induced anxiety in rats. Supervised by Prof Iain McGregor and Dr Glen Hunt Post-doctoral Fellow, School of Psychology, Macquarie University
An investigation of error management, individual differences, and negative feedback in dynamic task training. Supervised by Prof Sally Andrews Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Macquarie University.
The blinking mind: Exploring the visual consequences when attention fails. Supervised by Dr Irina Harris Consultant for Insync Surveys (An organisational psychology research/consulting firm)
The neural basis of visual feature binding. Supervised by Prof Colin Clifford

 Humboldt Fellow,  Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tubingen, Germany.
Expectancies in double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trials and placebo induced side effects. Supervised by Prof Bob Boakes and Prof Phyllis Butow Post-doctoral Research Fellow,  University of New South Wales
Unfolding the conceptualisation and measurement of ambivalent attitudes. Supervised by A/Prof Fiona White and A/Prof Joel Michell. Pearson Postdoctoral Fellow in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Western Australia
Responsible gaming messages on simulated electronic gaming machines: impact on recall, cognitions and intent to play. Supervised by Prof Alex Blaszczynski

 Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Charles Sturt University; Research Associate, University of Sydney.
Pain related attentional biases: An attempt to clarify the existing literature and an examination of factors affecting the consistensy of findings. Supervised by Prof Louise Sharpe Post-doctoral Research Fellow, The Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney 
Back to top

What are the admission and progression criteria for research degrees?

Admission Criteria

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): This is a research degree awarded for a thesis considered to be a substantially original contribution in Psychology and is available to candidates who hold a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with First Class Honours or a Masters degree with a substantial research component.

Master of Science (MSc): Candidates with First or Second Class Honours (Division I) in Psychology are eligible to enrol in a Masters degree by research. Students in the MSc can upgrade their enrolment to a PhD at the end of their first year depending on their progress and supervision availability. Upgrade requirements are available here.

Progression Criteria

The Postgraduate Committee of the School of Psychology has resolved that during their candidature, research students are required to:

  • complete their research project and thesis by the latest date for submission.
  • submit necessary research proposals, progress reports and interviews according to the schedule provided in the guidelines. See here for an example of a schedule for a full-time PhD student commencing in the March semester.
  • participate in the postgraduate seminar program (currently held on Friday afternoons during semester, totalling 13 hours per semester). Participation in this program will be considered as part of a student's annual progress assessment.
  • participate in additional research activities (around 30 hours per year) such as journal clubs, research skills workshops or user groups, the School colloquia, etc.
  • make research-in-progress presentations about their project in their first and third years of candidature,
  • be on campus in order to contribute to the Schools scholarly community by: exchanging ideas; benefiting from research expertise of senior students and other staff; and mentoring junior research students.
Back to top

What funding is available to research students?

Many of the research students in the School of Psychology hold competitive research scholarships that assist with general living costs. There are also casual tutoring positions available to enrolled research students.

There are several types of scholarships available for research students:

Australian Postgraduate Awards (APA); University of Sydney Postgraduate Awards (UPA) and Science Faculty UPAs

Australian Postgraduate Awards (APA) are scholarships awarded to students of exceptional research potential to undertake a higher degree by research at an Australian university. The scholarships are provided to assist with general living costs. In addition, there are University of Sydney Postgraduate Awards (UPA) and Science Faculty UPAs which are similar to APA in terms of tenure and benefits. Eligible APA applicants are automatically considered for these awards. Details about eligibility, application forms and deadlines are available from the Scholarships Office.

Scholarship Top-ups

In addition, around 100 university-wide top-ups will be available in 2010 to highly ranked APA/UPA applicants. These top-ups are the Vice Chancellor's Research Scholarships (up to $35,000 tax exempt over 3.5 years), University of Sydney Merit Awards, and Alumni Scholarships. Eligible APA applicants are automatically considered for these top-ups and are not required to submit a separate application. From time to time, the School also offers top-up scholarships in priority research areas.

Scholarships for international research students

A range of scholarships are available for international students eligible for enrolment in a research degree at the University of Sydney. Details of these can be found here.

Postgraduate Research Support Scheme (PRSS); Postgraduate Research Grant (PRG) and Student Travel Allowance (STA).

The University introduced the Postgraduate Research Support Scheme (PRSS) in 2001 to provide direct support for postgraduate research students. Funds are allocated to Schools based on their higher degree research enrolment figures in the previous year. Schools redistribute the funds to eligible applicants on a competitive basis according to University guidelines. In addition to the PRSS, the School offers the Postgraduate Research Grant (PRG) and Student Travel Allowance (STA). Applications for all three funding sources open in late March and there is the possibility of a second round of applications in August. Further details about these funding sources are given to students on enrolment.

In-house Scholarships and Prizes

There are a number of Scholarships and Prizes that are open solely to School of Psychology research students

The Margaret Stewart Scholarship

This scholarship was established in 1988 from a bequest by George Stewart, to support students undertaking research into the relationships between ethics and behaviour. Its current value is $19,200 per annum.

The Lucy Firth Sydney University Postgraduate Scholarship

This scholarship was established in 1997 from the Estate of Ms Lucy Firth, a graduate and later research assistant in the school. Its current value is $16,500 per annum.

The Winifred O'Neil Sydney University Postgraduate Scholarship

This scholarship provides $2500 per annum based on meritorious performance in Undergraduate Psychology. Preference is given to students who are visually impaired or, if there is no visually impaired applicant, to students with other disability. There is the possibility of the Scholarship being awarded to a suitable candidate without disability in the absence of suitable visually impaired or disabled applicants.

Tanya Sackville Memorial Scholarship in Clinical Psychology for DCP/MSc students

The Tanya Sackville Memorial Scholarship was established in 2008 through a donation from Tanya's parents, Justice Ronald Sackville and Mrs Pamela Sackville, with matching funds from the School of Psychology and Faculty of Science, and additional donations from relatives and friends of the family. The purpose of this annual scholarship is to provide financial support to postgraduate clinical doctorate students studying clinical psychology, and is intended for those students who demonstrate both academic excellence and financial hardship or need.

Details at: http://sydney.edu.au/science/psychology/clinical_psychology/future_stud/fees/scholarships.shtml

The Campbell Perry International Research Scholarship

This scholarship was created in 2005 from the Estate of Campbell Perry, who was awarded his undergraduate and PhD degrees in this school in 1960 and 1966 respectively, but completed his career as Distinguished Emeritus Professor at Concordia University. The scholarship provides $6,000 for a (normally) 2nd year PhD student, supported by an APA or equivalent, to spend between 2 and 8 weeks visiting international scholars relevant to their research project.

PhD Completion Scholarships

Each year, up to 2 Completion Scholarships are offered to students about to commence their final (8th) semester of enrollment, and who do not have any other financial award during this final period of their candidature. The scholarship will provide the equivalent of an APA stipend ($19,600) covering the period leading up to the final submission date, with a maximum period of 6 months.

The H Tasman Lovell Memorial Medallion

Henry Tasman Lovell was the first Professor of Psychology in the Department (from 1929) and in Australia. Each year up to two bronze medallions may be awarded to the best Ph.D. theses in Psychology.

Publication Prize

The School also offers annual Publication Prizes, awarded to the postgraduate student(s) with the most successful publication history in the previous year.

Best Presentation at Annual Postgraduate Conference

Each year, postgraduate research students in the School organize a day-long conference. Prizes are awarded for the best presentations.

Other Sources of Funding

The Scholarships Office regularly advertises scholarships for various research areas. Students are strongly encouraged to subscribe to the research scholarship announcement bulletin and to become familiar with the services provided by the Scholarships Office.

Back to top

What are the steps for enrolment in a research degree?

If you meet the admission criteria for a research degree, and have in mind a particular area of research you would like to pursue, your first step is to arrange for a supervisor.

Potential supervisors and their research areas are listed on our research page. Please contact the staff engaged in areas of research in which you are interested and discuss your research proposal. Please note that research programs developed without any contact with a potential supervisor are generally not accepted and you are strongly advised to nominate a supervisor in your application with whom you have had contact.

Once you have arranged a supervisor, you can complete the application for research degree. Please attach a brief statement of research interest (300 – 500 words is more than sufficient) and evidence of contact with your proposed supervisor(s) with your completed application form. The statement of research interest should contain:

  1. The area of focus of the proposed research
  2. Any prior research experience and, where appropriate, copies of papers already published
  3. The name of the potential supervisor(s) that you have contacted regarding your research proposal

Please contact Dr Marc de Rosnay if you require assistance with the application form.

Application forms should be submitted online prior to application deadlines.

Whilst completing your application to enrol in a research degree, you are strongly encouraged to apply for scholarships. A list of scholarships (and details of application procedures) for research students is available here

International students: please read information below.

Assessments of research degree applications and scholarships are made in mid-late December and offers are sent out mid-late January.

Research topic and supervisor changes are possible after enrolment depending on availability.

Back to top

What are the special procedures for international students?

Deadlines for applications:

If you are an international student, special procedures and deadlines apply. NOTE that University requirements for international applications for candidature and scholarships need to be met well in advance of intended commencement semester - approximately seven months.

Click here for detailed information about research degree application procedures for international students

Click here for details about scholarships for international students

Application forms should be submitted online prior to application deadlines.

Back to top