Thank you for your interest in a postgraduate degree in the School of Physics, UNSW. The word "domestic" in the title means that you fall in the category of being an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or an NZ citizen.
The first step is to determine which one of the several degrees we offer is appropriate to you, considering your existing experience and your aspirations. You may find this quick summary of the various Postgraduate degrees helpful. It includes information on the entry requirements, how to apply, and application deadlines.
The UNSW Graduate Research School also has a description of the various degrees.
A PhD is a 3-4 year programme during which you will make significant and original contributions to knowledge, as evidenced by a PhD thesis. After graduation you can call yourself "Dr". A PhD can be thought of as proof of your ability to conduct independent scientific research.
To obtain admission for a PhD you will normally require an undergraduate degree in science with some additional evidence of your research potential. For domestic students the additional evidence will normally be an Honours year, a Master of Philosophy, or Master by Research. For international students, a similar level of research experience will be expected, and will be assessed by the Higher Degree Committee. If your qualifications aren't suitable for direct entry into a PhD programme, then you may be able to enrol in a Master by Research, and may then be able to transfer to a PhD following completion of the first year of study.
A Master by Research is a 1.5-2 year programme. It is not as advanced as a PhD, but still requires an original contribution to research and a thesis. This degree can be taken as an end in itself, or can be used as a stepping stone to a PhD. To gain entry to a Master by Research, you will normally have an Honours degree or equivalent.
A Master of Philosophy is a 1-2 year programme. Is quite similar to the Master by Research, except that it has a coursework component that represents up to one-third of the work. It is similar to an Honours year component of an Australian undergraduate degree.
In Australia, undergraduate degrees in science are normally 3 years in length and can be followed by a 4th "Honours" year. The Honours year is part coursework and part research thesis, typically in the ratio 50:50. The purpose of the Honours year is to give the student a feeling for research work, and to provide sufficient grounding for entry into a PhD programme. A Master of Philosophy can be substituted for an Honours year.
The Research Training Scheme (RTS), introduced in 2001, provides Commonwealth-funded higher degree by research (HDR) students with an "entitlement" to exemption from tuition fees for the duration of an accredited HDR course, up to a maximum period of four years' full-time equivalent study for a Doctorate by research and two years' full-time equivalent study for a Masters by research (including a Master of Philosophy).
You may have to pay fees if you exceed the times above, or if you have already taken advantage of the RTS scheme.
The question of fees is complex, and you are best to examine the UNSW Graduate Research School website on fees, and to contact the GRS if you have questions.
In addition to fees charged by UNSW, you will need to provide living expenses for yourself. Sydney is quite an expensive city in which to live. A single person living frugally may require about $22K per annum.
There are various scholarships available. In addition, you can suppliment your income by teaching part-time in the School of Physics.
All postgraduate degrees in Physics at UNSW involve conducting research in physics under the supervision of a supervisor. It is your responsibility to locate a suitable supervisor. One way to do that is to look at the list of academic staff in the School of Physics and the list of research staff. Choose someone who is in your field of interest and email them directly. You might like to search for recent publications by the staff using Google scholar.
Click here for information from the UNSW Graduate Research School.
This page is maintained by the Postgraduate Coordinator: Professor Michael Ashley m.ashley@unsw.edu.au