how to find a phd supervisor in australia

• Research degrees

Find a supervisor or research project

Graduate researchers at the University of Melbourne need at least two supervisors – one designated as the principal supervisor. Whether you want to join an established project with an assigned supervisory team or find supervisors for your own research project, the questions below may help you determine who is best placed to support your research journey:

• Do they have expertise relevant to your intended research project?
• Do they share your passion for your chosen topic?
• Are they well connected with other researchers?
• Have they developed skills in people management and mentoring?
• What is their reputation amongst current and past PhD candidates?
• Will you work well together? Consider your respective personalities and communication styles.

It’s worth discovering more about their supervision style, availability and accessibility, as well as the value of their feedback. Then search our list of 2500+ experts for research supervision or our list of available research projects.

Find a supervisor

Find a research project

Your supervisors’ role

Your supervision team will:.

• Guide and support you through all stages of your candidature and ensure you have access to necessary  resources and facilities to complete your research project.
• Assist you to develop your research topic, questions, methodology and milestones for successful completion.
• Provide constructive feedback on your written work and oral presentations within a reasonable agreed timeframe and provide detailed, specific and constructive feedback on thesis drafts.
• Mentor you through the research process, providing support as you undertake new  tasks, and ensure that administrative work like ethics applications are completed or responded to in a timely way.
• Maintain an agreed schedule of regular individual meetings with you.
• Help you identify appropriate skills training and  professional development opportunities , including academic skills, external engagement (internships, industry mentoring programs), sessional teaching and PhD Program participation.
• Help you  grow your professional networks by encouraging and supporting you to engage with the research community, both locally and internationally.
• Be accessible to a reasonable extent via email, online or in person, should support be needed outside of the agreed meeting schedule.
• Promptly attend to administrative tasks like progress reviews, requests for leave of absence or candidature variations.
• Be familiar with, introduce you to and provide advice on all relevant University policies, including the  Graduate Research Training Policy and those on the conduct of research, ethical requirements, safe working practices, intellectual property and authorship.
• Adhere to the  Principles of Respectful Supervisory Relationships , be considerate of wellbeing and, where appropriate, alert you to wellbeing services.
• Advise on where to seek confidential advice and explain the process of making a formal complaint if difficult situations cannot be resolved, understanding that you may consult other individuals, including the Advisory Committee chair or confidential advisors, if you wish to raise any concerns.
• Different members of your supervision team will contribute to your supervision in different ways but should work as a team to support you.

Advisory committee

Your supervision team is supported by your Advisory Committee , which should comprise of at least three people, including the advisory committee chair and your supervisors, which will be established at commencement.

The committee has a formal role in monitoring the progress of your research project and an informal role in providing you with support and advice.

If you are experiencing issues or have matters you feel you cannot raise with your supervisors, you should consult an advisory committee member in the first instance.The roles and responsibilities of supervisors and advisory committee members are also outlined in the Graduate Research Training Policy .

Looking for something else?

Explore research areas.

Discover your graduate research options at the University of Melbourne.

Scholarships

The University of Melbourne offers generous and comprehensive scholarship opportunities to recognise talent and support graduate researchers.

How to apply

Find out how to apply for graduate research at the University of Melbourne.

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How to get a PhD

Study tips Published 5 Apr, 2022  ·  4-minute read

Trying to wrap your head around how PhD programs work? We don’t blame you. Sometimes it feels like you need a PhD just to figure out how to get a PhD.

So, with a little help from our academics and some UQ PhD candidates, we’ve broken down the application and preparation process into 10 manageable steps:

• Make sure you’re eligible
• Choose your topic
• Find your PhD supervisors
• Write your PhD proposal
• Look for PhD scholarships
• Plan your study schedule
• Determine if you'll continue working during your PhD
• Gather required documents and apply online
• Get accepted
• Prepare yourself for success

Let’s discuss how to get a PhD in Australia – from choosing your topic to submitting your application. Just keep in mind that some of this information is specifically about how to apply for a PhD at UQ. It’s still a useful guide in general, but the PhD application process may vary at other Australian universities.

1. Make sure you're eligible

To be considered for a PhD program, you’ll need at least one of these:

• a bachelor’s degree with honours or standalone honours degree, achieving IIA (second class, A division) honours or higher; or
• a research master’s degree (like the Master of Philosophy ) or a coursework master’s degree that includes relevant research experience; or
• an approved degree, plus evidence of at least 2 years of relevant research experience .

If you don’t currently meet any of these criteria, consider how you might accrue some research experience prior to applying for your PhD. For example, you might be able to start with a Master of Philosophy and then progress into a PhD. Or perhaps you could complete an independent research project for your business, industry or government to build your research portfolio.

Check all our PhD entry requirements or explore how you can get a PhD without honours

2. Choose your topic

Whether you’re diving deeper into a familiar subject or branching out into a new area of interest, you’ll want to settle on your PhD topic sooner rather than later. Finding a niche that sparks your curiosity is important for ensuring you’ll stay inspired during the 3+ years ahead.

Keep in mind that you generally have 2 options here. You can complete a PhD by:

• joining a proposed/advertised research project in an area that interests you
• proposing your own project that aligns with your specific goals.

Get tips for choosing your PhD topic or explore available research projects at UQ

3. Find your PhD supervisors

Choosing the right people to guide you through your PhD might just be the most crucial step in the process. This is also where things can go quite differently depending on whether you’re a current student at the university where you want to do your PhD.

If you’re a current student, there’s a fair chance you’ve already met or even studied under the academic who will become your primary supervisor. You’ve got the inside scoop on who teaches which courses at the uni, and you may already have an idea of whose personality and teaching style would suit you well.

If you’re approaching your PhD from outside the uni, you’ve got a bit of extra research to do. But as an aspiring PhD candidate, a little extra research is unlikely to deter you. By shortlisting and contacting prospective supervisors based on their areas of interest and existing projects, you can narrow down your options and find the best match.

Learn how to find the right PhD supervisor

4. Write your PhD proposal

Check with your supervisor to see if they require a formal PhD proposal (most will, but not all). If so, with their guidance, it’s time to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

Even if your supervisor doesn't explicitly ask for one, a PhD proposal is a valuable document for outlining the scope of your research and giving your project its initial momentum – so it might be worth writing one either way.

Learn how to write a good PhD proposal

5. Look for PhD scholarships

Dedicating yourself to research sometimes means sacrificing your income in the short term, though it can lead to more financial security in the long term . To help support yourself during your studies, you can apply for PhD scholarships and funding.

These scholarships sometimes have specific deadlines, so make sure to take note of these and adjust your projected study plan accordingly.

Learn how to get a PhD scholarship

6. Plan your study schedule

To complete your PhD within the standard 3.5-year* timeframe, you'll need to be organised with a clear project plan.

*In special cases, you may be able to request an extension of your tuition for up to 4 years, but that is the maximum time allowed for a PhD.

Part of this planning phase will be determining how soon you can start your research. At UQ, you’ll be commenced from the start of one of our 4 research quarters:

• January – March
• April – June
• July – September
• October – December.

Expect to begin your research as soon as you have completed your onboarding activities.

You should submit your application at least 12 weeks prior to the research quarter when you’re hoping to start your PhD or in the scholarship round aligned with your proposed commencing research quarter (this may be even earlier than 12 weeks prior).

Explore how long it takes to get a PhD

7. Determine if you'll continue working during your PhD

Some PhD candidates continue doing part-time or casual work while completing their research. However, this isn't easy and may not be feasible in most cases; it takes serious time-management skills to juggle any kind of job alongside a full-time PhD.

So, carefully consider whether you’d like to keep working in some capacity or commit your attention fully to your research. It may help to weigh up how much your PhD will cost, as well as your expected living expenses while you study, against how much you’ll receive from your scholarship.

Learn more about working while doing a PhD or explore how much a PhD costs

8. Gather required documents and apply

It’s time to jump online and do the official application process. Aside from your research proposal, you should also prepare to provide your:

• academic CV
• academic transcript
• degree certificate(s)
• English language documents (if needed)
• ID (such as a passport)
• two references / letters of recommendation from people who can comment on your research experience.

Check which documents you’ll need to provide

9. Get accepted 🤞

It can take up to 12 weeks to get a response to your application, but hopefully the anxious wait will all be worth it. Either way, you’ll get a notification from the application portal to let you know the outcome.

When you receive your offer letter, make sure to read it carefully and follow the instructions provided to accept your offer and get your research started. You should also contact your supervisor to let them know you’ve gotten the offer – they’ve likely been just as anxious as you have!

Upon acceptance into the PhD program, you’ll be expected to start in the research quarter noted on your offer letter. If your circumstances have changed, you can notify us and you may be able to delay commencement and start in the following research quarter instead, but you won’t be able to defer more than once.

What if my application isn’t approved?

It can be disappointing to have your PhD application rejected, and due to the large number of applications, you may not receive detailed feedback. We suggest speaking with your nominated supervisor. They may be able to provide ideas to enhance your CV and help you decide whether it’s worthwhile reapplying. After all, you may have just been part of a particularly competitive application period – and there are only so many PhD scholarships that can be awarded.

10. Prepare yourself for success

We know you’ve already got what it takes, but there are some skills and attributes you could cultivate or practise to make your upcoming journey a little smoother. While you’re waiting for the outcome of your application, you could set some time aside to work on developing the traits and habits that will help you succeed as a PhD candidate.

Discover what makes a good PhD student

Once all these pieces come together, you’ll be on your way to starting your research journey. We can’t wait to see the discoveries you’ll uncover, the results you’ll achieve and the impact you’ll make with your PhD.

Submit your PhD application

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Related stories

How to decide on a PhD topic

4-minute read

How to find a PhD supervisor

5-minute read

How to write a good PhD proposal

How to get a PhD scholarship or funding

3-minute read

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Find a supervisor or project

Choose a supervisor who can help you with your research and develop your skills.

>> Return to How to apply

How to identify a supervisor for your research degree

Before you start the application process, you need to find a supervisor in your area of interest.

UTS is home to world-leading academic staff working across a wide range of disciplines who are committed to mentoring the next generation of research leaders.

Use the Find a supervisor tool to find a supervisor in your area of research interest. 

You can search with keywords and remember to select “Masters Research or PhD Student supervision” under Availability when refining criteria on the left hand side bar.

Find a supervisor

How to contact a supervisor 

Once you've found a potential supervisor, it's very important to make contact with them. This is an opportunity to discuss your potential project, make sure it aligns with their current interests, and start to get a sense of whether you are a good "fit" as a supervisor-research student team. You will need a potential supervisor to agree to supervise you for your application to be successful. 

You should contact the academic by email and include:

• A few short sentences introducing yourself and how your research fits with their interests and expertise
• A copy of your current CV using UTS template ( Download UTS CV template )
• A draft of your research proposal or an explanation of why you're interested in a project that the supervisor has available
• Copies of your academic transcripts

Please allow a couple of weeks for potential supervisors to respond to your email.  If they are not available to supervise you, they may refer you to another suitable academic.

You can also contact the research office in your discipline area for assistance in finding the right UTS supervisor to fit your needs.

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Find a Supervisor or Project

As a UNSW higher degree research candidate, you will be guided by a supervisory team of world-class researchers who are leaders in their field.

Use the filters below to search for potential supervisors or projects to start your research journey. Contact them to discuss your proposed research.

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Research proposal

Your degree can have varying requirements

Find a potential researcher to support your candidacy

Part of the application process for prospective students is to find a research expert who is interested in your research question and able to supervise you.

Finding a supervisor with the right research expertise and experience to support you through candidature is an important step in the application process. At Macquarie, our supervisors are experts in their fields and undertake training and development in research supervision to ensure you get the most out of your research journey.

Our supervisor database

To identify a potential supervisor, search Macquarie’s supervisor database for research experts in your area of interest. Once you have shortlisted a few, review their profiles to see who aligns the best with your project. Points to consider include:

• What are their research interests?
• What research projects are they currently working on?
• What other research projects have they supervised?

After you have identified a potential supervisor, the next step is to connect with them to confirm that they have the right research expertise and capacity to supervise you.

Connecting with a potential supervisor

The best way to connect with a potential supervisor is via email. Your email will be the first step in establishing a connection with your potential supervisor and will help them determine the suitability of your research question, the appropriateness of your research background and if they can supervise the project.

To assist with this decision, you should introduce yourself and provide the following:

• information about previous degrees and experience (include a current CV)
• a brief outline of your research questions/area of interest
• a short explanation about why you would like to work with them.

Once a potential supervisor has agreed to supervise you, the next step is to prepare your research proposal .