Guide for applying to a PhD in Australia

Quick Facts

Start Dates: All year round. In some universities it is mandatory to start in February or July.
Duration: 3-4 years
Structure: Students are required to produce a thesis representing a significant new
contribution to their area of investigation. No classes are required in most cases but
there are exceptions based on your academic background.

Entry Requirements:
1. English 6.5/9.0 IELTS or 90/120 TOEFL.
2. Understanding and experience in academic research (see below for details).

Steps to Apply
1. Review the below universities links (at the end of the email).
2. Identify possible supervisors who will be interested in your research proposal.
3. Complete Expression of Interest (EOI). (example format attached)
4. Submit via email your research proposal to identified potential supervisors.
5. Negotiate the details of your research topic with a number of potential
supervisors.
6. During your negotiations, you may be asked for certified academic transcripts
and other documentation. Please call LAE Spain and we will legally certify your
documents free of charge.
7. When you have finalized your topic and have your supervisor confirmed. We can
start the formal application process. Contact LAE Spain and we will help you fill
out your formal application and certify all remaining documents.
8. From this point on, we will help you throughout the process as well with all
complementary services and support you may need: visa information,
accommodation, enrolment, insurance, flights, etc.
9. You will need to have academic references for the admission process. This may
need to have a specific format and instructions to submit.

Please be aware that this is a general process but each university might have specific requirements
or procedures. We suggest you revise each university Research web page as they all include valuable
information on their application processes. If you have any doubts do not hesitate to contact us.

You are required to complete the first six steps by yourself. The Universities ask us not to do steps 1
to 6 for you, as it is your first test to gain entry. If you do not have the English ability or motivation
to complete the first six steps by yourself then it is assumed, you do not have the ability to complete
a 3-4 year PhD program. We will help you with any questions you have during this time but we are
unable to assist you with reading or correcting your Research Proposal or looking for supervisors.

Entry Requirements
There are two critical requirements you need to meet before starting your PhD:
1. English: 6.5/9.0 IELTS or 90/120 TOEFL
Before you can start your PhD, you need to obtain one of the above qualifications. No
exceptions. You can start talking to potential supervisors about your PhD topic before you
have an English certificate but your current level of English needs to be good.
As a guide, you should already have IELTS 5.0 or TOEFL 65/120 as an absolute minimum
before starting your negotiations.
There is a worldwide rule that says for every 0.5 IELTS points you are under your target score
(6.5) it takes 10 weeks of full time English instruction in an English speaking country
(Australia). This rule is very accurate.
If you do not meet the English requirements, you can do an English course prior to starting
your PhD.

2. Knowledge and Experience in Academic Research

A Master’s degree is not a requirement to apply for a PhD in Australia but it does help.
The key requirement is knowledge in academic investigation. This can be demonstrated via:
1. An undergraduate graduation thesis in an academic and investigative style.
2. A Masters Graduation thesis, again in an academic and investigative style.
3. Work experience in investigation. You might have worked in laboratory or undertaken
research as part of your job.
4. Publications: relevant to your field of study.

If you don´t have sufficient experience in research, the options depending on your previous
research experience will be:
1. Complete a Masters by Coursework that contains a research project. This is the most
popular option. Please come and see us at LAE Spain to help you choose the right
Master’s Program for you.
2. Apply for a Masters by Research, commonly referred to as a Masters of Philosophy
(MPhil). Don´t be confused by the name, it does not mean you will study Philosophy. This
is the quickest and easiest option if you want to continue onto a PhD and in many cases
students will have started the Masters and completed their PhD in 4 years. The
Applications process is the same as a PhD. The program usually combines an academic
(50%) with a research (50%) component
Writing an Expression of Interest
We have attached an Expression of Interest form to help you get started. It will help you structure
your proposal. It is just a guide for your reference. It is important to revise the specific procedure and
format for each university.

The Golden Rule: Contact more than one university/supervisor to increase your chances. The second
alternative is to concentrate you research and look for an Academic/Faculty that will be interested in
your research project.

Other tips
1. Be flexible with your topic. If you are unwilling to studying anything other than what you
propose, it is more complicated to find a supervisor. The process is a negotiation. Your
supervisor will suggest changes and other areas of investigation, listen to their advice.
Typically, it takes 3-6 months to finalize a research topic.
2. Your supervisor’s knowledge and enthusiasm is more important than the ranking of the
University. At the PhD level, how you get along with your supervisor, their qualifications
and enthusiasm for your topic is much more important than the reputation of the
University. Remember this person is going to be your boss for 3-4 years. Australia´s best
researchers are scattered throughout all the Universities and General University
Ranking’s don´t capture this.
3. When contacting potential supervisors be straight to the point. It is all about the research
topic. Australians are very direct and to the point but also extremely relaxed people.
Typically, they are not very formal. They are not interested in your personal history or
your compliments. Do not tell them “help me realize my dreams” they will not return
your email. Do not tell them “your prestigious university “, “your time and help with my
research will change the world” or “your amazing record”. They want to know what you
want to study and how you plan on doing it. Be as direct and concise as possible. Below
is an introductory email to help you get your negotiations started. It is not rude, it’s how
Australian write to each other. Feel free to change it but always remember to stay on
topic.
4. International Students are very important to Australian Research. A large percentage of
PhD students in Australia are international students. In Australia they do so much
research that there are far more positions available than Australian applicants. This
means Universities in Australia want to see your research proposals but you need to be
able to speak English and have research experience. Every year LAE helps a significant
number of students find PhDs in Australia.
Contacting possible Supervisors.

This is the start point to the PhD application process. It is important you prepare this first contact
point as it is important to gain the Supervisor attention with your proposal.

Below you can find the links to several Australian Universities. It is important that you navigate and
read the information they provide. Learn about the university, their research, their rankings, their
application process for their research programs, etc. Each University has slightly different
requirements and processes so please follow their instructions carefully.
Most Universities have internal databases to help you find a potential supervisor.

University Websites outlining the PhD application Process

This are the eight bigger universities in research but there are more than 40 universities in Australia,
you can apply to any of them for a PHD, you should base your selection process on your subject,
preferences and expertise.

We suggest you apply to at least two of the Group of Eight universities listed below:
Australian National University: http://www.anu.edu.au/research/our-research
Monash University: http://www.monash.edu/research
University of Melbourne: http://research.unimelb.edu.au/index.html
University of New South Wales: https://research.unsw.edu.au/
University of Queensland: http://www.uq.edu.au/research/
University of Sydney: http://sydney.edu.au/research.html
University of Western Australia: http://www.studyat.uwa.edu.au/research/research-applications
University of Adelaide: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/research/

En este link puedes ver las el ranking de investigación de las Universidades Australianas en tu área de
estudio: http://www.arc.gov.au/era-outcomes-2015

Interpretación de los resultados:

Escala de 1-5.

 Puntuación de 1-2: investigación por debajo de los estándares mundiales.

 Puntuación de 3: investigación en parámetros mundiales.
 Puntuación de 4: investigación sobre estándares mundiales.
 Puntuación de 5: Investigación muy por encima de estándares mundiales.
An introductory email to help you get started.
Subject: PhD Proposal

Dear (their name),

Hello, my name is (your name). I I am interested in researching ………… (2 to 4 sentences about your
topic).
I have attached an Expression of Interest outlining my topic, academic record and research experience.
I look forward to hearing from you shortly about the opportunities available at your University.
Yours sincerely,
(Your name)