Graduate research - how to apply
The School of Social and Political Sciences is at the forefront of research in the social sciences in Australia. We have a team of dedicated academic staff who can offer supervision for research higher degrees in the disciplines of Political Science, Criminology and Sociology and across a comprehensive range of areas. The School provides a dynamic and rewarding environment with reading groups, seminars, conferences and postgraduate journals all contributing to the engagment of the program.
Preliminary enquiries
Prospective students wishing to apply for a graduate research degree (PhD, Master by Research) should first establish whether supervision is likely to be available for their proposed research. Please email the School's Research Support Officer with the following:
- a 2,500 word research proposal with a clear title
- a brief CV or resume including full contact details and educational background
The research proposal should outline the proposed research project, including a clear indication of the current scholarship in the area, a bibliography, and also the proposed research methodology or approach to be taken. Should supervision be available, an invitation to submit a full application for admission will be extended. This application will then be assessed against the entry requirements for the degree.
For your information, the areas of research expertise of our academic staff can be found here:
- Anthropology, Development Studies, Gender Studies and Social Theory
- Criminology
- Political Sciences
- Sociology
Submitting an application
The Faculty of Arts and the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences has two admission rounds for local students per year, the deadlines for which are 31 May and 31 October. International applications may be submitted at any time.
Complete the 'Application for admission to Graduate Research Degree candidature and scholarship form' on the Graduate research degrees admissions and applications web page.
The following documentation must also be included with the application:
- certified academic transcripts, including an explanation of the grading system used by that institution
- a copy of the 2,500 word research proposal
- a 5,000 word writing sample
- two written academic references. These can be sent directly to the Graduate Research Admissions office by the referees.The references should assess the applicant's research abilities to date (skills in identifying research areas, carrying out independent research, motivation and organisation, writing skills, ability to meet deadlines, etc), as well as your research potential
Please note: If you have recently completed honours, Postgraduate Diploma, or a Masters by Coursework with research component, in this School, you do not need to provide academic references.
The University offers a number of scholarships which can be applied for in the graduate research application form.
Enquiries
For all graduate research queries, please contact the School:
Mary Duffy
Research Support Officer
School of Social and Political Sciences
University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010
Phone: +61 3 8344 6571
Fax: + 61 3 8344 7906
Email: duffym@unimelb.edu.au