Postgraduate Research
The Faculty of Arts supports and pursues the University's goal of excellence in research, encouraging research of national and international standing, and identifying and enhancing fields of basic, strategic and applied research. Many of the Faculty's distinguished academic staff have recognised international standing and include Federation Fellows and Fellows of Learned Academies and Societies.
Postgraduate Research Courses
The Faculty of Arts offers the following postgraduate courses by research:
Professional Doctorates
Detailed information about the degree, thesis submission, the role of the Supervisor and the examination for the award of the degree can be found in the Arts Postgraduate Handbook. Applicants interested in pursuing a higher degree by research should consult the Faculty office for advice about their study options.
Master of Arts (Research)
One to two years full-time
Two to four years part-time
The Master of Arts (Research) is designed to meet the needs of students who wish to extend their studies beyond their
undergraduate degree primarily by thesis but do not have an undergraduate Honours degree or other qualification that would allow entry into a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The satisfactory completion of the MA (Research) degree is a qualification for admission to higher degree research candidature.
The MA (Research) can be undertaken in a range of subject areas by research and thesis only, or a combination of thesis and coursework, as outlined below. It is not possible to upgrade from an incomplete Master of Arts (Research) degree to higher degree research candidature. The MA (Research) has different admission requirements from both the Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
The MA (Research) may be undertaken in the following ways;
- Two postgraduate units of study ( 12 credit points) and a thesis of 26,000 – 28,000 words; or
- One postgraduate unit of study (6 credit points) and a thesis of 28,000 – 30,000 words; or
- A thesis of 30,000 – 35,000 words.
A thesis on an approved topic is researched and written under the supervision of a member of the academic staff.
Master of Philosophy
One to two years full-time
Two to four years part-time
Candidates for the degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) research and write a thesis of 40,000 - 60,000 words on an approved topic under the supervision of a member of the academic staff.
Policy on upgrade from MPhil to PhD
Upgrade from MPhil to PhD is not “automatic” and may not be used to gain extra candidature time. It is recommended that:
- MPhil candidates seeking to upgrade should demonstrate an
ability to conduct research at PhD level by:
(i) providing a detailed thesis outline satisfactory to the department
(ii) providing satisfactory chapter drafts of not less than a total of 35,000 words or equivalent (completed during the MPhil candidature) - Normally application to upgrade from MPhil to PhD should be made prior to the fourth semester (full-time equivalent) of MPhil candidature.
Doctor of Philosophy
Three to four years full-time
Three to eight years part-time
Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) research and write a thesis of 70,000 - 100,000 words on an approved topic under the supervision of a member of the academic staff.
Admission requirements
Admission requirements to research programs can vary between disciplines and departments. The requirements are detailed under each subject area in the following pages. Candidates are admitted at the discretion of individual departments or Centres and are subject to the final approval of the Dean of the Faculty.
Doctor of Arts and Doctor of Social Sciences
Three to four years full-time
Three to eight years part-time
The Doctor of Arts (DArts) and Doctor of Social Sciences (DSocSci) are professional doctorates which allow candidates to pursue a higher degree of rigorous scholarship as well as advance their professional practice. The professional doctorate is designed to respond to the rapid changes taking place in the professional workplace which create demands on professionals such as journalists, creative writers, anthropologists, linguists, policy advisers, managers, and others to upgrade their qualifications.
Leading employees are increasingly expected to be more aware of the changing environment of their professional practice, more focused on the specific developments of their field, and more skilled in research and analytical techniques. Further training at the upper levels of the discipline such as that offered to professional doctorate candidates can develop the sophisticated intellectual and applied knowledge and skills that are increasingly in high demand.
The professional doctorate comprises 5 units of study (including the core unit WMST 6902 Arguing the Point) and research and writing toward a thesis of 50,000 words under the supervision of a member of the academic staff.
Admission requirements
Candidates hold either:
- a Bachelor degree with Honours I or II.1 from the University of
Sydney in a relevant field of study; or - an undergraduate degree deemed to be equivalent; or
- a Bachelor degree from the University of Sydney together with a substantial portfolio of published/professional work (for example, books, films, TV programs, creative work, government reports etc); or
- an undergraduate degree deemed to be equivalent together with a substantial portfolio of published/professional work (for example, books, films, TV programs, creative work, government reports etc); or
- a Master degree by research from the University of Sydney; or
- a Master degree by coursework from the University of Sydney with Merit; or a postgraduate degree deemed to be equivalent; and
- have a minimum of three years recent, full-time employment or professional experience in a relevant field.