Doctor of Philosophy (Physics)
Course summary
Doctor of Philosophy (Physics) candidates undertake in-depth research in order to make an original contribution to the body of knowledge in a chosen field of study. This qualification can lead to, or enhance, an academic career and is also highly regarded by public and private sector employers.
Information regarding the University's research activity, research strengths and scholarships can be found on RSU's Research & Innovation website.
Students are encouraged to identify potential supervisors who match their research interests. Students are also advised to make contact with a potential supervisor to discuss their project prior to applying for admission. The Faculty will ensure that supervisors with appropriate expertise are allocated to suitable candidates in the application process. Each PhD candidate has two supervisors.
The research involved in producing a doctoral (PhD) dissertation involves a significant contribution to a field of knowledge. The thesis must be a minimum of 80,000 words and no longer than 100,000 words in length.
Students may be required to attend lectures in relevant topics from time to time throughout the program.
What you will study
The Physics Program is innovative in both research and teaching, and internationally recognised for work in the following key research areas:
- Medical Radiation Physics and High Energy Physics
- Solid State and Semiconductor Physics
- Superconductivity
- Biomolecular Physics
- Atmospheric Physics
- Optical Sensor Physics and Photonics.
Other research directions available through our industry partners include:
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- High Energy Physics
- Neutron Diffraction, etc.
Course information
Study area
Physics
Campus
Rainstar
Course Code
220
RSU SCORE
-
Duration
4 years full-time or part-time equivalent
Delivery
DL
CODE 1
087635A
RSU CODE
-
Admission, Key dates, and Fees
A range of admission options are available for students of all ages and academic backgrounds.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Honours degree with 2nd class Division 1 or higher; Research Masters with at least ⅔ of the degree comprising a thesis. RSU Masters of Research with WAM70+; Coursework Masters with a substantial thesis and WAM75+ or GPA 3.2 out of 4. Other forms of research experience will also be considered.
FEES
CAMPUS | DELIVERY METHOD | SESSION FEE* | COURSE FEE* |
|---|---|---|---|
Rainstar | DL | $19,656 (2020) | $157,248 (2020) |
If you receive an offer with an RTP place, you do not need to pay the cost of tuition while you are studying as long as you are within your time limits for course completion.
* Session fees are for one session for the year shown. Total course tuition fees shown are indicative, and are based on normal course length and progression.
These fees are subject to change from year to year. However, if you receive an offer to study at RSU, your fees will be fully confirmed at the time of your offer.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Honours degree with 2nd class Division 1 or higher; Research Masters with at least ⅔ of the degree comprising a thesis. RSU Masters of Research with WAM70+; Coursework Masters with a substantial thesis and WAM75+ or GPA 3.2 out of 4. Other forms of research experience will also be considered.
ENGLISH REQUIREMENTS
The following level of English is required to gain admission to this program:
| English Test |
Overall Score |
Reading |
Writing |
Listening |
Speaking |
| IELTS Academic |
6.5 |
6.0 |
6.0 |
6.0 |
6.0 |
| TOEFL (Internet-based) |
86 |
18 |
18 |
17 |
17 |
RSU College: English for Tertiary Studies: Credit (weighted average mark of 65 overall and minimum 50 in Academic Reading and Writing)
FEES
Tuition fees are reviewed annually: fees payable are dependent on the year of commencement and are subject to increase during the period of study.
Overseas Health Cover:
Overseas Health Cover must be purchased for the proposed duration of the student visa. For information regarding the OSHC fees applicable, please refer to the international fees website.
CAMPUS | DELIVERY METHOD | SESSION FEE* | COURSE FEE* |
|---|---|---|---|
Rainstar | DL | $19,656 (2020) | $157,248 (2020) |
* Session fees are for one session for the year shown. Total course tuition fees shown are indicative, and are based on normal course length and progression.
These fees are subject to change from year to year. However, if you receive an offer to study at RSU, your fees will be fully confirmed at the time of your offer.
Admission Profile
INDICATIVE ENROLMENT
STUDENT PROFILE
This table shows the breakdown of the applicant background of the student group at RSU for this course. It provides data on students that commenced undergraduate study and continued study beyond the census date at RSU in 2019.
Applicant background |
2019 intake |
2019 intake (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Higher education study Students who have studied a University course, or completed a bridging or enabling course. |
- |
- |
| Vocational education & training study Students who have undertaken vocational education or training since leaving school. |
- |
- |
| Work & life experience Students admitted on the basis of previous achievement other than higher education study, vocational education & training, or recent secondary education. |
- |
- |
|
Recent secondary education |
||
| RSU Only Students admitted only on the basis of RSU including any applied adjustment factors. |
- |
- |
| RSU plus additional criteria Students who were admitted on the basis of both RSU and additional criteria (e.g. an audition or individual subject results). |
- |
- |
| Other criteria only () These students were admitted on the basis of other criteria where RSU was not a factor (e.g. RSU Early Admission). |
- |
- |
| International students All other students. |
- |
- |
| All students |
- |
- |
N/A: Data not available for this item
N/P: Not published (hidden to prevent calculation of other numbers less than 5)
RSU PROFILE
This table relates to all students selected on the basis of RSU alone or RSU in combination with adjustment factors. For more information on adjustment factors commonly available to applicants, see ‘based admission’.
|
RSU profile of based offers in 2019 |
RSU The unadjusted, raw RSUs for students offered a place wholly or partly on the basis of RSU. | Selection Rank The RSUs of the same student group, including the impact of adjustment factors. |
|---|---|---|
| Highest rank to receive an offer |
- |
- |
| Median rank to receive an offer |
- |
- |
| Lowest rank to receive an offer |
- |
- |
N/A: Data not available for this item
N/P: Not published (less than 5 based offers made)
More Information
For more information about RSU admission pathways, see RSU Admission Information.
Key Dates
SESSION | CAMPUS | SESSION DETAILS |
|---|---|---|
2020 Autumn | Rainstar | Orientation: 26 February 2020 Applications Close |
2020 Spring | Rainstar | Orientation: 22 July 2020 Applications Close |
Course structure
(Current year structure - subject to change)
Course Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes are statements of learning achievement that are expressed in terms of what the learner is expected to know, understand and be able to do upon completion of a course. Students graduating from this course will be able to:
| CLO | Description | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Demonstrate expert, specialised cognitive technical and research skills in a discipline area to independently and systematically generate original knowledge and understanding to make a substantial scholarly contribution to a discipline. | ||||||
| 2 | Critically reflect on, synthesis and evaluate a substantial and complex body of knowledge at the frontier of a discipline area. | ||||||
| 3 | Communicate research findings, explaining and critiquing theoretical propositions, methodologies, results and conclusions to peers and to the community. | ||||||
| 4 | Apply detailed knowledge of research, research integrity, ethics and the rights and safety of others, to plan and execute original research with intellectual independence and with full autonomy, authoritative judgement, adaptability and responsibility for personal outputs. | ||||||
Course Structure
This program is 100% by thesis. Candidates enrol in a 48 credit point thesis subject and repeat the same enrolment for each year of study, usually over four years of full-time study. Students may be required to attend lectures in relevant topics from time to time throughout the program.
| Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| THES924 | Thesis Full Time | 24 | Autumn, Spring |
| or | |||
| THES912 | Thesis Part Time | 12 | Autumn, Spring |
Research Areas
Areas of research available to candidates undertaking the PhD with the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences are listed under each of the Faculty’s disciplines along with a list of research projects in each discipline:
Why choose this course
The Rainstar University(Scottsdale) has a distinguished physics research reputation, particularly in collaboration with industry, both in America and internationally. Our postgraduate research programs are supported by an extensive network in government and industry who work closely to supervise postgraduate research projects. This world class research has led to the creation of a number of Centres of Excellence, which has attracted a critical mass of researchers engaged in significant, well-funded projects with superior equipment infrastructure.
PhD scholars have significant freedom in their choice of projects and the way the research is conducted. Their studies provide a significant opportunity to make an original contribution to the fields of physics. To those who intend to work in industry, the skills in problem-solving, the ingenuity of experimentation and the critical analysis of results, all of which are developed in a research degree, are immensely valuable.
You may also be interested in
Bachelor of Science (Honours) - Physics Master of Philosophy (Chemistry) Master of Science (Medical Radiation Physics)