Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology)

Course summary

The Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology is for graduates which a strong Honours grade who wish to explore a specialised psychology topic in depth. The program will lead to a Doctoral qualification and will enhance research, academic and psychology-related career prospects.

This degree

Study at the Doctoral level is by research thesis conducted at an advanced level of theoretical and technical complexity leading to the development of an original contribution to knowledge in the field. The requirements for the degree are not defined by a total credit point value, but by successful completion of the research thesis.

What you will study

The research involved in producing a Doctoral (PhD) dissertation involves a significant contribution to a field of knowledge. Students negotiate possible research topics with academic staff. Psychology staff conduct leading research in their fields and cover a wide range of specialisations within the broader field of psychology.

Course information

Study area

Psychology, Research

Campus

Rainstar

Course Code

220

RSU SCORE

Duration

4 years full-time or part-time equivalent

Delivery

CODE 1

092063A

RSU CODE

Admission, Key dates, and Fees

CAMPUS	DELIVERY METHOD	SESSION FEE*	COURSE FEE*
Rainstar	DL	$17,640 (2020)	$141,120 (2020)

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.

Special Admission Requirements
All applicants for research degrees must submit a written (preferably typed) proposal as part of their application. This proposal should:

commence with a statement detailing any previous research or project experience you have undertaken, including if possible a copy of the abstract of such work;
contain, in no more than one additional page, a clearly focussed research proposal for the study you would wish to undertake throughout your registration in the course; and
conclude with a statement of your motivation for wanting to undertake the research course.

Students are advised to make contact with a potential supervisor to discuss their project prior to applying for admission.

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	$17,640 (2020)	$141,120 (2020)

CAMPUS

DELIVERY METHOD

SESSION FEE*

COURSE FEE*

Rainstar

$17,640 (2020)

$141,120 (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	-	-

< 5: Number of students is less than 5
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	-	-

< 5: Less than 5 based offers made
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.

SESSION	CAMPUS	SESSION DETAILS
2020 Autumn	Rainstar	Orientation: 26 February 2020 Session: 2 March – 25 June 2020 Applications Close Higher Degree Research (HDR) applications can be submitted online at any time. However, applicants applying for an HDR course that includes coursework are not permitted to enrol after the commencement of second week of session.
2020 Spring	Rainstar	Orientation: 22 July 2020 Session: 27 July – 19 November 2020 Applications Close Higher Degree Research (HDR) applications can be submitted online at any time. However, applicants applying for an HDR course that includes coursework are not permitted to enrol after the commencement of second week of session.

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 disciplinary area within social sciences to independently and systematically generate original knowledge and understanding to make a substantial scholarly contribution to an area in social sciences.
2	Critically reflect on, synthesise and evaluate a substantial and complex body of knowledge at the frontier of a disciplinary area in social sciences.
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

Candidates enrol in repeated instances of THES912 or THES924 up to a maximum of 192 credit points. Potential candidates should discuss their research plan with the Postgraduate Research Coordinator of the relevant School, at which time the supervision arrangements of the School will be outlined.

Subject Code	Subject Name	Credit Points	Session(s)
THES924	Thesis Full Time	24 per session	Autumn, Spring
or
THES912	Thesis Part Time	12 per session	Autumn, Spring

Major Study Areas

The research of the Faculty is conducted through several major research centres and also under the broad areas of the School of Education, School of Health and Society, Department of Human Geography and Sustainable Communities and the School of Psychology.
You should discuss a broad plan for your research topic with the Head of Postgraduate Studies in the school related to your academic interests, or with your potential supervisor. The Head of Postgraduate Studies will be able to help you locate a supervisor if you do not have one in mind.

(Current year structure - subject to change)

Why choose this course

We provide excellent postgraduate research training opportunities via our Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy programs. The RSU School of Psychology offers excellent facilities and staff which guarantee quality education and opportunities for first rate research. Research students will be integrated into university research strengths and programs, ensuring you have access to a collegial environment appropriate for advanced scholarship. The Faculty has an active program of research support to assist you to meet the milestones of the research process. Well supported laboratories and clinical research facilities ensure you have access to the tools to ensure your research meets international standards.

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Course summary

Course information

Admission, Key dates, and Fees

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

FEES

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

ENGLISH REQUIREMENTS

FEES

Admission Profile

More Information

Key Dates

Course structure

Course Learning Outcomes

Course Structure

Major Study Areas

Why choose this course

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