Guide to making an application - international research

Applying for and obtaining admission to a research degree is a process that requires time and preparation before submission of the application. Incomplete or ill-prepared applications will take longer to process or may be rejected by the relevant faculty or department.

Before submitting your application form

1. Identify and establish an academic contact/potential supervisor
The university requires that you contact a suitable member of the academic staff of the university and present them with an initial proposal outlining your proposed topic of research before submitting your application for admission.

When you contact a member of the academic staff, you should provide them with some initial details to help them advise you regarding your study plans. For example: educational background, relevant work experience and/or proposed area of research you are interested in undertaking.

2. Develop and submit an initial research proposal
Once you have initiated discussions with an academic contact(s),if you have not already done so, you should prepare an initial research proposal.

In general, your proposal should be no more than 500 words in length. However, some faculties such as Law and Economics and Business prefer a more detailed written proposal. Your initial proposal should include the following information:

• Title: Working title for the project.
  Academic staff contact: Name(s) of the academic staff with whom you have discussed your proposal and, if relevant a potential supervisor.
• Objectives: What aims does the work have?
• Synopsis: Briefly describe the key aspects of what you will be investigating.
• Background: Describe what research has already been done in relation to your topic.
• Significance: Why is the topic important?
• Methodology: Approach or methodology to be used in the research.
• Resources: Provide details of the resources required for you to carry out your research project.
• Work plan: An initial plan for completion with annual milestones.

3. Revise and finalise your research proposal
In conjunction with your academic contact(s) refine your research proposal ready for submission of your formal application.

4. Application Form
Once you have identified an academic contact/potential supervisor and prepared a research proposal, you should fill out the research application form.

Detailed instructions about how to complete the application are provided on the Research Application Form.

Supplementary application: Doctor of Clinical Psychology (DCP)

If you wish to apply for the DCP you will need to complete a supplementary form available from the International Office Forms webpage.

How to complete your application form

• Be sure to read the application instructions carefully.
• To ensure that your application is complete and can be processed as quickly as possible, please view the checklist at the back of the application form to ensure that you have included all of the required supporting documentation.
• You must include the Application Processing Fee for your application to be processed.

Certification

If you are sending a copy of an official document (eg, a transcript), the copy must be correctly certified by an appropriate authority. For a fuller explanation, and a list of authorised organisations, please read our certification policy.