Our rankings
The University of Sydney is ranked 18th in the world and 2nd in Australia in the QS World University Rankings 2025.
We hold triple crown accreditation from AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS, placing us in the top 1% of business schools worldwide.
The University of Sydney Business School has an outstanding reputation for the quality of its research across a wide range of academic disciplines.
The Master of Philosophy takes at least one year to complete of full-time study, during which candidates undertake approved research and write a thesis of up to 50,000 words.
From 2021, Higher Degree by Research students will be required to complete some coursework as part of their candidature. Master of Philosophy students in the Business School will will undertake 24 credit points in a specialist program taken from a collection of units called ‘Table R’.
For academic requirements check the ‘Admission requirements’ section on this page.
Closing dates
Research Period 2: 31 October
Research Period 3: 15 March
Research Period 2: 1 March
Research Period 3: 1 July
Refer to key research dates on the How to Apply website.
Research Period 2: Start date 1 March
Research Period 3: Start date 1 July
Refer to key research dates on the How to Apply website.
PhD candidates at the University of Sydney Business School may undertake supervised research with one of the following disciplines or research centres within the school:
This research degree includes some coursework curriculum to support research success. Master of Philosophy students in the Business School will undertake 24 credit points in a specialist program taken from a collection of units called ‘Table R’.
Required units of study for HDR students
Business
Unit of study code |
Unit of study name |
Course |
Course stage |
Advice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
BUSS7901 |
Research Design |
All |
Year 1 |
Offered in Semester 1 and Semester 2. Must be taken in first semester of candidature. Must be taken prior to 1st Year Faculty Milestone (Thesis Proposal Defence). |
BUSS7902 |
Introduction to Quantitative Methods |
All |
Year 1 |
Offered in Semester 1 and Semester 2. Must be taken in first semester of candidature. Must be taken prior to 1st Year Faculty Milestone (Thesis Proposal Defence). |
BUSS7903 |
Introduction to Qualitative Methods |
All |
Year 1 |
Offered in Semester 1 and Semester 2. Must be taken within two semesters. Must be taken prior to 1st Year Faculty Milestone (Thesis Proposal Defence). |
BUSS7904 |
Advanced Quantitative Methods |
PhD Students only* |
Year 1-2 |
Offered Semester 2 only. Must be taken within 3 semesters. Pre-requisite is BUSS7902. *MPhil students intending to upgrade to PhD must take either BUSS7904 or BUSS7906. |
BUSS7906 |
Advanced Qualitative Methods |
PhD students only* |
Year 1-2 |
Offered Semester 2 only. Must be taken within 3 semesters. Pre-requisite is BUSS7903. *MPhil students intending to upgrade to PhD must take either BUSS7904 or BUSS7906 |
BUSS7908 |
Research Reading Seminar |
All |
Year 1 |
Offered at discipline’s discretion. |
BUSS7910 |
Philosophy of Business Research |
All |
Year 1 |
Offered in Semester 1 and Semester 2. Must be taken in first semester of candidature. Must be taken prior to 1st Year. |
There is no separate tuition fee cost for the coursework units of study you will undertake, it is part of the tuition fee for the course. See the 'Your Fee' section for fee information. Additional non-tuition course costs vary depending on the units of study.
You will be able to see and enrol in any of the units available, subject to capacity restraints and your own background. Note that your faculty may elect to make certain units compulsory for a given degree.
Eligible candidates are encouraged to apply in plenty of time, and even before completion of their current qualifying degree. You do not need to find a supervisor before applying, the Business School will do this for you during the application process.
As such, as part of the your application you should select Business HoD in the 'research supervisor' required field.
If a suitable supervisor is identified, you will be contacted for an interview. Interviews are usually conducted via Skype or in person.
After your interview, your supervisor, the relevant Discipline and the Director of Doctoral Studies will review your application, and if they all agree to endorse your candidature, you will be issued an offer letter.
The documents you need to provide with your application will vary depending upon which discipline you are applying for, see the admission requirements table (pdf, 67.8KB) for more information.
Statement of purpose
As a part of your application, you will need to write a 1-2 page document to describe your motivation for pursuing doctoral study
Research proposal
There are three different types of research proposals that are required depending upon which Discipline you are applying to: a Statement of Research Interests, an Indicative Research Proposal or a Developed Research Proposal.
To see which type of research proposal you will need to provide, please refer to the admission requirements table (pdf, 67.8KB).
Statement of Research Interests
This is a 1-2 page statement detailing your research interests. The statement can include potential research areas, topics, and methodologies. The statement will be used to match your interests with a research supervisor. If you are invited to proceed with your application, you will be required to consult with the supervisor prior to writing a suitable research proposal to be included with your application. Please note applications cannot be processed unless a research proposal is attached.
Indicative Research Proposal
The indicative research proposal is a brief document with a maximum length of 1500 words (if desired, you may add a paragraph outlining other research interests at the end of this document).
The indicative proposal is intended to provide a starting point for discussion with your appointed supervisor. This discussion will lead to a draft research proposal that must be added to your application.
The indicative research proposal may include:
Developed Research Proposal
This is a detailed document (3000-6000 words) that outlines your research question, chosen methodology, understanding of the current literature, and particular contribution to the field. The developed research proposal is intended to clearly set out the aims and potential significance of the research. It should have the following elements:
Notes
Thesis submission requirements and examination procedure as set out in the Academic Board resolutions for this course and the Higher Degree (HDR) Rule 2011.
Admission to a research degree in the University of Sydney Business School is very competitive. You need to have completed an Australian honours (or equivalent) or a postgraduate degree with outstanding results (at least 80%) in order to be considered for an offer.
For more information about the University’s credit policy, please see the Credit for Previous Studies page.
Through the completion of the MPhil degree, students gain deeper understanding of a subject area and develop analytical, problem solving, communication and project management skills. These skills are highly valued by prospective employers. MPhil graduates may pursue careers in industry, academia and research organisations.
