HDR programs

UQ|UP higher degree by research (HDR) programs include the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and the Master of Philosophy (MPhil).

Collectively, planning and human geography academics at SEES advise 30-40 HDR students. Visit our official SEES page to meet our brilliant HDR students.

Our staff and students are at the forefront of research into globally important issues including cities and regions, individuals and societies, climate change, and  sustainable development.

       ► Would you like to join our leading HDR program?

Visit our SEES page to see the variety of investigations currently underway and to find out about available project topics. In addition to the listed topics, we encourage you to propose original topics in our areas of expertise.

Email enquiries are welcome! We can help you refine your ideas.

To assist us in assessing your suitability as a PhD or MPhil student under our supervision, please include in your email:

  • Your current CV
  • A list of publications (if any)
  • A short description of your proposed project

Projects which are international and comparative in nature are particularly welcome.

Notes for international applicants

The University of Queensland Graduate School Scholarship (UQGSS) is extremely competitive.

To be considered for an UQGSS, prospective PhD/MPhil students need to meet the following criteria:

  • At least one high-quality, international, English-language, peer-reviewed academic publication (NOT in a national journal, low-ranking open access journal, conference proceedings, magazine, e-zine, or newspaper). This criterion is crucial. Often our scholarship recipients have several high-level publications.
  • A high GPA (equivalent to Honours 1 in Australia)
  • Strong references
  • English language requirements

These are the minimum criteria to be considered for a scholarship, not a guarantee that a scholarship will be awarded. If you do not meet the above criteria (in particular related to publications), we do not recommend progressing to a full application yet as we do not wish to waste your time or raise your hopes.  This is not a reflection on your skills and qualifications, but simply because of the increasingly high volume and standard of our applicants.

International PhD/MPhil applicants who do not meet the scholarship criteria have the option of securing external funding for tuition fees and living expenses (e.g., from their employer, government, etc.). Self-funding HDR studies is not allowed at UQ.

PhD