Postgraduate studies

The School has around 50 postgraduate students, some of whom are completing PhDs, and others who are working towards a Masters Degree. Either of the options can be undertaken either full or part time.

If you are interested in studying at Monash, have a look at the research groups. If you know what field you are interested in, think about contacting either the convenor or individual members of the group. Staff members are always interested to hear from potential research students. For further information about postgraduate studies in mathematics, contact the Director of Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Simon Clarke.

Postgraduate supervisors

You can find a list of staff members and their research interests here. You may also like to look at some of the projects on offer from other schools in the Faculty of Science, these can be found here.

So you're interested in doing a PhD?

This is what you should do.

1. Contact the academic staff member you are interested in working with. See Academic Staff and Research Supervisor Matrix for information about possible research projects. If you are not sure about your preferred research topic or supervisor, contact the Postgraduate Director, Dr. Simon Clarke.
2. To be accepted to study for a PhD at Monash you will need either an Upper Second Class Honours degree (H2A) in a relevant field from an Australian or New Zealand university, or qualifications deemed "H2A Equivalent" by the relevant Monash committee. For example, H2A equivalence may be granted for an equivalent overseas qualification. Your academic contact can help you in deciding whether your qualifications are sufficient, and with an application for H2A Equivalence if necessary.
3. Carefully read through the advice on how to apply for a research degree on the MRGS (Monash Research Graduate School) web site. Take particular note of the eligibility criteria and the English language requirements.
4. Apply online at http://www.mrgs.monash.edu.au/scholarships/apply/.
5. Most students will want to obtain a scholarship for postgraduate study. Full details are available from the MRGS Scholarships page. To qualify for a scholarship you need a First Class Honours degree (H1) in a relevant field from an Australian or New Zealand university, or qualifications deemed "H1 Equivalent" by the relevant Monash committee. For example, H1A equivalence may be granted for an H2A degree and a publication or relevant work experience, of for an equivalent overseas qualification. Your academic contact can help you in deciding whether your qualifications are sufficient, and with an application for H1 Equivalence if necessary.
6. You are also referred to this useful summary of available scholarships.
   • Australian and New Zealand permanent residents: you will probably want to apply for a living allowance (stipend) scholarship, such as an APA scholarship or Monash Graduate Scholarship (MGS).
   • International students: you may also wish to apply for a fees scholarship such as IPRS or MIPRS. Most foreign PhD students therefore need both a stipend and a fees scholarship.

7. Note that APA, MGS, IPRS and MIPRS are all covered by the same application form; you do not need to apply separately for each.
8. All central scholarship applications must be lodged with the Monash Research Graduate School by 31 October each year.
9. Monash Faculty of Science offers a number of "Dean's scholarships" (open to both resident and international students) for which you may apply at any time. These cover only stipend payments (for Australian and New Zealand permanent residents) or fees (for International students). International students will still need to obtain a scholarship to cover their living expenses, often in the normal annual application round. If, however, the timing is wrong for this, our school can provide scholarships for international students, allowing them to start any time during the year. Local students can use a Dean's Scholarship to start at any time, provided they have a H1 degree (or equivalent) and someone to supervise them.

Please, talk to us as soon as you consider applying. We are very happy to assist in getting you to Monash!