Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

A PhD is the highest qualification offered by the Wellington Faculty of Engineering—find out about supervision, entry requirements, and how to apply.

A PhD is an advanced research degree carried out under academic supervision, taking at least three years of study. It is the highest qualification offered by the Wellington Faculty of Engineering.

The PhD thesis is a major piece of original research that demonstrates your ability to carry out independent research and constitutes a significant and original contribution to knowledge or understanding in a field of study. As well as intelligence and an aptitude for research, you will need considerable dedication and tenacity.

Apply to do a PhD

Find out why you should do a PhD at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Learn more about what's involved, the qualification and English proficiency entry requirements, and how and when to apply.

PhD overview

Research supervision

As part of the application process, you will need to propose (in general terms) a topic for your independent research. This topic will need to be one that can be supervised by a Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington staff member.

We expect that preparing a good research proposal will require you to do background reading. You should also engage in discussion with prospective supervisors.

In the Faculty of Engineering, your PhD may be supervised by researchers in the:

Find a potential supervisor