The PhD is designed to provide graduates with the opportunity to undertake in-depth study in a specialised area.

Expand knowledge, improve treatment

Studying for a PhD is a unique opportunity to push the frontiers of knowledge, develop and prove your ability, and expand your career prospects.

PhDs appeal to different people for different reasons. You may want to:

• investigate your sense of wonder and explore an area of interest in depth;
• demonstrate that you are capable of applying sustained effort and intellectual rigor to a complex problem;  
• differentiate yourself from the masses and receive professional parity with clinical peers;
• advance your career – a PhD can help you progress your career and obtain roles in government and industrial research and developmental organisations.

What might surprise you is that only 10% of people with PhDs in Health Sciences go on to work in academia.

The health sciences employ preventive strategies to keep people healthy and help them to get better when they are ill. As we are now living longer, there is a growing need to find out ways to retain our quality of life. Your friends and family may even end up relying on the treatments you discover and best practise you develop through your PhD.

You could undertake your research in any of our Faculty Research Groups:

AGEING AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT uses multi-disciplinary approaches to understand people with disabilities across their lifespan.

DISABILITY AND COMMUNITY focuses on people with a disability being integrated into communities of their choice, by examining the impact of impairments on activity and life participation.

CLINICAL AND REHABILITATION SCIENCES conducts clinical research into conditions, including back pain, musculoskeletal injuries, breast cancer, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, and neurological rehabilitation.

EXERCISE, HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE researches human physical performance, including the functions required for maintaining the human body or for adapting it to exercise.

MEDICAL IMAGING AND RADIATION SCIENCES conducts research into the development and use of medical imaging to achieve optimal treatment for diseases.

HEALTH INFORMATICS AND STATISTICS investigates how the use of information within the health system can be improved to reduce errors, improve decision-making, health care delivery and patient outcomes.

The University's Supervisor Connect will help you locate a suitable supervisor. Simply type in your key words and search through available research opportunities.

Test your ideas

Teaching graduate level students is also a great way for you as a PhD candidate to clarify your thoughts and to transfer your knowledge. It is a stimulating and challenging outlet which is complimentary to your studies.

Flexible program

You can study full time or part time. A full time PhD takes on average three and a half to four years to complete; a part time one takes on average seven to eight years. About half of our students decide to study part time. This enables them to continue working and indeed many health science professionals are able to integrate their research into their work environment.

Applicable background

PhD candidates share common qualities such as the ability to work diligently and being able to identify a problem and propose solutions to it. More specifically, if you want to study for a PhD you need to have:

• a research honours degree or
• a research masters degree or
• a compelling history of research as evidenced by published work.

If you do meet any of these criteria consider a Masters degree. You may able to convert your Masters thesis into a doctoral one at the end of the first year. Your overall PhD should not take you any longer to complete than if you had enrolled directly into the PhD programme.

For more information visit fees and admissions.

Support services

The Faculty provides quality supervision by well trained supervisors, many of whom are leaders in their field internationally. We also provide practical and logistical support:

• you will receive a full time computer and an open plan or office space to work in;
• our full time Professional Service Officers are available for practical research assistance;
• our Research Advice Team offer invaluable advice on research issues;
• the Faculty funds many PhD candidates to attend local and international conferences.

Course completion requirements

A candidate shall undertake any coursework prescribed by the supervisor, as well as complete a program of research which involves original investigation or review and present a thesis for examination.

On campus attendance pattern

Full time, Part time

End qualification

Doctor of Philosophy (Health Sciences)

Similar courses

M.App.Sc. (SC108)

Course level

PhD (Research)

Handbook website link

http://www.usyd.edu.au/handbooks/handbooks_admin/health_science.shtml