How to apply for a Masters or PhD

If you're considering further study after your coursework degree, it's important that you've chosen the right degree to enable you to continue. If you'd like to pursue a Research Higher Degree (a Masters by Research or a PhD), your current degree needs to have a research component of at least 25% of your fourth year or Masters level. If you think you can only do another degree if you secure funding (usually through an APA or MRS scholarship), you'll need to work doubly hard to obtain a high enough mark to be awarded a scholarship.

In many cases, the minor thesis or major project you undertake in your coursework degree will lead you to a topic for a Research Higher Degree. Although you are unlikely to continue pursuing exactly the same problem you have been in this degree, there may be a set of theoretical or methodological tools you continue to use, or a subject area that you're interested in investigating further.

Once you have a topic in mind, you should begin to seek a supervisor. Checking out the staff profiles on the department website is a good way to start before talking with a number of potential supervisors who seem to have similar research interests. In these relatively informal chats, you can get a sense of the personality of various staff and try to select someone with whom you think you can work for a number of years.

Having selected a supervisor (who has agreed to supervise you in the event that you are accepted to undertake the degree), all you need to do is apply!