Doctor of Philosophy [Law] | International Student Courses | Swinburne University

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As a Doctor of Philosophy candidate you will undertake supervised research with the aim of making a significant and original contribution to a discipline or profession.

Research areas include: intellectual property, copyright, trade marks law, innovation and technology in legal services, artificial intelligence and law, sentencing, criminal law, commercial and corporations law, Asian law, transnational lawyering.

Find out more about research areas and expertise in the Swinburne Law School.

This program is suited to applicants who:

have some prior research experience
are interested in a pursuing a career in research
have a desire to make an original contribution to research in a particular field
have a naturally inquiring mind and a desire to know more
wish to gain an internationally recognised qualification
want to enhance their employment opportunities.

Information sessions

Find out how you can meet us in your home country or in Australia.

Every international student application is considered for a scholarship
Whether you’re living in Australia or overseas, you’re automatically considered for a scholarship of up to 30% off your course fees. Please check our updated entry requirements.

Duration

4 Year/s (maximum)

Intakes

Hawthorn (January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December)

CRICOS code

064191C

Fees

A$35400 (annual for 2023)*

The indicative course fees shown in Course Search apply to international students for the relevant year only. They are based on a standard study load per year. However, please note that fees are assessed according to a student's study load in each semester, and variation to study load will result in an adjustment to tuition fees. All fees are subject to annual review and may be adjusted.

Swinburne is different to both my previous study experiences, largely due to the academic support and engagement. Here, I’ve been offered more personally tailored assistance rather than following a standard system for all.

Karnika

Doctor of Philosophy and Graduate Certificate of Research and Innovation Management (Law)

Course information in detail

- Course detail and course structure.

Course description

As a Doctor of Philosophy candidate you will undertake supervised research with the aim of making a significant and original contribution to a discipline or profession.

Find out more about research areas and expertise in the Swinburne Law School.

This program is suited to applicants who:

have some prior research experience
are interested in a pursuing a career in research
have a desire to make an original contribution to research in a particular field
have a naturally inquiring mind and a desire to know more
wish to gain an internationally recognised qualification
want to enhance their employment opportunities.

International students in Australia who hold student visas are required to study full-time and on campus. Courses that are taught entirely online are only available to international students studying outside Australia or those in Australia who are not on a student visa. Online courses are not available to international students in Australia who hold a student visa.

Course structure

The Doctor of Philosophy degree is generally completed over a period of four years full-time or eight years part-time. Candidates undertake research, which may be pure, exploratory, experimental and/or creative, and are required to submit a written research thesis, a written research thesis including associated papers, or an artefact with an accompanying exegesis. The examinable outcome will normally be equivalent to 70 000 to 100 000 words. Where the examinable outcome takes the form of a thesis, it is acknowledged that thesis length can vary according to the nature of the work and the discipline.

Throughout your candidature you will receive guidance and support from your research supervisors. You will also have the opportunity to participate in a number of research training sessions on topics such as thesis writing, publishing and presenting.

Careers and graduate outcomes

- Course aims and objectives.

Aims and objectives

The Doctor of Philosophy program has the objective of producing graduates with the capacity to conduct research independently at a high level of originality and quality. Graduates will demonstrate a capacity to design, conduct and report sustained and original research. While the research is conducted under a supervisor students are expected to demonstrate the ability to work independently.

Pathways and scholarships

- Scholarships.

Scholarships

View our range of research scholarships.

Course fees and requirements

- Fees, entry requirements and English language requirements.

Course fees

A$35400 (annual for 2023)*

Entry requirements

A prerequisite for many courses, the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) can now be done on campus in Hawthorn at Room 132, Building TD. Book now or call +61 3 9214 3584 for more information.

Applicants must have completed at least four years (or equivalent) of tertiary education studies in a relevant discipline at a high level of achievement, and must have been approved for the award of the degree(s) for which they studied.

A high level of achievement is defined as the equivalent of a four year Swinburne Honours degree that includes a significant research component in the fourth year, leading to an Honours degree class 1 (average grade between 80-100) or class 2A (average grade between 70-79) level.

Four years of tertiary studies can be demonstrated by the completion of any of the combinations of qualifications below, at the required standard of achievement:

a bachelor degree (three or four years) and a Masters by Research or
a bachelor degree (three or four years) and an Honours year or
a bachelor degree (three or four years) and a Masters by Coursework or
a bachelor degree (three or four years) and a postgraduate diploma in Psychology or
a bachelor degree (four years) in an approved discipline.

Find out more about entry requirements.

English language requirements

International applicants must provide evidence of one of the following:

minimum IELTS overall band of 6.5 (Academic Module) with no individual band below 6.0 or a TOEFL iBT (internet-based) minimum score of 79 (with a reading band no less than 18 and writing band no less than 20); or Pearson (PTE) 58 (no communicative skills less than 50) no longer than 24 months before submitting your application
satisfactory completion of Swinburne’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Advanced level certificate at the postgraduate level (EAP 5: PG-70%)
successful completion of a total of 24 months (full time equivalent) of formal study where the language of instruction and assessment was English at AQF level 7 or above (or equivalent) at an approved university no longer than 60 months before submitting your application
successful completion of a degree where the language of instruction and assessment was English at AQF level 8 or above (or equivalent) at an approved university no more than 60 months prior to submitting their application for candidature

How to apply

To apply for this degree follow the step-by-step application process.

Find out more

Submit an online enquiry
Tel: +61 3 9214 5412