Research degrees and PhD

The PhD in Business and Law is a rigorous, three-year program producing high-quality researchers who can pursue academic or high-end research careers in industry or government. We keep the program small, so that close student–faculty collaboration and personalised support are integral to your studies.

PhD disciplines

Our three-year PhD programs provide rigorous training and supervision by world-class researchers. Our PhD discipline areas are:

As a PhD student, we will support you during your studies with access to learning opportunities such as conferences, placements and workshops. All successful PhD applicants will receive access to the following:

• up to $8000 to support research activities, including conference attendance
• up to $2000 to facilitate post-PhD placement in an academic institution
• up to $1500 to support international relocation ($500 for a single person)
• up to $4000 to incentivise and reward publishing research in top academic journals
• access to Faculty research training workshops and seminars.

To study a PhD within the Faculty of Business and Law, send your application package to bl-phd@deakin.edu.au. Your application package should include the following:

1. Completed Expression of Interest Form.
2. If you pass the first review, you’ll be asked to send a five minute video presentation addressing reasons for applying for a PhD, what you want to achieve during your time at Deakin and summarising your understanding of a particular academic literature that you're interested in.
3. GMAT/GRE score – it’s not compulsory to submit your GMAT/GRE scores with your application, but it’s advisable to do so. GMAT/GRE scores will feature heavily when considering a student for the scholarship top-up.

The Master of Research (Business) degree is a two-year course that will develop your research capabilities, expose you to the latest thinking in your chosen field or discipline and immerse you in a research project of your own.

An alternative pathway to the PhD

This course is a pathway to a research-focused career in industry and offers a gateway to the PhD in Business and Law for those who want to pursue an academic career.

In the first year of your Master of Research (Business) you’ll complete research training coursework units, covering the research thought process, research methods and the current state of theory in your chosen field or discipline. The second year is devoted to a major research project on a question of interest to you (subject to supervisor approval) and includes your research proposal and research dissertation/thesis.