Important information - Application guidelines
Advice from potential supervisors
You are strongly encouraged to contact academic staff of the appropriate Faculty or Institute before submitting your application. These staff can provide you with assistance concerning your choice of research topic.
Research proposal
Please provide a brief outline of your proposed research topic. Please note that for a Higher Degree in the Faculties of Arts and Education, Business & Law, or Health a 750 word proposal is required. A 300 word proposal is required by Science & Technology and other Institutes. Please see further information regarding preparing a research proposal.
English language proficiency
Where your first language is not English, or where degree qualifications were not undertaken in the English language, you must provide evidence of English proficiency.
Documents Required
- Research proposal
- CV or résumé
- proof of citizenship*
- For Australian or New Zealand citizens, a birth certificate, relevant pages of passport, or citizenship certificate. For Australian permanent residents, relevant pages of passport showing visa or letter from the Department of Immigration
- For international citizens, relevant pages of your passport showing identity and citizenship
- transcripts of all of your tertiary education studies except those undertaken at Deakin University.* These should indicate the name of the qualification, the institution of enrolment, the years of study, the subjects/units undertaken, the grades achieved, explanatory notes concerning the grades, and proof that the qualification has been completed. If transcripts are not in English, an English translation must also be supplied
If applicable:
- proof of any changes of name (eg marriage certificate)*;
- if you have previously been enrolled in a higher degree by research at another institution, or are applying to transfer your research degree from another institution, proof of your commencement date and evidence of any intermissions or changes of candidature (eg from full time to part time)
- English language test results*
*If you wish these original or certified hard copies to be returned to you, please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope and a request to return the documents to you.
A certified copy is one in which a person able to sign affidavits (eg pharmacist, medical doctor, Justice of the Peace, dentist, solicitor, Member of Parliament, school principal, etc.) has certified it as a true copy of the original document.
Publications
If you have had your research published, you will need to supply a list of publications, the copies of the contents page of the publication and the abstract of the article from each publication.. The list must be broken down as discussed in Questions asked in the online HDR application.
Academic Referees' reports
Reports from two academic referees are required. It is recommended that you request reports from current or former academics or employment supervisors who are able to comment on your research expertise and potential. Please note that these Deakin will only accept referee reports in the Deakin format, these reports are confidential and should be sent by your referees directly to the email address indicated on the form.
Additional materials
If you wish to send us other materials with your application which are too big to attach, please add a document with a link to where these items are stored online, with a description of what they are and their purpose in your application. If the item cannot be digitised, we do not recommend you submit it. If you still wish to do so, you must attach a signed disclaimer that Deakin is not responsible or liable for the items if they are misplaced. We have unfortunately had items go missing in the internal and external mail and can no longer accept liability for them.
Questions that will be asked in the application
You must answer all the questions thoroughly and attach all the requested documents. We assess your application based on the information you provide. You can view the questions which will be asked in the online application.
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