Doctor of Philosophy

Undertake advanced research and make an original contribution to your field with a PhD at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

Undertake original research

A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree involves original and sustained research, mentored by an academic supervisor. It’s an opportunity to make new discoveries, address some of the big issues of our time, challenge yourself, and develop a mix of transferable and specialised skills.

Studying a PhD at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington can help you reimagine the future.

Become a leader

A PhD is the starting point for most careers in research and higher education. Our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and tools to make a difference in the world, and often become leaders in industry and government.

You’ll be mentored by our researchers, and work with them to find solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems. They’ll support you on your journey to produce innovative, robust, and relevant research.

What it takes

A PhD normally follows another postgraduate qualification, such as a Master’s or Honours degree. For some programmes, you may also need to have relevant experience.

Completing a PhD takes at least three years of largely self-directed study, demanding intellectual effort, self-discipline, and dedication.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees for full-time PhD study vary depending on the area of your research. The average yearly fees are listed by subject category in the postgraduate thesis section of the fees for domestic students page.

The New Zealand Government subsidises fees for international PhD candidates who live and study in New Zealand. This means that international PhD students may be eligible to pay the same ‘domestic’ fees as PhD students who are citizens, residents, or permanent residents of New Zealand.

Wellington Doctoral Scholarships

Wellington Doctoral Scholarships are the main scholarship for our PhD students. They are awarded on academic merit and are open to all full-time PhD applicants. The scholarship will pay you a $32,000 annual living allowance and will cover the cost of your tuition, but not additional fees such as insurance and student levies. You don’t need to submit a separate application for a Wellington Doctoral Scholarship—the application is part of your overall PhD admission application. Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis and availability is limited.

Guaranteed scholarships

If you've achieved a grade point average (GPA) of 8.5 or above in your qualifying Master's or Honours degree (completed at a New Zealand university within 12 months prior to application) you are guaranteed a Wellington Doctoral Scholarship.

Other scholarships

Depending on your research area, there may be other scholarships available to support your PhD studies. You can search our scholarships database by category, study area, and study level.

Professional doctorates

As well as the fully research-focused PhD, we offer professional doctorates for emerging leaders in the education and health sectors. The Doctor of Education, Doctor of Health, Doctor of Midwifery, and Doctor of Nursing combine coursework and sector-relevant research, and are often completed part time. We also offer the Doctor of Musical Arts for musicians and composers, which combines coursework, research, and creative practice.

Follow your passion

The PhD programme is offered in a wide range of subjects across the University, provided appropriate supervision is available.

We foster multidisciplinary research as well as single area projects across architecture and design, arts and humanities, business and government, education, engineering, health, law, social sciences, and science. Visit our research pages to find out more about our research degrees and research strengths, international rankings, and specialist centres and institutes.

Finding a supervisor

We encourage you to research potential supervisors and discuss your project ideas with them in advance of your application, but you don’t need to have a confirmed supervisor before you apply. The final allocation of supervisors will be made by the relevant School, taking into account research interests and available resourcing. You can search the University's directory of research staff to find people working in your area of interest, and approach them directly.

Another way to find potential supervisors is to look at research groups, which are generally listed on the website for each of the University's schools, institutes, and research centres.

Time to complete

A PhD requires a minimum of three years of full-time study, or a minimum of six years of part-time study. Full-time students are expected to complete their research and submit a thesis within three to four years.

Working with your supervisors

PhD research is always conducted under supervision. You will normally have two academic supervisors, both with considerable research experience and knowledge of your discipline. You'll work closely with your academic supervisors throughout your studies, and they will be your guides, critics, and mentors.

Thesis

The PhD thesis is a major piece of work that demonstrates your ability to carry out independent research. It must make a significant new contribution to the knowledge or understanding of your field of study. This contribution may include critical, experimental, theoretical, or creative components, but the end result must be a single integrated study not exceeding 100,000 words in length.

Thesis language

Your thesis must be written in English or in te reo Māori, unless you have prior approval from the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Research. If you have appropriate language skills and choose to write your thesis in te reo Māori, you should discuss your plans with your supervisor as early as possible. Find out more about the University’s Use of Te Reo Māori for Assessment Policy.

Examination

Your thesis must meet international standards of excellence. It will be assessed by three examiners—one from this University and two external examiners. This assessment of your thesis will be followed by an oral examination (sometimes known as a 'viva').