Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the University's highest qualification. The degree is undertaken by research only and leads to advanced academic and theoretical knowledge in a specialist area.
The PhD is suitable for students who want to pursue an academic or research career, or a senior position in the public or private sector. Doctoral studies present you with the opportunity to generate new ideas that can benefit business and society. You will make a significant original contribution to knowledge and understanding in your field of study and meet recognised international standards for your work.
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AUT's academic supervisors are recognised world-class researchers who have the expert knowledge in their fields to guide you throughout your studies.
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Minimum entry requirements
Must normally have completed the following in a discipline appropriate to the proposed research:
- Master’s degree with honours OR
- Bachelor’s degree with honours (equivalent to 4 years of study)
The degree must normally have been gained at the standard of first class or second class (first division) honours from this University or a recognised equivalent.
The degree should include advanced learning in research, execution of a research project and a written report on the research.
International student entry requirements
English language requirements
Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences
- IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall with 6.5 in Writing and no band less than 6.0
All other study areas
- IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall with 7.0 in Writing and no band less than 6.0
Other requirements
Acceptance is subject to the availability of staff for supervision, prior research preparation and appropriate facilities.
How to apply for the Doctor of Philosophy
- Apply online and submit all required documents at least three months prior to the intended start date
- The Graduate Research School will assess your eligibility and forward to the relevant faculty to confirm possible research areas and supervisors
- Where the faculty confirms the availability of resources, including supervision, they will request for you to complete the formal research proposal (PGR2). Your PGR2 Research Proposal, including supervisory signatures, must be submitted to your Faculty Postgraduate Office a minimum of four weeks prior to your intended start date. If you are planning to start on 1 February, submit your signed PGR2 by 15 December.
- Once the research proposal is confirmed by the faculty, it will be sent to the Graduate Research School for approval and to issue an Offer of Place
For general enquiries for the Doctor of Philosophy programme please contact doctoral.and.mphil.admissions@aut.ac.nz.
Preparing a PhD research proposal
Prospective PhD applicants are required to prepare a formal research proposal, specifying the field of research and a general research question you wish to investigate.
Admission to a doctoral programme
Guidelines for the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Guidelines for the Faculty of Culture and Society
Information we need to assess your application
We require the following information:
- Faculty and/or field you wish to conduct your study in
- Academic transcripts
- Grading scale for postgraduate qualification
- Degree certificates (undergraduate and postgraduate)
- Title of the thesis/dissertation/research project
- 1-2 page document (maximum) outlining your proposed research project
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- If English is not your first language you need to provide evidence of English language proficiency – IELTS (Academic) test results or recognised equivalent. If your postgraduate study was completed in English within three years, this may be waived
Once the required information is received, we will forward your enquiry to the relevant faculty who will communicate to you about the outcome of your application, possible research areas and supervisors.
Requirements for specific subjects
Art & design
We require a portfolio (between 10-15 annotated images as a pdf or PowerPoint file or a URL for a website)
Economics
Provide evidence of completing the courses Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Econometrics at postgraduate level. Course syllabus or similar is required for assessment of comparability of those courses to those taken in New Zealand
Doctoral students will attain the knowledge, values and attributes to make significant contributions to their professional communities and societies through further high-quality research, and developments.
Stage 1
You put together a proposal that critically reviews work done in your area of research. This requires a suitable research methodology and a timeframe for completion of the degree.
You are expected to publish one or more papers for a reputed international conference in your chosen area of research.
Stage 2
Once you have completed your research proposal, you refine your design, collect data and conduct your research as appropriate.
Data is collected and analysed and the results are published at international conferences. A journal publication is also encouraged at this point.
Stage 3
The first step in the final stage of the PhD is finalising the data collection and analysis. You then write your PhD thesis and submit it to the supervisor for feedback. It could take two or three drafts before the thesis is ready for submission and examination.
Skills you will develop as part of the PhD
The outcomes for graduates of the Doctor of Philosophy are outlined in the Graduate Profile below.
It is expected that graduates with a Doctor of Philosophy will have gained the necessary skills and qualifications to follow an academic or research career.
Alternatively, your research topic may lead you to a position of expertise in your chosen field.
The opportunities to apply the knowledge and skills you gain through a PhD will be extensive, both in industry and academia.
North Campus
South Campus
May 2025
Jul 2025
Oct 2025
Key semester dates
1 Feb (for May intake)
1 Apr (for Jul intake)
1 Jul (for Oct intake)
Applications received after the application date will be considered on a case-by-case basis otherwise the application will be held over for the subsequent start date.
($7,926 tuition fees + $1,192 student services levy)
($7,926 tuition fees + $1,192 student services levy)
Offshore study: $45,492 (for 120 points)
($44,300 tuition fees + $1,192 student services levy)
- Fees shown are based on a full-time workload for the points indicated next to the fee. The exact fee charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment.
- Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for study beyond the current year, fees may vary from those stated.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay.
- International students' tuition fees reflect the full cost of tuition. Domestic students' tuition fees are less due to a proportion of the tuition fees being funded by the New Zealand Government.
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.