Research degrees

To apply for a higher degree by research at Curtin, complete the following steps:

1. Review our areas of research

Check your research interests align with Curtin’s current areas of research.

Centre of Aboriginal Studies
Faculty of Business and Law
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Humanities
Faculty of Science and Engineering

2. Choose a research degree

Curtin offers the following postgraduate research degrees:

Master of Philosophy
Master of Research
Doctor of Business Administration
Doctor of Education
Doctor of Philosophy

3. Find a research supervisor

Have a proposed research topic in mind and a completed CV before contacting a research supervisor.

4. Write a research proposal

The merit of your postgraduate research will be judged on your proposal.

It should:

• state your research topic
• outline your research plan and objectives
• show you have sufficient experience and knowledge in the area
• demonstrate your research is significant and ethical
• be accompanied by any cited references.

Your proposal should be two pages long, with your references listed on an additional page. We recommend you include the following sections:

Introduction

Provide a brief overview of your proposal describing the research topic in general.

Background and literature review

Show the theoretical basis of your proposed research, describing what has already been written about this topic, why the topic is important and why it is worth researching.

Aims and objectives

Describe what you intend to accomplish and which questions your research will address.

Methodology

Refer to an accepted research method, and explain how you will conduct your research and address your objectives. Include details on how the information will be gathered, analysed and reported, and specify any special equipment, software, data or other resources required.

Timeline

Indicate a realistic deadline for each phase of your research.

References

Include any references related to your proposal using a recognised and appropriate international standard of referencing.

5. Apply

Choose your course. Select “apply now” and follow the prompts.