Research Programs

As a research postgraduate you have the opportunity to present your work at national and international conferences, you will be encouraged to document your work for the benefit of the scientific community. Invariably you will develop collaborative relationships with other students and researchers from national and international institutions and you will look forward to discussing your research at conferences or via email.

If you are interested in a postgraduate research program, here is essential information that will help you go about undertaking a research degree.

Finding a research project

Your first task is to have a look at the research areas of some of the Faculty staff. Research strengths in the Faculty are generally in the areas of production animal research (especially pigs, poultry, cattle and sheep), immunopathology, reproduction and genetics, companion animal medicine, wildlife conservation biology and performance research in horses.

Find a research project that you are interested in and approach the academic involved to see if they'll take you on.

Post-graduate scholars wishing to apply for the current round of PhD scholarships will need to find PhD projects and supervisors.

Which degree best suits me?

Below you will find some useful links that will help you determine which research degree best suits you:

What can I expect to pay?

Research higher degrees have no tuition fees other than the compulsory student subscriptions. Fees do apply, however, if you are an international student.

Please see http://www.vetsci.usyd.edu.au/future_students/postgraduate/costs.shtml for more information.

How will I support myself?

Information regarding applications for Scholarships (University Postgraduate Award (UPA)/Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) can be found at http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/reschols/scholarships/apa2006.htm.

These scholarships pay around $19K per year (tax exempt). You will compete with students from other Faculties to be successful for a scholarship but generally vet graduates with a good first class honours degree have a reasonable chance. You need to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. If you are successful for one of these scholarships you can also undertake an additional 20 hours of paid work a week.

If you decide in the future to come back and apply for the scholarships and you do not have a first class honours degree you would have to have done well in a Masters degree. Membership of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists is considered an "honours degree". Any publications in a respected journal or conference presentations may help you to boost your ranking for a scholarship.

Some of the projects come with their own scholarships. If the supervisor is happy to take you there may be a scholarship available. However, this does not apply to all research projects. You need to contact the project leader to see if there is a scholarship attached to the project.

Please see http://www.vetsci.usyd.edu.au/future_students/postgraduate/scholarships.shtml for more information.

How are you examined?

There are no exams. Award of a research degree is dependant on consideration of your research thesis by a group of 2-3 examiners.

During the course of your candidature, the Faculty also expects you to present your research at local, national and international conferences. There may be financial support available for travelling to international conferences. The Faculty will also expect you to produce papers for publication in journals during the course of your candidature.

Length of candidature

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a minimum of six full time semesters.

Research Masters have a minimum candidature length of one or two years full time.

Some projects can be undertaken on a part time basis but this renders you ineligible for a scholarship.

Faculty of Veterinary Science