Where can a PhD take me?

A University of Melbourne PhD prepares graduates for a career as a researcher. You will develop expert research skills, international networks and a strong academic reputation.

A PhD can set you up for an academic career.

PhD candidates complete a substantial research project. They develop expert research and analytical skills, while honing their creativity and curiosity.

To graduate with a PhD, you must demonstrate a deep understanding of your discipline – and make an original and significant contribution to knowledge.

“My PhD was about being creative, finding solutions, managing and running studies, learning the principles of data use and management, and understanding publications,” says University of Melbourne PhD graduate Dr Martin Reinoso.

Dr Reinoso continues to use these skills as a Senior Virtual Reality Developer at youth mental health research organisation Orygen.

Take the time to develop as a researcher

A PhD at the University of Melbourne takes around four years full-time, or equivalent part-time.

“The University of Melbourne is a really good place to develop as a researcher because they give you the time and space to do that,” says Dr Rohan Venkatraman.

Dr Venkatraman has a PhD from the University of Melbourne. He is now a Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Birmingham, UK.

“I think relative to a lot of places in the world, the University of Melbourne is really helpful in the soft skillset of academia as well – in that reputation management side, beyond just the hard skills,” he says.

Dr Andrea Leiter, University of Melbourne graduate and Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam, agrees.

“My PhD was the beautiful time in which I had so much time to read and wonder about these questions,” she says.

“As PhD candidates, we were always treated as junior faculty.”

Join a supportive community of researchers

As a University of Melbourne PhD candidate, you will be mentored by some of the world’s leading researchers.

Dr Leiter says her PhD prepared her for entry into the academic world. Academics in her department would give presentations to graduate researchers about topics from research methods to PhD career choices.

PhD candidates also had plenty of opportunities to receive feedback on their work.

“You don’t have to come out to the academic world for the first time with this giant thesis that you produced over three years, because you have been given peer feedback on where you stand,” Dr Leiter says.

Build international networks and a strong academic reputation

A PhD can help you establish an international academic network.

“Academia is still very much a reputationally oriented game. The University of Melbourne and my supervisors helped me navigate the early confusion that comes with becoming an academic,” says Dr Venkatraman.

He received support from the University to travel to international conferences. There, he established connections that have helped him in his independent academic career.

Dr Leiter agrees that there’s no need to fear your work will go unnoticed.

“The University of Melbourne has a very good name. It’s the reality – when you’re on the job market, it makes a difference,” she says.

Seize opportunities you’re interested in

As a PhD candidate, you will work independently to produce original research in an area you’re passionate about. But you will also find opportunities at the University of Melbourne outside your PhD.

PhD candidates often develop education skills by helping teach undergraduate or postgraduate students.

“I was given the opportunity to be a module coordinator in the second year of my PhD,” Dr Venkatraman says.

The University also supports graduate researchers who want to learn about entrepreneurship or how to commercialise research.

Dr Reinoso has developed a startup company based on his PhD research. Since graduating, the company continues to collaborate with the University of Melbourne.

“My professional life came completely from the university – from the contacts that I made there.”

Learn more about our graduate research options