Graduate research students at Melbourne form a dynamic and friendly community of inquiry.
What is graduate research?
A graduate research degree is a PhD, Doctorate or Masters degree in which an independent research project counts for at least 66 per cent of the course requirements.
Degrees with a research component less than 66 per cent are classed as graduate coursework.
Why do graduate research at Melbourne?
One of Australia's leading research institutions, the University of Melbourne enrols and graduates more research students than any other Australian university. Explore this section to find out why so many talented students choose Melbourne for graduate research.
Follow your passion
Graduate research students at Melbourne are motivated by a passion for their research topic and field. They take the opportunity to investigate pressing research questions and explore the cutting edge of their discipline.
Whatever field or question you want to investigate, you have a great chance of finding expert supervision and colleagues to support your research.
Prepare for an engaging career
Graduate research does a lot more than create specialist knowledge. Research students develop valuable professional skills for the research environment and beyond.
In Australia, the majority of research graduates take on professional roles in business, government and other organisations, while about one third go on to careers in academia.
The University of Melbourne offers a unique set of development programs to equip research graduates with professional skills for research and other careers.
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Find out about professional skills programs for graduate research students.
- Find out about research-powered careers.
Contribute to a better future
Research activity is integral to advancing human knowledge and facilitating development around the world. Many Graduate research students at Melbourne are working on projects that will help provide answers to the global challenges we face.
Whether you are engaged in applied or purely theoretical research, the knowledge you contribute could influence the future well-being of a species, an environment, a community or a culture.
World-class research at Melbourne
Reputation & international standing
The university you choose for your graduate research should have a strong culture of research. It should also have a strong reputation and be well respected internationally. Research and research training (i.e. graduate research) are the lifeblood of the University of Melbourne. On many measures of performance, the University of Melbourne is Australia's leading research and research training university. Evidence of Melbourne's research strength and reputation is clearly seen in a range of international rankings.
Leading researchers
The research culture of the University of Melbourne is enriched with the presence of many internationally renowned researchers, including:
- 3 Nobel laureates ? Professor Peter Doherty (Physiology and Medicine) and visiting Eminent Scholar Sir James Mirrlees (Economic Science)
- 18 Federation Fellows ? leading Australian researchers awarded fellowships to develop strong research programs and clusters around their areas of expertise.
- Many members of the Australian Academy of Science, Humanities and Social Sciences
Research centres
The University is made up of 12 discipline-specific faculties as well as flagship interdisciplinary centres which embrace over 120 research centres. The University is also affiliated with many research institutes and hospitals, putting it at the heart of biomedical research efforts in Melbourne and Australia.
Some of the the University's highest profile research centres and institutes include:
- The Melbourne Research Institutes:
- Materials
- Energy
- Sustainable Societies
- Broadband enabled society
- The Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, a single, advanced facility that houses over 400 scientists from the University, biomedical research institutes and industry.
- The Asia Institute offering comprehensive research and study programs in the rich intellectual, legal, political, cultural and religious traditions of Asia and the Middle East.
- The National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies, established in collaboration with Griffith University and the University of Western Sydney with federal funding of $8 million offering world-class, multi-disciplinary teaching and research in Islamic studies at regional, national and international levels.
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The Neurosciences Facility, to be completed by late 2011, to house the principal research laboratories of the Florey Neuroscience Institute and the Mental Health Research Institute.
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, expected to be in operation by the end of 2012, integrating teaching, training, research and public health activities in human infectious disease.