Course details

Summary

The PhD is a globally recognised postgraduate research degree, the highest level of degree you can achieve. PhD students are critical, curious, creative thinkers who undertake original research over at least 3 years. As well as your supervised original research, through your doctoral programme you will have opportunities to expand and develop your personal and professional skills. Doctoral candidates present their work at local and international conferences, and are encouraged to network and collaborate with a wide range of experts in their research field.

This course is also offered at overseas and Manukau location.

Engineering Science

We hold an excellent research record in New Zealand – the Department of Engineering houses internationally-renowned researchers, and we continue to excel prominently in the fields of bioengineering, fluid dynamics, operations research, signal processing, solid mechanics and geothermal engineering.

Our core research involves the application of mathematical models constructed to create solutions for a wide variety of engineering problems. The procedures can be broadly categorised under the following:

Operations Research: This is a scientific method employed to solve decision-making problems that involve the use of scarce or valuable resources. Following an interdisciplinary approach, it employs data analysis, statistics, mathematical modelling, optimization and computing to assist decision making in organizations, industry and many sectors of society. Examples include aircrew scheduling, electricity marketing policy and optimal ambulance system configurations.

Mechanics: Problems studied include modelling geothermal systems, petroleum reservoirs, tidal flows, sediment transport, the design of wind farms, blood flows, analyzing and designing manufacturing processes for composite materials, the development of improved models of soil behaviour and the associated geotechnical design procedures, and improving earthquake detection procedures.

Biomedical Engineering: Some of our academics are engaged with biomedical engineering (BME) research activities that incorporate aspects of mathematical modelling, bioinstrumentation and experimentation. An major theme is to improve the basic understanding of integrative biological function from the scale of molecular proteins to that of organ systems.

Programme structure

The University of Auckland PhD is a three-to-four year full-time advanced research degree.

On entry to the PhD programme, you will be enrolled provisionally. By the end of your first year, you must meet a number of goals to be confirmed into the PhD programme, including developing a full thesis proposal. After confirmation, you will continue to work on your research before submitting your thesis for examination after three years and within four years of your start date. The examination process includes an oral exam.

As part of your PhD study, you can take part in our doctoral skills programme, designed to help you achieve success in your research and develop skills for your future. We have a dedicated postgraduate careers advisor, and our library service includes specialist subject librarians to help you in your research. The central School of Graduate Studies provides dedicated support and advice for the doctoral community.

Where could this programme take you?

Our PhD graduates are successful in a wide range of fields and careers, as well as the traditional academic research career path. The PhD gives you extensive specialist and transferable skills, which are sought after in many sectors, including industry and government, and can even help you to develop entrepreneurship skills to run your own startup.

Entry criteria

• Masters-level qualification or the equivalent of a bachelors degree with honours
• GPE 5.5
• Evidence of significant research, usually undertaken as part of prior study

English language requirements:

IELTS 6.5; TOEFL (iBT) 90; TOEFL (paper-based) 575; CAE or CPE 176; PTE 58; MELAB 85.