Explore research degrees

A research degree is a postgraduate degree completed by research alone and leads to either a Master or Doctoral degree award. The work involved is largely undertaken independently and the study is supervised by at least two supervisors.

What is Higher Degree Research (HDR)?

Research is about the discovery and evaluation of important new and creative ideas, processes and products. These ideas are generated from the researcher’s intrinsic interest in a topic and develop in response to the research work of other researchers - often by way of collaboration (sometimes with supervisors) - and they rely on well chosen and robust methodologies. Research usually involves a number of different intellectual stages accompanied by a series of support mechanisms.

The definition of a research problem, the exploration of the problem, and the dissemination of findings to the academic and general community, are central to the process of research candidacy. Whilst the focus of research candidacy is on the development and quality of research, candidates are supported at each stage by various central, faculty and departmental activities and assisted with the administration and management of their candidacy and research through the services provided by the Graduate Research Academy.

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