Starting your PhD
Applications for postgraduate research are accepted all year round. Once you’re accepted and commence your candidature at the University of Sydney there are mandatory requirements and expected milestones. The University of Sydney expects PhD candidates to complete within 3 years, with a maximum time for completion of 4 years (full time). If you experience unexpected delays during your candidature you may request an extension.
Apart from the research and writing there is a lot to tick off, particularly in the probation period or first year.
1. Use this checklist for your first year of candidature
- Attend your faculty or school induction for commencing HDR students.
- Establish with your supervisory team frequency of supervision and mode of communication.
- Discuss authorship attribution with your supervisory team, if you plan on publishing papers from your research (revisit regularly and 6 months prior to submission).
- Work with your lead supervisor on an agreed framework of milestones and timelines, and create your individual progress plan.
- Be prepared for your first year progress review (PR), held 12 months from start date (subsequent progress reviews are held annually until submission).
2. Get your progress plan completed as soon as possible
This will include all University as well as faculty milestones, from the first to final year of candidature.
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3. Start work on your ethics application as soon as possible
If required, start working with the supervisor nominated as lead investigator on your ethics application and aim to submit the application as soon as possible. This supervisor is responsible for submitting the application. Checking off this task early is important because ethics approval can take several months or longer.
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Last updated July 2020
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