On this page, you’ll find everything you need to know about applying for and enrolling in a research degree at the University of Canterbury — from preparing your research proposal for admission and finding a supervisor, to submitting your application and understanding key enrolment steps.
Not sure if research is for you?
Get essential insights into what research at university really means, how to find a supervisor, and how to prepare for thesis study.
Research Master’s Degrees
Admission to a master's programme hinges on your relevant bachelor's degree or equivalent qualifications. Selection is primarily based on your undergraduate GPA and ability to excel in postgraduate studies. Other factors like work experience may also be considered. Generally, achieving B grades or higher in final-year undergraduate courses signals readiness for postgraduate study.
Doctoral Degrees
To apply for a doctorate, you must have a research-focused honours degree (4 years) or a research master’s degree, either completed or currently in progress. Your qualification must meet a minimum GPA of 5.5 in the New Zealand system, which is equivalent to First-Class or Second-Class Division I Honours.
Am I Eligible to Enrol in a Research Degree?
We encourage you to check that your background meets the admission requirements for the research degree you would like to study. You will need to check that you meet all entrance criteria (including academic and English language competency requirements).
Entry requirements for research master's degrees are listed on the relevant qualification pages.
Entry requirements for doctoral degrees can be found below:
How to Enrol in a Research Degree
Below are the 9 key steps to enrolling as a research student at UC.
Follow these steps to ensure a smooth and successful start to your postgraduate research experience.
Research Master’s Degrees - In general it’s best to talk to the relevant faculty to find out how to enrol in a research Master’s degree.
There are some existing research projects specifically for research Master’s students, you can find these in our current research projects
Doctoral Degrees
As a first step, it’s important to check that your background meets the admission requirements for the doctoral degree you would like to study.
You will need to check that you meet all entrance criteria (including academic and English language competency requirements).
Entry requirements are also listed on the relevant qualification pages.
Before placing an application for a Doctoral degree at UC, you will need to either join an existing research project, or find a supervisor for a new research direction. It is a prospective student’s responsibility to ensure they have agreement from a potential supervisor as part of the application process and will need to upload evidence of this to apply.
How to join an existing research project
Browse the current research projects available at the University of Canterbury, for Doctoral and research Master’s students, to see if there is one in your topic of interest.
Please note - these projects are for various levels so do check that the project meets the level of study you are wishing to undertake. Each project advertisement will also give information about the background (academic qualifications and skills) that is required from applicants. It will also state if the project is funded (i.e. has a scholarship covering fees or a stipend or both, or none.
How to find a supervisor for a new research direction.
If you have a research question you would like to explore, or there are no research projects listed in your area, you can explore potential supervisors to see if they would be interested in supervising your project.
Your supervisor is an individual who will work closely with you for the period of your research (three to four years), so it is worthwhile finding out if you will feel comfortable working with them.
To find a potential supervisor at UC, search the UC Experts database
Please note that not all researchers listed on the UC Research Profile page will be available or eligible to act as Senior Supervisor, but they may be able to assist with directing you to an available colleague.
More detail on how supervisors support research students can be found on the UC Research Supervisors page
For those joining an existing research project:
If you have found an existing research project that you are interested in applying for, the next step is to email the Academic Staff member listed on the advertisement for more information about applying for the project. We recommend including a copy of your resume (including academic qualifications) in this query.
For those looking to begin a new research direction:
Once you’ve found a potential supervisor, contact the staff member to discuss your research interests and to see if they are able to take you on as their research student.
We recommend including a proposal of your research (a document outlining your research topic, its links to key theories, and potential research methodology) and a copy of your resume (including academic qualifications) in this query.
Please note - there is no expectation that this proposal be fully developed at this stage, but providing key information about your proposed topic of study to potential supervisors enables them to evaluate if they can supervise your topic and provide advice if further details are needed.
Once you've found a supervisor you will need to get written confirmation from them that they are willing to supervise your research and are available to supervise you.
This evidence of supervision must be included in your application in myUC for your application to be assessed.
UC may have scholarships available to support our doctoral students in their studies, we encourage you to apply for these.
Check Doctoral scholarships | University of Canterbury for what’s currently available.
If you have any questions regarding scholarships, please email the Scholarships Team directly at scholarships@canterbury.ac.nz.
GPA Report
If you have completed study outside New Zealand, you will need to order a Premium GPA Report from Scholaro to calculate the GPA of the final two years of your highest completed overseas qualification. If your Master's was one year of study, calculate the final year of your Bachelor's study on a separate report.
This is not required for qualifications obtained in New Zealand
Curriculum Vitae
Prepare a detailed Curriculum Vitae that includes details of your relevant academic history, work history and any relevant research experience.
Academic documents
Collate and scan all relevant academic documents (undergraduate and postgraduate) as evidence of your academic history (as detailed in your Curriculum Vitae). This includes degree certificates, graduation certificates, and transcripts (with a grading scale) and translations (if required).
If your tertiary education was completed in a European country, you must also supply a European Diploma Supplement.
Identity documents
Prepare a scan of the biographical page of your passport or birth certificate.
Prior theses
You will need to provide an electronic copy of any theses you have already completed. If the thesis was submitted in a language other than English, only the thesis abstract is required.
If you have not completed a thesis, supply evidence of relevant research publications instead.
English language proficiency
If you are an international student and have not completed a qualification in New Zealand, you will need to provide evidence of your English Language proficiency.
Evidence of supervision
You will need to include written evidence that your supervisor is willing and able to supervise your research.
With all the necessary documents prepared, you are ready to place an application for Doctoral Study via myUC
Log in to myUC, creating an account first if you don't have one already.
Follow the steps to apply for your doctoral degree.
You will be asked to upload the documents you have prepared earlier.
(Please note - Your application will not be assessed until you have uploaded all necessary documentation. If any scans you provide are not of suitable quality, you may be asked to provide a better quality scan.)
If you have any questions regarding your online application, you can contact the Admissions Team (admission@canterbury.ac.nz).
If your application for a doctoral degree is accepted, you will be sent an 'Offer of Place' outlining your study details and how to accept. If you are an international student, a full (unconditional) Offer of Place can be used as supporting documentation for your student visa application.
UC is not an agent for Immigration New Zealand, so staff are unable to provide immigration advice. Please address these queries to Immigration New Zealand directly or an approved Immigration advisor.
Please note that the Graduate School Kaitoko | Research Student Advisors work with currently enrolled students but do provide pre-arrival information once an “Offer of Place” has been accepted by the student. If you are uncertain where to seek advice, please contact the UC Graduate School and our team will do our best to refer you to the right person in the University to assist with your query.
If you need to change your start date?
Accept your Enrolment Agreement
Domestic students
Once your Offer of Place has been accepted, we will add course details to your enrolment (including agreed start and end dates) and generate an Enrolment Agreement for you to accept. This is normally found in your Document Library in myUC.
International students
You will need to attend an Enrolment in Person session to complete your enrolment when you arrive in New Zealand. Take your passport and visa with you to your session and the team will give you an Enrolment Agreement to accept.
Arrange payment of your fees
Your Enrolment Agreement includes a Statement of Fees which lists all your study costs - tuition fees, Student Services Levy (SSL) and any other associated costs. If you are an international student it will also include health insurance. Your fees must be paid in full before your enrolment is complete.
Once you've accepted your Enrolment Agreement and paid any outstanding fees, you will have officially completed your enrolment.
