Why study a PhD at UC?

Entry requirements

Enrolment in a PhD requires completion of a research-focused honours or master’s degree, at First or Second Class (Division I) Honours or Distinction level (or equivalent qualifications).

Applicants with qualifications from outside Aotearoa New Zealand must have been granted admission to the University. Our admissions team, in consultation with the host department, look at your qualifications and transcripts to ensure that you have the background required to complete a PhD. It is possible that you may be required to complete preparatory courses prior to or after admission into a PhD programme.

In exceptional circumstances applicants without the typical academic background, but who can demonstrate the ability to pursue a PhD, may be admitted at the discretion of the Dean of Postgraduate Research.

One or more courses in this degree may also require vaccinations. Check each course page for more details.

If English is your additional language, you are also required to meet UC's English language requirements.

For the full entry requirements, see the Regulations for the Doctor of Philosophy or use the admission requirements checker.

PhD students must contact a potential supervisor before applying. Information about the research interests of academic staff (supervisors) can be found on the relevant department website, or the UC Research Profile.

Find out more about how to apply for Doctoral degrees.

See Admission and enrolment for all information on enrolling at UC.

Subjects and courses

Contact the relevant department for information about these subject areas:

Accounting Antarctic Studies Anthropology Art History Art Theory Astronomy Audiology Biochemistry Bioengineering Biological Sciences Biotechnology Cellular and Molecular Biology Chemical and Process Engineering Chemistry Chinese Cinema Studies (as an English major) Civil Engineering Classics Computational and Applied Mathematical Sciences Computer Science Creative Practice Criminal Justice Cultural Studies Data Science Disaster Risk and Resilience Earthquake Engineering Ecology Economics Education Electrical and Electronic Engineering Engineering Geology Engineering Management English Environmental Science European Studies Finance Fire Engineering Forest Engineering Forestry French Geography Geology German

Health Sciences Higher Education History Human-Animal Studies Human Interface Technology Human Services Industrial and Organisational Psychology Information Systems Japanese Journalism Law Linguistics Management Māori and Indigenous Studies Marketing Mathematical Physics Mathematics Mathematics and Philosophy Mechanical Engineering Media and Communication Medical Physics Medical Physics (Clinical) Microbiology Music Pacific Studies Philosophy Physics Political Science and International Relations Product Design Psychology Renewable Energy Engineering Russian Science Education Social Work Sociology Spanish Speech and Language Sciences Statistics Taxation Te Reo Māori Translation and Interpreting Transportation Engineering Water Resource Management