How to apply for postgraduate research

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Images from the opening night of Postgraduate Research Open Week 2024

This page outlines the process to apply for Master of Fine Arts (Research), Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs at the School of Art & Design.

Your application for a Postgraduate research program will start with the submission of an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the School of Art & Design.

The EOI is a mandatory pre-admission process. Should your EOI be successful, the School of Art & Design will invite you to submit a formal application via the UNSW Graduate Research School (GRS).

If you wish to be considered for a UNSW Scholarship, please see the dates below for when to submit your EOI. Note, however, that the development of a research proposal and an EOI submission will take some time, so you should start the process outlined in the steps below well in advance of the EOI submission.

Important dates

Domestic applicants

  • Closing date to submit EOI to School of Art & Design

    4 April 2025, COB

    Closing date to submit application to GRS

    9 May 2025, 23:59 AEST

    Scholarship offers released by GRS

    From 25 July 2025

  • Closing date to submit EOI to School of Art & Design

    1 August 2025, COB

    Closing date to submit application to GRS

    5 September 2025, 23:59 AEST

    Scholarship offers released by GRS

    From 21 November 2025

Domestic applicants not applying for a UNSW scholarship should submit their EOI at least 8 weeks before Term start date. Please refer to the Academic Calendar.

International applicants

  • Closing date to submit EOI to School of Art & Design

    4 April 2025, COB

    Closing date to submit application to GRS

    9 May 2025, 23:59 AEST

    Scholarship offers released by GRS

    From 25 July 2025

  • Closing date to submit EOI to School of Art & Design

    1 August 2025, COB

    Closing date to submit application to GRS

    5 September 2025, 23:59 AEST

    Scholarship offers released by GRS

    From 21 November 2025

International applicants not applying for a UNSW scholarship should submit their EOI at least 12 weeks before an offer of admission is required for visa processing.

Application process

Applicant-led steps

  • Identify an eligible supervisor in the School of Art & Design whose area of expertise is suitable to your project. Contact the academic to discuss their availability to supervise, your eligibility and your capability to carry out research at the level of your selected program (see ‘Determine your eligibility’ on the HDR Application Process page for more information).

    Once you secure a supervisor, share your referee details with them, and develop your proposal according to their feedback, and by following the Guidelines for Writing a Research Project Proposal. It is advisable to consult past candidates’ theses to gain a sense of the expected outcomes of your proposed program.

    This step can take weeks or months, depending on how advanced and feasible your initial ideas are. Your nominated supervisors will advise how long it may take.

    Please note: you will need a supervisory team of two eligible academics by the time you lodge your application. The supervisor with whom you initiate your EOI submission may be able to assist you in finding a second suitable supervisor.

  • Applicants wishing to be considered for a UNSW scholarship should indicate this on their EOI form. Scholarships are offered and managed by the GRS (see ‘Fees and Costs’ and ‘Scholarships’ on the HDR Application Process page).  

    Proof of meeting UNSW's English language requirements is mandatory at the EOI stage (see ‘English Language Requirements’ detailed on the HDR Application Process page). The minimum IELTS score required for Postgraduate research at the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture is 7.0 overall (with a minimum of 6.0 in each subtest).  

  • Ensure that you have all supporting documents listed in the checklist at the end of the EOI Form. How to format your CV for academic purposes is also detailed.

    When completing the form, discuss Section 4 (“Admission Application Questions”) with your nominated supervisor(s). Information provided in this section will be used to assess an applicants’ eligibility for admission and competitiveness for scholarship.  

    A portfolio is mandatory for practice-based applicants only and should demonstrate creative work aligned with the proposed project. Although there are no specific formats, portfolios are ordinarily produced as a PDF document with 10-20 images and/or links documenting practice.

  • Only submit a completed EOI when you have the full support of your nominated supervisor(s).

    Submit the form, along with all required supporting documents, by email. Applicants wishing to apply for a UNSW Scholarship must submit their EOI by the closing dates detailed above.

    Nominated supervisor(s) are required to submit two referee reports and the HDR Interview Form. They will submit these documents separately as applicants should not be privy to them.  

    On receipt of all documents, the School of Art & Design will review your EOI. If successful, you'll be invited to submit a formal application to the Graduate Research School (GRS). The School strives to notify EOI submission outcomes at least one week before the GRS application closing date.

Supervisor-led steps

  • After you agree to be the nominated supervisor of an applicant, verify their eligibility and discuss with them their capability to carry out research at the level of your selected program (see ‘Determine your eligibility’ on the HDR Application Process page and the EOI Form for more information).

    Provide feedback on their proposal and ensure it is formatted according to the Art & Design Guidelines for Writing a Research Project Proposal. Advise the applicant how long it might take to get their initial ideas to the feasible project stage, and who else might have adequate expertise and experience to join you in their supervisory team (2 academics) or panel (3 academics).

    Refer to the School of Art & Design Supervisor Register, UNSW’s Find a researcher and/or ADA’s Our people page, and the UNSW Higher Degree Research Supervision Procedure for supervisory roles.

  • Referee reports play a central role in various aspects of the admission and scholarship application processes. They should be obtained early in the EOI development process as a way of vetting an applicant’s capability to carry out high quality research.

    Two referee reports per applicant are required and should be submitted by supervisor(s) by the EOI closing date. Strong referees are those who know applicants as researchers and can vouch for their research skills, aptitude, and experience. The ‘A&D Guidelines to obtain HDR referee reports’ is stored on the Resources for Supervisors SharePoint site.

  • As soon as possible, please introduce your applicant to the HDR team via email, indicating when the EOI submission is expected. This will assist the team to communicate any important information to you and answer any question you might have about scholarship application or eligibility, for example.

    Before submitting, ensure that your applicant has all supporting documents listed in the checklist at the end of the EOI Form. In particular, discuss Section 4 (“Admission Application Questions”) with them. Information provided in this section will be used to assess the applicants’ eligibility for admission and competitiveness for scholarship.  

    Please also support the preparation of a portfolio (for practice-based applicants only) and a CV for academic purposes. Portfolios should demonstrate creative work aligned with the proposed project, while CVs should clearly demonstrate their research experience, skills and outputs (Traditional Research Outputs, Non-Traditional Research Outputs, etc.).

  • The nominated supervisor(s) must submit two referee reports and the A&D HDR Interview Form (found in the Resources for Supervisors SharePoint site) by the submission due date. Supervisors should submit these documents directly to the HDR team via email, as applicants should not be privy to them.

    If successful, your applicant will be invited to submit a formal application to the UNSW Graduate Research School.

Acknowledgement of Country

UNSW School of Art & Design stands on an important place of learning and exchange first occupied by the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples.

We acknowledge the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land that our students and staff share, create and operate on. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend this respect to all First Nations peoples across Australia. Sovereignty has never been ceded.