The PhD application process in Australia for international students

The process of applying for a PhD in Australia can be overwhelming and time-consuming. I’ve been in a similar situation a few years ago. Sometimes you won’t even hear back from potential supervisors. Even if you are successful in getting someone to supervise you, there is still a high possibility of not getting accepted to the program. You might feel like a failure. It is very natural to feel frustrated at times or that you aren’t good enough for a PhD. Getting selected for a PhD program in Australia is difficult due to high competitiveness. I remember once my supervisor told me that the school received over 300 applications in one round and the acceptance rate was only 3%. The purpose of this article is to share my experience with you so, that you get some insight into your application process

Step 1: Identify your area of interest.

The very first step is to identify the area of research that you like to explore. It should gear towards the advancement of research and present novel findings. Think carefully before you choose a research topic. A doctoral degree is psychologically and intellectually demanding, so don’t expect it to be a walk in the park. Think whether you can dedicate 3-4 years of your life searching for the unknown horizons of the topic you choose.

Step 2: Develop a research proposal.

Presenting a research proposal to your potential supervisor gives you an opportunity to exhibit your subject knowledge, writing skills, analysis and synthesis skills. The research proposal should be at least 5-6 pages long. It should contain the background to the topic, research gaps, objectives, methodology, expected outcomes and timeline. You can also attach a budget with the proposal, although it isn’t compulsory at this stage.

Master’s and PhD: Key differences

I completed my Master’s degree back in 2017 and PhD in 2021. I observed some major differences between these two degrees. Master’s programs are designed to advance your knowledge on a specific subject that you are interested in.

There are two types of Master’s,

• Master’s by course work – typically involves lectures, assignments, lab work and exams.
• Master’s by research – has a research component and/or lectures and exams.

PhD stands for Doctor of Philosophy and the highest academic achievement one can earn. During a PhD you will conduct research in your area of interest to develop a deep understanding of a particular topic. Generally, you will conduct the research under supervision and produce a dissertation at the end of your PhD.

The following table shows the differences between a Master’s and a PhD program.

Elements	Master’s	PhD
Prerequisites	Bachelor’s degree, work experience (for some MBA programs), English language proficiency (for non-native English speakers)	Bachelor’s degree and/or Master’s degree, Publications (optional), English language proficiency (for non-native English speakers)
Length	1-2 years	3-8 years
Structure	Mostly course work, some may contain a research component and an internship	Course work, Research project
Focus	Suits best for the people who intend to advance their career in the industry	Suits best for the people who intend to work in academia
Cost	Varies by country, university, and program.	Varies by country, university, and program. More scholarship opportunities are available

Don’t start a PhD if you cannot do these

A PhD is fundamentally different from a Master’s or a Bachelor’s program. Prior to my PhD, I thought things would work out exactly the way I want. But honestly, there are many things I wish I’d known at the beginning. A PhD isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and academic life is quite harsh and stressful. Here are some important things that I learned during my PhD.

• Patience and persistence

People often think that the key to getting a PhD is being highly intelligent. But I don’t quite agree with this. While your academic achievements may help you get into the program, patience and perseverance will decide whether you finish your PhD or not. A PhD student generally spends 3-5 years or more to get a PhD and this is a huge time investment. A PhD requires you to solve a problem and the experiment you conduct won’t be successful at once. Even if it became successful, analyzing the data would take a lot of time. This can be overwhelming and frustrating at times. Furthermore, PhD isn’t about studying a subject and taking an exam. It is not attending a lecture and taking notes. During a PhD you are required to dedicate a significant amount of time to solve a problem and this process is exhausting. Not everyone is capable of doing such a rigorous task for a long time.

• Stress management

Stress is something unavoidable during your PhD. Especially towards the end of the program, you will be naturally prone to more stress compared to the start of the PhD. Stress comes with lots of factors such as meeting deadlines, data analysis, interpretation and most importantly living up to your advisor’s expectations. You may have to revise an experiment or an analysis number of times until they are satisfied with the output. I got frustrated and stressed out every time I got feedback from my supervisors. But this is a part of the process, and you must accept and learn to live with it. Remember, PhD is the highest level of academic qualification one can get, and they only offer it to people who deserve it. So don’t expect it to be stress-free.