A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is an opportunity to pursue a topic you're passionate about at the highest academic level.
A PhD is an independent, supervised research project that is assessed on the submission of a thesis or creative work and exegesis. This course may be undertaken in any School within ECU, provided there are supervisors available in your proposed research area, and the resources and facilities required to complete your proposed project are accessible. ECU encourages interdisciplinary research that may span two or more disciplines. As a PhD candidate, you will be expected to develop a project that can be completed in three years full-time. You may submit your thesis any time after two years of full-time study, and the maximum course duration for a PhD is four years full-time. A PhD is a significant undertaking, and if enrolled full-time you are expected to commit at least 35 hours per week to your research.
Course Learning Outcomes
- Apply communication skills to explain and critique theoretical propositions, methodologies and conclusions, and cogently present findings of a complex and original investigation to peers and the broader community
- Integrate substantial and systemic understanding of complex discipline knowledge with research principles and methods to demonstrate expertise in the field
- Take responsibility and show initiative for designing and executing original research, demonstrating capacity to generate new knowledge with intellectual independence.
- Use expert skills and authoritative judgement to adapt and implement research methodologies and conduct systematic and independent investigation of theory and/or practice at the frontier of a discipline.
Career opportunities
Academic and research organisations; Information and technology organisations; Government agencies; Oil, gas and mining organisations; Cyber Security organisations
Possible future job titles
Research Officer, Research Scientist, Research Fellow
Cyber Security:
ECU has Australia's largest cyber security research and education program. Cyber Security research at ECU is supported by the Security Research Institute (SRI).
With a reputation as one of the leading digital security and forensic groups in world, the SRI offers a range of PhD opportunities in the areas of cyber security. With an internationally recognised team of researchers, the SRI delivers immediate and high impact outcomes. Two of our academic staff are also members of Interpol's Cyber Crime Experts Group. ECU is an Australian Computer Society (ACS) Centre of Expertise in Security, has been recognised by the Australian Federal Government as an Academic Centre of Cyber Security Excellence (ACCSE), and operates as the headquarters of the federally funded Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CyberSec CRC). Security research at ECU concentrates on: Aviation security; Computer and digital forensics; Critical infrastructure security Cyber security Human factors of security Information warfare; Network and wireless security; Physical security; Risk management; Specific postgraduate research topics related to the above topics are developed in conjunction with the postgraduate coordinator or potential supervisor.