Doctor of Philosophy
Programme Code: AK3518
Level: 10
Points: 360
Duration: Three years full time
Venue: City Campus
Starting date: Anytime
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is awarded after the successful completion of three years full time (or the equivalent) concentrated research constituting an original and substantial contribution to knowledge. Students work closely with their supervisor to prepare a thesis, which is examined by independent experts who apply contemporary international standards.
WHAT THIS PROGRAMME COVERS
Year One
Students spend the first year refining their preliminary proposal into a fully fledged PhD proposal (the D9 document) that critically reviews the significant work done in the area of research. The D9 proposal should also contain a suitable research methodology and a timeframe for completion of the degree that highlights important milestones to be achieved in the next couple of years. The student is expected to publish one or more papers in a reputed international conference in their chosen area of research. Every PhD student in the school of Computing and Mathematical Sciences is funded by the School to attend and present their work at international forums throughout their three years of study.
Year Two
The second year of the PhD is a period of consolidation. Once the student has completed their research proposal they typically spend their time refining their design, doing experimentation and/or field work as appropriate. Data is collected and analysed and the results are published at international conferences. A journal publication is also encouraged at this point, as this lends further credibility to the research.
Year Three
The first part of the final year of the PhD is spent finalising the experimentation and data analysis. Thereafter, the PhD thesis should be written and submitted to the supervisor for feedback. It should be noted that the process of finalising the thesis is time consuming as typically two or even three draft versions need to be produced before the thesis is in a form that is ready for submission and examination. The time period between submission of the thesis and the oral examination is a further opportunity for the student to publish in a reputed journal.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
Applicants for whom English or Māori is not their first language are required to provide proof of an acceptable pass/grade gained in an accepted English language test. For more details, please refer to English Language Requirements in AUT's Academic Calendar or visit www.aut.ac.nz/calendar.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Upon completion of a PhD in the field of Computer and Information Science you will be a recognised expert in your field. The opportunities to apply this to your career will be endless, both in industry and academia.
Typically PhD graduates are employed as academic staff in Universities or in post- doctoral research positions. Opportunities also exist within crown research institutes and research and development (R&D) roles with industry.