Application Procedures

The Department requires that a well-conceived research proposal must accompany all applications for admission and/or a scholarship. This should be 5-7 pages long (c2500-3500 words) (NB, please note that whilst the Postgraduate Research Program application form asks for a research proposal of not more than one page, the Department requires 5-7 pages). It should contain a clear statement of the central question you wish to address, a brief statement of why this is an interesting question, why it is new or different in relation to the existing literature of international relations, a brief statement of the methodology you propose to use, and finally, what you expect it to contribute to our understanding of international politics. Ideally this statement would include a select bibliography of key works. The proposal enables members of the Department to decide whether they can be confident about supervising your topic and achieving the best outcome for your individual needs.

You should consult the Staff Profiles on our website and contact the staff member most likely to be interested in supervising your project. You should also consult the Department’s Director of PhD Studies who will be able to provide advice on whether you are likely to be competitive for admission and/or for scholarship. That person will be glad to comment on a draft proposal before you submit your application. Academic staff will provide you with preliminary comments on a draft proposal but may not be able to engage in the process of reading progressive drafts of proposals.

Application Forms

Application forms are available for downloading in PDF format from the University’s webpage. Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, and New Zealand citizens should complete the following form: www.anu.edu.au/sas/forms/sas25local.pdf. All other students, including New Zealand permanent residents, should complete the following form: www.anu.edu.au/sas/forms/sas25international.pdf.

When preparing application forms, please note that in Part B, Question 9, you should enter International Relations. Under School/Centre/Faculty, you should enter Department of International Relations, RSPAS. If applying online, go to http://students.anu.edu.au/apply_online.asp. To get started, ignore the first line; select ‘RS of Pacific & Asian Studies’ for ‘Academic Group’; select ‘Research’ for ‘Academic Career’; select ‘Doctor of Philosophy’ for ‘Award Type’; press Search and select 9510XPHD (the program code for PhD research in the Department of International Relations at RSPAS).

It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that referees send their letters of support directly to the University. The University has a strict policy concerning complete files. It is essential that each application is accompanied by a certified copy of any relevant academic transcript, references including the referee summary sheet, a proposal, and in the case of international students whose first language is not English, a copy of your IELTS/TOEFL results. Application forms that are incomplete cannot be considered.

While the University accepts applications for admission at any time of the year, applicants need to be aware that under current Australian Government and University rules, once enrolled, PhD students will not be eligible to apply for many of the PhD scholarships on offer. Applicants should consult the Director of PhD Studies if they are contemplating an application independently of applying for a scholarship.

Please note that all applications for admission to the PhD Program must be sent to the University’s Student Records office (see below for mailing address). The Department is asked for a recommendation about whether the University should offer admission, but it does not itself administer application files or make the decision about whether to award scholarships. Ultimately the University makes that decision on the basis of an applicant’s academic record and achievements, references, the quality of the research proposal and whether the Department is able to properly supervise the proposed topic.

Send Application Forms

All applications for admission to the Department’s PhD Program must be sent to:

Student Records
The Australian National University
Pauline Griffin Building (#11)
Canberra ACT 0200
AUSTRALIA