The PhD Program

Program. A PhD program normally runs for three years in the first instance, with the possibility of two subsequent extensions of six months each. Examination is based on external assessment of a dissertation of 80-100,000 words. Normally students have a three-person advisory committee headed by a primary supervisor.

There is no formal course-work requirement, though the department makes available a series of advanced workshops and masterclasses, e.g. field methods, methods in language documentation etc. The possibility exists of enrolling in relevant language subjects across a wide range of languages.

Timelines. Although enrolment applications can be received at any time, the scholarship and orientation cycles mean that we recommend the following timelines.

In all cases please contact prospective supervisor at least a month before the official scholarship deadlines so we can guide you through the application process.

• domestic and international applicants: Scholarship deadlines can be viewed here
  http://www.anu.edu.au/graduate/scholarships/all.php;
• domestic applicants only: Scholarship deadlines can be viewed here
  http://www.anu.edu.au/graduate/scholarships/aus_nz_only.php ;
• international applicants only: Scholarship deadlines can be viewed here
  http://www.anu.edu.au/graduate/scholarships/international_only.php.

Default dates for actually starting your program are March 15 and August 15 each year and our orientation programs are planned to run shortly after these dates.

Facilities and environment. PhD students receive office space in the department, financial support for fieldwork, computer and other equipment support (e.g. sound and videos and a wide range of other equipment), archiving facilities through PARADISEC cartographic support and a range of other forms of practical support. There is a lively series of seminars, reading groups, master classes and other events, both within the department and as part of the broader community of linguists across the campus. The Department's location within the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies gives students access to one of the world's greatest concentration of experts in this region across a wide range of disciplines.

Further Information. For general information on ANU postgraduate studies click here and for Linguistics, Languages, and cultures at the ANU click here.

Support available

A number of types of scholarship support are available. In general, ‘domestic' students [i.e. Australian and New Zealand Citizens, and Australian permanent residents] are exempt from tuition fees, while other categories need to pay tuition though various scholarships can cover these. Information on specific scholarships for the various categories of applicant, can be found at http://www.anu.edu.au/graduate/scholarships. In addition to the above, applicants for scholarships in the Department will automatically be considered for a Stephen and Helen Wurm Scholarship.

All categories of scholarship normally support a three-year program in the first instance, with a possibility of a further six months extension. Scholarships themselves do not carry any obligation of teaching or RA-type work, but students regularly find part-time employment in these and other capacities.

Process of application

Relevant forms can be downloaded here . All potential applicants should contact a relevant staff member in the first instance to discuss their application.

Current and previous students

Current and previous PhD students can be viewed here:
http://rspas.anu.edu.au/linguistics/students.php

Research sites

Members of the department are involved in field research in most countries of the Asia-Pacific (see map ) and this on-the-ground expertise ideally places them to advise on suitable doctoral projects.