Frequently asked questions for future and commencing students.
FAQs
Applying to UOW
- How do I apply to study at UOW?
- Where can I get information about visas?
- How do I transfer a HDR course from a different university in Australia to UOW?
- How do I defer my offer of admission?
- What is a higher degree by research?
Applying online to study at UOW is quick, easy and secure.
For information on the how to find a supervisor and prepare your application, visit How to Apply.
All student visa applications are managed directly by the Department of Home Affairs.
Candidates who have commenced a HDR course at another Australian institution and would like to transfer their HDR to UOW, will need to apply to study at UOW by following steps on How to apply and submit their application via the UOW Apply online portal.
If the UOW supervisor and UOW Head of Postgraduate Studies (HPS) confirm that the candidate will continue the same project from the previous institution, their HDR study load (EFTSL) from the previous enrolment will be added to their enrolment record at UOW. This will reduce the maximum allowed EFTSL at UOW, by the amount transferred in. For domestic candidates, the UOW Research Training Program (RTP) will only cover tuition fees for the remaining candidature time limit. See more information about time limits for Domestic HDR Candidates.
The candidate will need to provide an enrolment summary letter from the previous institution detailing their previous HDR EFTSL to graduate-research-school@uow.edu.au once they enrol at UOW.
If the candidate completed a comparable research proposal review (RPR) at another institution before transferring to UOW, the HPS may decide that these candidates do not need to complete the research proposal review again - especially if the research proposal has not changed substantially since this previous review. A copy of the RPR report from the previous institution should be provided to graduate-research-school@uow.edu.au along with the HPS’s approval so a RPR completion date can be recorded in their UOW enrolment record.
You will need to contact the Future Students Team via email futurestudents@uow.edu.au or phone +61 2 4221 3218.
The University of Wollongong offers a range of Higher Degree Research options for graduates. The doctoral program includes the PhD, PhD (Integrated) and professional doctorate degrees. We also offer the a research training pathway, the Master of Research (MRes) and the Master of Philosphy (MPhil).
The PhD (Integrated) is a four year program comprising one year of coursework (with a qualifying grade) and three years thesis.
Getting started at UOW
If you have received an offer to study at UOW, the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are for you.
- How do I enrol in my degree?
- How do I get a student card?
- How do I apply for shared office space, laboratory access and access cards?
- What is the difference between Leave of Absence and Deferral?
If you are a commencing student who hasn’t enrolled in your degree yet, please follow these handy guides:
Next time you're on campus, remember to get your student ID card.
For Wollongong Campus students, ID cards are available at AskUOW on the Ground Floor of Building 17.
For students at other campuses, you can get an ID card from your local campus office.
If you are a HDR candidate who requires shared office space, laboratory access or access cards, you can submit a request by completing the HDR Space Allocation Request form.
Please discuss your request with your supervisor before submitting the form and the request will be sent to your Principal Supervisor for approval. Once approved, the Infrastructure and Property Division will allocate space and access cards as appropriate. For lab access, you are required to complete a lab induction and obtain approval from the lab owner.
The difference between a Leave of Absence and a Deferral will relate to whether you have commenced your studies and completed at least one session in your course:
Deferral
If you have not completed one full session of study, you will need to defer your studies, instead of taking a Leave of Absence (LoA). To apply, please complete the online Deferral Application.
If you have not commenced your program and need to defer your admission to the next intake/session, contact the Future Students team at futurestudents@uow.edu.au.
Leave of Absence
If you have already completed at least one session in your studies and are thinking of taking time away from your studies, you can apply for a Leave of Absence (LoA).
You need to discuss any intended LOA with your supervisor(s) and the Head of Postgraduate Studies (HPS).
For more information, see How do I apply for a Leave of Absence (LoA)?
Scholarships
- What kind of scholarships does UOW provide?
- How do I apply for a scholarship?
- What is the referee report process?
- When do I find out if my scholarship application was successful?
- When will I receive a scholarship payment?
- When is census date?
UOW offers a range of scholarship options to both domestic and international students.
You will need to apply for the main round scholarships as part of the online application process to apply to study at UOW.
For the other scholarship opportunities listed on our website you will need to read the information and follow the steps to apply as these may be vary.
During the online application you will be provided a link to the report to send to your nominated referees, it is your responsibility to send this report and request your referees to complete it for you. As noted within the application, the University will not request reports on your behalf. Applicants must confirm with the Graduate Research School by phone or email that two reports have been received. Applicants without two complete reports will not be considered for a scholarship.
Referees' email addresses must be verifiable and originating from official university, government or professional sites (e.g. .edu, .gov, .ac). Reports from yahoo, gmail, google or hotmail type accounts will not be accepted. Please be advised that the referees may be contacted during the verification process of your application.
All applicants for UOW Scholarships will be notified via email of scholarship application outcomes by mid-December for commencement in the following year.
If you have been awarded a stipend scholarship offered by the University of Wollongong, please email the Graduate Research School with a completed Living Allowance Form and Conditions of Award that you received in conjunction with your scholarship offer.
Your scholarship offer may state that your scholarship commencement is subject to you signing Intellectual Property (IP) Deeds. Please ensure this documentation is complete and returned to Innovation Commercial Research (ICR) Unit at ip-deeds@uow.edu.au before you request your scholarship payments to commence.
Scholarship payments will commence when you are onshore in Australia. Scholarships are usually paid fortnightly. Depending on when you submit your documentation, it can take up to four weeks for your scholarship payments to commence. Your stipend scholarship payments will be calculated from the date of your enrolment for the session you are offered the scholarship.
Please note, the earliest commencement date for a scholarship in a given session is as follows:
- Autumn Session – 1 January
- Spring Session – 1 July
It is important for all HDR candidates to know and understand the census date. The census date is the last day that enrolment changes can be made.
- Autumn session census date is 31 March
- Spring session census date is 31 August
If you require a change to your enrolment you’ll need to have the relevant forms completed and submitted to the Graduate Research School by 24 March for Autumn Session and 24 August for Spring Session, to allow for processing time.
FAQs for Current HDR Candidates
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