The Doctor of Philosophy is for students with a strong background in research who wish to explore a specialized topic in-depth. This program will lead to an internationally recognized research Doctoral Degree qualification (PhD) that will enhance your research and career prospects. The School of Geography and Sustainable Communities offers supervision in areas related to the Anthropocene, Climate Change, Cultural Geography, Economic Geography, Energy Efficiency, Indigenous Geographies, Mobility’s, Natural Hazards, Population Geography, Resource Management, Social Inequalities, Sustainability and Urban Geography. What you will study The supervised independent research project that produces a doctoral dissertation involves a significant original contribution to a field of knowledge. The thesis is a minimum of 80,000 words and no longer than 100,000 words in length. Your degree Study at the Doctoral level is by advanced research thesis and the requirements for the degree are not defined by a total credit point value, but by successful completion of the advanced research thesis. Full-time and part-time study is available in most cases. Course Learning Outcomes Students graduating from the Doctor of Philosophy will be able to: Demonstrate expert, specialized cognitive technical and research skills in a disciplinary area within social sciences to independently and systematically generate original knowledge and understanding to make a substantial scholarly contribution to an area in social sciences. Critically reflect on, synthesize and evaluate a substantial and complex body of knowledge at the frontier of a disciplinary area in social sciences. Communicate research findings, explaining and critiquing theoretical propositions, methodologies, results and conclusions to peers and to the community. Apply detailed knowledge of research, research integrity, ethics and the rights and safety of others, to plan and execute original research with intellectual independence and with full autonomy, authoritative judgment, adaptability and responsibility for personal outputs. Course Structure Study at the Doctoral level is by advanced research thesis and the requirements for the degree are not defined by a total credit point value, but by successful completion of the advanced research thesis. The normal full-time study pattern requires enrolment in 48 credit points of subjects per year in accordance with the table below, for a minimum of 4 years. Part-time study is also available in most cases. Potential candidates should discuss their research plan with the Postgraduate Research Coordinator of the relevant School, at which time the supervision arrangements of the School will be outlined. Rules and procedures for Doctoral degrees by Thesis are listed in the Course Rules. Doctoral candidates are urged to be familiar with the Code of Practice - Supervision and General Course Rules governing Thesis and Research Degrees, including the regulations regarding preparation and submission of the thesis. Why choose this course UOW’s Faculty of Social Sciences has a robust track record in research across a broad range of disciplines. Our passionate and engaged scholars provide a rich environment for the continued development of theoretical and interdisciplinary research. The UOW School of Geography and Sustainable Communities is home to leading academics specializing in a broad range of areas within Human Geography. The School also has a long history of interdisciplinary and transformational research supporting the development of individuals, organizations and communities.