phd vs doctorate australia

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Postgraduate qualifications

A postgraduate qualification can help you progress in your career, advance your studies after an undergraduate degree, or take your studies in a new direction.

Masters degree

One to two years

Completed following

Bachelor Degree; or Bachelor Degree (Honours); or Graduate Diploma. For some postgraduate qualifications, you might be accepted if you have significant, relevant work experience.

A masters degree is a specialised course that requires you to find advanced answers to complex problems or questions.

Studying for a masters degree can help you become a leader in your field, or lead to further study in a doctoral degree (PhD).

There are three main types of masters degrees:

Masters Degree (Research): The purpose of this degree is to produce research or add new knowledge in your field. You will usually need to complete a large project or a thesis (long essay of 20,000 to 40,000 words).
Masters Degree (Coursework): In a masters degree (coursework) you can focus on professional practice or your academic field of study. As part of your studies, you may need to complete a large project or a minor thesis (long essay of 12,000 to 20,000 words).
Masters Degree (Extended): In this type of masters degree, you will usually focus on professional practice. As part of your studies, you may need to complete a large project or a thesis (long essay of 12,000 to 20,000 words).

Note: Some masters degrees have ‘exit points’ within them. These may allow you to stop your studies at a certain point and be awarded a Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma. These are described below.

Doctoral degree or doctorate (including PhD)

Three to four years

Bachelor Degree (Honours) with a research component; or Masters Degree.

This is the highest award on offer at Australian universities.

There are two types:

Doctorate by research, also known as a Doctor of Philosophy or PhD requires you to conduct original, in-depth research, often leading to a potential career in academia. Once you graduate, you will be given the title of ‘Doctor’.
Professional doctorate: This doctoral degree is a coursework qualification. Upon completion, you will also be given the title of ‘Doctor’ but this qualification that usually has an outcome related to a profession.

In both types of doctoral degrees, you will review literature, undertake experiments or investigate new methods, making a major contribution to knowledge in your field. The result is often a major project or thesis (40,000 to 60,000 words).

Find out about Australia’s world-class research.

Graduate Diploma

Bachelor Degree; or Bachelor Degree (Honours); or Graduate Certificate.

A Graduate Diploma is the next step up from a Graduate Certificate. It involves twice as many study units (subjects) and can be studied as a standalone qualification, or as part of a masters degree.

Graduate Diplomas are usually delivered by universities and non-university government private higher education providers.

Bachelor degree (honours)

Usually four years in total (a four-year degree with the final year being the Honours year); or one additional year after a three-year Bachelor degree, depending on academic results.

For the four-year program: Year 12 or equivalent; Certificate III or Certificate IV in TAFE or vocational education and training (VET).
For the one-year program: Bachelor degree

Graduating with an Honours degree shows that you have the ability to reach high academic standards, and that you have advanced project management and research skills. Your qualification can lead to further research-based studies, like a PhD, or can give you a strong set of skills for future employment.

In some cases, an Honours year will be built into your degree from the beginning (usually a four-year degree). In other cases, if you graduate from your Bachelor degree with high grades, your education provider might give you the opportunity to complete an additional year of study. This will allow you to graduate ‘with honours’.

An Honours year will usually involve some coursework and a large project or a written thesis (long essay of 12,000 to 20,000 words).

Note: All Bachelor degree (honours) courses must meet the same requirements, and they are at the same level in the Australian Qualifications Framework.

Explore my study options

Discover more, pathways to university.

If you don’t meet the requirements to get into a course in Australia, a Foundation Studies, English or other pathway course can help you reach your goals.

Research opportunities

Australian research degrees provide access to world-class education, cutting-edge innovation, life-changing opportunities, and a supportive academic community.

Undergraduate qualifications

Learn about the different types of undergraduate qualifications offered by Australian universities and other higher education providers.

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Doctoral differences: Professional doctorates and PhDs compared

Macquarie Graduate School of Management
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) - Office

Research output : Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

For more than a decade professional doctorates in Australia have continued to grow and diversify across a broadening array of disciplines. An empirical study of "The Doctoral Education Experience" in Australian universities included an examination of doctoral experiences in departments offering both PhD and professional doctorates. This paper discusses professional doctorates in education, management, law and the creative arts, remarking on similarities and differences found between PhD and professional doctorate programs, providing an insight into practice. Three specific areas are discussed. The first is the recruitment and selection of students, student choice of professional doctorates and perceived career benefits. The second area is the structure and organisation of PhD and professional doctorate programs, including the identification of the research topic. The third area is the perceived status of professional doctorates vis-à-vis the PhD. The findings are discussed within the context of government policy on postgraduate education and the emerging literature on professional doctorates. The concluding section of the paper considers the issue of differentiation between the doctorates and possible future developments. Within the context of Australian higher education the main difference could become the capacity to pay: attempts to impose fees in advance for professional doctorates are reinforced by recent government policy on student financing.

Access to Document

10.1080/13600800500120027

Fingerprint

Doctorate Business & Economics 100%
government policy Social Sciences 31%
education Social Sciences 21%
fee Social Sciences 16%
student Social Sciences 12%
art Social Sciences 12%
Government Policy Business & Economics 12%
career Social Sciences 11%

T1 - Doctoral differences

T2 - Professional doctorates and PhDs compared

AU - Neumann, Ruth

PY - 2005/7

Y1 - 2005/7

N2 - For more than a decade professional doctorates in Australia have continued to grow and diversify across a broadening array of disciplines. An empirical study of "The Doctoral Education Experience" in Australian universities included an examination of doctoral experiences in departments offering both PhD and professional doctorates. This paper discusses professional doctorates in education, management, law and the creative arts, remarking on similarities and differences found between PhD and professional doctorate programs, providing an insight into practice. Three specific areas are discussed. The first is the recruitment and selection of students, student choice of professional doctorates and perceived career benefits. The second area is the structure and organisation of PhD and professional doctorate programs, including the identification of the research topic. The third area is the perceived status of professional doctorates vis-à-vis the PhD. The findings are discussed within the context of government policy on postgraduate education and the emerging literature on professional doctorates. The concluding section of the paper considers the issue of differentiation between the doctorates and possible future developments. Within the context of Australian higher education the main difference could become the capacity to pay: attempts to impose fees in advance for professional doctorates are reinforced by recent government policy on student financing.

AB - For more than a decade professional doctorates in Australia have continued to grow and diversify across a broadening array of disciplines. An empirical study of "The Doctoral Education Experience" in Australian universities included an examination of doctoral experiences in departments offering both PhD and professional doctorates. This paper discusses professional doctorates in education, management, law and the creative arts, remarking on similarities and differences found between PhD and professional doctorate programs, providing an insight into practice. Three specific areas are discussed. The first is the recruitment and selection of students, student choice of professional doctorates and perceived career benefits. The second area is the structure and organisation of PhD and professional doctorate programs, including the identification of the research topic. The third area is the perceived status of professional doctorates vis-à-vis the PhD. The findings are discussed within the context of government policy on postgraduate education and the emerging literature on professional doctorates. The concluding section of the paper considers the issue of differentiation between the doctorates and possible future developments. Within the context of Australian higher education the main difference could become the capacity to pay: attempts to impose fees in advance for professional doctorates are reinforced by recent government policy on student financing.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=22144476105&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/13600800500120027

DO - 10.1080/13600800500120027

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:22144476105

SN - 1360-080X

JO - Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management

JF - Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management