The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is for candidates who have either an excellent research background in law or equivalent high-level professional experience in a law-related field.
The qualification will provide you with the opportunity to pursue in-depth research in a specific area of law. You are expected to develop a research thesis that leads to an original and significant contribution to knowledge in that field.
The UOW School of Law is distinguished by a strong commitment to interdisciplinary approaches and ‘real-world’ relevance, and the academic staff have an established reputation for innovative, applied and intersectional legal research focused on social justice.
In addition to the standard pathway to a PhD in Law, the School of Law offers two alternative pathways:
Thesis by Compilation: consists of journal articles and book chapters that have been researched, compiled and written during the course of the PhD degree.
Thesis by Publication: consists of previously peer-reviewed published works not more than 10 years old.
The Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) PhD program involves original research related to the oceans, leading to a dissertation which should make a significant contribution to a field of knowledge.
Why choose this course
The Doctor of Philosophy (Law) is available through either the UOW School of Law or The Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS).
The UOW School of Law currently hosts 20 HDR students and is one of Australia's leaders in postgraduate legal research, with strengths in:
Criminal law
Comparative law in the Asia-Pacific
Human rights law
International economic and business law
Intersectional research into law and society
Ocean resources and security
Social justice
Having one of the lowest ratios of students to staff of any Australian law school, it includes qualified staff from Australian and overseas universities, and from the legal profession, whose expertise covers a wide range of specialist areas of law.
Graduates of our Doctoral programs are engaged in influential positions in courts, government agencies, private firms and universities throughout Australia, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and beyond.
The Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) is Australia’s only multidisciplinary university-based centre dedicated to research, education and training in ocean law, maritime security and natural marine resource management.
ANCORS is one of UOW’s 11 research strengths and is one of the primary drivers for the Sustaining Coastal and Marine Zones challenge in the University’s Global Challenges program for multi-faculty interdisciplinary research.
The Centre currently hosts over 30 HDR students from 16 countries, researching a broad range of topics across both disciplinary divides and the core strengths of ANCORS expertise.
ANCORS research interests include:
ocean law
oceans policy and management
maritime strategy and security
fisheries governance and management
marine environmental law
maritime boundary delimitation
public international law of shipping
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution
25 July 2022, 27 February 2023, 24 July 2023
University of Wollongong
Northfields Avenue,
UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG,
New South Wales,
2522, WOLLONGONG, Australia
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution
25 July 2022, 27 February 2023, 24 July 2023
Innovation Campus
Squires Way,
NORTH WOLLONGONG,
New South Wales,
2500, WOLLONGONG, Australia
Honours degree with 2nd class Division 1 or higher; Research Masters with at least ? of the degree comprising a thesis. UOW Masters of Research with WAM70+; Coursework Masters with a substantial thesis and WAM75+ or GPA 3.2 out of 4. Other forms of research experience will also be considered.
Special Admission Requirements
All applicants for research degrees must submit a written (preferably typed) proposal as part of their application. This proposal should:
commence with a statement detailing any previous research or project experience you have undertaken, including if possible a copy of the abstract of such work;
contain, in no more than one additional page, a clearly focussed research proposal for the study you would wish to undertake throughout your registration in the course; and
conclude with a statement of your motivation for wanting to undertake the research course.
English Requirements
IELTS Academic Overall Score of 7.0, reading 6.5, writing 6.5, listening 6.5, speaking 6.5; TOEFL (Internet-based) score of 98, reading 22, writing 22, listening 19, speaking 19; PTE Academic overall score of 69 Reading & Writing 69, Speaking & Listening 62
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
The University of Wollongong has an exceptional record of getting graduates job-ready and enjoys an excellent international reputation for teaching.
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