Doctor of Philosophy (Indigenous)

Contribute to a changing agenda in Indigenous research

In a Doctor of Philosophy (Indigenous), you will develop confidence in navigating Indigenous and non-Indigenous standpoints, creating new approaches to complex issues. Designed for high performing university graduates, the PhD (Indigenous) is a postgraduate research degree with a supervised project of original research at its core.

Throughout your degree, you will receive guidance from our extended advisory team, giving you space to innovate with structures to support you. Your candidature will be structured through a series of specialised Indigenous research intensives and support from highly experienced advisors. You will identify a novel approach to explore a real world issue, develop a research question, design and implement your project, and analyse the findings. This work will allow you to develop a proposition that contributes to existing understandings through the completion of a PhD (Indigenous) thesis.

Influence the future of Indigenous communities in the Tropics

JCU candidates are driven by the possibility of positive change. Choose from a broad range of research areas to suit your professional qualifications and interests. You will be supported to develop your own topic throughout the first months of your candidature. Research areas include:

• Indigenous studies
• Indigenous knowledges
• Indigenous cultures
• Indigenous education
• Indigenous community development
• Indigenous intersections with other disciplines
• Other research topics relating to Indigenous peoples and Indigenous ideas

As a Doctor of Philosophy (Indigenous) student at JCU, you will work as an independent researcher within a community of peers and the supportive team at the Indigenous Education and Research Centre.

JCU Doctor of Philosophy (Indigenous) graduates are internationally recognised as experts who can navigate Indigenous and western ideas to generate innovative responses to complex challenges. Throughout your candidature you will have the opportunity to undertake an industry internship, applying your knowledge in professional settings.

Use the research and high-level problem solving skills developed through your PhD (Indigenous) to contribute to the issues that matter to you most.

Graduates pursue careers in policy, public service, corporate organisations, not-for-profit sectors, media, research and education. Graduates can also continue their independent research through postdoctoral research or research fellowships.

Award Requirements

Admission Requirements

Academic Requirements for Course Completion

Course Structure

CORE SUBJECTS

RD7001:03 Planning the Research: Doctoral Candidates

RD7002:03 Situating the Research: Doctoral Candidates

RD7003:03 Professional Development: Doctoral Candidates

PI7011:00 Doctor of Philosophy Research Thesis (Indigenous)

Location

Candidature

Progression

Credit

Award Details

JCU, with the support of the Australian Government’s Research Training Program, will cover the costs of tuition fees for Australian citizens/permanent residents and New Zealand citizens.

All candidates can also apply for a competitively-awarded stipend to help with living and tuition costs.

A Student Services and Amenities fee is payable per subject up to a maximum amount per year.

Entry into a Doctor of Philosophy degree requires a Bachelor’s Degree with at least Honours 2A, a postgraduate qualification with a supervised research component of at least one semester full time equivalent or a Master of Philosophy. Students who do not meet these admission requirements may be eligible to enrol in the Master of Philosophy (Indigenous).

To be eligible for entry, applicants must have attained at least one of the following:

a) a Bachelor’s degree with at least Second Class, Division A (Honours) in a degree program that included a total of at least a semester of supervised project work, the results of which contributed to the Honours grade;

b) a postgraduate qualification which included: (a) supervised research component(s) of at least one semester or equivalent and resulted in the production of output(s) graded at the equivalent of Distinction or better, and (b) at least one research methods subject;

c) a Research Masters degree, where at least two thirds of the degree consisted of a supervised research component and resulted in the production of a thesis or equivalent;

d) enrolment at this or another Australian university in a higher degree by research for the equivalent of at least 0.5 EFTSL with demonstrated satisfactory performance in the supervised research component(s);

e) a combination of qualifications, research training and experience, considered equivalent to the above by the Dean of the College to which the Candidate is applying, e.g., senior authorship of at least one peer-reviewed publication plus completion of an appropriate research methods subject.

Visit the Indigenous Education and Research Centre website for more information, and to commence an application.