Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree

Please note that the UOWD doctoral programs are currently fully-subscribed.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program at the University of Wollongong in Dubai combines research skills training with exposure to the latest business intelligence and original theoretical studies, to help you develop as a ‘professional researcher’. The program enables you to critically evaluate existing knowledge, use research to explore important questions in your chosen field, and thus create new knowledge and effectively apply research findings in an academic setting.

Course Overview

The PhD will help you develop an understanding of contemporary business issues and define an appropriate research question. It will enable you to plan your research realistically and to select, justify and implement appropriate ethical research methods in order to produce a high standard of original research. The program also incorporates a period of coursework, which enables you to master a range of relevant research approaches and methods, and provides you with up-to-date knowledge on the context of your chosen field of study.

Career Opportunities

PhD students at University of Wollongong in Dubai are generally looking for an academic career in a University or College, a career in a research agency or organisation, or in a specialist research section of a large government or business operation. The expanding domestic higher education sector is increasingly seeking research-active academics who have doctoral level qualifications and there are a growing number of opportunities for high-level research professionals.  

Accreditation and Recognition

This program is accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and is fully recognised within the UAE, GCC nations and internationally for further education and employment in the private and public sectors.

In addition, the program is quality assured by UOW, which is registered with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), the national regulator of the higher education sector in Australia. UOWD graduates have the opportunity to exchange their UOWD degree for the equivalent UOW degree after completion.

Subjects

The PhD program consists of 54 credit points of coursework and 150 credit points of research. It can be undertaken on a full-time (eight semesters) and part-time (10 semesters or 12 semesters) basis.

The study sequences for the full-time and part-time PhD modes are provided below.

PhD (Full-time)

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Semester 5-8

PhD (Part-time: Example 1)

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Semester 5-10

PhD (Part-time: Example 2)

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Semester 5

Semester 6

Semester 7-12

Progression

To progress to the research component of the doctoral program, you will be required to pass both the written and oral components of a comprehensive exam. The results of the exam will determine one of the three possible outcomes:

1. Progression to doctoral studies;
2. Progression to a Master of Business Research (MBR);
3. Exclusion from the remainder of the program.

You will be allowed a maximum of two attempts at the comprehensive examination. If you progress to the MBR program, you will undertake HDR912 (48 credit points) instead of HDR991 (144 credit points).

Graduation Requirements

To qualify for a Doctoral degree, you will need to successfully complete the coursework subjects outlined in the Postgraduate Research Handbook, the comprehensive exam, and satisfactorily fulfil each year of research, culminating in an external examination of your thesis by the Thesis Examination Committee. The maximum period for completion of a doctoral program is 14 semesters.

For more information on fees and entry requirements, please follow the links below:

Please note that the UOWD doctoral programs are currently fully-subscribed.