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Doctor of Philosophy - Business and Economics (201BE) // Course structure

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Course structure

About the PhD

For those who wish to undertake extensive research and develop expertise in this discipline. In Australia, the majority of research graduates take on professional roles in business, government and other organisations, while about one third go on to careers in academia.

Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must demonstrate a capacity for independent research and must make an original contribution to learning. Candidates are required to present a thesis in such a form as the Academic Board may from time to time prescribe. Advice is available from the relevant Head of Department or the School of Graduate Research.


  • Course Structure: 4 Year Doctoral Program

The Departments of Accounting, Economics, Finance, and Management and Marketing offer a four year Doctoral Program with a preliminary year in which the candidate is enrolled in a coursework degree. Upon successsul completion of this preliminary year with an average of 75% or above, the candidate is enrolled in the PhD, which begins with a coursework year. In the third and fourth years of the Program candidates complete a research thesis. Confirmation of candidature is approved on the basis of successful completion of the coursework subjects and an approved thesis proposal. The decision to award the degree is based solely on the examination of the thesis. Examiners of the thesis are informed that the candidate has undertaken a course of study by thesis and coursework component, and that the thesis may be shorter than one presented by a candidate pursuing the degree by research alone, but should be comparable in research quality.


  • Course Structure: PhD by Thesis only

The Centre for Actuarial Studies offers a three year PhD by Thesis only.


Subject options

PhD (Accounting)


Students should visit the handbook entry for

Code Name Study period Credit Points
MC-COMACCT No longer available
for detailed information on the Master of Commerce (Accounting). Students who attain an average of at least 75% in that course will proceed as probationary candidates to the PhD degree.

To advance to confirmed candidature, students must pass all the required coursework subjects in the first year of the PhD (the second year of the Doctoral Program) with at least a 75% average and present an acceptable dissertation proposal. Post-confirmation, in years three and four of the program, students will conduct research leading to the completion of their dissertation.

Year 1 (100 points of coursework)

Code Name Study period Credit Points
ACCT90037 Advanced Management Accounting Research
Year Long (Extended) (Online)
 12.5
ACCT90036 Advanced Financial Accounting Research
Year Long (Extended) (Online)
 12.5
ACCT90038 Analytical Accounting Research
Year Long (Extended) (Online)
 12.5
ACCT90011 Special Topics in Accounting
Year Long (Extended) (Online)
 12.5

Plus four elective subjects chosen from Economics, Econometrics, Statistics and Mathematics, Management or Psychology subjects at graduate or advanced undergraduate level relevant to the student’s research interests. These subjects will be chosen in consultation with the Graduate Research Director.

Years 2 and 3

The final 2 years of the PhD consists of thesis research.

PhD (Economics and MIAESR)

Students should visit the handbook entry for

Code Name Study period Credit Points
MC-ECO No longer available
for detailed information on the Master of Economics. This year will consist of coursework. Students who attain an average of at least 75% in that course will proceed as probationary candidates to the PhD degree.

To advance to confirmed candidature, students must pass all the required coursework subjects in the first year of the PhD (the second year of the Doctoral Program) with at least a 75% average and present an acceptable dissertation proposal. Post-confirmation, in years three and four of the program, students will conduct research leading to the completion of their dissertation.

Year 1 (100 points of coursework)

Students must complete both of the fololowing core subjects:


Code Name Study period Credit Points
ECON90055 Computational Economics
Semester 1 (Online)
 12.5
ECON90056 World Economic History
Semester 1 (Online)
 12.5

Studenets must complete two electives in each semester from the following list:

Code Name Study period Credit Points
ECON90064 Advanced Studies in Economics 1
Semester 1 (Online)
 12.5
ECON90065 Advanced Studies in Economics 2
Semester 1 (Online)
 12.5
ECOM90018 Advanced Studies in Econometrics 1 Not available in 2021 12.5
ECOM90019 Advanced Studies in Econometrics 2
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
 12.5
ECON90067 Special Topics in Economics 2 Not available in 2021 12.5

or equivalent subjects as approved by the Graduate Research Director,

AND


Code Name Study period Credit Points
ECON90059 Economics Thesis Workshop No longer available

Years 2 and 3

The final 2 years of the program consist of thesis research.


PhD (Finance)

Students should visit the handbook entry for

Code Name Study period Credit Points
202AF No longer available
for detailed information on the Master of Commerce (Finance). This year will consist of coursework. Students who attain an average of at least 75% in that course will proceed as probationary candidates to the PhD degree.

To advance to confirmed candidature, students must pass all the required coursework subjects in the first year of the PhD (the second year of the Doctoral Program) with at least a 75% average and present an acceptable dissertation proposal. Post-confirmation, in years three and four of the program, students will conduct research leading to the completion of their dissertation.

Year 1 (100 points of coursework)

Code Name Study period Credit Points
FNCE90059 Finance Thesis Workshop No longer available
FNCE90041 Finance Theory - Investments Not available in 2021 12.5
FNCE90042 Finance Theory - Corporate Finance Not available in 2021 12.5

Please note that FNCE90059 Finance Thesis Workshop must be taken over two semester (25 points in total)


* Plus one of the following subjects from the Economics area

Code Name Study period Credit Points
ECON90002 Microeconomics
Semester 1 (Online)
 12.5
ECON90012 Microeconomics II
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
 12.5
ECON40001 Advanced Microeconomics
Semester 1 (Online)
 12.5

* Plus one of the following subjects from the Econometrics area

Code Name Study period Credit Points
ECOM90013 Econometrics 3
Semester 1 (Online)
 12.5
ECOM90003 Applied Microeconometric Modelling
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
 12.5
ECOM90004 Time Series Analysis and Forecasting
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
 12.5
ECOM90005 Advanced Econometric Techniques
Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
 12.5
ECOM90011 Financial Econometrics
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
 12.5

* Plus two subjects from the Economics/Econometrics/Mathematics areas, OR

Code Name Study period Credit Points
FNCE90043 Special Topics in Finance A
March (Online)
 6.25
FNCE90044 Special Topics in Finance B
April (Online)
 6.25

* Selection of these subjects must be approved by the Finance PhD Director.

Years 2 and 3

The final 2 years of the program consist of thesis research.

PhD (Management and Marketing

Students should visit the handbook entry for

Code Name Study period Credit Points
MC-COMMGT No longer available
or
Code Name Study period Credit Points
MC-COMMKT No longer available
for detailed information on the Master of Commerce (Management) or the Master of Commerce (Marketing). This year will consist of coursework. Students who attain an average of at least 75% in that course will proceed as probationary candidates to the PhD degree.

To advance to confirmed candidature, students must pass all the required coursework subjects in the first year of the PhD (the second year of the Doctoral Program) with at least a 75% average and present an acceptable dissertation proposal. Post-confirmation, in years three and four of the program, students will conduct research leading to the completion of their dissertation.

Year 1 (50 or 75 points of coursework, depending on whether a Research Report was completed in the Master of Commerce year)

Code Name Study period Credit Points
MGMT90206 Management & Marketing Special Topics 1
Semester 1 (Online)
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
 12.5
MGMT90207 Management & Marketing Special Topics 2
Semester 1 (Online)
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
 12.5

Students must select two elective subjects from a related discipline, including Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Ethnography, Political Science, Decision Sciences, etc. These subjects must be approved by the Supervisor(s) and Graduate Research Director. Students who completed the Research Report in their Masters by Coursework year will be required to complete an additional 25 points of coursework.

Years 2 and 3

The final 2 years of the program consist of thesis research.

PhD (Actuarial Studies)

Duration

Three years full-time or equivalent part-time. Available by Research Thesis only (no coursework).

Last updated: 30 January 2024