About the Master of Philosophy

The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree is an internationally-recognised Master's (by research) degree. It is designed for students to develop advanced skills in carrying out independent and sustained research. It culminates in a thesis of up to 50,000 words or its practice-based equivalent. The thesis should demonstrate a critical application of specialist knowledge and make an independent contribution to existing scholarship in the area of research. Each candidate undertakes a piece of independent and sustained research on a topic under academic supervision and leading to the submission of a thesis for examination. Please note that some research areas require a higher fee, and you will need to apply for a different course code.

The qualification awarded on graduation is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) as Level 9 – Masters Degree by Research.

Entry requirements and pathways
International students

Academic entry requirement

Prerequisites

In order to apply for Masters by research candidature, you will normally require either:

a) the satisfactory completion of an Australian Bachelor's degree with an Honours year with at least an H2A (70% or above) result in the relevant discipline
or
b) a qualification of La Trobe University or a recognised tertiary institution which is deemed by the Board of Graduate Research to be equivalent to the qualification specified in (a) above
or
c) a Bachelor's degree without Honours strengthened by additional qualifications or the demonstrated possession of research skills or publications of an especially meritorious nature, approved by the Board of Graduate Research as an acceptable basis for admission to candidature. Some additional preliminary studies may need to be undertaken.

The following conditions must be met in order to gain admission into a Master of Philosophy degree:

• you must meet the minimum entry requirements for the degree as outlined above
• the department or school in which you seek enrolment must be able to provide appropriate facilities, resources and supervision for your chosen area of research.

Note: Meeting minimum prerequisites does not guarantee an offer of a place. Entry into all La Trobe courses is based on competitive selection and there may be limited places available.

English language requirement

6.5 IELTS (Academic) with no individual band less than 6.0.

Please refer to our English Language Requirements page for details of other accepted English Proficiency tests and additional recognised English Language Proficiency Measures, such as English as the language of instruction.

Fees and scholarships

Estimated course fees for international students

Estimated fees per year (2023):Low cost fields of education: A$36 200 per EFTSL (equivalent full-time study load).
High cost fields of education: A$42 000 per EFTSL (equivalent full-time study load).

Scholarships:Not available for this course

The International estimated fees are indicative only. The tuition fees you pay will depend on the subjects you choose to study, with each subject having its own cost. In some cases, your course fees may be higher than the indicated fees because of the subjects you choose.

International scholarships

This course is not eligible for international scholarships.