Why Study / Key Benefits

• Undertake supervised doctoral research intended to make a significant and original contribution to an ICT discipline or profession.
• Research may be pure, exploratory, applied, experimental and/or creative.
• Develop advanced independent research capability rather than following a fixed coursework curriculum.
• Work closely with research supervisors throughout candidature.
• Gain skills in independent thinking, decision-making, judgement, logical reasoning, communication and project management.
• Research can be aligned with areas such as cloud computing, adaptive design, energy-management software, data management and cybersecurity.
• Swinburne currently states that it is ranked #1 in Australia for Computer Science and Engineering in the ARWU Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2025. This is a university/subject-level ranking and is not a guarantee of an individual research outcome.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The PhD does not have a fixed set of taught subjects comparable with a bachelor's or master's coursework degree.

The candidate undertakes supervised research and develops a substantial original research project. The research can be:

• pure;
• exploratory;
• applied;
• experimental; and/or
• creative.

The final examinable outcome can be:

• a written research thesis;
• a written research thesis including associated papers; or
• an artefact accompanied by an exegesis.

andidates also have opportunities to participate in research training covering areas such as:

• thesis writing;
• publishing; and
• research presentation.

Progress is formally reviewed during candidature:

• Pre-confirmation review: around 3 months
• Confirmation of candidature review: around 9–12 months
• Mid-candidature review: around 21–24 months
• Draft thesis review: around 33–36 months, with follow-up approximately three months before thesis submission

Disciplines / Specialisations

The current programme identifies the following research areas:

• Cloud computing
• Role-oriented adaptive design
• Energy-management software
• Data management
• Cybersecurity

Programme Highlights

• Doctor of Philosophy in Information and Communication Technology
• Doctoral / AQF Level 10 qualification
• Course code: DR-ICT
• CRICOS: 064191C
• Hawthorn campus
• 3–4 years full-time
• 6–8 years part-time
• 2027 start dates: 1 January and 1 July
• Original supervised research
• Research areas including cloud computing, cybersecurity and data management
• Research training in thesis writing, publishing and presentation
• Formal candidature progress reviews
• Final thesis/research outcome of up to 100,000 words
• Academic and research supervisor support throughout candidature

Career Outcomes

Swinburne identifies potential career opportunities including:

• Researcher
• Academic
• Policy adviser
• Consultant

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

• The current course code is DR-ICT.
• CRICOS code is 064191C.
• The current published 2027 start dates are 1 January and 1 July.
• The corresponding application deadlines are 27 December 2026 and 26 June 2027.
• Applicants must develop a suitable research topic before applying.
• A suitable and willing research supervisor must be identified before the application is submitted.
• Swinburne states that an application will not be considered unless an appropriate supervisor is available and willing to supervise the proposed research.
• This is a direct Swinburne University of Technology research degree. The official course page does not identify DR-ICT as a Kaplan-delivered programme.
• It should not be confused with the separate Doctor of Philosophy in Information and Communication Technology (Integrated), which requires completion of Swinburne's Master of Research in ICT with at least an H2A average and a Confirmation of Candidature Review. 

International Student Visa Requirements

International students studying DR-ICT in Australia would generally require an Australian Student visa (subclass 500).

Key requirements include:

• valid Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE);
• enrolment in an eligible course;
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), unless an exemption applies;
• a valid passport;
• satisfaction of applicable health and character requirements;
• Genuine Student requirement;
• financial-capacity evidence if required by the Department's Document Checklist Tool; and
• any other documents specified for the applicant's passport country and provider.