Postgraduate Study
Why Study @ Swinburne CAS?
Staff, Research, Keck telescope access, Supercomputer access.
The CAS PhD Program
PhD topics, Funding policy, Swinburne
Research Post-Graduate Studies.
Masters by Research
How To Apply
PhD
scholarships.
Visit Us!
Excellent researchers, cutting-edge research
With 15 research faculty and over 25 postdoctoral
researchers and students (and growing!), CAS offers a vibrant,
research-focused atmosphere where PhD students help conduct - and
learn how to lead - cutting-edge research.
Wide-ranging expertise
With expertise in optical, infra-red and radio astronomy,
computational and theoretical astrophysics, we observe, imagine and
even simulate the most exciting astrophysical phenomena. Our research strengths cover all
major areas of astronomy, from cosmology and the large-scale structure
of the Universe, to quasars and the most distant known galaxies, to
clusters and groups of galaxies, down to our own Milky Way, its
structure and fascinating contents: pulsars, neutron stars, globular
clusters, stars and planets. Our latest research results are
highlighted in our news section.
The world's best telescopes
We have recently gained access to the Keck twin
10-meter telescopes! The
Keck Observatory in Hawaii comprises the world's largest optical
telescopes and CAS astronomers are now observing there for up to 20
nights per year. You could too! CAS is the only astronomy department
in Australia with guaranteed access to the world's largest optical
telescopes. Read more about it in the June 2008 issue of
Swinburne
Magazine. Of course, CAS astronomers are also regularly awarded
observing time at major national, international and space-based
observatories covering the entire electromagnetic spectrum.
Extreme computing
CAS is also home to The Green Machine, one of Australia's most
powerful supercomputers. It has proven to be an excellent research
tool in areas of astronomy ranging from simulations of structure
formation in the Universe to the processing of enormous data volumes
collected from radio telescopes. It is also used to render 3-D animations and movies promoting
and explaining astronomy to the broader community. CAS is the only
astronomy department in the southern hemisphere with its own
supercomputer.
The primary postgraduate degree we offer is a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) by research in Astrophysics. Academically high achieving students work with leading astronomers to research important questions in astrophysics, data analysis and visualization. The program enables students to conduct independent research at a high level of originality, relevance and quality. PhD graduates from Swinburne often take positions in leading astrophysics institutions around the world.
A wide range of potential PhD topics are on offer. Due to the nature of research, this list changes constantly; students interested in particular projects are strongly encouraged to contact the relevant supervisor(s). Summaries of current and completed thesis work by CAS students are also available.CAS PhD students are provided with a powerful workstation, a personal research grant, and access to the considerable computational resources of the The Green Machine. The research grant is usually used to cover travel to telescopes, international conferences and/or for a laptop computer. Our postgraduate funding policy is available here.
We also encourage students to take advantage of the Centre's SpaceWorks scientific visualisation staff and facilities to produce state of the art representations of their data.
CAS maintains links with astronomers at the Anglo-Australian Observatory and the Australia Telescope National Facility. Potential PhD projects on offer at the AAO and ATNF are also available to incoming Swinburne students. CAS PhD students also participate in our occasional PhD Lecture Series and have numerous opportunities to be involved in outreach and education.
Swinburne Research administers all of the University's research and graduate studies. For more information, see their Post-Graduate Studies website. The full Research Degrees Policies and Guidelines can be found there.
We offer a Masters by research in Astrophysics but this is a much less common route for postgraduate study at CAS. Please contact Dr. Michael Murphy for details of this program.
A range of different PhD scholarships are available at Swinburne and the formal application procedure enables you to apply for all of those relevant to your circumstances. However, they are all highly competitive, so CAS first assesses the qualifications of each candidate before a formal application is considered.
As a first step in the assessment process, we require a copy of your official academic record, your curriculum vitae, a cover letter, any refereed publications and any other evidence of previous research via email to Dr. Michael Murphy. At this initial stage, your academic records do not need to be certified but, if the initial assessment is positive, a formal scholarship application will require certified records to be submitted. Important: For a proper assessment, your academic record must be accompanied by an explanation of the grading system used. It must be clear how to convert your grades for each subject studied into a percentage mark. It is better if the grading system is provided on an official document together with the academic records. This will be required for a formal application.
Potential applicants should forward the above materials for initial assessment as soon as possible. The next formal scholarship application deadline is the 31st October, 2008. For exceptional candidates, CAS's Tier 1 status within the University allows for formal applications to be submitted at any time.
All PhD applications need a sponsoring staff member as a supervisor. It is therefore imperative for you to have communicated with the relevant CAS staff member and discussed a particular PhD project. The appropriate staff member must agree to be your supervisor on a particular project before a formal application can be submitted.
Eligibility: Applicants are normally required to have a BSc or similar (with first class or upper second class Honours) or a Masters (by research) awarded at a similar grade. There are also English language requirements: if English is not your first language then you must have completed at least 2 years (equivalent) of formal study in English, or have an IELTS score of 6.5 (with no band lower than 6) or TOEFL (CBT 237, essay rating 5.0; or iBT 91 writing score 22). International students must study full-time.
We welcome (real, physical) visits to CAS by prospective PhD students! It's really the best way for you to see who we are, what we do and what doing a PhD here is all about. Please contact Dr. Michael Murphy via phone or email to arrange a visit.