Joining the Higher Degree by Research (HDR) PhD program at the School of Political Science and International Studies (POLSIS) is a 5 step process, and there are a few things to prepare before you commence your application.
POLSIS' Internal Expression of Interest and assessment must be completed BEFORE candidates use the UQ Expression of Interest system. Once we have assessed your POLSIS Expression of Interest we will advise you how to proceed with the UQ system.
Domestic Candidates: Applications are now open for candidates seeking to commence in the second half of 2026. Interested candidates must have completed POLSIS' Expression of Interest process by 10 February. The University's Expression of Interest should be completed by 16 February and the deadline for the final application is 23 March.
International Candidates: The University's international scholarship round for study commencing in late 2026 or early 2027 is now CLOSED. We anticipate that the scholarship application process for the next round will commence in late 2026 but please check here regularly for updates. The School currently plans to begin assessing applicants using the POLSIS Expression of Interest system 30 August 2026. Please send in your documents after this date.
ALL candidates should carefully consider their suitability for UQ's scholarships by assessing their academic records using the following selection criteria.
Candidates must complete each of these steps before moving to the next.
Please only send requested documents. Do not send additional documents.
- Prepare
- Initial eligibility check – Expression of Interest
- Work with prospective supervisors on research proposal and full application
- Submit full application for assessment by the POLSIS HDR Application Committee
- Full application assessed by UQ Graduate School.
Do not contact potential supervisors at this stage in your application. Please closely follow the below process.
Before you apply, there are a few things to consider and to prepare:
- Read the Graduate School's page about applying for a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) including advice about HDR entry requirements, scholarships and UQ's career development framework. Before you apply, ensure you meet HDR entry requirements.
- Browse the academic profiles of POLSIS staff to find a supervisor within our School who matches your area of research interest and who has sufficient expertise in your proposed field of PhD research. NB: Do not contact potential supervisors at this point. Please wait until your application documents have passed an initial eligibility assessment by the POLSIS HDR program Director. Please note that current supervision obligations may mean that your chosen supervisor(s) is/are not available and that the school may not be able to proceed with your application on this basis.
- Write a 3000-5000 word research proposal that outlines your proposed PhD topic. This should include a clear statement of the problem or problem-constellation that you wish to examine, your research questions, significance in relation to background literature, proposed methods and approach. Please note that the research proposal is a crucial component of the application process. Applicants should provide only one research proposal.
How to structure your research proposal
Research proposal: the following matrix provides an outline of the information that should be clearly communicated.
| Problem | Explain what problem or problem-constellation your research project aims to examine. |
Research Question | What question or hypothesis is your thesis aiming to analyse or test? What question is your thesis trying to answer? |
Significance | How is your proposed question or hypothesis significant for your area of research? What makes the project important or original? |
Background Literature | What is the literature currently saying in relation to your research question or hypothesis? How is your own proposed study positioned in relation to that literature? Are you building on, advancing or contesting aspects of the existing literature? |
Approach and Method | What theories, methodologies and methods are you proposing to use to investigate your research question or hypothesis? |
First, you need to supply a list of documents so we can assess your eligibility, including a research proposal of between 3000-5000 words.
Complete our Expression of Interest form which asks for information on the type of application you are lodging and lists the documents that are required so we can assess your eligibility in the School. The EOI also requires you to nominate two potential supervisors from POLSIS.
Send the completed EOI, research proposal and other relevant documents (see list of required documents explained on EOI) by email to the current Director of the HDR Program, Associate Professor Sarah Percy (s.percy@uq.edu.au).
If the Director of the HDR Program approves your eligibility, you will be invited to move to Step 3.
Your prospective supervisors will work with you to sharpen your research proposal. They will also arrange for an interview in person or online to discuss the proposal. They might ask you to revise your proposal to reach its fullest potential. The purpose of this process is to ascertain whether or not a PhD student and supervisory team are a good match. Discussion of the proposal does not indicate a firm commitment to supervise a student.
- NB: Your application may be unsuccessful and declined if you do not respond to requests from your nominated academic supervisor during this stage of the process.
- Prospective supervisors will indicate whether or not a proposal can move to the full application stage. With their agreement the candidate then submits a full online application to the Graduate School.
- If the proposed supervisor is satisfied with your research proposal, you will be directed to submit a full application, including your research proposal, to the UQ Graduate School.
- The full online application, including your research proposal and referee reports, will be assessed by a School-based committee. The support of the School-based committee is not a guarantee of a scholarship.
Finally, your application needs to be approved by the UQ Graduate School. The process is lengthy and competitive. To ensure your online application will be considered for a particular scholarship round, please allow sufficient time for POLSIS-led processes before the Graduate School’s online application deadlines.