Doctoral study at the Faculty of Engineering

Choosing to pursue doctoral studies is a significant decision. The minimum duration to complete a PhD in Engineering is three years and maximum duration is four years, and it can be studied full-time, or on a part-time basis.

If you’re thinking about commencing your academic journey towards completing a PhD at the Faculty of Engineering, it’s important that you have an interest in a particular subject or research area, are motivated and disciplined, and have a fondness for independent work as well as collaboration with a larger intellectual community.

While completing a PhD requires you to have substantial rigour and discipline, the rewards are abundant. Throughout your journey, you’ll be presented with unparalleled opportunities to push your limits, nurture your curiosity, improve your critical understanding, boost your confidence, enhance your communication skills, and ultimately succeed in achieving a challenging goal.

As you begin your doctoral studies with us, the Faculty of Engineering will welcome you as a member of a strong cohort of academics and senior students who are committed to supporting your growth as a researcher, professional and individual.

The quality of the PhD programme extends beyond its exceptional scholarship. It encompasses exposure to cutting-edge technologies and research, as well as active participation in a research community that drives revolutionary advancements in the future industry and contributes advanced publications that elevates New Zealand’s position in the global economy.

The PhD is directed by an appointed supervisor, a co-supervisor and potentially an advisory committee. This programme provides a qualification for students wishing to pursue an academic or research career and is offered in all five departments of the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Engineering.

A dedicated Doctoral Coordinator in the faculty will welcome you to your study and provide support and pastoral care for the well-being of our PhD students to engage in social events, interactive workshops, seminars, and presentations at conferences. 

The Doctoral Coordinator will be your first point of contact. Email them with your ID number and name so that a computer and a new workstation with building access, as well as a faculty Orientation, can be organised for you.

While many PhDs consist of a single thesis of up to 100,000 words, upon approval from the Board of Graduate Studies you may wish to include publications as part of your thesis. This option often allows for more practical and collaborative research and may provide publication opportunities beyond the traditional PhD.

For PhD candidates at the Faculty of Engineering, this work may comprise of research papers and/or case studies for which you were the lead author, accompanied by a contextual framework and concluding discussion. The range and focus of this material should seamlessly link to each of the publications and shall generally correspond with the introductory and concluding chapters of a thesis.

Doctoral advisers by department at the Engineering Faculty.

Each department in the Faculty of Engineering has a doctoral adviser whom you can contact for advice on finding a supervisor or applying to the doctoral programme in their subject area:

• Chemical and Materials Engineering: Dr Wei Yu
• Civil Engineering: Associate Professor Theuns Henning & Dr Sandeeka Mannakkara
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering: Dr Nitish Patel
• Engineering Science: Dr Andreas Kempa-Liehr & Professor Justin Fernandez
• Mechanical Engineering: Associate Professor Lihua Tang

Search for potential supervisors at the Faculty of Engineering who research in your area of interest.

Please contact your proposed supervisor for information on external funding related to the available research projects. You could also explore our research centres and contact the relevant research centre director(s) to learn more about PhD funding opportunities on offer. 

The University provides an evolving range of services and resources to support the development of our doctoral candidates, starting with the Doctoral Induction. This half-day session introduces you to the doctoral programme, provides you with essential information to help you make a good start in your studies, and is an excellent opportunity to network with other new doctoral candidates from across the University.

We help you refine your skills, boost your research and increase your employability by providing a host of useful resources and unique development opportunities. During your studies, you might attend face-to-face workshops run by our experienced staff or external experts, or access flexible online learning that is ready to go whenever – and wherever – you happen to be.