What can I study?
The Transdisciplinary School (TD) offers Master’s by Research and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees. Our popular research degrees are open to domestic and international students.
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Finding a supervisor whose research interests and approach reflect your own is key to achieving a successful postgraduate research experience.
who are also experienced supervisors.
Please note - not all supervisors have the capacity to take on new research students every year.
When reaching out to a potential supervisor at TD School, use the Expression of Interest Template to share key information about yourself and your proposed research project. Once a supervisor agrees to support your application, you can begin developing your detailed research proposal. Use the and prepare your proposal following the guidance of your proposed supervisor.
To learn more about undertaking a research degree at UTS and the application process, please visit the Graduate Research School website.
TD Research is driven to tackle problems that matter by integrating expertise from diverse academic disciplines with expertise from professions, policy and lived experiences. Our approach is globally unique and combines creativity, futuring, reflexivity and systems thinking to evaluate complex challenges and to propose new ways forward. We undertake research for real-world impact. Start your journey with us, today
Have more questions?
- Email our faculty research office team.
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Frequently asked questions
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What is transdisciplinarity?
In simple terms, transdisciplinary (TD) research is primarily a process, not a product. It typically involves:
- Mixing academic knowledges from multiple disciplines
- Mixing applied knowledges through collaboration with industry
- Co-design with stakeholders through a human-centred approach
The production of new (TD) knowledge usually requires close collaboration with one or more industry partners, who may even co-design the study, alongside other design contributions by other academics. Through this collaboration, the new knowledge is co-produced. Projects will go through phases or moments of being more or less TD.
What is a PhD?
A PhD is a form of Higher Degree Research (HDR) that involves contributing new knowledge to the literature, such that other researchers can evaluate what you have done, how you have done it, and how they can build on it. In terms of the TD literature, this may be advancing research on TD methods or applying existing TD research methods to contribute to disciplinary or phenomenon-based knowledge. Due to the in-built engagement with industry, it is expected that the research will also generate new professional practices or new ways of working for industry partners.
A PhD (or Masters by Research) thesis is inherently sole-authored, but the process of finishing it is a group effort. Whether the thesis is a single whole document or a compilation of publishable articles, sections of the thesis may be co-authored. Over the course of a PhD, there should also be ample opportunities to co-author contributions in parallel to the thesis.
HDR students have a panel of supervisors. But, these supervisors are far from the only source of professional development. HDRs may draw on a vast number of contacts over the duration of their PhD, such as other academics, HDR students, staff and people outside academia who are closer to the phenomenon of interest.
Why a PhD?
People pursue higher qualifications for a variety of reasons. In most cases, the attainment of the PhD itself is not the endgame but a stepping stone in a career path. In the Australian context, a PhD comes with the additional constraint of making a contribution within a comparably limited timeframe. That puts pressure on applicants to be competitive by demonstrating their work already stands up to academic peer-review scrutiny through prior publications. Or they may demonstrate their ability to independently make an intellectual contribution in a competitive space in another form. Having a well-written research proposal is only one indicator of whether an applicant is ‘ready’ to start their PhD.
When applying for an HDR Degree in TD School, we look for a few things about the project itself:
“I have learned a huge amount and enjoyed working with so many interesting and passionate colleagues and students at TD School that I don’t regret a minute of it.”
Monique Potts
PhD candidate