Master of Philosophy (Pharmacy)

The degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) at the Faculty of Pharmacy will allow you to pursue research from one of a number of fields in which the faculty has expertise. Research at the Faculty of Pharmacy is centred around the five themes of cancer, cardiovascular and diabetes, healthy ageing, mental health and respiratory disease, closely reflecting the Australian Government’s national health priorities. Research at the faculty recognises the complexity of managing chronic disease states and so our research extends from drug discovery, development and delivery to patient counseling and education with a high level of focus on collaboration.

http://sydney.edu.au/pharmacy/future_students/res_degrees/index.shtml

Research at the University of Sydney is dynamic and always evolving; inspiring the active mind and providing new tools and ways of thinking that lead to innovation. A postgraduate research degree is a training exercise in which the candidate acquires knowledge of research methods and experience in planning, performing and publishing research under the guidance of a supervisor. The success of that training is assessed through a thesis, which in the case of a PhD is expected to provide some evidence of originality and thereby make some significant contribution to knowledge, at least some of which is publishable. Over the years, the University of Sydney has consistently outperformed other Australian universities in the measure of research performance used by the Australian Government to allocate funding. The numbers are impressive, but what really matters is the research this funding supports. This exceptional outcome is testament to the breadth, depth and scale of Sydney’s research enterprise and demonstrates the superior quality of Sydney researchers in the eyes of their research peers.

The supervisor is that member of the academic or, as appropriate, senior research staff, appointed to take primary responsibility for the conduct of a student's research candidature. The supervisor must be available at all stages of the candidature for advice, assistance and direction and is responsible for the progress of the candidature to the head of department/school and the faculty or college. At least one associate supervisor is also appointed. The role of the supervisory team will change over the course of the candidature but will generally always comprise: ensuring sufficient resources are available to support the candidate; providing advice about an initial research plan; ensuring that the candidate is aware of the particular research skills to be acquired and that appropriate techniques are established for gathering and analysing data; monitoring progress made within the context of the research plan; agreeing on a timetable for frequent and regular contact and acknowledging the need for periodic review of these arrangements; establishing agreed indicators of progress; providing regular and constructive feedback on written analysis and drafts; and providing sound advice about relevant administrative matters.

The University of Sydney offers a number of research scholarships to outstanding domestic and international students.

Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and citizens of New Zealand are domestic applicants. Scholarship information for domestic applicants: http://sydney.edu.au/scholarships/research/

Overseas nationals (citizens of all other countries) would be considered international applicants. Scholarship information for international applicants: http://sydney.edu.au/future_students/international_postgraduate_research/costs_scholarships/scholarships/index.shtml

The Research Training Scheme (RTS) covers tuition fees for domestic research students for the following lengths of time:

Masters by research: 4 full-time or 8 part-time semesters
Doctor of Philosophy: 8 full-time or 16 part-time semesters

In effect, this means that as long as domestic students complete their research degrees within the specified periods, they are not required to pay tuition fees. Domestic students are not required to apply for an RTS fee exemption since it is automatically awarded to students enrolling in postgraduate research courses. If students take longer than the specified period to complete their degree, they may be liable to pay tuition fees