What you need to start a PhD or other doctorate at AUT

To be considered for a PhD or other doctoral degree at AUT, you normally need a master's degree or an honours bachelor's degree with a strong academic record and a significant research component. Here's what that means in practice.

What qualifications are accepted for doctoral entry at AUT?

You need to have completed one of the following, in a discipline relevant to your proposed research:

A master's degree

A master’s degree is a postgraduate qualification (NZQA Level 9) designed to advance specialised knowledge and research skills, typically completed over one to two years full-time and requiring 120 to 240 points. Your degree must include at least 40 points of research.

A bachelor's degree with honours (equivalent to four years of study at AUT)

This four-year qualification is a standard bachelor's degree plus an additional honours year at postgraduate level. This year typically includes specialised (subject-specific) advanced coursework, research methods training and a supervised research project or dissertation, aimed at developing higher-level academic and research skills. Your degree must include at least 30 points of research.

Entry to an honours degree usually requires completion of a standard bachelor's degree with B grades or higher from AUT or an equivalent institution.

What GPA do I need to get into a doctorate at AUT?

Your degree must have been awarded at a standard equivalent to second class, first division honours or higher from AUT, or a recognised equivalent institution. This means:

• Equivalent to AUT second class, first division honours or above
• Equivalent to an AUT B+ average or better
• Equivalent to an AUT weighted GPA of 5.5 (out of 9) or higher

For more details see the grade point average and award of honours and distinction web page

Grading scales vary between institutions. When you apply, include the grading scale from your admitting institution so your qualification can be accurately assessed.

How much research does my degree need to meet the doctoral entry requirements?

Your admitting qualification must include a substantial research component that shows advanced learning in research, execution of a research project and a written report on the research. For doctoral entry at AUT, research means a thesis, dissertation or research project – work that demonstrates defined methodology, critical evaluation and the capacity for supervised advanced research. Narrative reviews are generally excluded.

A thesis, dissertation or research project

A thesis is submitted in support or partial support of a degree, in which the student's own work forms an independent scholarly argument involving original research. The thesis document – which may consist of an artefact and exegesis – contains an intellectual enquiry of an appropriate topic.

A dissertation or research project is submitted in partial support of a degree, in which the student undertakes an independent scholarly investigation of an appropriate research topic.

How do I calculate the equivalent research points?

Calculating the equivalent research points from a qualification completed at another institution can be challenging, as research point values vary between institutions. What matters is that your admitting qualification contains a significant research component – one that required a substantial and dedicated period of research and written work.

The minimum requirement is:

• Master's degree: at least 40 points of research (or equivalent) in a discipline relevant to your proposed doctoral research
• Bachelor's degree with honours: at least 30 points of research in a discipline relevant to your proposed doctoral research

To check whether your qualification meets the research points requirement, use the research component equivalent points calculator.

How to use the research points calculator

Enter the following details from your admitting qualification:

• Research points – the credits hours or points value assigned to your research component
• Total qualification points – the total credits or points required to complete the full programme
• Duration – the normal full-time duration of the programme

The calculator will estimate the equivalent AUT points value of your research. You don't need to enter values for "Points by year" or "EST Equivalent Points" – these are calculated automatically.

Use the calculator

Understanding your result

The EST Equivalent Points figure tells you whether your research component meets the minimum threshold:

• Master's degree applicants need a result of 40 or higher
• Bachelor's degree honours applicants need a result of 30 or higher

If your research was unweighted (it had no points or credit value assigned), the calculator can’t determine an equivalent. In this case, upload a copy of your thesis, dissertation or research project with your application – written in English – so it can be assessed directly.