Master of Philosophy (MPhil)

Master of Philosophy (MPhil) aims to expand knowledge beyond the undergraduate honours or postgraduate diploma level, culminating in a research thesis.

Master of Philosophy (MPhil) differs from other postgraduate degrees. The main part of your work will be in the form of a thesis written under the guidance of a principal supervisor and co-supervisor(s). With the approval from the Graduate School, an external staff or an expert can be appointed to be the associate supervisor.

The thesis must, in the opinion of the examiners, be a substantial original contribution to the knowledge or understanding of any field through the discovery of new facts, the formulation of theories or the innovative reinterpretation of known data and established ideas. It must also demonstrate your capacity to conceive, design and complete independent research.

Faculty of Engineering and Science

Master of Philosophy (Engineering):

  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Geology
Faculty of Business

Master of Philosophy (Business):

  • Accounting
  • Economics and Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing
Faculty of Humanities

Master of Philosophy (Humanities):

  • Media, Culture & Creative Arts

The aims, objectives and learning outcomes are as follows:

Aims: To qualify individuals who apply an advanced body of knowledge in a range of context for research and scholarship and as a pathway for further learning.

Objectives: The aims are achieved through a period of supervised individual research beyond the Bachelors level. This research will culminate in the submission of a thesis which may contain materials that can be published in academic journals.

Learning outcomes: As demonstrated in the AQF level 9 criteria and MQF level 7 (Master’s degree):

        At the end of the programme, graduates must be able to:
i. Demonstrate in-depth and frontier knowledge and understanding in the relevant field/s or practice;
ii. Critically and creatively apply knowledge in one or more fields to resolve complex disciplinary and practical problems;
iii. Conduct rigorous and independent research or investigation with minimal supervision;
iv. Perform research adhering to legal, ethical, professional and sustainable practices;
v. Demonstrate intellectual leadership qualities and management skills;
vi. Communicate effectively in the field/s and interact with specialist and general audience;
vii. Select and use suitable digital and analytical tool techniques to research problems; and
viii. Demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning and personal development.

Academic Qualifications

  • Graduated with or qualified for the award of the degree of Bachelor with First-Class Honours or Second-Class Honours in the field or related fields within Curtin University with minimum CGPA of 2.75 or equivalent; or
  • Graduated with or qualified for the award of Postgraduate Diploma in the field or related fields within Curtin University; or
  • Graduated with or qualified for the award of the degree of Bachelor in the field or related fields within Curtin University with minimum CGPA of 2.75 or equivalent; or
  • Graduated with or qualified for the award of the degree of Bachelor in the field or related fields within Curtin University with minimum CGPA of 2.50 or equivalent and not meeting CGPA of 2.75 or equivalent subject to rigorous internal assessment; or
  • Graduated with or qualified for the award of the degree of Bachelor in the field or related fields within Curtin University with minimum CGPA of 2.00 or equivalent and not meeting CGPA of 2.50 or equivalent subject to a minimum of 5 years working experience in the relevant field and rigorous internal assessment.; or
  • Obtained qualifications from another institution which are recognised by tertiary admissions authorities in Australia and which are deemed to be equivalent to any of the above criteria.

Remark. Candidates without a qualification in the related fields or relevant working experience must undergo appropriate prerequisite courses determined by the University and meet the minimum CGPA above.

 

English Requirements

All courses at Curtin University Malaysia are taught in English. Therefore, applicants are required to satisfy Curtin University’s English language proficiency requirement for postgraduate coursework and Higher Degree by Research courses through one of the following ways:

1. Tertiary degree studies undertaken in Australia

Successful completion of one semester full-time (equivalent to 0.5 EFTSL) of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree level study at a recognised University in Australia.

 

2. Tertiary degree studies taught in English outside Australia

a). Successful completion of at least one semester full-time or equivalent of an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree level study at a recognised University in  New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom; or

b). Successful completion of at least one year full-time or equivalent of an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree level study at a recognised University in Canada, Singapore, South Africa or United States of America; or

c). Successful completion of an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree from a recognised overseas University, assessed by Curtin University as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Bachelor or Master Degree in which Curtin University recognised English is the sole language of instruction*.

*Internal Assessment notes:

1) Use the World Higher Education Database (WHED) to retrieve the language of instruction. Exceptions apply, see details below.

2) Except for European countries, if the language of instruction listed in the Diploma Supplement is English, we accept this information over WHED as it is at course level.

3) Assumption University, Thailand, English is the medium of instruction for all courses except for Undergraduate Law degree.

 

3. Undertake an approved English proficiency test.

Any one of the tests in the following table can also be accepted as satisfying Curtin University Malaysia’s English language requirement:

 

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEST SCORE
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)* Overall 6.5

W-6, S-6, R-6, L-6

PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English Academic)

 

Overall Score 50

W- 50, S-50, R-50, L-50

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)*

TOEFL iBT (Special Home Edition)*

79 Internet based (Band minimum W-21, L-13, R-13, S-18)

 

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) – Paper Based Test

 

570 and 4.5 in TWE
OET (Occupational English Test) Listening 250

Reading 250

Writing 250

Speaking 250

Calculated average score of all components 300

C1 Advanced

Formerly known as Cambridge English Advanced (CAE)

176 with 169 in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking
C2 Proficiency

Formerly known as Cambridge English Proficiency (CPE)

190 with 176 in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking
Special Tertiary Admission Test (STAT) Written English Section

Where only the Written English component was taken, results are valid for two years from the date of testing, however maybe used for entry until the next immediate semester intake.

STAT format from 1 May 2010: 140

Previous STAT format between 1996 to April

2010: 145

Malaysian University English Test (MUET) Band 4 and no less than 200 in aggregate score

*Results for IELTS and TOEFL are valid for two years.

Applicants who do not meet the above requirement (or qualifications not listed above) will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and provided with alternative pathways where necessary.

Completion of a bachelor degree course in which English was the language of instruction is also considered as meeting the English language requirement. Each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Enrolment in the MPhil shall be for a minimum period of one (1) year and a maximum period of two (2) years for full-time study, or a minimum of two (2) years and a maximum period of four (4) years for part-time study. However, international candidates must enroll as a full-time student.

Remark. For MPhil students under external grants, the grant is generally valid for max two years. In case the enrollment date is later than the grant starting date, the tuition fee waiver  duration may be be shorter than of 2 years (depending on the grant end date).  Thus, it is advisable that these students to complete their programmes within 1.5 years. Otherwise, they may have to provide the stipend and/or tuition fee on their own in the final semester. Scholarship extensions of 2 x 3 months may be granted subject to excellent progress of the project and approval from Chair of CMGSC.

Consumables Support

HDR Consumables Reimbursable Items List (subject to prior approval from CMGS)

  • Any expenses related to fieldwork/research data collection;
  • Transcription from interviews, and translation services;
  • Lab consumables purchased through an approved University provider (where not provided by the Enrolling Area);
  • Workshops and training courses (including registration, travel, accommodation and living);
    Specialist textbooks/manuals, journals (where not readily available in the Curtin Library);
  • Phone costs – Purchase of phone cards for participation calls to survey recipients (where access to a Curtin phone is not available);
  • Thesis binding, editing and proof-reading costs;
  • Incentives for research/survey participants on the express written permission (email) of the supervisor (this will never include tobacco or alcohol);
  • Creative production costs – e.g. Art and design equipment and supplies (inclusive of set design, technical support, post-production/editing, studio hire, film/developing);
  • Travel for off-campus students to supervisory meetings (this may extend to travel interstate or overseas where relevant);
  • Specialist software (project specific);
  • Safety equipment (project specific);
  • Other miscellaneous costs as approved by CMGS

 

Partial Fee Waiver and/or Partial Stipend

Please contact GradSchool@curtin.edu.my for the details

 

Other Scholarships and Financial Aid

Please contact Loans and Scholarship Office (Student Service Department).

Each research student joins one of the vibrant research communities based on the chosen research area. You can find more information regarding research areas by visiting the relevant academic area:

 

Faculty of Engineering and Science

Associate Professor Dr. John Lau Sie Yon
Associate Dean, Research & Development
Email: johnlsy@curtin.edu.my

 

Faculty of Business

Dr Tiong Ying Ying
Associate Dean, Research & Development
Email: tiongyingying@curtin.edu.my

 

Faculty of Humanities & Health Sciences

Professor Dr. Roy Rillera Marzo
Dean, Faculty of Humanities & Health Sciences
Email: roy.marzo@curtin.edu.my