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PhD at SensiLab

Our PhD students thrive on creative approaches, experimental practices and learning through making

A PhD (doctoral degree) contributes new knowledge to a research field or discipline. SensiLab offers a new form of PhD in the Faculty Information Technology: the PhD by Practice Based Research and Exegesis. A first for IT doctoral research in Australia, this innovative form of PhD encourages creative and dynamic projects that make discoveries through making, building and creating. Your research will typically be interdisciplinary, linking  creative technologies with fields such as health, urban planning, cultural heritage, media arts or design.

In a PhD by Practice you’ll present a substantial amount of your research through an immersive, interactive demonstration or exhibition that engages one or more of the senses. You’ll also be examined on a written exegesis of around 30,000–35,000 words.

We also offer conventional PhDs that are examined based on a written thesis of around 80,000 words.
Explore our current PhD project opportunities.

A screen shot from Floating Walk, a 360 video documentary by PhD graduate Sojung Bahng
Nina Rajcic's Mirror Ritual, exploring human-machine co-construction of emotion
Domenico Mazza's Computational Costume showing medical records attached to the body in future with perfect augmented reality

Our PhD graduates include Dr Sojung Bahng, who used new media film and virtual reality art to explore critical empathy, Dr Nina Rajcic, who developed new kinds of human-machine relationships, and Dr Domenico Mazza, whose practice-based PhD explored how we might improve the memorability of our interactions with computers through the speculative design of a whole-body interface.

We offer postgraduate scholarships for exemplary candidates who are passionate about interdisciplinary research. This include includes specific scholarship funded projects.

For inspiration, explore our website to find out more about us and our research. You can also explore current PhD project opportunities or look for research supervisors through the Faculty of IT website.

If you are eligible to apply for a PhD, please get in touch if you’d like to discuss an idea or potential research project.  All information about eligibility and how to apply can be found on the How to Apply webpage.