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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 PhD programs as either practice-based or traditional. Our PhD program encourages creative and dynamic projects that make discoveries through making, building and creating. Your research will typically be interdisciplinary, linking new technologies with fields including design, music, fine art or architecture.

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 35,000 words. The traditional PhD is suited to theoretical or experimental work, where the main contributions are articulated in a written thesis of approximately 80,000 words, without exhibition or demonstration.

Explore our current PhD project opportunities.

Dr Lucija Ivsic's PhD developed a 16 piece virtual choir that responds in real time to the singer's voice
Dr Ciaran Frame's PhD found new ways of participating in music making through technology and collaboration
Dr Sam Trolland's PhD explored the use of personalisation in gestural interaction. This image shows a performance collaboration with Dr. Melina Smith
A screen shot from Floating Walk, a 360 video documentary by PhD graduate Dr Sojung Bahng

Our recent PhD graduates include Dr Ciaran Frame, who developed new forms of music making that ask us to reconsider traditional differences between listener and composer, Dr Lucija Ivsic who’s works in immersive Virtual Reality and sound installation brought new understanding of identity and displacement, 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, and Dr Sojung Bahng, who used new media film and virtual reality art to explore critical empathy,.

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. Please note that we receive a large volume of PhD applications so the selection process is highly competitive. Successful applications typically demonstrate a highly original creative practice and strong evidence of research capability.