Grace Nock recently completed a Master of Science in Forensic Psychology at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington after doing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology here. For her, the postgraduate study she chose was a chance to conduct research while gaining the skills and knowledge necessary for a related job afterwards.
Sunethra Pitawala teaches at Wellington Institute of Technology and did a Master of Science in Mathematics at the University before embarking on a PhD in Engineering here “to grow my academic career and get a different experience”.
Angus Lindsay is in the midst of a PhD in Criminology at the University, having done Bachelor’s, Honours and Master’s degrees here, and says “the opportunity to sit and think about ideas as well as conduct empirical research really appealed to me”.
Whatever your reason for considering postgraduate research—whether you are an undergraduate considering a Master’s degree or a Master’s student considering a PhD—now is the time to talk to your lecturers about continuing at the University and to apply for admission and scholarships.
We are hosting a series of information evenings to help you, starting on Thursday 24 September.
You may not have considered further study at all before, but perhaps you should.
With the economic impacts of COVID-19, the job market is uncertain and extra time studying could enhance your employability.
And as the country’s number one university for research intensity, with a larger proportion of our academics conducting high-quality research than anywhere else in the country, we are the place in New Zealand to do a research degree.
Our Wellington Doctoral Scholarships have just been increased to $27,500 a year plus tuition fees for three years. (All doctoral students, international and domestic, pay the same fees.) We also offer Master’s Research scholarships of $15,000 plus domestic tuition fees for a year. (International Master’s students other than from Australia pay the difference between the international tuition fee and the domestic one.)
“The scholarships allow you to have a level of stability and comfort knowing you are going to get money every month and all you need to do is focus on the research you want to do. It’s a real privilege,” says Angus.
Grace emphasises getting the topic right for your Master’s.
“It’s a year of your life spent writing about something and it needs to be something you are passionate about. Choosing a topic that really interests you and then finding a supervisor who will accommodate that topic is far more important than finding a supervisor you like and then figuring out a topic.”
Sunethra agrees. “My main focus was to get the right project,” she says. That project, for both her Master’s and PhD, proved to be ones suggested by one of the academics she spoke to when scoping potential topics.
“For those who already have a topic in mind, you don’t necessarily need to find a supervisor who is an expert in it or your wider field or subdiscipline,” says Angus. “More important is finding someone who respects you and your ideas and you respect them so you have a good working relationship.”
Angus also emphasises the value of dipping your toe in the water with a Summer Research Scholarship so you can get a better feel for research and whether it’s for you. He had a scholarship in both the second and third year of his Bachelor’s.
For more information on postgraduate research at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, visit the Wellington Faculty of Graduate Research website and do not hesitate to contact the faculty if you have any queries.
- An earlier version of this article said the deadline for Research Master's admissions as well as scholarships is 1 November. It is in fact the deadline for Research Master's scholarships only and for the latest round of both PhD admissions and PhD scholarships.