PhD in Marketing
The Marketing Department
The Marketing Department in UTS has achieved a rating of 5 (well above world-standard – the highest rating) in the 2018 Australian Research Council's Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) evaluation report. There are only 3 universities nationwide that have obtained this rating and outstanding recognition, which confirms our status as one of the top marketing departments in Australia.
Our culturally diverse faculty members hold PhDs from leading Australian and International universities. They are internationally recognised experts in their fields of research and have published in top-tier journals in Marketing and other business disciplines. Their publications have won prestigious international research awards from American Marketing Association and Marketing Science Institute.
The marketing academics have received competitive national grants (e.g., Australian Research Council and Cooperative Research Centres grants) and consulted for government agencies, multinational corporations, and non-profit organisations. They have also taught at reputable universities across the globe, including USA, Canada, Germany, Singapore, China, India, New Zealand, and Hong Kong.
The leading journals that the marketing academics have published include:
Marketing Science, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Journal of Retailing, Management Science, Journal of Operations Management, Organizational Behaviour and Human Decision Process, Nature: Climate Change, Journal of Experimental Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Psychological Science.
Our doctoral program
The doctoral Program in Marketing challenges students to identify critical issues and meaningful research questions in the field of marketing and to execute their research to deliver robust results. This program aims to train highly proficient researchers, who are equipped to conduct internationally recognised research both now and in the future.
Our program combines rigorous research training and opportunities to work on research projects with academics. These research training and activities will provide students with the requisite skills and knowledge to address complex issues facing consumers, managers, companies, and policy makers. Our program emphasises one-on-one coaching and therefore only a small number of PhD students with strong credentials are accepted each year.
Doctoral students will undertake coursework dealing with theory, empirical evidence, and research methods in marketing, followed by conducting research projects under the guidance of a panel of academics. Ultimately, such projects will culminate in a doctoral thesis, which showcases students’ research acumen and skills, as well as the contributions of their research to the marketing academic community in terms of producing original knowledge and addressing significant problems.
Students will have the chance to engage with a cohort of highly motivated and committed research students. They will thrive in a collegial, energetic yet demanding academic environment in which students and academics frequently interact.
The expected career outcome is placement in research-focused academic jobs. Graduates may also seek applied research career opportunities in the public and private sector. Our graduates have recently been placed at the University of New South Wales, the University of Adelaide, and Australian Catholic University. See our recent PhD graduate placements and publications.
Research areas
PhD students will undertake high-calibre research in a particular marketing area under the guidance of their academic supervisor throughout the doctoral program.
The academics of the Marketing Department have research expertise that spans a wide range of marketing areas including:
- Consumer psychology
- Choice modelling
- Digital marketing
- Marketing strategy
- Marketing modelling
- Marketing channels
- Marketing supply chains
- Services marketing
- Advertising and branding
- Ethical marketing
Entry requirements
The entry requirements for UTS postgraduate research degrees include:
- A UTS recognised master's by research, or
- Bachelor's degree with first or second class honours (division 1), or
- An equivalent or higher qualification from approved universities, and
- Meet UTS English language requirements (e.g., IELTS (Academic): 7.0 overall, writing 7.0; TOEFL (Internet-based): 94-101 overall, writing 23)
Although GMAT and GRE scores are not required, applicants who have attained high scores in these tests will be reviewed favourably. On top of the above requirements, applicants are required to demonstrate an excellent command of English writing and speaking skills. In addition, we expect applicants to have a basic understanding of academic research.
Finding a potential supervisor
Applicants are encouraged to identify a potential supervisor with expertise that matches with their research interest before submitting the application. Applicants can find out the research expertise of the marketing academics by accessing the faculty webpage or the ‘academics available to supervise’ tab. Applicants should view the potential supervisor’s faculty webpage and read the journal publications listed on his/her webpage.
Preparing a research proposal
Applicants are required to provide a 1500-word research proposal, which should include a specific research area and topic that they aim to investigate in the doctoral study. The research proposal is one of the most important documents for admission assessment. Therefore, applicants should use this document to demonstrate their understanding of academic research, analytical thinking, and ability to develop meaningful research ideas. Applicants are expected to submit the proposal together with their Expression of Interest.
A research proposal should include the following:
- Descriptions of the project topic and the specific phenomenon to be studied
- Research questions – what are the theoretical or practical questions you aim to address in your research?
- Brief review of literature relating to the chosen topic and phenomenon
- Expected research contribution – what do you expect your research to advance knowledge and marketing practices?
- Proposed methodology - qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods
- Potential data sources
Expression of interest (EOI)
Note that completing an EOI, and providing us with this information before you formally apply to enrol for a Research degree saves significant time where a formal application is deemed unlikely to be successful, and also speeds up the process of application where feedback from the relevant Department indicates that an application would likely be supported.
Applicants are advised to review all the information on the PhD program website and the entry requirements before submitting an EOI.
Questions about applying should be directed to the Business Research Office at BusinessHDR@uts.edu.au or the Marketing Department Postgraduate Research Director
