Choosing UQ

The University of Queensland (UQ) has awarded over 13,000 students with a research higher degree (RHD) and is currently supporting a further 4,500 students to achieve their research goals.  As an RHD student at UQ you join a culture of research excellence. Your RHD provides choice and opportunity from UQ's many advantages.

Financial strength and support

Almost $40 million in scholarships and over $330 million in annual research income.

UQ provides financial support to over 1600 RHD students from an annual scholarship budget of almost $40 million from the Australian Government and UQ. 

UQ receives more than $330 million in research funding from a variety of sources including the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

First-class facilities

Modern infrastructure and world class research facilities deliver the ideal environment for RHD students.

UQ’s facilities include multi-million dollar laboratories and research centres, one of the largest academic library collections in Australia with over 2.5 million volumes and over 75,000 distinct journals, and dedicated office space for RHD students, including the Graduate School’s Thesis Hub. UQ’s St Lucia campus is one of Australia’s most attractive campuses and boasts outstanding sporting, recreational and cultural opportunities.

Unrivalled support

Each year UQ supports approximately 1200 students through almost 150 specialised Skills Training sessions, Graduate Student Week workshops and applied training activities.

The Graduate School provides continued support to RHD candidates through an annual Skills Training program specifically for RHD students.  The Skills Training program includes a diverse range of presentations, workshops, applied training activities, social functions, professional development, and cross-disciplinary collaboration events. 

UQ also runs two Graduate Student Weeks each year, an important feature of UQ’s academic calendar, which include signature programs and interactive sessions with guests from industry. 

The Graduate School's annual research competition, Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) celebrates the contribution of RHD students and encourages the development of strong communication and presentation skills.  In 2012, the Trans-Tasman competition attracted interest from 43 other universities in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Hong Kong.  The 3MT competition is also held in universities throughout Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, Vietnam and Singapore.

International reputation and world class rankings

UQ is rated one of the world's leading universities and is consistently ranked among the top one percent of universities across the globe.

UQ is consistently ranked in the top 100 universities in the world:.

Our global focus and commitment to research excellence are evident in our strategic academic networks:

  • UQ is a founding member of the Group of Eight (Go8) - a leading group of Australian universities that conduct 70 percent of all university research in Australia.
  • UQ is also one of three founding members of Universitas 21 (U21) - an international network of leading research-intensive universities. With collective budgets over $13 billion and a network of 650,000 students, U21 provides our RHD students with extensive research collaboration opportunities, including joint PhDs and international travel awards.

World-renowned researchers

Home to over 2000 research experts with global partnerships and networks.

UQ’s experts deliver on a broad range of research strengths across our six faculties and eight globally-recognised research institutes.  A reputation for research excellence has made UQ a destination of choice for a growing community of internationally renowned scholars, scientists and research experts. 

UQ’s supportive research community is dedicated to ensuring the success and development of new knowledge from RHD candidates.  UQ also provides RHD candidates with opportunities for international engagement and avenues to develop long-term research relationships and strategic partnerships. 

Supervision excellence

One of the first universities to acknowledge and reward supervision excellence.

Since 2000, UQ has recognised advisors who provide outstanding mentorship through the Awards for Excellence in RHD Supervision.  During this time, over 50 advisors have been rewarded for leading by example, training, and inspiring our RHD students. UQ advisors are dedicated to developing the next generation of researchers.

Research commercialisation

The most successful university in Australia for the commercialisation of research with more staff dedicated to research commercialisation than any other Australian university.

UQ offers free research commercialisation workshops for RHD students through UQ’s company UniQuest Pty Ltd.

With 80 staff and group revenue exceeding AUD$320 million in the past five years, UniQuest benchmarks in the top 10% globally for university-based technology transfer. UQ extends the benefits of globally recognised research commercialisation expertise to our RHD students, including through the Commercialisation Training Scheme (CTS). Find out more.

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