Doctoral degrees at the University of Melbourne seek to develop graduates who demonstrate academic leadership, independence, creativity and innovation in their research. The PhD thesis differs from a research masters thesis mainly by its deeper and more comprehensive treatment of the chosen subject. The normal length of a PhD thesis is 80,000 words exclusive of words in tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices. Footnotes are included as part of the word limit. Areas of study Under academic supervision, PhD students will produce an original thesis from in-depth research in one of eight areas of science: * Botany * Earth Sciences * Mathematics and Statistics * Physics * Chemistry * Genetics * Optometry and Vision Sciences * Zoology

A PhD in science is regarded as a key step in progressing your career as a scientific researcher.