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PhD in Learning Analytics

Welcome

Welcome to the UTS:CIC Doctoral Program

CIC’s mission is to maximise the benefits of analytics, and now AI, for UTS teaching and learning. The Learning Analytics Doctoral Program, launched in 2016, is part of our strategy to cultivate transdisciplinary innovation to tackle challenges at UTS, through rigorous methodologies, arguments and evidence. A core focus has been on moving beyond merely collecting and graphing data about students, to closing the feedback loop, with timely, actionable feedback to learners about their work.

We invite you to apply for a place if you are committed to working in a transdisciplinary team to invent human-centered analytics tools in close partnership with the UTS staff and students who are our ‘clients’. (See the fun diagram to check a PhD is really for you!)

Please explore this website so you understand the context in which we work, and the research topics we are supervising. We look forward to hearing why you wish to join CIC, and how your background, skills and aspirations could advance this program. Consider the advice from the Director before you approach potential supervisors.

UTS Context

“At UTS we are proud to be rated the top young university in Australia and a top 100 university globally.” [learn more]

Our primary audience is UTS, working closely with faculties, information technology and student support units to research new analytics-informed feedback. CIC is not in a faculty, but sits within the Education Portfolio, since its mission it to translate research advances into practical learning-support tools. These have now been used by tens of thousands of students, in turn generating data and authentic evidence for research and design improvements.

Tools

CIC is deeply transdisciplinary. While some students come from a computing background, others come from education and may not know how to code. CIC’s senior software architect supports you with some web, mobile or script development to enable your research.

Skills & Dispositions

Topic-specific technical skills and academic grounding that you will need for your PhD are specified in the PhD project descriptions, but there are some common skills and dispositions that we are seeking, given the way that we work.

CIC is committed to transdisciplinarity. Thinking outside your ‘home turf’ is not easy or comfortable, but we are seeking people with an appetite to stretch themselves.

CIC is committed to human-centred software design, so you will need a passion for, and commitment to, working with non-technical users as you pilot new tools. You need excellent interpersonal and communication skills in order to translate between the technical and educational worlds, and creative design thinking to help users engage with new kinds of tools. Ideally, you will already have had some design experience, but this can also be an area you want to learn.

Applications

Deadlines

Please read the UTS Application Essentials information to see the deadlines for different “Research Sessions”, which also vary depending on whether you are a domestic or international student.

However, we strongly encourage you to contact us much earlier than the deadline, to open discussions. If we see potential, we will give you feedback to help you sharpen your thinking and application. 

The UTS application form and further guidance on preparation and submission of your research proposal are on the UTS Research Degrees website.

Fees

Please go to the UTS Fees page to check the tuition fees that apply to the CIC PhD for the year you are interested in. This is in the Analytics & Data Science area, and the course code to enter is 02062. Note that full-time study is 3.5 years, but should be completed in 4 years. Part-time study is 50%.

Scholarships

The UTS Scholarships website gives you all the details.

Domestic students have their tuition fees covered by the Australian Government’s Research Training Program (RTP) Fees Offset Scholarship. Please note, all scholarships at UTS are dependent upon satisfactory progress throughout the three years.

Every UTS doctoral program has a ranking scheme for applicant strength, which takes into account your research track record to date. Highly ranked international students can compete for an International Research Training Program (IRTP) Scholarship or the UTS International Research Scholarships (UTS IRS).

We are also open to applications from self-funded full-time and part-time candidates.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a scholarship, a student must minimally:

  • have completed a Bachelor Degree with First Class Honours or Second Class Honours (Division 1), or be regarded by the University as having an equivalent level of attainment;
  • have been accepted for a higher degree by research at UTS in the year of the scholarship;
  • have completed enrolment as a full-time student

Additional requirements are detailed under each of the topic areas.

Selection Criteria

Appointments will be made based on the quality of the candidates, their proposals, the overall coherence of the team, the potential contribution to UTS student and educator experience, and the research advances that will result.

The criteria are specified under each of the topic areas, both generic and specific to advertised projects. Evidence will be taken from an applicant’s written application, face-to-face/video interview, multimedia research presentation at the interview, and references.

Applications

Applicants for a Studentship should submit:

  • Covering letter
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Research Proposal, maximum 4 pages, applying for one of the advertised PhD topics

Please email your scholarship application as a PDF, with PhD Application in the subject line, to:

Gabrielle.Gardiner@uts.edu.au

Following discussion with the relevant potential supervisors, you will be required to go through the UTS application process as a formal part of the application.

To begin this formal application process, click here and complete the following steps:

  1. Scroll down to “Lodge your application”
  2. Click on the blue “Register and Apply” button
  3. When you reach the section asking you to select your course, enter ‘data science’ into the free text search and the CIC Doctor of Philosophy – C02062 should come up.

 

 

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