Postgraduate Study



Swinburne PhD Students at Telescopes
Rapidly expanding since its inception in 1999, Swinburne University Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing (CAS) offers students a world leading PhD program. CAS staff have expertise in optical, infra-red and radio astronomy, computational astrophysics, and are regularly awarded time at major national, international and space-based observatories.

The CAS PhD program aims to attract academically high achieving students to work with leading research astronomers in a succesful and growing astrophysics department. Our PhD program will enable students to conduct research independently at a high level of originality and quality upon completion. Our aim is to produce PhD graduates that will take positions in leading astronomy and astrophysics institutions around the world.


April 2008 CAS has recently signed an agreement with CalTech that allows collaboration opportunities in optical and radio astronomy between the two departments. Under this agreement CAS staff and students have guaranteed access for up to 20 nights per year on the twin 10m Keck telescopes. For more information go to the CAS announcement and Swinburne University Press Release.
The twin Keck telescopes near the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Photo: Laurie Hatch

CAS is the only southern hemisphere astronomy department with its own supercomputer - The Green Machine.
Swinburne supercomputer - The Green Machine

50,000 galaxies (v < 15,000 km/s) from the 6dF Galaxy Survey second data release with S2PLOT 		CAS staff offer a wide range of potential PhD topics. To see a summary of the thesis work of current CAS students click here. To see a summary of completed CAS PhD theses click here. CAS PhD graduates have found positions in leading astronomy institutions around the world.

CAS PhD students are provided with a powerful workstation, a personal research grant, and access to the considerable computational resources of the Swinburne supercomputer - The Green Machine.

We also encourage students to take advantage of the Centre's SpaceWorks scientific visualisation staff and facilities to produce state of the art representations of their data.

We also maintain close ties with astronomers at the Anglo-Australian Observatory and the Australia Telescope National Facility. Potential PhD projects on offer at the AAO and ATNF are also available to incoming Swinburne students. CAS PhD students also participate in our occassional PhD Lecture Series and have numerous opportunities to be involved in outreach and education.


CAS in the News

CAS Research Downloads: Podcasts, video and audio samples

The following downloads showcases some of the research, simulations and animations done by CAS staff.

Prospective Research Students

"PhD degrees provide training and education with the objective of producing graduates with the capacity to conduct research independently at a high level of originality and quality. The student ought to be capable by the end of his/her candidature of conceiving, designing and carrying to completion a research program without supervision. The PhD candidate should uncover new knowledge either by the discovery of new facts, the formulation of theories or the innovative reinterpretation of known data and established ideas. Examiners will expect a thesis to be well written and to reveal an independence of thought and approach, a deep knowledge of the field of study and to have made a significant original contribution to knowledge consistent with 3 - 4 years of supervised research training"

Source: AVCC Code of Practice for Maintaining and Monitoring Academic Quality Standards in Higher Degrees.

Potential CAS PhD Topics

Overview of the Centre's research strengths

The Centre's Postgraduate Research Funding Policy

Swinburne University Research Degrees Policies and Guidelines

Swinburne Research is in charge of research and graduate studies at Swinburne.

For information on postgraduate studies at Swinburne:

Swinburne Research Post-Graduate Studies

Prospective students can apply for a number of scholarships at Swinburne/CAS. In 2008 these include Swinburne University Chancellor's Centenary Research Scholarship (CCRS); Australian Postgraduate Award (APA); Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (EIPRS); Swinburne University Centenary Postgraduate Research Award (SUCPRA) and Vice Chancellor's Centenary Research Scholarship (VCCRS). For more information see:

Swinburne Research PhD Scholarships


Local Information for Swinburne, Melbourne and Victoria

Hawthorn campus - Swinburne

That's Melbourne City

Welcome to Victoria

CAS PhD Applications

** Prior to any application you should send a copy of your official (certified) academic record (with a grading system), CV, a cover letter and any other supporting documentation of previous research to:
Dr Michael Murphy
Postgraduate Recruitment
Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing
Swinburne University of Technology
Mail Centre, Mail Number 39
1 Alfred St, Hawthorn
Melbourne, Victoria 3122, Australia

Swinburne University CAS accepts applications from students with excellent scholastic records for PhDs.

The next PhD scholarship round deadline in 2008 will be scholarship application 31st October, 2008.

The usual eligibility to apply requires the applicant to have a BSc or similar (with 1st class or upper 2nd class honours) or a Masters (by Research) awarded at a similar grade. There are also English language requirements - if English is not your 1st language then an IELTS score of 6.5 (with no band lower than 6) is required. International students must study full-time.

All PhD applications need a sponsoring staff member as a supervisor - it is therefore imperative for you to have communicated with the relevant CAS staff member and discussed a particular PhD project (and for the appropriate Staff member to agree to be your supervisor on the application) prior to you submitting an application.

Scholarships are highly competitive and are aimed to attract the highest quality research students.

We welcome visits to CAS by prospective PhD students - please contact

Dr Michael Murphy ph. (03) 9214-5818 or via email mmurphy at astro dot swin dot edu dot au to arrange a suitable time.

CAS is located in the AR building, Hawthorn campus of Swinburne University. For a map click here.


CAS at AR building

CAS also offers vacation scholarships for undergraduates throughout the year. For more information click here