社会与设计学院提供的哲学博士（PhD）计划纯粹是研究性的。在正式申请之前，有意申请的申请人需要考虑他们希望调查的特定研究主题。应与教职员工协商确定，以确定教职员工是否可以提供适当的监督。候选人必须足够熟悉相关的研究领域，才能进行该领域的专门研究。
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) must be significant original research. During the course of the degree the candidate will further develop their specialist knowledge and have deep methodological capacity. Depending on the field of specialisation, the degree culminates in an 80,000-word thesis. A Doctor of Philosophy is an internationally recognised research degree and is a pathway to an academic or research career. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs offered by the Faculty of Society & Design are purely research only. Prior to formal application, intending applicants need to give consideration to the specific research topic they wish to investigate. This should be determined in consultation with a member of the academic staff of the Faculty to see whether the Faculty can provide the appropriate supervision. The candidate must be familiar enough with the relevant research area to be able to undertake specialised study in that field.