Key dates
Last reviewed 18 September 2026
These dates assume you started in Term 1. If you started at another time, count from your start date and check with the Postgraduate Research Coordinator (PGRC).
Every year
| When | What | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Early January | Applications due for the PhD International Visiting Program | Funding available |
| January–February | Send the PGRC your conference pre-approval email | Request conference funding |
| Mid-February | The PGRC announces the expected conference funding per student | Funding available |
| Mid to late February | PhD International Visiting Program outcomes announced | Funding available |
| Final third of the year | More funding may be released, depending on the School's remaining budget | Funding available |
MPDBS year
| When | What | Details |
|---|---|---|
| End of Term 1 | The PGRC tells you which two academics you will work for as a research assistant | Candidature timeline |
| Term 2 | 50 hours of research assistant work: 25 hours for each academic | Candidature timeline |
| 30 September | Research assistant report due | Candidature timeline |
| End of October | Tell the PGRC who your supervisors are | Candidature timeline |
PhD Year 1
| When | What | Details |
|---|---|---|
| End of April | Agree milestones for your confirmation review with your supervisors | Candidature timeline |
| Late October | Tell the PGRC that you are due for confirmation | Confirmation review |
| November or December | Confirmation review | Confirmation review |
PhD Years 2 and 3
| When | What | Details |
|---|---|---|
| By the end of each year | Annual progress review, within 12 months of your previous review | Annual progress reviews |
PhD Year 4
| When | What | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Middle of Year 4 | Job market paper ready to submit | Candidature timeline |
| At least two months before you submit | Lodge a Notification of Intention to Submit in GRIS | Thesis submission |
| Four years of full-time enrolment after you started | Submit your thesis. A Term 1 start falls due at the start of Term 1 four years later; leave and part-time enrolment push the date out | Thesis submission |
| October | Start assembling your job market package | Candidature timeline |
| At least one week before your oral examination | You and your primary supervisor receive the examiners' reports and questions | You see the questions in advance |
| About eight weeks after your thesis is sent to your examiners | Oral examination, if your PhD started in Term 1 2023 or later | On the day |
Before a review
| When | Confirmation review | Annual progress review |
|---|---|---|
| At least two months before | — | Discuss timing with your supervisors and the PGRC |
| At least one month before | Complete the review form in GRIS, with its attachments | Tell the PGRC the date, title and abstract; complete the review form in GRIS, with its attachments |
| At least two weeks before | — | Send your paper to the panel |
| At least one week before | Send your presentation material to the panel | — |
| At least two days before | — | Send your presentation material to your supervisors and the panel |
Before a seminar presentation
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Two weeks before | Send your title and abstract to Sussan Su (q.su@unsw.edu.au) and to econ.hdr@unsw.edu.au |
| One week before | Send your draft paper and/or slides to your discussant |
| Two days before | Circulate your title, draft paper and slides to all PhD students and the PGRC |
GRIS is the Graduate Research Information System. For other terms, see the glossary.