54 PhD programmes offered by the university

Create medical engineering technologies for rehabilitation, therapeutics, and medical informatics with this Bioengineering degree from the University of Canterbury.

The Mechanical Engineering course at University of Canterbury offers you specialised training in research and creative engineering skills.

The Journalism course at University of Canterbury is aimed at preparing graduates for a career in print, broadcast, and online journalism and other communication industries. 

Molecular Biology is the field of biology that studies the structure and function of genes at a molecular level. The study of chromosomes and gene expression of an organism can give insight into heredity, genetic variation, and mutations. The ‌Cellular and Molecular Biology programme is offered at University of Canterbury.

The Fire Engineering degree at University of Canterbury is open to graduates from relevant branches of engineering, and covers all aspects of fire safety in buildings and other structures, human safety, and risk assessment. 

The Cinema Studies programme at University of Canterbury is offered within the Department of English. Our Honours courses are coded as English courses, but the Cinema Studies Honours year focuses on film topics and has specific prerequisites.

The Civil Engineering course at University of Canterbury strives to attain the highest possible standards in both teaching and research at graduate level. Students and staff work closely together to extend and challenge their talents and abilities.

The Physics course at University of Canterbury aims to understand the behaviour of matter and energy from the scale of subatomic particles to that of the Universe itself. 

The Faculty of Law from the University of Canterbury offers a full range of supervision for doctoral studies.

Mathematics is a living subject with new processes, techniques, and theories constantly being devised, tested, and explored. This degree is offered at the University of Canterbury.

Courses during the ‌Biotechnology programme at University of Canterbury are taught by leading national and visiting international researchers.

The Geography course at the University of Canterbury is an exciting and distinctive discipline at the interface between Science and Arts. Its focus is on putting various types of knowledge together to find innovative solutions to problems faced by society such as climate change, poverty, sustainability, health, and inequality. 

The Human Interface Technology programme at University of Canterbury is designed so students from a variety of disciplines can undertake research in this field.

Medical Physics applies the concepts and methods of physics to the diagnosis and treatment of human disease. The Medical Physics course is offered at University of Canterbury.

Students in the Cultural Studies course from University of Canterbury develop advanced skills in reading, writing, and critical thinking, while pursuing their own interests in a range of topics exploring the plurality of culture.

The History course University of Canterbury involves a sustained, rigorous, and systematic approach to a relevant body of knowledge. 

The European Studies programme at University of Canterbury is focused around the National Centre for Research on Europe (NCRE), which provides unique training and development opportunities for postgraduate students seeking careers in trade, foreign affairs, and policy.

The Forestry Science degree at University of Canterbury offers a surprising array of career options both within Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally. 

The degree in Mathematical Physics at the University of Canterbury will give you a deep conceptual understanding of how things work, and how the universe fits together. It will also give you the skills to think from first principles, and to express that thinking analytically in mathematical models.

The United Nations defines a disaster as a disruption of social and community function, involving so many losses and destructive impacts that affected communities and regions are unable to cope using their own resources. The Cultural Studies course is offered at University of Canterbury.