Thinking about a phd with me? please read this first.

Thank you for taking the time to click this link, and thank you for getting in touch.

If you have been redirected here, it is most likely because you emailed me to ask about the possibility of a PhD position with me. I genuinely appreciate that interest. I receive a number of such enquiries every week, ranging from very carefully targeted messages to brief exploratory emails.

This page exists for one simple reason: to help you engage with me more effectively, and to help both of us decide whether it makes sense to continue the conversation. Being sent here is not a judgement on the quality of your email, your background, or your potential — it is simply a way of streamlining a process that otherwise becomes unmanageable for me.

Before you write (or write again): some questions to think about

Rather than listing requirements or rules, I find it more useful to pose a small set of questions. If you can answer these clearly and concretely, then you are very likely to get a meaningful response from me. If you cannot, it may be worth pausing before proceeding.

0. Are you eligible for PhD research in our department?

  • Have you read the University of Auckland Doctoral Entry Requirements and do you meet them? 

  • Do you have a solid academic background in Philosophy? If you do not have any background in academic philosophy, we cannot consider you for our PhD programme, no matter how much philosophy you have read and thought about. The PhD in Philosophy requires academic background and training—usually this means a masters-level and/or BA qualification. We can occasionally consider applicants without a BA, MA or other degree in Philosophy, if they can demonstrate substantial research experience with a philosophical focus.

1. Are you interested in a specific PhD topic?

Applying for a PhD at our university involves writing a proposal for the specific PhD topic you will work on. You might not know what specific topic you would want to work on yet; that’s ok. General enquiries are fine — but they need some work on your part to be productive starting points for a conversation about whether or not we might a good match, as supervisor and student.

2. Have you thought about how your background and interests might fit with my supervisory capacity?

  • What background and experience do you already have which are relevant to the PhD topic area you are asking about?

  • Which aspects of the PhD topic you’re interested in do you already feel comfortable with, and which would be new territory for you?

  • Are you familiar with my research? How do you see your interests connecting with it?

I do not expect you to be an expert already, or to have read more than one of my publications. But I am looking for evidence that you are (a) thinking about what the PhD work you’re interested in would actually involve, and (b) genuinely engaging with me as a prospective supervisor, given both of our research interests.

3. Do you understand the funding reality?

In Aotearoa New Zealand, Philosophy PhD positions depend on competitive scholarships.

Scholarship decisions are separate from PhD admissions decisions, and I’m happy to talk with you about the latter independently of whether or not you think you might get a scholarship and/or might fund your PhD by some other means. But it is good to have a realistic picture of the funding scene, as a starting point for thinking about a potential PhD here.

4. Why here and why now?

Finally, the hardest but most important question:

  • Why do you want to do this PhD, in this research area, with this supervisor?

  • Why is now the right time for you to do it?

Good answers here are rarely long — but they are specific. 

What a strong enquiry looks like

A strong PhD enquiry does not need to be very long or formal. It should include:

  • A clear reference to a specific research area or specific project you are interested in for your PhD.

  • Evidence that you are familiar with my research.

  • A brief, concrete description of your background and skills.

  • Some indication that you have checked eligibility and funding constraints.

If you can naturally address most of the questions above in an email, you are doing exactly the right thing.

A final note

I enjoy supervising PhD students, and I care a great deal about making sure that students who start a PhD with me are well matched to the topic, the environment, and the expectations. This page is intended to make that matching process clearer while respecting both of our time.

If, after reading this, you feel that your interests and background align well with my research, you are very welcome to get in touch (or to follow up, if you’ve already sent me an initial email). If not, I hope this still helps you to refine your search and approach other potential supervisors effectively.

Either way: thank you for your interest, and best of luck with your next steps!