phd mathematics in new zealand

School of Mathematics and Statistics Te Kura Mātai Tatauranga

The mathematical sciences are the world’s oldest continuously-studied academic discipline—fascinating in their own right and fundamental to many subjects.

Explore the frontiers of pure and applied mathematics, logic and stochastic processes, led by world-class academics.

We work with researchers in many disciplines, including ecology, geophysics, linguistics, music and psychology.

Finding parallels between maths and music

Subject areas, degrees and qualifications, data science, mathematics and statistics.

Actuarial Science, Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics

Develop the skills to visualise, summarise, analyse, and interpret data—and make sense of information from all areas of life, from business and health to the natural world.

Available subjects

Learn from international research leaders to think creatively and apply mathematics and statistics to solve big problems.

• Actuarial Science

Mathematics

Undergraduate degrees, bachelor of science, kelburn, wellington, graduate certificate in science, 1 trimester of full-time study or normally 2 if studied part time, on-campus (kelburn, wellington), graduate diploma in science, 2 trimesters of full-time study or normally 4 if studied part time.

School of Mathematics and Statistics

Postgraduate degrees

Bachelor of science with honours, duration: 2 trimesters of full-time study or normally 4 if studied part time, points: 120, location: kelburn, wellington, type: coursework and research, schedule: lectures, duration: 1 trimester of full-time study or normally 2 if studied part time, location: on-campus (kelburn, wellington), type: coursework, schedule: daytime lectures, master of actuarial science, duration: 3 trimesters of full-time study or normally 6 if studied part time, points: 180, location: pipitea campus, master of applied statistics, type: coursework, practicum and research project, master of data science, duration: 6 trimesters of full-time study, points: 240, type: coursework, practicum, and research project, schedule: lectures and self-directed research, master of science by coursework and thesis, duration: 4–5 trimesters of full-time study or normally 8 if studied part time, schedule: lectures and/or lab sessions, master of science by thesis, duration: 2-3 trimesters of full-time study or normally 5-6 if studied part time, location: wellington campuses and online, type: research, schedule: self-directed study, postgraduate certificate in actuarial science, pgcertactsc, duration: 1 trimesters of full-time study or normally 2 if studied part time, postgraduate diploma in actuarial science, postgraduate diploma in science, doctor of philosophy, duration: minimum 3 years full-time study, or at least 6 years if studied part time, points: 360, schedule: self-directed research.

The one-year taught master's trains students in advanced statistical techniques and prepares them to work in this in-demand industry.

Apply a fusion of mathematics, computer science, statistics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to solve real-world problems.

Best jobs are in Maths

The roles of Actuary, Mathematician, Statistician and Data Scientist ranked in the top ten jobs of 2018.

Hear from our students and graduates

“The Master of Science by thesis programme has given me the most freedom I have ever had to pursue interests, and I have world leaders in the field just down the corridor to help me along the way.” Malcolm Jones, MSc

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Doctor of Philosophy

UC's Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) involves extensive, sustained, original research in your chosen subject. Learn more about doing a PhD through Te Kura Tāura | UC Graduate School. 

TUITION FEES

2024 tuition fees estimate per 120 points:

• Domestic — $7,627 - $9,186 (subject dependent)
• International — $7,627 - $9,186 (subject dependent) for students residing in NZ. Students residing offshore may be charged at the rate of $35,400 - $48,000 per 120 points (subject dependent). Contact Te Kura Tāura | UC Graduate School for more information.

Introduction

The UC Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a research-only degree, carried out under expert supervision and using world-class facilities. At UC you can complete a PhD in over 70 subjects, joining over 1,000 students from more than 60 nations.

A PhD involves extensive, sustained, and original research in your chosen subject, with the results being presented in a thesis that will contribute to intellectual knowledge of the field. It is a mark of intellectual ability, self-discipline, and commitment. A PhD prepares you for a number of careers, including as an academic.

What will my study involve? keyboard_arrow_down

Why study a phd at uc.

• In addition to expert supervision, UC provides all doctoral students with opportunities to gain transferable skills in areas including communication of research, networking, career planning, databases, statistical analysis, ethics, professional practice, and cultural awareness.
• UC has a number of unique research facilities, collections, resources, and field stations; many of which are renowned globally. See more about our Research impact .
• The University has a thriving postgraduate research community which includes clubs and associations for social interaction and support.
• To find out more about the research interests of staff, start by searching the database in the UC Research Profile . UC Research Profile provides information about individual researchers, the projects they are working on, the research groups they belong to, the specialist equipment that they use for research, and their affiliations.
• There are many benefits for international students studying towards a PhD in Aotearoa New Zealand, such as the possibility to work while studying, apply for a work visa once graduated, pay domestic student fees, and school and work benefits for your partner and children.

Entry requirements keyboard_arrow_down

Entry requirements.

Enrolment in a PhD requires completion of a research-focused honours or master’s degree, at First or Second Class (Division I) Honours or Distinction level (or equivalent qualifications).

Applicants with qualifications from outside Aotearoa New Zealand must have been granted admission to the University. Our admissions team, in consultation with the host department, look at your qualifications and transcripts to ensure that you have the background required to complete a PhD. It is possible that you may be required to complete preparatory courses prior to or after admission into a PhD programme.

In exceptional circumstances applicants without the typical academic background, but who can demonstrate the ability to pursue a PhD, may be admitted at the discretion of the Dean of Postgraduate Research.

If English is your additional language, you are also required to meet UC's English language requirements .

For the full entry requirements, see the Regulations for the Doctor of Philosophy or use the admission requirements checker .

One or more courses or research may require vaccination

The government has announced new vaccination requirements for the health and education sectors. At UC, our programmes are strongly connected to our communities of practice. For many of our programmes, you will not be able to complete research or practice-oriented courses if you are not vaccinated. This is due to research/practice taking place in health centres and schools/kura where all employees and volunteers are required to be vaccinated.

For enrolment in the Health Sciences major, you will be required to be vaccinated in line with the  NZ Government regulations , and supply evidence of your vaccination status.

How to apply

PhD students must contact a potential supervisor before applying. Information about the research interests of academic staff (supervisors) can be found on the relevant department website, or the UC Research Profile .

Find out more about how to apply for Doctoral degrees .

See Admission and enrolment for all information on enrolling at UC.

Subjects and courses keyboard_arrow_down

Subjects and courses.

Contact the relevant department for information about these subject areas:

Fees keyboard_arrow_down

2024 tuition fees estimate (per 120 points):

2023 tuition fees estimate (per 120 points):

• Domestic — $7,419 - $8,936 (subject dependent)
• International — $7,343 - $8,845 (subject dependent). Students residing offshore may be charged at the rate of $33,700 - $46,000 per 120 points (subject dependent). Contact Te Kura Tāura | UC Graduate School for more information.

SSL estimate (per 120 points):

• 2024 — $1,100.40
• 2023 — $992.40

Domestic tuition fees

International tuition fees

Student Services Levy (SSL)

Funding your study

Planning my degree

Degree structure keyboard_arrow_down, how do i plan my degree.

You may begin your PhD on the first day of any month of the year. Study and research for the PhD is regarded as a full-time occupation throughout the calendar year.

The minimum period of enrolment for full-time study is 3 years and the maximum period 4 years. There are provisions to apply for part-time study, in which case the minimum period is 4.5 years, and you should complete your thesis within 6 years.

For full requirements, see the Regulations for the Doctor of Philosophy .

Postgraduate Prospectus 2024

Whakatairanga tāura, international prospectus 2024/2025.

Student stories

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Mathematics

Why study Mathematics?

Employers recognise University of Waikato Mathematics graduates for their analytical and problem solving skills as well as their high level of numeracy, which are critical skills for a broad range of jobs.

If you are a graduate with a Mathematics degree, or even with a strong Mathematical component to your degree, you will be a valuable person in today's workforce, with a qualification that appeals to a wide range of employers including banks, insurance companies, schools and government departments.

There is strong employer demand for Mathematicians, due to a shortage of Mathematics graduates and in particular a critical shortage of Mathematics teachers.

Studying Mathematics in combination with another subject means you can work in a number of different fields, such as Chemistry , Biological Sciences, Earth Sciences , Economics , Finance , Engineering ( Chemical and Biological Engineering , Civil Engineering , Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering , Materials and Process Engineering , Mechanical Engineering , Software Engineering ), Physics, Electronics , Banking and Meteorology.

Capable students should consider the flexible double major options in Mathematics and Computer Science , or Mathematics and Data Analytics .

Career Opportunities

• Data analyst
• Financial Analyst
• IT or Computing Analyst
• Mathematical Modeler
• Meteorologist
• Research Scientist
• Secondary School Teacher

School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences

Hamilton, Tauranga

Study Mathematics in these qualifications

• Bachelor of Science
• Master of Science
• Master of Science (Research)
• Master of Philosophy
• Doctor of Philosophy
• Certificate
• Graduate Certificate
• Postgraduate Certificate
• Graduate Diploma
• Postgraduate Diploma
• Master of Arts

Scholarships and prizes

Visit our  Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships.

Subject regulations

Mathematics Subject regulations

Mathematics papers

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You’re currently viewing the website as a domestic student, you might want to change to international.

You're a domestic student if you are:

• A citizen of New Zealand or Australia
• A New Zealand permanent resident

You're an International student if you are:

• Intending to study on a student visa
• Not a citizen of New Zealand or Australia

Why a New Zealand PhD?

New zealand’s phd package.

International PhD students in New Zealand enjoy the following benefits:

How to apply

Apply now to your preferred university:.

Victoria University of Wellington

The University of Waikato

The University of Otago

Massey University

Lincoln University

The University of Canterbury

AUT University

The University of Auckland

Jessica Patiño-Pérez | Colombian PhD student

Still have questions?

How much are tuition fees, what is the phd structure, what is the length of a phd programme, how will my phd be assessed, how soon are you planning to begin your studies.

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Keep exploring

Doctoral students in Mathematics Education and Teacher Education and Teacher Development present at national conference

Posted in: Faculty and Student Research , Presentations , Students and Alumni

John O’Meara, PhD student in Mathematics Education, presented a paper with Shanna Anderson, PhD student in Teacher Education and Teacher Development (TETD), at the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST) conference in Denver, CO on March 19, 2024. They presented their work on Social Network Maps: Supporting STEM Teacher Leaders and Characterizing the Phenomenon of Teacher Leadership, funded by the Wipro Science Education Fellowship grant.

They represented their research team, which includes Drs. Mika Munakata , Emily Klein and Monica Taylor (College of Education and Engaged Learning) and Tim Aberle (PhD student in TETD). Congratulations, all!

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• Ngā akoranga | Study
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• You are currently on: Doctoral

Doctoral study in Education

Why study with us.

• The University of Auckland is ranked first in New Zealand for the subject of Education and is the only New Zealand university to feature in the world's top 50 universities for Education. 1
• We are the top university in New Zealand for graduate employability, which means we are the leading provider of employable, high-quality graduates in New Zealand. 2
• The majority of our research is undertaken in partnership with practice communities.
• Doctoral candidates receive annual Postgraduate Research Student Support (PReSS) funding for research expenses.

1 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject. 2 2023 QS World University Rankings.

Research opportunities

When you join us for your doctoral study in Education, you will be able to help improve the educational and social wellbeing of communities. Our research harnesses the vast potential that diversity brings to address education and social justice issues – nationally, regionally and globally.

Faculty researchers explore educational and social science research from a wide range of perspectives, many of which are aligned to the central theme of superdiversity and the following key sub-themes:

• Leading learning
• Advancing equity for all sectors of society
• Enhancing indigenous opportunities
• Promoting lifelong wellbeing
• Supporting intercultural inclusiveness
• Pasifika research

We welcome research proposals on a wide range of topics, some of which contribute to projects being undertaken in our research centres/units and schools:

• The development of education and schooling success for diverse communities ( Woolf Fisher Research Centre )
• Educational leadership
• Māori and indigenous language revitalisation ( Te Puna Wānanga School of Māori and Indigenous Education )
• Pasifika education
• Enabling staff and postgraduate students to succeed in their academic careers ( Centre for Learning and Research in Higher Education )
• Promoting leadership, equity, achievement and diversity in early literacy ( The Marie Clay Research Centre )
• Increasing research and evaluation capacity through targeted support and networking in collaboration with the social services sector ( Centre for Community Research and Evaluation )
• Health, education and welfare ( Centre for Child and Family Research )
• Applied theatre with an international focus ( Critical Research Unit in Applied Theatre )
• Knowledge in education ( Knowledge and Education Research Unit )
• Parenting and family intervention aimed at preventing behavioural and emotional problems in children and adolescents ( Parenting Research Group )
• Critical studies in Health Education, Physical Education, and Sports Studies ( The Richard Tinning Research Unit )
• Higher education ( Higher Education Research Network )
• Statistical data analysis in research ( Quant-DARE - Quantitative Data Analysis and Research )

Find out more about out available supervisors and research projects you could join by clicking the link below.

Past and current research topics

• "Being the change: Disabled medical students navigating stigma through action" | Supervised by Professor Janet Gaffney and Associate Professor Jay Marlowe
• "Disruptive and decolonising? Subordinate youth practices in health education" | Supervised by Dr Katie Fitzpatrick and Dr Darren Powell
• "Collective leadership in the context of infant-toddler education and care" | Supervised by Dr Deidre Le Fevre and Professor Helen Hedges
• "Refining and enriching children’s working theories: A trialogical approach" | Supervised by Dr Rena Heap and Professor Helen Hedges
• "An exploration of attitudes towards success and their relation to subjective well-being among Korean high school and university students in New Zealand and the Republic of Korea" | Supervised by Professor Gavin Brown and Associate Professor Jason Stephens

Scholarships and awards

University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships

James Bertram Scholarships for Asia

The Kate Edger Educational Charitable Trust Dame Dorothy Winstone Doctoral Completion Award - The University of Auckland

The Kate Edger Educational Charitable Trust First Year Doctoral Award - The University of Auckland

Marie Clay Literacy Trust Research Award - The University of Auckland

If you have any questions or queries, contact us using the details below.

Email: education@auckland.ac.nz

Phone: (09) 623 8883 (within Auckland)             0800 61 62 63 (outside Auckland)             +64 9 373 7513 (overseas)

Apply for doctoral study

Doctoral programmes.

• Doctor of Education
• Doctor of Philosophy

Related subjects

• Early Childhood Education
• Educational Leadership
• Health Education
• Literacy Education
• Māori-medium Education
• Mathematics Education

Related links

• Doctoral applications
• Student support
• Find a scholarship