Highlights of the Programme

A Sunway University doctoral degree is a prestigious qualification that will be an invaluable asset to you as you develop your career. A PhD is a marker of exceptional talent; it demonstrates your thirst for knowledge and your ability to acquire and critically evaluate new information. A PhD in Computing at Sunway University offers an academically rich and intellectually exciting opportunity to undertake a major research project in the rapidly changing filed of IT. The programme is open to both full- and part-time students.

• Undertake a major research project in your chosen field of IT or computing
• Opens up opportunities for a rewarding career in the rapidly growing IT industry, with Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Accenture, KPMG, MDeC and BT
• A PhD is a passport to a career anywhere in the world, as companies compete globally to recruit the best.

About the Programme

The Doctor of Philosophy (Computing) programme aims to develop leaders and innovators in the area of computing and ICT. The programme will equip students with the ability and skills to create, develop and extend the frontiers of knowledge in the field of computing or ICT.  Through the programme students will also learn how to adapt new knowledge to meet the computing and ICT needs of businesses and society, in a professional and ethical manner.

The programme involves extensive, independent research under the supervision of a highly-qualified academic. Candidates are required to complete two taught modules, namely Research Methodology and Directed Readings, before progressing to the thesis.  The modules are:

• Research Methodology (taught)
  Candidates examine different research methodologies and consider how research projects are designed.  The module also looks at the main data analysis techniques employed by researchers. At the end of this module, candidates will be expected to formulate and submit a proposal for research in an area of their own interest or specialisation.

• Directed Readings (taught)
  This module will introduce candidates to the key research papers in their chosen field and will help them identify a research question as the basis of their own thesis. Each paper will be read and discussed between the candidate and their supervisor through a series of tutorials.
• Thesis (research)
  The thesis topic may be chosen from any related area in Computer Science, having been decided in consultation with an assigned supervisor. Through the thesis candidates are required to demonstrate that they have mastered their research area, having identified a research problem, and developed a research solution that makes a novel and substantial contribution to the field. The thesis will communicate this knowledge in the form of a written report of sufficient standing to enable possible publication in an international journal, conference or workshop.

Areas of Research
Subject to the expertise within the Faculty of Science and Technology, the areas of research include, but are not limited to the following:

• Ubiquitous and Pervasive Computing
• Networking
• Mobile Computing
• Database Systems
• Image Processing and Computer Vision
• Artificial Intelligence
• Data Mining
• Affective Computing
• Biometrics
• Management Information Systems

Preliminary discussions are usually made between the prospective candidate and the potential supervisor to ascertain a suitable area of research before registering for the programme.

Duration of the Programme

Intakes

Jan, March, June and August

Entry Requirements

• A master’s degree AND candidate must have at least either master’s degree or bachelor’s degree in Computing.
• Any other qualifications will be considered on a case-to-case basis.