Getting started

Making a smooth and settled transition to your higher degree by research program will help you to feel comfortable and best able to succeed.

Accepting your offer, getting ready for your first day, enrolment, induction and understanding the policies and procedures that apply to you are all important steps in getting started at the University of Newcastle.

Accepting your offer

If your PhD or Research Masters application is successful you will be sent a letter of offer. If you have also applied for a scholarship, you will be notified of the outcome at the same time.

International students accept their offer by returning the Admission Offer Acceptance Form, along with any documents listed in the Conditions of Offer.

Domestic students are directed to accept their Offer online. Simply login to myHub with the details that were previously emailed to you. If your offer is conditional you will have to provide specified documents before you can enrol. Once you have accepted your offer and all conditional requirements have been met, you will be able to self-enrol with myHub using your new student login details.

For help accepting your offer please contact Graduate Research.

Before you commence

All commencing higher degree by research candidates can do certain things to prepare for their studies. The following steps will give you the best chance of making a smooth transition to your new life at the University of Newcastle so that you feel as comfortable as possible from day one.

  • Let us know when you’re arriving! Email: graduate-research@newcastle.edu.au to confirm your commencement date. If you let us know early enough, we can ensure everything is ready for you from the start, including your laptop and access to support services.
  • Book a place at a Graduate Research Meet and Greet session. These take place on the first Monday of every month (except January) on Callaghan campus and are an important induction experience for all commencing candidates. If you have given us at least two weeks’ notice of when you plan to start, you will also be able to collect your free laptop at the session. We will let you know when your session is on.
  • Schedule a first face-to-face meeting with your supervisory team. Once you have booked your place at a Meet and Greet session, why not arrange your first meeting with your supervisors for later in the same day.

International students

Candidates moving to Australia have additional things to do to prepare for life in the country. You will receive information on what to do before departing as part of your onboarding pack. The important things to arrange include:

  • Student visa: You must arrange a valid Student visa for the duration of your studies. The Australian Government Department of Home Affairs provides comprehensive information about the Student visa (subclass 500) and the process to apply for a visa. All visa applications are lodged and assessed by the Department. To apply for your visa you will need to have received your Confirmation of Enrolment document, also known as an eCOE. We will send you this after you have accepted your offer to study with us and paid any deposit fees. The base student visa application charge set by the Department of Home Affairs is $1,600.
  • Overseas Student Health Cover: It is a condition of your Student Visa to have OSHC for the duration of your Visa. If you are awarded a scholarship, your Offer of Admission will have included details on the coverage that can be arranged for you. The University's preferred provider is Medibank. As part of your offer acceptance, you can elect for the University to arrange OSHC on your behalf. The Department of Home Affairs website contains information on OSHC requirements.
  • Travel: Along with booking your flights, you should plan how you will travel from the airport to Newcastle. The University's Before you Leave page has up-to-date information on your options.
  • Accommodation: You may need to arrange temporary accommodation for your first weeks in Newcastle so that you can visit longer term accommodation after you have arrived. The Accommodation webpage lists some of your options.
  • School registration: If you have School-age children (5-18) you will need to register them with the NSW Department for Education. Note that there may be fees applicable for children of temporary residents.
  • Finances: bring AUD $1,000 in cash and $3,000 with you for accommodation, transport, food and other essential costs on your arrival. Note that if you are on a HDR scholarship, it may take up to four weeks from your commencement to receive your first payment. You may also choose to apply for a bank account online before you arrive. For more information on opening a bank account and on cost of living in Australia, see the Finances page.
  • Budgeting: The University's HDR living allowance stipend base rate is $36,000 – it is recommended that you should budget on this as a minimum amount for living expenses. Beyond that, the table on the HDR Costs page provides indicative amounts required for a student and are presented as a guide only. Note that the Department of Home Affairs has a Living Costs Calculator for international students.
Enrolment

Your enrolment takes place in myHub, which is accessed by logging into myUni .

For your first enrolment, you will be asked to complete some mandatory tasks, such as updating your contact details and accepting the terms and conditions before you may proceed. If you have any conditions attached to your enrolment, these must also be cleared before you may proceed.

Please note that you will be able to enrol up to two weeks before your start date (which is stated in your offer letter). You have until two weeks after your start date to complete the enrolment process.

The step-by-step enrolment process is described in the Re-enrolment Guide.

For help with your enrolment, please contact Graduate Research. If your query is of a technical nature please contact Digital Technology Solutions on 02 492 17000. If the process has been completed correctly, you will see a green tick in the status box.

Ongoing students must then re-enrol at the start of each academic year. Detailed instructions on how to re-enrol are found in the Re-enrolment Guide.

Meet and Greet

Meet and Greet sessions

After you accept your offer, you will be invited to attend a Meet and Greet session, which take place on the first Monday of every month.

This is an opportunity to connect with other commencing students and to learn important information on managing your candidature and the supports available to help you start your research degree successfully. The knowledgeable Graduate Research team will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.

You will also receive your HDR laptop and receive details to sign up to HDR HQ SharePoint, your one stop shop for everything you need to know during your research degree.

Make a smooth start

At the University of Newcastle, we know how important it is for students feel comfortable in their new surroundings from day one. There are a range of other activities you should undertake in your first weeks to smooth your induction to life as a research student.