The Doctor of Philosophy in Regulation and Governance is Australia's most advanced research qualification in the interdisciplinary study of how societies create, enforce, and reform the rules that govern public life. It combines rigorous original research with the study of regulatory theory, governance frameworks, social policy, and institutional design. Students undertake an extended piece of independent scholarship — typically a thesis of up to 100,000 words — that makes a substantial contribution to knowledge in areas such as environmental governance, digital regulation, financial oversight, health policy, international norm-setting, or anti-corruption frameworks. The program draws on disciplines including law, political science, public administration, sociology, economics, and international relations, allowing candidates to tailor their research to a specific governance challenge relevant to Australia, the Asia-Pacific, or globally.

This degree is designed for driven researchers and senior practitioners who want to go beyond policy implementation and generate original knowledge about how regulatory systems work, why they succeed or fail, and how they can be improved. Candidates typically come from backgrounds in law, public service, social science, economics, international relations, or NGO work. The program blends structured coursework — covering topics such as regulation and governance theory, social research methods, and quantitative data analysis for regulators — with supervised doctoral research across two to four years of full-time study or a part-time equivalent.

Employers of PhD graduates in regulation and governance span the full breadth of Australia's public, private, and civil society sectors. Key employers include Commonwealth and state government departments (particularly those involved in treasury, environment, health, finance, and digital transformation), independent regulatory agencies such as ASIC, the ACCC, the TGA, the AER, and APRA, intergovernmental organisations, law firms and consultancies, think tanks, peak industry bodies, and universities. Internationally, graduates are sought by bodies such as the UN, the OECD, the World Bank, and regional Pacific governance organisations.

Admission to a PhD in Regulation and Governance in Australia typically requires completion of an Australian university honours degree at the level of Honours 2A (Upper Second Class) or above in a relevant discipline such as law, political science, public policy, sociology, economics, or international relations. Alternatively, applicants may be admitted on the basis of equivalent prior studies, such as a bachelor's degree combined with a graduate diploma or a master's degree that includes a substantial research component. In some cases, applicants holding a bachelor's degree alongside significant professional qualifications, relevant work experience in government, regulatory bodies, or NGOs, and/or published research may be considered on an equivalent basis. Most universities expect a research component constituting at least 25% of the qualifying degree, and minimum grade thresholds typically range from 65% to 75% WAM depending on the institution.

Applicants are expected to submit a detailed research proposal (usually 7–8 pages) outlining their proposed topic, research questions, theoretical framework, methodology, and contribution to the field. They must also identify and secure the support of at least one, and often two, potential supervisors from within the host school before formally applying. Referees — typically at least two academic and one professional — are required, and some programs may conduct interviews. International applicants must satisfy English language proficiency requirements, with most universities accepting IELTS Academic scores of 6.5–7.0 overall (with no band below 6.0), or equivalent scores in TOEFL, PTE, or Cambridge English. Domestic Australian citizens and permanent residents are generally eligible for Research Training Program (RTP) fee offsets and stipend scholarships, which cover tuition and provide a living allowance for the duration of the candidature.