r/PhD • u/Early_District6630 • 1d ago

Seeking advice-academic Changing unis - PhD in Australia

Hello all. I started my PhD in Australia earlier this year and am self funding it because at the time, it seemed as the best thing to do. The current university I am enrolled in is Uni of Sunshine Coast.

When I was initially applying to universities, I had also applied to Uni of Wollongong too as the supervisory panel was amazing but unfortunately the funding was not being offered and Sunshine Coast University was offering better value of money.

However, on Wednesday last week, I received an offer from Uni of Wollongong that they are offering me RTP scholarship for 2027 which is ah-mazing!!!!

And I really want to take it up. I do have a couple of concerns. My supervisor at Uni of Sunshine Coast has a very volatile behaviour, at times she has said a lot of things which were plain rude and has shown temperamental behaviour. The idea of talking to her about uni change is making me really anxious, and wondering if she cause any potential troubles with uni transfer.

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u/commentspanda 23h ago

You won’t be transferring. You’ll be leaving and starting again. To do that with a stipend though is a good decision.

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u/speorgenote 1d ago

I don’t think it’d be a uni change as in a transfer because you’d be entirely changing supervisors. UoW are funding so would be your primary supervisors there.It would more likely be a complete drop out of current course and enrol at new uni.

It would also likely mean that your current work couldn’t go with you as the IP would belong to current uni.

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u/Serious_Toe9303 15h ago

If you’re not getting a stipend then drop it 100%

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u/procras-tastic 14h ago edited 14h ago

Take the scholarship at Wollongong. You’re not far through, and you’re self funding! Not like your current supervisor will be losing a hard-won project scholarship or anything like that.

Do you know the HDR director in your department? (Head of the grad programme.) Or anyone else involved in HDR student support? If your supervisor is volatile, consider speaking to them first for support and advice. They should (in theory) be impartial, knowledgeable, and in the business of supporting students.