Past Handbooks (2000 to 2009)

UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POSTGRADUATE AWARD MASTERS BY RESEARCH

1. Granting an award of the University

Candidates who have fulfilled the Requirements of the Masters by Research award in which they are enrolled and have complied with all Statutes and other Requirements applicable to them may be granted the Award.

2. Approval of Course of Study

Each candidate’s personal course of study and any modifications of that course shall require the approval of the relevant Head of School and the Board of Postgraduate Studies Committee (BPSC).

3. Duration of Candidature

The candidate shall undertake a course of study leading to the submission of a thesis for examination. The thesis may not normally be submitted earlier than one calendar year nor later than two (for a full-time candidate) or four (for a part-time candidate) calendar years after enrolment, except that in special circumstances the BPSC may grant an extension of the relevant period.

The University will not normally accept a candidate who has been enrolled at another institution for more than one year (full-time equivalent) or release a candidate who has been enrolled for more than one year (full-time equivalent).

4.1 Supervision

The relevant faculty shall appoint for each candidate a Supervisory Committee which shall be a group convened to support the Principal Supervisor, as Chair of the Committee, and the Head of the School in their supervision of a candidate.

The Head of School shall nominate, at the time of enrolment, a replacement Supervisor, who is a member of the Supervisory Committee as a Co-Supervisor or Associate Supervisor and who is eligible to assume the role of Chair, if the Principal Supervisor leaves the University.

Members of the Supervisory Committee shall:

4.1.1 be members (or adjunct members) of the University’s academic and research staff in a school in which the candidate is enrolled and be listed on the Register of Supervisors or other persons with expertise appropriate to, but not necessarily or specifically in, the candidate’s research area;
4.1.2 not be near relatives or partners of the candidate. If such circumstances arise during the candidature, this shall result in consequential changes to the membership of the Supervisory Committee.

4.2 The Supervisory Committee shall include:

4.2.1  a Chair (ie Principal Supervisor), who shall be a member (or adjunct member) of the University’s academic and research staff in a school in which the candidate is enrolled and be listed on the Register of Supervisors at the appropriate level;
4.2.2  the Head of the School (or nominee);
4.2.3  the Head of Discipline (if appropriate);
4.2.4  the Research Student Monitor nominated by the faculty; and
4.2.5  other Co-Supervisors or Associate Supervisors as approved by the faculty.

4.3 The full Supervisory Committee shall participate in the confirmation of candidature and exit seminar processes. The day-to-day management of the candidature shall be performed by the Principal Supervisor (and any Co-Supervisors or Associate Supervisors) under the direction of the relevant Head of School.

5.1 Confirmation of Candidature

The candidate shall apply to have their candidature confirmed:

5.1.1 normally within the first four months of enrolment for a full-time candidate; or
5.1.2 normally within the first eight months of enrolment for a part-time candidate.

5.2 The candidate shall present seven days before the seminar, to the Chair of the BPSC through the Principal Supervisor and the Head of the School, a 2000 word project proposal including the aims, methodology, budget, timeline, progress to date and any other academic and/or artistic issues arising from the program of work, together with a second piece of substantive written work, usually a literature review.

5.3 The candidate shall orally present a seminar on the work. The candidate’s Supervisory Committee (or their nominees) must attend the seminar and meet after the seminar to discuss the outcome.

5.4 The seminar presentation and the proposal shall be reported upon by the members of the Supervisory Committee in a combined report to the BPSC.

5.5 In considering the reports on the seminar presentation the BPSC may interview the candidate, and if appropriate, members of the Supervisory Committee, and any other relevant person.

5.6 The BPSC may make suggestions to the candidate as to how the research might be improved and may seek independent peer review. The Principal Supervisor and the head of the School shall also be informed of such suggestions. The advice provided need not necessarily be accepted by the candidate.

5.7 The BPSC shall approve one of the following:

5.7.1  confirmation of candidature;
5.7.2  confirmation of candidature with additional specified work requirements; or
5.7.3  termination of candidature.

5.8 The decision of the BPSC shall be conveyed to the candidate in writing within 14 days of the date of the decision with advice of the candidate’s right of appeal according to Requirement 10 below.

6.1 Generic Skills Training

A candidate shall normally be expected to undertake a program of transferable (generic) skills training as detailed in the Handbook for Research Higher Degree Students.

6.2 A candidate must develop an individual program in collaboration with the Principal Supervisor, the Co-Supervisor and any Associate Supervisors as soon as possible after the commencement of candidature to reflect the candidate’s research training needs and career aspirations.

6.3 A candidate’s progress shall be reviewed as part of the confirmation of candidature, annual reporting and exit seminar processes.

7.1 Progress Reports

A progress report must be submitted by a candidate annually. The report shall be on the prescribed form which shall be forwarded to the candidate by the Registrar.

7.2 The completed form shall bear the comments of the candidate, the Principal Supervisor and the head of the School (or nominee).

7.3 In the event of problems being identified in the report, the candidate’s progress shall be formally monitored by the Head of School for a prescribed period.

7.4 In the event of an unsatisfactory progress report, the BPSC shall interview the candidate and/or the Principal Supervisor and recommend one of the following:

7.4.1  candidature be approved to continue;
7.4.2  reconsideration of candidature subject to work undertaken to the satisfaction of the Supervisory Committee and the BPSC; or
7.4.3  termination of candidature.

7.5 The recommendation shall be conveyed in writing to the candidate within 14 days of the date of the decision together with advice of the candidate’s right of appeal according to Requirement 10 below.

8.1 Final Year (Exit) Seminar Presentation

A candidate shall at a seminar present an overview and synthesis of major findings of the thesis in a public forum during the final year of candidature. The candidate’s Supervisory Committee (or their nominees) must attend the seminar and meet after the seminar to discuss the outcome.

8.2 The seminar presentation on the work shall be reported upon by the members of the Supervisory Committee in a combined report to the BPSC.

8.3 The BPSC shall then approve one of the following:

8.3.1 that the research is of a standard and extent appropriate for submission as a thesis; or
8.3.2 that further research work is required.

9.1 Thesis Examination

At the appropriate time for each candidate, the BPSC shall appoint two examiners. At least one examiner shall be external to the University. No member of the Supervisory Committee may be an examiner. On receipt of the examiners’ reports the BPSC shall recommend:

9.1.1  that the degree be awarded; or
9.1.2  that the degree be awarded subject to such minor amendments to the thesis as the examiners may suggest; or
9.1.3  that the degree be not awarded but that the candidate be allowed to resubmit the thesis or take such further examination as the BPSC shall prescribe; or
9.1.4  that the degree be not awarded.

9.2 The degree may be conferred only when a final unbound copy, and normally a PDF file, of the thesis have been deposited in the Library or a written guarantee has been provided by the appropriate Head of School that the said School holds all the material necessary for the preparation of these copies.

10.1 Appeal

A candidate affected by a decision of the BPSC pursuant to the Masters by Research Requirements may appeal against the decision. Such appeal shall be instituted by a notice in writing setting out the grounds thereof and shall be submitted to the University Registrar within 28 days of the notification to the candidate of the decision appealed from.

10.2 The Appeal shall be determined by an Appeal Panel which is independent of the BPSC and established by the University Registrar.

10.3 The Appeal Panel shall consist of the Chair, Academic Board (or nominee) (Chair) and four members appointed by the Chair. Two members of the Appeal Panel shall be postgraduate students chosen in consultation with the President of the Postgraduate Student Association.

10.4 The Appeal Panel shall meet within 28 days of the University Registrar receiving the notice in writing from the candidate as outlined in 10.1 above.

10.5 The Appeal Panel shall consider only:

10.5.1  the grounds of the request for the appeal;
10.5.2  any documents relevant to the decision against which the candidate has appealed;
10.5.3  such further material as the Appeal Panel may, in the exercise of its discretion, permit to be placed before it if it considers it necessary or desirable in the interests of justice to do so.

10.6 The candidate shall have the right to be heard in person or to make submissions in writing; and to be represented by the Student Association Academic Support Services Coordinator, the Student Association Welfare Coordinator, or another member of the University community not acting in a legal capacity, provided that any candidate to be so represented must notify the University Registrar at least 48 hours prior to the time set for the appeal.

10.7 The Appeal Panel shall have the power to allow or dismiss an appeal against the decision; or vary the decision of the BPSC.

10.8 The Chair of the Appeal Panel shall notify the University Registrar forthwith of its decision and reasons and the University Registrar shall notify in writing the student within 14 days of the Appeal Panel’s decision. The Chair of the Appeal Panel shall also advise the Board of Postgraduate Studies Committee of the outcome and any recommendations made by the Appeal Panel.

10.9 The Appeal Panel’s decision shall be final.