Ph.D.- Architecture & Planning

Course 051-AA (2008)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2008.Search for this in the current handbookSearch for this in the current handbook

Year and Campus: 2008
Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Level: Graduate/Postgraduate

Contact

Senior Student Advisor

Melbourne School of Design
Tel: (+61 3) 8344 6417 / 9862

Fax:(+61 3) 8344 5532
Email: abp-graduateschool@unimelb.edu.au

Course Overview: The Doctor of Philosophy degree demands high level research, conceptual and writing skills. Doctoral candidates define research topics that position them in and across the intellectual endeavours of their discipline. Candidates play an important role in the research activities and culture of the Faculty, as they do in the University as a whole. Increasingly, candidates are undertaking PhD projects which have direct industry links or which include a corpus of creative work.

Areas of Research
Students interested in applying for a PhD or Masters (by Thesis) course are advised to enter into written communication with a prospective supervisor to clarify and develop their research proposal prior to making a formal application. Staff research interests can be found in the Staff Profile pages under each discipline section of the Handbook, as well as on the Faculty's website: www.abp.unimelb.edu.au/people/staff

A list of current research topics is available on the Faculty's website: www.abp.unimelb.edu.au/research/degrees/crt.html

Objectives:

A PhD thesis should:

  • constitute a careful, rigorous and sustained piece of work demonstrating that a research apprenticeship is complete and the holder is admitted to the community of scholars in the discipline;
  • demonstrate authority in the candidates field and show evidence of command of knowledge in relevant fields;
  • demonstrate a thorough grasp of the appropriate methodological techniques and an awareness of their limitations;
  • make a contribution to knowledge that rests on originality of approach and/or interpretation of the findings and, in some cases, the discovery of new facts; and
  • demonstrate the candidates ability to communicate research findings effectively in the professional arena and in an international context.

Entry Requirements: Applicants must have at least a four-year Honours degree or equivalent at high Honours standard from an approved institution. Applicants must provide evidence of research potential at the equivalent of an H2A average (75%) at the University of Melbourne. This potential will be assessed on the basis of results from a research dissertation at Honours level (or equivalent) and the applicants research proposal How to Write a Research Program Proposal . Applicants who have not completed the equivalent of a research dissertation at Honours level may be offered a place in a Masters (by Thesis) course with the opportunity to convert to a PhD conditional upon satisfactory progress.

Core Participation Requirements:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

Graduate Attributes: None
Notes: Applicants should note that all PhDs are administered by the Universitys School of Graduate Studies.

Assessment
Major thesis 80,000 words (100 points) or, in the case of creative arts disciplines, creative work and a written exegesis of at least 40,000 words.

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