PhD Research

http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy signifies that the holder has undertaken a substantial piece of original research, which has been conducted and reported by the holder under proper academic supervision and in a research environment for a prescribed period.

The PhD thesis demonstrates authority in the candidate's field and shows evidence of command of knowledge in relevant fields. It shows that the candidate has a thorough grasp of the appropriate methodological techniques and an awareness of their limitations. The thesis also makes a distinct contribution to knowledge. Its contribution to knowledge rests on originality of approach and/or interpretation of the findings and, in some cases, the discovery of new facts. The thesis demonstrates an ability to communicate research findings effectively in the professional arena and in an international context. It is 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.

In scope, the PhD thesis differs from a research Masters thesis chiefly by its deeper and more comprehensive treatment of the chosen subject. It is written succinctly, in English, unless approval has been given for the thesis to be written in a language other than English. The normal length of a PhD thesis is 80,000 words, exclusive of words in tables, maps, bibliographies and appendicies. Footnotes are included as part of the word limit. The thesis should not exceed 100,000 words (or equivalent) without special approval from the Research Higher Degrees Committee.

Duration

The normal period of candidature is three years for full-time candidates with the possibility of two, six month extensions. All PhD candidates are required to complete a minimum of 12 months full-time research at the University in order to benefit from planning, conducting and writing up their research within a University community and environment. Normally the entire PhD is undertaken at the University.

Entry Requirements

Normally a four-year degree at H1 (80%+) level. Some departments of the Melbourne School of Engineering prefer to admit students to the research masters in the first instance with conversion to PhD after 1 year of
study. All PhD students are probationary students for the first year of their studies.

Applicants interested in applying for a PhD are advised to enter into communication with the Postgraduate Coordinator in the relevant department to determine the suitability of their proposed research topic and the availability of appropriate supervision.

Coursework Component

Some research degrees require a coursework component.

Intake

Students may commence a PhD at any time during the year subject to prior arrangement with their nominated supervisor.

Where a student is enrolling in a PhD with a coursework component intake may be restricted by the timetabling of subjects. Please check with the relevant department prior to making any arrangements for enrolment or travel.

Awarding of Final Mark & Grade

Where there is a coursework component the final mark and grade for the degree is the mark and grade awarded for the thesis. A pass in all coursework is required to fulfill the requirements of the degree.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Doctoral degrees at the University of Melbourne seek to develop graduates who demonstrate academic leadership, increasing independence, creativity and innovation in their research work.

The University expects its doctoral graduates to have the following qualities and skills:

• an advanced ability to initiate research and to formulate viable research questions;
• a demonstrated capacity to design, conduct and report sustained and original research;
• the capacity to contextualise research within an international corpus of specialist knowledge;
• an advanced ability to evaluate and synthesize research-based and scholarly literature;
• an advanced understanding of key disciplinary and multi-disciplinary norms and perspectives relevant to the field;
• highly developed problem-solving abilities and flexibility of approach;
• the ability to analyse critically within and across a changing disciplinary environment;
• the capacity to disseminate the results of research and scholarship by oral and written communication to a variety of audiences;
• a capacity to cooperate with and respect the contributions of fellow researchers and scholars;
• a profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of research and scholarship;
• an advanced facility in the management of information, including the application of computer systems and software where appropriate to the student's field of study;
• an understanding of the relevance and value of their research to national and international communities of scholars and collaborators;
• an awareness where appropriate of issues related to intellectual property management and the commercialisation of innovation; and
• an ability to formulate applications to relevant agencies, such as funding bodies and ethics committees.

The University provides a variety of opportunities in additions to the supervised research program, to facilitate a student's acquisition of these attributes.