Economics Thesis Workshop

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements for this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

All PhD students in Economics will be enrolled in this subject. A key purpose of this subject is to prepare the student for confirmation of their candidacy. Another purpose is to aid the student in the preparation and completion of their thesis. Students are expected to attend at least one a week of the several professional academic seminars/workshops run in the Department of Economics. Students are also required to meet frequently with their advisor. From this, PhD students learn how academics create economics knowledge and participate in the academic community.

Rationale: The introdution of the 4-year structure of the PhD program has prompted a review of the subjects on the books. This language is out of date and has been updated to reflect current realities.

This subject prepares and supports students in writing their PhD thesis. A PhD thesis is a substantial piece of original research. The requirements of a PhD thesis are described in the PhD Handbook, available from the School of Graduate Studies or at http://www.gradstudies.unimelb.edu.au/pgstudy/phd/handbk/.

PhD students in the first year of their program are required to attend a series of workshops. This workshop aims to introduce students to issues involved in research, such as the selection of a research topic, literature search, theoretical reasoning, data collection, presentation of results and evaluation of the limitations of a piece of research.

On successful completion of this subject students will have completed a thesis that has been awarded a PhD. The thesis should:

• Demonstrate authority in the candidate's field and shows evidence of a command of knowledge in relevant fields.
• Demonstrate a knowledge of the appropriate methodological techniques and an awareness of their limitations.
• Make a distinct contribution to knowledge that rests on originality of approach and/or interpretation of the findings and, in some cases, the discovery of new facts.
• Demonstrate an ability to communicate research findings effectively in the professional arena and in an international context.
• Be 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.

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This subject is not available as a breadth subject.