PhD Research

TBA

Please refer to the entry requirements in the PhD Handbook at:
http://www.gradresearch.unimelb.edu.au/

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Please refer to the PhD Handbook at:
http://www.gradresearch.unimelb.edu.au/

None

For the purposes of considering request 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 of 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/

The Doctor of Philosophy is administered at The University of Melbourne by the
Melbourne School of Graduate Research.

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.

Please refer to the PhD Handbook at: http://www.gradresearch.unimelb.edu.au/

Please refer to the PhD Handbook at: http://www.gradresearch.unimelb.edu.au/

None

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.