Enrol for the first time as a research student

During enrolment and the period immediately following, we will formalise your details of candidature. Once formal enrolment is finalised, your College will arrange:

• approval of the program commencement date
• determination of program details
• appointment of the supervisory panel (chair/supervisors/advisors) in accordance with the Research Awards Rules
• determination of coursework requirements, and whether these are examinable progress requirements or necessary adjuncts
• determination of the location and durations of fieldwork if known/applicable.

Research topic

Your research topic, or the working title for your thesis, is normally determined when your supervisory panel is being appointed. This may change during your candidature, and these changes are often identified in the Annual Report milestone process. Changes are recorded in the Student System, and appear on ISIS.

Supervisory panel (PhD only)

Until the Chair of the Panel or Primary Supervisor is appointed, the Delegated Authority, or a provisional supervisor appointed by the Delegated Authority, will oversee your candidature. Typically:

• within one month of your commencement a Chair of the Panel is appointed
• within three months of commencement a Primary Supervisor is appointed
• within three months of commencement the remainder of the panel is appointed.

Supervisory panel membership (PhD only)

PhD students are supervised by a supervisory panel, rather than one single supervisor.

The University has a Supervision in Higher Degrees by Research Code of Practice which you should read, along with the Guidelines for Supervision and Candidature of Doctoral Research Students.

A Chair of the Panel is appointed. This person assumes primary responsibility for your supervision, and acts as the convener of your supervisory panel. Other members of your panel may be appointed as supervisors or advisors. Typically:

• if you have one supervisor, that person would be the Chair of the Panel, and at least two advisors would be appointed
• if you have two supervisors, one would be appointed Chair of the Panel and at least one advisor would be appointed
• if three or more supervisors are appointed, one would be appointed Chair of the Panel

At least one supervisor, and if practicable, the Chair of the Panel, 'must be a member of the academic staff of the University employed by the University full-time or part-time on at least a 50 per cent basis'.

It is possible, if necessary, for the Delegated Authority to appoint as Chair of the Panel an academic staff member who is employed by the University on less than a 50 per cent basis. The Delegated Authority may appoint as a supervisor or as Chair of the Panel a person holding full or adjunct academic status, an Emeritus Professor or Emeritus Fellow of the University, or a person with recognised honorary academic status within the University.

The appointment of a supervisor or Chair of the Panel of persons not in the categories above must be approved by your College Dean.

External supervisors

If your research topic requires it, your College Dean can appoint an external supervisor with particular expertise that is not available within the University.

Advisers

Advisers are appointed by the Delegated Authority to provide you with access to further expertise and wider academic contacts.

Supervisory panel (professional doctorate)

The supervisory panel membership for professional doctorate students is as described above, however the supervisory panel is to be confirmed within one month (or earlier) of the start of the thesis component of the program.

Supervisory Panel (MPhil)

Appointment of the supervisory panel for an MPhil candidature follows the same process as above however the panel consists of one or more supervisors. An external co-supervisor may be appointed as described above.

Coursework in research degrees

Commencing from 1 January 2010 all research degrees will be costed at the course level not the program level. If you were to enrol in coursework as described below, the research unit value would be reduced by the number of coursework units to be undertaken and your fees may be affected. You may find that your fees will be greater or less than the indicative fee you were quoted in your offer letter.

• Progress Requirements: If the coursework is a progress requirement of your degree program you must complete the courses successfully in order to remain in the program. Some programs require the successful completion of a number of coursework courses (Part A) before permitting candidates to undertake the research component (Part B) of the degree.
• Necessary Adjuncts: Approval may be granted for you to take a course or courses as a necessary adjunct to your research program. The course must be directly related to your research and provide you with some additional preparation in your discipline area, or allow you to gain some relevant language skills. A necessary adjunct is not a progress requirement, but you would be advised of the expectations of you in the course. A necessary adjunct would normally be undertaken in the first year or so of your candidature.

Care must be taken to ensure that the coursework you need to take is offered in the same or a subsequent semester to your commencing semester.