Confirmation Seminar

Policy and Procedure

Overview

1. Candidates initially enrolled in a Research Methods course are required to complete the Masters Confirmation of Candidature.

2. Candidates enrolled in a research Masters degree normally have up to four months full-time (or equivalent) to have their candidature confirmed.

3. Candidates initially enrolled in a Research Methods course are required to complete six months of full-time or (equivalent) research Masters enrolment after their candidature is confirmed, before an upgrade to PhD candidature can be requested.

4. Other candidates enrolling in a Masters by Research degree aspiring to upgrade to PhD candidature are permitted to undertake confirmation of provisional PhD candidature after six months of full-time (or equivalent) enrolment in the Masters degree. Full PhD candidature may be confirmed, with evidence of satisfactory progress, after six months full-time or twelve months part-time provisional candidature.

5. Candidates enrolled in a research Doctoral degree normally have up to six months full-time (or equivalent) to have their candidature confirmed.

Objectives

Confirmation of Candidature is a formative process for candidates. It is an opportunity:

1. To facilitate timely completion of research higher degrees by assisting candidates to focus and plan their research in a scholarly context.

2. To increase the quality of postgraduate research by providing candidates with public feedback during the planning stage of their research.

3. To facilitate the acquisition of generic skills essential to effective researchers:

• seminar presentation

• proposal writing

• scholarly writing appropriate to the discipline.

4. To ensure that adequate infrastructure, supervision arrangements and funds are in place for the candidate to complete the thesis in a timely, safe and ethical manner.

International Bridging Program

International students are required to complete the International Bridging Program in the first six months of enrolment. This research-based,structured language and learning programassists students to produce the research documents the University requires for confirmation of candidature as well as rehearse their confirmation seminars.

Ethical Research Practice

All candidates are required to attend a workshop on ethical research practice as part of their research skills program and as a condition of their confirmation of candidature.

Procedures

1. The Graduate Research School will advise the candidate when his/her Confirmation of Candidature Seminar is due.

2. The candidate, through their Principal Supervisor, should ask the School Postgraduate Liaison Officer (PLO) to organise the seminar. The seminar must be attended by all members of the candidate's Supervisory Committee (or nominees). Other persons should be encouraged to attend unless this is precluded by a confidentiality agreement with industry partner(s).

If the candidate is unable to deliver the seminar in person, two alternatives are permissible:

• The seminar is delivered by videoconference;

• The candidate provides a video of their seminar presentation (PAL format) to the PLO. This is viewed by their Committee in the normal manner. The candidate is then questioned at a pre-arranged time by teleconference.

Teleconference alone is not permissible.

3. The candidate, through the Principal Supervisor and the Head of School should send copies of the project proposal 1 (of approximately 2,000-words) and notice of the Seminar at least one week in advance, to the candidate's Research Student Monitor and to the Graduate Research School.

The University’s Statistician will be asked to check the statistical design of the project.

4. The candidate also submits a substantive piece or pieces of scholarly writing and/or substantive progress towards artistic work related to the research, e.g. a literature review or papers published and related to the research, as specified by the Head of School, to the Principal Supervisor and the Head of School for approval at least one week before the scheduled seminar.

5. The candidate should rehearse the seminar presentation with the assistance of the Principal Supervisor.

6. At the Seminar, the School PLO chairs the proceedings, introduces the Research Student Monitor to the candidate and, if necessary explains the function of the Seminar. The Seminar should last 30 - 40 minutes and up to 30 minutes should be allowed for question time. The School PLO should distribute appraisal reports.

Assessment

1. The seminar presentation is reported upon by the members of the candidate's Supervisory Committee in a combined report to the Dean of Graduate Research Studies, through the Graduate Research School.

2. Assessment for confirmation of candidature is undertaken on the basis of the written project proposal, the seminar presentation and the completed additional scholarly written work specified by the School

3. Final approval for confirmation of candidature will not be granted until any required ethics approval that is integral to the project has been obtained.

4. If difficulties with academic writing skills are identified during the Confirmation of Candidature evaluation process, the Supervisory Committee may recommend that the candidate be encouraged, through the Graduate Research School, to participate in the academic writing skills program.

5. The Supervisory Committee should meet with the candidate after the seminar to review the candidate’s progress and to provide feedback on the project proposal, supervisory arrangements and resources available.

If there are ongoing concerns about the candidate’s progress, the Dean of Graduate Research Studies may request that an independent viva be held. The viva would be conducted by a senior member of the candidate’s school (or other person with appropriate expertise) in the presence of the Deputy Dean of Graduate Research Studies (or nominee). Both people should have no prior knowledge of the candidate’s presentation or the concerns raised by the Supervisory Committee. Each should submit a separate report to the Dean of Graduate Research Studies.

¹ including the aims, methodology, budget, timeline, progress to date and any other academic and/or artistic issues arising from the program of work.

Approval Details

Modification History