Doctoral & Master of Philosophy examination

Faculty of Art and Design
Doctor of Philosophy in the speciality of visual arts (by Studio Research – 85% Research)

(See Doctor of Philosophy regulations 7-15)

Course Overview

Research component

Candidates develop a studio research project, resulting in a body of work examined by exhibition. The works in the exhibition are not only new but result in a doctoral level contribution, which has substantial cultural significance. Unless site specific, the Faculty requires doctoral examination exhibitions to be conducted on campus at either the Caulfield or Gippsland campuses.

The examinable material includes a written exegesis of about 30,000 words accompanied by a permanent visual/photographic archival record of the visual work. The documentation outlines the development of the research and provides a critical context within which the work may be viewed and examined.

NOTE: Performance-based work will not be allowed under the procedures outlined below.

Coursework component

Candidates also undertake a sequence of three units, which guide them through the discursive and documentary dimensions of their project:

ADD5091 Research Methods
ADD5092 Theory Workshop
ADD6093 Documentation Studies

Synopsis: Centres around a proposal written in the critical context of contemporary issues in the visual arts. It is undertaken at the initial stages of the course and is therefore encouraged to be provisional, positioning the work but with a sense of flexibility and openness to current discourses that inform contemporary practice.

Assessment: Preliminary work on studio proposal: 25% + Annotated studio proposal (5,000 words): 75%

ADD5092 Theory Workshop
6 credit points. 2 hours per week. 10 hours of private study. Second semester. Caulfield, Distance
Prerequisites: ADD5091

Synopsis: Challenges the proposal in the light of the visual work being undertaken in the studio. It is more analytical and critical in regard to the candidate's own work than the first subject and results in an assessment of the extent to which the original ideas were feasible.

Assessment: Preliminary work on studio proposal: 25% + Annotated studio proposal (5,000 words): 75%

ADD6093 Documentation Studies
6 credit points. 2 hours per week. 10 hours of private study. Second semester. Caulfield, Distance Prerequisites: ADD5091 & ADD5092

Synopsis: Demands an expression of the synthesising, which occurred throughout the studio work and so results in a ‘conclusion' in the form of an argument for the cultural significance of the work.

Assessment: Preliminary work on paper: 25% + Paper concerning the documentation of achievements (5000 words): 75%.

Preparation and presentation of doctoral thesis

Information on the preparation and presentation of a doctoral thesis is found in Chapter 7: Thesis and Examination Matters of the Doctoral Information Handbook: www.mrgs.monash.edu.au/research/.

Submission of Documentation & Examination Procedures

Timeline

While it is expected that sections of the work will be submitted progressively to the supervisor for review and comment throughout candidature , it is strongly recommended that candidates give their supervisor(s) a first draft of their completed exegesis either six months (full-time) or one year (part-time) before their candidature end date. This should allow time for any necessary adjustments and refinements to be made to the exegesis before the final submission for examination is made.

Decisions concerning the exact date and venue for the examination exhibition will not be made until the exegesis is complete and submitted for examination. The Faculty expects to be able to arrange the exhibition between eight and twelve weeks from this point. In this time administrative processing occurs, final arrangements are made with the gallery and examiners, and examiners receive the exegesis and prepare to view the work.

Steps to Submission & Examination

• Once the candidate, the Principal Supervisor and the Associate/Joint Supervisor (if appropriate) have agreed that the Doctoral research project and exegesis are ready for examination, the Principal Supervisor and candidate complete the appropriate parts of the PhD submission documentation (available from Faculty Office or in the Doctoral Information Handbook at www.mrgs.monash.edu.au/research/.and submit with four bound copies of the exegesis to the Head of Department.

• The Head of Department reviews the submission and if satisfied, discusses with the Principal Supervisor two potential examiners (who are informally contacted by the supervisor or nominee with regards to the examination). Candidates have the right to submit names of people whom they do not wish to examine the thesis. However, they may not nominate examiners.

Of the two examiners at least:

• One must be of international standing and
• One must reside outside Victoria .

Concurrently, the Principal Supervisor also discusses with the Gallery Manager a suitable exhibition venue and examination dates.

• Once this information has been ascertained, the Head of Department forwards the four bound copies and completed submission documentation (including the Nomination of Examiners Form ) to the Executive Officer in the Faculty Office, who will then liaise with the Associate Dean, Research & Graduate Studies with regards to the final signing off of the submission documentation. The Executive Officer will then forward the documentation (exegesis and visual record of the work) and the submission documentation to the Manager at Monash Research Graduate School.

Note: The date of receipt by Monash Research Graduate School will be the recorded submission date and the candidate will be classified as 'Under Examination' from this time.

Exhibition will be at least ten weeks after the documentation is submitted to the Monash Research Graduate School to allow for approval of nominated examiners by the Monash Research Graduate Committee and processing by Monash Research Graduate School.

Scholarships payments made to scholarship holders will cease from this submission date.

• Once examiners have been approved by the Monash Research Graduate School Steering Committee, the officer responsible for thesis examinations in the Monash Research Graduate School will contact the two examiners nominated in order to ascertain their availability to examine the exhibition in situ at the proposed times and venue. Should either of the examiners not be available to view the examination exhibition, the Head of Department, in consultation with the Principal Supervisor, should nominate replacement examiners who would be approved by the Monash Research Graduate School Steering Committee in the normal way.

• Once the proposed examiners' availability have been confirmed, the officer responsible for thesis examinations in the Monash Research Graduate School will write to the candidate informing him/her of the venue and dates of the examination exhibition.

• The two examiners will be forwarded the exegesis by Monash Research Graduate School prior to viewing the exhibition. Examiners will be advised of the venue, start and finish dates of the examination exhibition.

• In consultation with the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies or nominee, the candidate and the supervisor(s) will hang/install the exhibition at the scheduled time. The norma l minimum duration for a doctoral exhibition is at least five working days.

• The two examiners will separately and independently view the examination exhibition. However, in order to ensure the integrity of the examination process, both examiners must be exposed to, or experience the same examinable work in the same way.

• The candidate, at an appropriate time determined by the Monash Research Graduate School Steering Committee, will provide a copy of the typed catalogue with full specifications of each work in the exhibition, as included in the documentation (exegesis and visual record of the work).

• The Associate Dean of Research & Graduate Studies or nominee will meet each examiner on arrival at the exhibition. Where the AD(RGS) is also the supervisor, a nominee/replacement must be appointed.

• No part of the body of works that constitutes the thesis may be altered or disposed of before each examiner has submitted their report and until the Monash Research Graduate Committee has confirmed that the degree is awarded. Works will be stored in order that a re-submission may be made, if this is required. At times, an examiner may request supplementary work to be carried out, in which case the thesis work will have to be made available at a future date in order that comparisons can be made and the examination completed. If an advisory panel is convened and that panel recommends the appointment of an adjudicator, then that person shall see the original thesis exhibition, which shall be reassembled for that purpose. If, after due consultation, it is determined that the candidate must revise and resubmit the thesis (ie the exhibition) then the candidate will mount the exhibition in its entirety for examination by the appointed examiner or examiners.

Further information concerning thesis and examination matters can be found in Chapter 7 of the Doctoral Information Handbook, www.mrgs.monash.edu.au/research/.