Doctoral and MPhil Handbook

Policy changes

Admission to doctoral and MPhil candidature (chapter 2)

Revised policy approved by Research Graduate School Committee at Meeting 2/2006 (7 April 2006).

Former policy

2.1.1 PhD

The minimum qualifications for admission to PhD candidature are:

a bachelors degree requiring at least four years of full-time study, and which normally includes a research component in the fourth year, leading to an honours degree class I or class IIA level, or
a course leading to a masters preliminary qualification at a level rated by the relevant department, faculty and committee as equivalent to an honours class I or IIA degree, or
a masters degree that entails work, normally including a significant research component, at least equivalent to an honours degree (a ‘significant research component’ in a masters degree will vary from discipline to discipline). It is normally expected that a grade of HIIA has been obtained for the research thesis or project. Where ungraded, examiners' reports will be taken into account, or
have qualifications which in the opinion of the committee are deemed equivalent.

2.1.2 Staff PhD candidature

Monash academic staff members who meet the following criteria may be eligible for staff PhD candidature:

have held a 0.5 level appointment or above at lecturer level B or above for a minimum of three years at Monash
currently hold such an appointment at the time of thesis submission
meet the normal entry qualifications for doctoral candidature, and
wish to submit a thesis based upon published or unpublished papers, at least 75% of which should have been completed during the staff member’s employment at Monash.

A supervisor is not appointed for a staff candidate.

Revised policy (changes have been highlighted in italics)

2.1.1 PhD

2.1.1.1 Standard Entry

The minimum qualifications for admission to PhD candidature are:

a bachelors degree requiring at least four years of full-time study, and which normally includes a research component in the fourth year, leading to an honours degree class I or class IIA level, or
a course leading to a masters preliminary qualification at a level rated by the relevant department, faculty and committee as equivalent to an honours class I or IIA degree, or
a masters degree that entails work, normally including a significant research component, at least equivalent to an honours degree (a ‘significant research component’ in a masters degree will vary from discipline to discipline). It is normally expected that a grade of HIIA has been obtained for the research thesis or project. Where ungraded, examiners' reports will be taken into account, or
have qualifications which in the opinion of the committee are deemed equivalent.

2.1.1.2 Special provision for some Monash academic staff

Where Monash academic staff do not meet standard academic entry requirements as above, a prospective PhD candidate will be supported by his/her faculty during a period of pre-candidature in order to gain research skills for entry. Subsequent formal admission to candidature would be subject to successful completion of a confirmation process (see 2.10 and 3.7).

2.1.2 Staff PhD candidature

Monash academic staff members who meet the following criteria may be eligible for staff PhD candidature under regulation Part 1, section 5 of the PhD regulations:

have held a 0.5 level appointment or above at lecturer level B or above for a minimum of three years at Monash
currently hold such an appointment at the time of thesis submission
meet the normal entry qualifications for doctoral candidature, and
wish to submit a thesis based upon published or unpublished papers, at least 75% of which should have been completed during the staff member’s employment at Monash.

A supervisor is not appointed for a staff candidate.