Confirmation of PhD research proposals

Faculty of Arts confirmation of PhD research proposals

During the period of provisional candidature and as part of the process of confirming full candidature, candidates shall furnish a dissertation proposal to the Higher Degrees Review and Admissions Committee (HDRAC). This proposal must be submitted within:

12 months of the commencement of enrolment (or 24 months of part-time enrolment); or
12 months of the completion of coursework in the case of candidates required to undertake coursework.

The purpose of the proposal

The purpose of this proposal is to clearly set out the:

goals of the PhD study
relationship of the work to our current body of knowledge in this discipline area
methodologies by which the goals will be addressed
likely outcomes of the work, together with their significance.

Preparing the proposal

Candidates should ensure they adhere to the guidelines for the dissertation proposal when preparing their proposal – particularly in relation to headings and length.

A workshop dedicated to the preparation of the PhD research proposal is presented mid-year to inform students of the focus of the PhD study/goals and the objectives of the research proposal. The Faculty of Arts will present information specific to Arts candidates at a postgraduate induction seminar in March and a PhD confirmation information seminar in August of each year.

The Faculty of Arts policy for the management of the confirmation of candidature requires that PhD candidates publicly present their proposal in an open forum to a confirmation panel.

Faculty of Arts Confirmation process

The Associate Dean (Research) or nominee, in consultation with the candidate's supervisor, will organize for candidates to present their PhD Proposal in an open forum which will be advertised to staff and other postgraduates.
Provision may be made for external students to present their work via live telephone conference to the panel whenever possible.
The Associate Dean (Research) or nominee will organize a ‘panel' of members which will comprise the Associate Dean (Research) as chair, the candidate's supervisor, plus 2 - 3 other staff members who have doctorates, at least one of whom should be outside of the candidate's discipline.
This panel will comprise the formal element of the process, and will be responsible for endorsing the candidate's work before it is submitted to the Associate Dean (Research) for approval and the Research Degrees Committeefor noting. The Associate Dean (Research) will then submit the application to the University Research and High Degrees Committee (HDRAC) for approval.
Constructive feedback will be provided to the candidate both in the open forum during a discussion after the presentation, and by the panel who will provide written feedback on a form to be collected by the chair and forwarded to the supervisor.
The form will also serve as formal endorsement of the candidate's work. If there are suggestions for changes or development of the work prior to submission to HDRAC, these must be carried out to the supervisor's satisfaction before being confirmed by the Associate Dean (Research), who may return the revised proposal to the panel for further advice.
The Associate Dean (Research) will file a record of the candidate's completed proposal and the panel's confirmation documents until the degree is awarded.

Dissertation proposal review

The review of the full dissertation proposal by the Faculty panel and HDRAC is intended to assist a candidate to work towards production of a dissertation that will be acceptable to examiners.

It enables the HDRAC to assess whether, after the first full-time equivalent year of study, the candidate and their supervisors have:

appropriate Faculty support
a clear outline of a thesis topic which constitutes an original contribution to knowledge
an understanding of the potential significance of the work
determined the methodologies by which the work will be undertaken.

If, after reading a proposal, the HDRAC has any concerns regarding any of these issues, it may hold further discussions with the candidate, the supervisors and/or other Faculty members. Where it considers it appropriate, the Committee may request a resubmission of the proposal in full or in part, having outlined specific additions, omissions, or clarifications it wishes to have addressed.