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Research Higher Degrees

Candidate's Guide - Admission, Enrolment and Management of Candidature

For further information relating to completing an application and details of the research areas offered by the University of Newcastle, please refer to the following publications:

Australian applicants

International applicants

Applying for a Research Higher Degree Program

 

Closing Dates/Start Dates

Closing dates apply for certain programs (eg PhD Clinical Psychology and PhD Health Psychology close on 5 October each year.  Domestic Scholarship applications close 31 October and International Scholarships close 31 August each year).

 

However as a general rule, research higher degree candidates may now commence on almost any weekday of the year. Closing dates are not enforced for general candidature applications.

 

The qualifications required for an applicant to enter a Research Higher Degree are prescribed in the Doctor of Philosophy Schedule and the Master of Philosophy Schedule.

 

You are required to provide a research proposal with your application, indicating the nature of the research you wish to undertake. You are encouraged to consult with academics at the University in your chosen discipline prior to lodging your application. You can search for areas of research expertise at: http://www.newcastle.edu.au/research/warp/index.html

 

Your application will be recorded electronically on our system and if you have provided an email address you will be sent an applicant login and password for checking the status of your application via the website.

Your application will then be assessed initially by the Office of Graduate Studies and then sent to the relevant Faculty.  The Faculty will consider the following:

If your candidature application is successful you will receive an offer letter which will include any conditions that have been placed on your candidature. The letter will outline your program, supervisory arrangements and any other details relevant to actioning the offer and your initial enrolment.  The offer may be provisional if verification of documents or claims is required.

 

To accept the offer you will visit the myHub website and login with the details that were previously emailed to you. If your offer is conditional you will have to provide any documents requested to the Office of Graduate Studies before you can enrol. Candidates have the flexibility to commence at a time that is suitable to them and their supervisors. If deferral is possible this will be indicated in your letter of offer.  Once you have accepted your offer and all requirements have been met, you will be able to self enrol via myHub. You and your principal supervisor will receive confirmation of your enrolment and commencement date. When you accept an offer you will be given new student login details. They can be accessed at the myHub website under ‘Student Login Details’.

 

If you do not have an email account your login details can be requested by telephone. Identifying information will be required. If you do not have reliable internet access, a paper based acceptance and enrolment system can be put in place.

 

If you have also applied for a scholarship, separate advice will be provided.  Advice on admission to candidature will be provided prior to advice on scholarship outcomes.  First round scholarship offers will be made in early December. Scholarship offers must be accepted within 14 days.

 

Enrolment

Your enrolment criteria will be pre-determined based on the information provided in your application (full-time or part-time) and in your offer letter. Your enrolment load (full or part-time) will continue for the duration of your candidature unless you advise the Office of Graduate Studies of a change, in writing. Enrolment should be on a full-time basis if the program to be followed represents your principal activity.  It will be assumed that if you are enrolled full-time you will devote normal working hours to your research.

 

4 Week Window

You will be able to enrol via myHub up to 2 weeks prior to and 2 weeks after the start date that appears on your offer letter. You may amend your start date during the enrolment process. When you visit myHub to enrol you will only be able to proceed if all of the To-Do items and holds have been completed. Further enrolment instructions can be found at http://www.newcastle.edu.au/research/rhd/studentselfservice.html

 

You may accept part-time employment to supplement or provide income necessary to sustain a full-time program, but the extent of that part-time employment must not detract from your ability to fulfil obligations imposed by full-time candidature, except in exceptional circumstances and with approval from the Assistant Dean Research Training. If you have permanent employment in excess of an average of 20 hours per week you must enrol in the degree on a part-time basis.

 

Scholarship holders must be enrolled full-time except in circumstances approved by the Research Training Sub-Committee. Scholars enrolled part-time must pay tax on their scholarship. Scholars may work no more than 8 hours per week and only if it does not interfere with their program of study.

 

International students cannot be enrolled part-time, nor work more than 20 hours per week in line with their visa provisions.

 

International students who change their citizenship status to permanent residency must inform the Office of Graduate Studies and Student Services immediately.


Re-enrolment

Candidates are required to re-enrol in Semester 1 and Semester 2 every year unless they take approved leave of absence or withdraw from candidature. They are also required to re-enrol on return from leave of absence. It is an individual responsibility to check ‘myHub’ each semester to ensure that enrolment and personal details are correct and to pay any student fees or charges.  Please refer to the RHD Student Self Service web site for more information.

Off Campus Candidature

Under the Degree Rules "a candidate shall be required to carry out the program in the University, except as otherwise permitted by the Assistant Dean Research Training". When considering an application for off-campus enrolment, the Assistant Dean Research Training must be satisfied you reside and work outside a 50km radius of the campus. You must advise how often face-to-face contact with the Supervisor will take place and by what method contact will be maintained with your Supervisor. You must submit the request in writing together with the written support of the Supervisor and Head of School. Formal approval is required from the Assistant Dean Research Training.

You will be responsible for providing your own resources and you should be aware that the University does not provide special services should you wish to undertake this mode of study.

The application form is available from the Office of Graduate Studies.

Induction

Prior to your enrolment you were required to acknowledge the RHD Induction requirement and nominate a method of undertaking this program.  The acknowledgement provided details about the content of induction and highlighted the areas covered by the program.  Induction provides information on the University's  policies and practices, requirements of candidature, Library and other facilities and services available in respect of postgraduate studies.  Current RHD candidates and student representatives also provide valuable input.

 

All candidates are encouraged to register and attend a live induction session as this provides an opportunity to ask questions and meet fellow candidates and relevant people from various administrative services and faculties.

 

We also have an online induction program. This can be undertaken in addition to, or, in place of the live session. At least one of the induction options provided by the Office of Graduate Studies must be completed by all new RHD students, generally within six weeks of commencing. To access the online induction, log in to Blackboard at http://blackboard.newcastle.edu.au  and 'Induction for Research Higher Degree Students' will be listed on your course list.  Instructions for completing the induction are available within the program.  The online program also provides you with a useful resource to refer to during your candidature.

 

You may also be invited to attend an induction session conducted by your Faculty. At this session you will be provided with Faculty and School policy and procedures in respect of postgraduate studies and you will be introduced to the Faculty and School administration. It is important for you to attend your faculty induction session as practices and expectations can vary between faculties. Faculty or School staff will be responsible for settling you into your School, introducing you to members of the School and, ensuring that you have basic facilities such as a desk and chair, access to a phone, a mail delivery point, and access to computing and photocopying facilities.

Confirmation Year

The University of Newcastle requires Research Higher Degree candidates who commenced candidature from 2006 onwards to undertake a confirmation process within twelve months of commencement of candidature on a full-time basis (or part-time equivalent).  Further details are available at www.newcastle.edu.au/research/rhd/confirmationyear.html

 

Concurrent Enrolment

As a candidate for a research higher degree, either Masters or Doctoral, you must not be enrolled concurrently as a candidate for any other degree or qualification at this or any other higher education institution, except with the permission of the Assistant Dean Research Training.

Notwithstanding, as a Doctoral candidate you may be permitted to undertake a period of study at another higher education institution (often overseas) if the proposed studies are a necessary and integral part of your program. In such cases, access by you to facilities at the alternative institution and supervision and control within the institution, must be arranged through your supervisor in advance and given formal approval by your Assistant Dean Research Training.


Policy on Upgrade from Masters to Doctor of Philosophy

Applications for upgrade from a Masters program to a Doctor of Philosophy program may be considered by your Assistant Dean Research Training after two semesters of full-time enrolment or four semesters of part-time enrolment provided the prescribed criteria are met.

The following criteria have been adopted to measure your progress:

It is your responsibility to apply for an upgrade from a Masters to a PhD program. This application should detail the way in which you have satisfied the Faculty's requirements. Your supervisor and your Head of School are required to confirm that such requirements have been met and that there are sufficient resources available to successfully support a doctoral candidature, including continued scholarship support where appropriate. Scholars must ensure that applications to upgrade are approved prior to the termination of the Masters scholarship.

Extension of Candidature

The standard length of candidature for a Masters degree is two years full-time or part-time equivalent; for a Doctor of Philosophy degree the standard length is four years full-time or part-time equivalent. Should your candidature continue beyond this duration, you may request an extension of candidature if your research has been interrupted by illness or by academic problems.  Formal approval must be obtained from your Assistant Dean Research Training.

Application forms should be completed by you, your supervisor and your relevant Head of School. You must provide a completion plan, stating the anticipated submission date and giving details of tasks to be completed and a timeline in which to complete them. This should be supported by your supervisor. Extensions for more than two semesters are unlikely to be approved.

NB Candidates commencing Masters degrees prior to 1998 were governed by different rules to those detailed above. To ensure that no candidate is disadvantaged, pre-1998 rules regarding maximum duration of candidature will apply, where appropriate, to Masters candidatures commenced prior to 1998. Programs in this category and their maximum full-time candidature are listed below:

Leave of Absence

You may request leave of absence from candidature for one or two semesters after completion of one full-time or two part-time years. Leave will not normally be granted for more than twelve months during the period of candidature as the University is unable to guarantee that the resources will be available to support an extended candidature.

Application forms should be completed by you and supported by the supervisor and your Head of School. Formal approval must be obtained from your Assistant Dean Research Training.

Application should be made prior to the commencement of the semester for which leave is sought.

Scholarship holders will have their scholarship suspended when leave of absence is approved.


Student ID Card

Your Student photo Identification Card is your most important form of identification while you are enrolled at the University of Newcastle. It is used for identification purposes when sitting examinations, for library use and for computer access.

As a commencing student you will need to have your photograph taken at Student Services to obtain your student ID Card.

As a commencing off campus student you will need to complete a Student ID Card Request Form (provided as part of your enrolment package) and attach a passport size photograph to obtain a Student ID Card.

If you lose your Student ID Card you can obtain a replacement by completing a form from Student Services and paying a fee.