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Graduate Centre

Program of Study

Your supervisor has a responsibility to guide you, but is not responsible for the details of your work.  You should aim, while co-operating closely with him or her at all stages, to develop independence of thought and a mature critical faculty.

The standards of achievement expected of you should become apparent early in your candidature.  The extent of independence permitted to you to carry out your research will vary from one discipline to another and from one supervisor to another.  Your personal needs for direction from your supervisor will possibly change several times as you progress through your project.  Communication with your supervisor is essential to ensure that as your needs change they are, as far as possible, met by your supervisor.

It is a matter of concern that some students fail to complete their theses in the required time, or do not complete them at all. Although there are many reasons for this, the four most common causes for delay are a slow start, perfectionism, distraction from the main theme and inadequate data collection resulting from inadequate planning and/or inadequate time allocation.

Clause 10 of the MPhil/PhD and LLM(Research) regulations provides that not later than six months, full-time equivalent. after your enrolment your supervisor will recommend a programme of research for you to the Board.  You should aim in your first two to four months to decide on a specific thesis topic and to map out a plan of study in some detail.  Proposal forms are sent to you on admission.  EdD students are required to submit a similar programme not later than six months, full-time equivalent, after starting the thesis component of their programme.

In the programme of study form you are asked to nominate your proposed thesis topic and to provide an outline of the proposed area of research and of the research plan.  The outline should describe the research area in some detail and should include:

1. the significance of the project including details of the original contribution which it is hoped to make;
2. the approaches, methods and techniques to be used;
3. a proposed plan for developing the project, including target dates for completion of various phases.
4. an appropriate bibliography so that the project can be adequately reviewed.

The proposed programme should be written in conjunction with your supervisor.  The senior academic in the discipline and the Faculty Dean will also be asked to comment.

The purposes of this outline, and of any questions the Board may ask before approving your programme, are to help you to refine your project and to ensure that it is feasible.  In assessing your proposed programme, the Board is interested in such questions as the resources needed to support it, whether the scope of the thesis is appropriate for a higher degree, and whether the project is well thought out (particularly with respect to methodology).  The programme should be written in terms designed to inform both expert and lay members of the academic community.  In cases of doubt, it is the Board's practice to discuss the matter with your supervisor, or to request further information.

You may, subject to the approval of the Board, enrol in up to three units to a total value of not more than twelve points as part of your research programme. The Board may require satisfactory performance in approved units as part of its annual review of the candidate’s progress.

You are required to follow the programme as approved by the Board, unless changes are subsequently approved by it.  However, the proposed thesis topic and research plan contained in your programme form the working basis for your research, rather than a firm commitment to the details of the thesis as finally submitted.  Research isn’t predictable and unexpected findings may significantly influence the direction of your research.

Various research seminar series are run in Faculties. Academic staff are appointed as the coordinators of graduate seminars in individual programmes.  Postgraduate students are normally required to attend regular Faculty and/or programme seminars and, in most cases, present at least one research paper during the term of their candidature.

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