The following categories of enrolled Monash students who have fulfilled the requirements for their existing program may be eligible to progress:
Existing program |
Transfer to |
Minimum requirements |
Faculty certificate |
Graduate or postgraduate diploma |
Credit average |
Graduate certificate |
Graduate diploma |
Credit average |
Graduate or postgraduate diploma |
Masters by coursework |
Credit average |
Masters qualifying by coursework or honours |
Masters by coursework |
Credit average |
Masters qualifying with a research component or honours |
Masters by research or PhD |
Distinction average (plus a distinction for the research component) |
Note that some programs may require higher grades overall or in specific
subjects - refer to the requirements under each program.
Students should obtain the appropriate form from the Faculty of Arts graduate
studies office.
Students
contemplating an upgrade from research masters must allow roughly two months
for the upgrading process, a point to be noted especially by students
approaching the time limit for masters candidature. Except in circumstances
deemed exceptional, a transfer should occur after nine but before 36 months
full-time equivalent candidature has elapsed. Students should discuss a
potential upgrade with their supervisor in the first instance. Then the
graduate coordinator or the head of the academic unit or centre should be
consulted to make the necessary arrangements.
The decision to recommend an upgrade or not (or to postpone a decision) is made
by a panel which includes the school graduate coordinator and the supervisor as
well as other relevant academic school members.
The panel will base its decision on an oral presentation and a written
submission by the candidate, plus any other information deemed relevant by the
panel.
The candidate's written case for upgrading will provide details on the proposed
research, report progress to date and provide a timetable for completion of
each phase of the research program. Copies are to be submitted to each panel
member. Accordingly, this submission should be a substantial document of 10,000
words, worthy of the time already devoted to the work. The candidate is
expected to define the focus, methods and limits of the research precisely and
to place it in the context of related scholarly literature. The candidate
should also explain how the masters work will be altered to reflect its new
status as doctoral research. The submission may be supported by any written
works, such as working papers or chapter drafts, which would reinforce the
case. A bibliography of works consulted should be supplied. Due attention
should be paid to matters of clarity, readability and presentation.
The oral presentation will usually be in the form of a seminar, open to the
public, but the panel may accept an alternative format such as an in-depth
interview if circumstances warrant.
After the candidate has made an oral presentation and submitted the written
statement, the panel will meet to consider its decision. In normal cases, the
panel's decision should be made known to the candidate within one month. If the
panel is in favour of the upgrade, a PhD candidature application form, together
with the upgrade form and the candidate's written submission, are forwarded to
the faculty and, if approved, to the university's PhD and Scholarships
Committee for final approval.
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