A research masters degree is defined as having a research/thesis component
of 66% or 100%.
The Faculty of Arts offers three research masters degrees: Master of Arts,
Master of Bioethics and Master of Environmental Science. The Master of Arts is
offered in a wide range of disciplines.
The minimum entry requirement for a research masters degree is a four-year bachelors degree with honours H2 or H2A or equivalent, or a masters qualifying with a research component with an overall grade of H2A or above. With both honours and masters qualifying, applicants are expected to have achieved a distinction or above in the research component, or an equivalent qualification in an appropriate discipline. Applicants should check the entry requirements detailed under the various programs for more specific details. Applicants without previous research experience who have a postgraduate degree such as a graduate diploma or a masters by coursework with distinction average grades or above may be admitted to a 66% research degree, and as part of the required 24 points of coursework units enrol for a 12-point supervised research project.
The Master of Arts (course code 2695), Master of Bioethics (course code 2704) and Master of Environmental Science are available by 100% thesis. Candidates undertaking these degrees by 100% thesis are expected to submit a thesis of 30,000 to 40,000 words. The period of candidature is two years full-time or four years part-time. Minimum candidature for all research students is one year full-time or two years part-time. Research students, whether full-time or part-time, must be able to attend the university regularly. Students enrolling for a 100% research masters degree can start their candidature at any time of the year.
The
Master of Arts (course code 2846) and the Master of Environmental Science
(course code 2702) degrees are also available by coursework and research.
Candidates must complete 24 points of coursework at level five and are expected
to submit a thesis of 20,000 to 25,000 words (weighted at 66%).
The period of candidature is one-and-a-half years full-time or three years
part-time.
Refer to the individual discipline entries for details of the masters degrees
available by coursework and research.
There have been a number of changes to the requirements for research degrees over the years in respect to duration, thesis length and coursework units. To find out the requirements for their research degree, students are referred to the handbook of the year of their enrolment. Handbooks are available on the Monash website.
The
minimum pass grade for masters coursework units and for the thesis is 60 C
(credit). The Faculty of Arts also gives an overall grade to each successful
research masters candidate. There are three qualifying grades: honours 2B
(60-69), honours 2A (70-79) and honours 1 (80-100).
In cases where a candidate has undertaken a thesis combined with coursework
units, the marks for the thesis will constitute 66% and the units 34% of the
overall qualifying grade for the degree.
Note that the minimum grade for the thesis and core units in the Master of
Environmental Science is a credit (60) or above and a credit average for
electives.
Refer to the table `Areas of study in postgraduate programs' for a comprehensive list of study areas available to research students.
The following research degrees offer external candidature:
Candidates undertaking a 66% research load in all disciplines, apart from linguistics, will be required to enrol for all of the units in the coursework component on Clayton campus and may then apply for transfer to external candidature. Candidates undertaking a 66% MA in linguistics will normally enrol for either both or only one of the coursework units on campus and then apply for transfer to external candidature.
External applicants are subject to the same entry requirements as on-campus applicants.
External mode applicants will need to satisfy both the school and the faculty's Arts Research Graduate School that their research environment has facilities and resources suitable for the proposed research, such as library and internet access, which will enable them to carry out their proposed research program.
Students will have to attend a Monash University campus to meet with their supervisor(s) for 21 residential days over the period of candidature. This requirement may be filled in either one block of time or in several blocks.
The students must be able to demonstrate to the school and the Arts Research Graduate School that regular two-way communication - at least on a fortnightly basis - can take place with their supervisor. This communication can take the form of telephone, video conference, email or other means.
Students
undertaking a 100% research load will have a review after three months of
full-time or six months of part-time candidature.
Students undertaking a 66% research load will be subject to a review three to
six months after starting their research.
In addition, for both categories, an annual progress report, which will include
comments on residential attendance and the student's ability to maintain
interactive communication with their supervisor, will be called for.
Full details can be found in the Arts faculty Research Survival Guide,
available on the web at
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/research/survival/index.html.
Current on-campus students may change to external mode, subject to fulfilling the same requirements as outlined for new students.
Advanced standing will not normally be granted for the coursework component in a 66% masters research degree.
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 24 months
full-time equivalent candidature has elapsed. Students should discuss a
potential upgrade with their supervisor in the first instance, after which 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 that 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 a timetable for completion of each phase
of the research program.
After the candidate has made an oral presentation and submitted the written
statement, the review 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 Research Graduate School Committee for final approval.
For further information about the Arts Research Graduate School and research in
the Faculty of Arts, visit the website at
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/research/.
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