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Monash University: University handbooks: Postgraduate handbook: Units indexed by faculty
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General information

Research students can apply for entry to the university to conduct research on a specific area of interest at masters or PhD level. Students select their research topics, which need to reflect the faculty’s research strengths. Students then work under the guidance of a trained supervisor or supervisors to produce a thesis which is presented for examination.

Graduate research at Monash University Arts

The research environment

The Faculty of Arts at Monash attracts one of the largest enrolments of higher degree by research candidates of any arts faculty in Australia. The faculty provides a diverse, stimulating and supportive environment for graduate researchers and, in conjunction with the Monash Research Graduate School, offers a range of additional funded support for higher degree candidates to undertake research. Masters by research and PhD candidates in arts have access to the full suite of Monash research resources both in Australia and overseas, and to specialist resources in the faculty.

Research support

In addition to expert and attentive supervision in a wide range of specialisations, the faculty provides an impressive range of research induction and research training seminars and special events for both commencing and continuing students. The seminar programs include topics such as the literature review, research resources, getting published, useful software, applications thesis writing and examination. For more information, visit the website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/research/training/index.html.

Professional experience

The Faculty of Arts also recognises the importance of providing its graduate students with professional experience of various kinds. The faculty has a long tradition of employing its own graduate research candidates as sessional teachers, casual research assistants and in other capacities. In addition to providing candidates with additional income while they pursue their research degrees, this employment also facilitates the acquisition of a range of transferable skills. During their time in the faculty, students will also have the opportunity to develop and extend their research and communication skills in their chosen field, and also to acquire a range of additional skills in other areas.

Research publishing

Graduate researchers in the Faculty of Arts are encouraged and supported to participate in a professional research culture, as evidenced by their rate of publication. A substantial proportion of the faculty’s research publications reported to DEST is authored or co-authored by graduate research students. This achievement is just one indication of the highly productive and professional graduate research environment fostered by the faculty and its schools. To further promote publication by research candidates, the faculty has instigated a special program, Graduate Researchers in Print (GRiP). The GRiP groups are assisted by a facilitator who enables and informs participants in various aspects of publishing including identifying appropriate journals, preparing submissions, responding to reviewers’ reports and providing critical feedback on draft material.

Research strengths

The Faculty of Arts has identified the following established research strengths which provide the basis for PhD and masters research, and masters coursework, in a range of disciplines:

  • Ancient, medieval and renaissance studies
  • Applied ethics and moral philosophy
  • Australian governance and public policy
  • Australian literary and historical studies
  • Australian urban and regional studies
  • Communication, media studies and new technologies
  • Critical theory and textual studies*
  • Cross-cultural, multicultural and Australian Indigenous studies
  • Culture and belief
  • Environmental change and variability in Australia, Asia and the Pacific*
  • Gender studies*
  • Global politics and international relations
  • Language in society*
  • Logic and metaphysics*
  • Modern European studies
  • Social, political and cultural change in the Asia-Pacific region
  • Theatre, music and cinema studies
  • Work, family and social policy

For more detailed information, refer to the website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/research/.

    * This discipline has been chosen as a supervision research strength.

Scholarships

All research students with a first class honours (H1) degree or the equivalent may apply for a range of research scholarships, including the Australian Postgraduate Award and the Monash Graduate Scholarship. Scholarships close on 31 October each year for students starting in the following year. Information on scholarships may be obtained from the website at www.monash.edu.au/phdschol/schols/. All potential applicants are asked to first make contact with the Arts faculty school where they wish to undertake their research and obtain their application form from that school. Applications are not available from the web.

Faculty of Arts supplementary scholarships for new candidates

The Faculty of Arts offers Research Excellence Awards to candidates of outstanding quality. These supplement an APA/MGS scholarship by giving the successful awardee an additional $3000 per annum.

New scholarship-holders whose project will be enhanced by undertaking significant fieldwork research in Australia or overseas or who have specific software, equipment or technical requirements will be considered at the time of the scholarship selection process for one of two Monash University Arts Special Research Awards of $3000.

Teaching and Research Scholarships

Australian citizens or permanent residents are eligible to apply for a Teaching and Research Scholarship. Awardees will be able to pursue full-time research towards a research higher degree while receiving induction, mentoring and the opportunity of gaining professional experience in academic teaching (tutoring, lecturing and seminar leadership). They will spend the first four to six months of their awards engaged full-time in their research and, subject to satisfactory progress, will be then offered the opportunity to contribute to the teaching program of their school.

For further information, visit the website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/research/research_scholarships/index.html.

Faculty of Arts awards and prizes for enrolled candidates

Faculty of Arts Postgraduate Publication Award

Candidates who have submitted their thesis within one month of the application deadline, or are due to submit within two months of the application deadline and aim to prepare a manuscript for publication based on the postgraduate research undertaken for the degree, may apply for a Postgraduate Publication Award (PPA). The Arts PPAs are in addition to the Monash University PPA; both offer a stipend equivalent to the APA/MGS rate for four months.

Faculty of Arts Postgraduate Publication Prize

Postgraduate students who have had a prestigious publication in a DEST publication category in the previous year which was included in the school’s research publication collection are eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Publication Prize of $1000. The winner will also receive an award certificate from the faculty.

Commonwealth-supported RTS places (course fees)

Commonwealth-supported Research Training Scheme (RTS) places are expected to be available to all Australian citizens and permanent resident students for the duration of their research candidature. No course fees are payable by such students and no course fee debts are incurred. All APA/MGS scholarship awardees receive a Commonwealth-supported RTS place.

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