Monash University Handbook 2011 Postgraduate - Course

This course is designed to extend the disciplinary competence of students as well as provide them with research training. While it is not necessary that an Master of Philosophy thesis would make a major contribution to the discipline by way of new knowledge (as a Doctor of Philosophy would require), an Master of Philosophy thesis would be expected to make a contribution to an existing body of knowledge by applying, clarifying, critiquing or interpreting that knowledge.

The learning goals associated with this course are to:

• extend knowledge, expertise and skill through the application of research to business problems and issues
• gain experience in the design and implementation of research
• develop the ability to carry out independent research
• make a contribution to an existing body of knowledge by applying, clarifying or interpreting that knowledge.

This course has a mandatory research component of 67 - 100 per cent of the total course, depending on the option selected.

Master of Philosophy students who wish to have the opportunity to upgrade to PhD must satisfy the coursework requirements for the PhD programme. Those Master of Philosophy students who undertake the coursework requirements for the PhD but are not successful in upgrading from the Master of Philosophy to the PhD, will have an 84 per cent thesis component in the Master of Philosophy.

100 per cent thesis option

Students are required to write a thesis of up to 50,000 words, which constitutes 100 per cent of the workload for the course.

Coursework and 67 per cent thesis option

Students are required to write a thesis of about 25,000 words, which constitutes 67 per cent of the workload for the course.

In addition, students are required to select four units from the department responsible for the supervision of their thesis as set out under 'Requirements' below. Students are required to include in the four units at least two 5000-level units from the department in which they are enrolled for the masters course. This unit should be related to the topic of their thesis.*

Coursework and 92 per cent thesis option

Students are required to write a thesis of up to 50,000 words, which constitutes 92 per cent of the workload for the course.

In addition, students are required to complete one 5000-level unit from the department responsible for the supervision of their thesis. This unit should be related to the topic of their thesis.*

* Normally, the coursework component is taken over the first two semesters before proceeding to the thesis component. Students are required to achieve an average grade of 70 per cent or above in all units undertaken.

Graduate seminar

All students are required to attend the graduate seminars organised by the department in which they are enrolled. They will also be expected to attend and participate regularly in the seminar series. Students are required to present one seminar. The graduate seminar is an unweighted unit, and does not count as one of the units required.

Master of Philosophy students who wish to have the opportunity to upgrade to PhD must satisfy the coursework requirements for the PhD programme. Those Master of Philosophy students who undertake the coursework requirements for the PhD but are not successful in upgrading from the Master of Philosophy to the PhD, will have an 84 per cent thesis component in the Master of Philosophy.

The conditions of enrolment in the Master of Philosophy program are:

• students must maintain regular contact with their supervisors
• full-time students must be able to devote four full days per week to pursuing their studies
• part-time students must be able to devote two full days per week, or an acceptable alternative period, to pursuing their studies. At least one of these days must be a weekday.
• students are required to attend graduate seminars organised by the department in which they are enrolled
• students are expected to participate regularly in the seminar series.

In order to meet the requirements of the Master of Philosophy students must submit a thesis which generally does not exceed 50,000 words.

Students can only select from the percentage thesis component/s indicated for each department, other options are not available.

Upgrade to PhD

In the departments of Accounting and Finance, Management, and Marketing, those students who:

• undertake the coursework requirements for the PhD but are not successful in upgrading from the Master of Philosophy to the PhD, will have an 84 per cent thesis component in the Master of Philosophy
• upgrade to the PhD after successful completion of coursework will undertake the 92 per cent thesis option in the PhD program.

Department of Accounting and Finance

(a.) Students must undertake the 100 per cent thesis component

or

(b.) students intending to upgrade to the PhD must complete:

• BEX 6300 Philosophy of research

plus one unit from the following:

• BEX6100 Advanced quantitative research methods
• BEX6200 Advanced qualitative research methods

Department of Management

(a.) Students must:

(i.) complete one unit from the 5000-level units taught by the department. The unit to be taken should be related to thesis topic.

(ii) participate in the departmental seminar program

(iii.) complete the 92 per cent thesis component

or

(b.) students intending to upgrade to the PhD must complete:

• BEX6300 Philosophy of research

plus one unit from the following:

• BEX6100 Advanced quantitative research methods
• BEX6200 Advanced qualitative research methods

Department of Marketing

(a.) Students must undertake the 100 per cent thesis component

or

(b.) Students intending to upgrade to the PhD complete:

• BEX6300 Philosophy of research

plus one of:

• BEX6100 Advanced quantitative research methods
• BEX6200 Advanced qualitative research methods

Department of Business Law and Taxation

(a.) Students must:

(i.) complete one unit from the 5000-level units taught by the department. The unit to be taken should be related to thesis topic.

(ii.) participate in the departmental seminar program

(iii.) complete the 92 per cent thesis component

Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics

67 per cent thesis option

(a.) Students must complete:

(i.) two units from the following list:

• ETC5400 Research topics in econometrics or ETF5400 Special topics in econometrics I
• ETC5410 Special topics in econometrics, or ETF5410 Special topics in econometrics II

(ii.) two units from special units or special reading units taught by the department, or from the graduate-level units taught by the Department of Accounting and Finance and the Department of Economics

(iii.) ETC5470/ETF5470 Econometrics graduate seminar

(iv.) the 67 per cent thesis component

92 per cent thesis option

(a.) Students must complete:

(i.) one unit from the 5000-level units taught by the department. The unit to be taken should be related to the thesis topic, and in special circumstances the head of department may approve as the 5000-level unit ETC5000/ETF5000 (Reading unit) taught by the department.

(ii.) ETC5470/ETF5470 Econometrics graduate seminar

(iii.) the 92 per cent thesis component

Department of Economics

(a.) Students must complete:

(i.) the following three units:

• ECC5650 Microeconomic theory
• ECC5660 Macroeconomic theory
• ECC5850 Mathematical economic theory

(ii.) one unit from the 5000-level units taught by the department. The unit to be taken should be related to the thesis topic.

(iii.) ECC5800 Economics graduate seminar

(iv.) the 67 per cent thesis component

Centre of Policy Studies

Students must undertake the 100 per cent thesis option.

Centre of Health Economics

Students must undertake the 100 per cent thesis option.

School of Business, Gippsland

Students will be required to undertake the requirements of the relevant disciplines.

School of Business, Malaysia

Students will be required to undertake the requirements of the relevant disciplines.

Minimum grade for course completion

A thesis which has been examined and passed by the examiners as making a contribution to knowledge.

Students may be able to upgrade to doctoral candidature (course 0029 Doctor of Philosophy) after 12 months if they have satisfied the relevant coursework requirements for the PhD and are making satisfactory progress in their research.

Master of Philosophy