Postgraduate - CourseDoctor of Philosophy (Theatre Performance)

Candidature in a Doctor of Philosophy involves the independent investigation of a research problem that has been formulated by the candidate. It is expected that the research undertaken will make a significant contribution to the discipline in which the candidate is enrolled. Doctoral candidates are supported by a minimum of two supervisors throughout their candidature.

In some discipline areas on some campuses, candidates are required to complete a compulsory program of research training. These discipline-specific programs are designed to impart skills and knowledge that will assist candidates to conduct their research.

Successful completion of the program will signify that the holder has completed a course of postgraduate training in research under proper academic supervision and has submitted a thesis that the examiners have declared to be a significant contribution to knowledge and which demonstrates the candidate's capacity to carry out independent research.

Candidature rules

For all candidature rules and other important information for PhD candidates refer to the Handbook for Doctoral DegreesHandbook for Doctoral Degrees (http://www.monash.edu.au/migr/research-degrees/handbook/content/).

This course consists of:

• a research and thesis component
• if enrolled at Clayton campus, a research training program.

Candidates must, in consultation with and under the direct supervision of a member/s of the academic staff:

(a.) carry out a program of research on an agreed topic approved by the school or department of enrolment in the candidate's chosen discipline for a specified period, including attending and/or presenting at seminars and other related activities as indicated by the relevant department/school

(b.) submit for assessment a thesis component which meets the requirements of the examiners consisting of:

• a live performance in a public venue
• a written critical commentary.

The candidate will develop and present a live performance in a public venue, which will normally be in one of the fields of directing, theatre making or dramatic writing. The candidate's performance will embody the results of the research investigation, which will be into the contexts, theoretical influences, aesthetic elements and performance making processes of the project. The critical commentary will be an explication and analysis of the performance research project and will address methodological and theoretical issues that arise during the research investigation.

The performance will normally be 60-90 minutes and the commentary 30,000-35,000 words. The combined elements should constitute the equivalent of a research submission normally between 80,000 and 100,000 words. Calculations of equivalence are based on the proposal that one minute of actual stage time at this level is equivalent to at least 700 words of dialogue and stage directions. A performance work of 60-90 minutes would thus be equivalent to 40,000-45,000 words.

Submission of the thesis based on or partially based on conjointly published or unpublished workconjointly published or unpublished work (http://www.monash.edu.au/migr/examiners/publication/) may be permitted.

(c.)Satisfactorily complete a program of research training as outlined under 'Areas of study'.

• Theatre, performance and music PhD program

Doctor of Philosophy (Theatre Performance)