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| MRGS home | Research programs | Scholarships and Grants | Graduate Centre | Seminars | About us |
| Staff directory | A-Z index | Site map |
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Module 1: Postgraduate Research Training PolicyThis section is intended to introduce you to some of the key regulatory requirements and guidelines that underpin the administration of postgraduate research programs at Monash. It also shows you the relevant sections of our website. The Monash Research Graduate School Annual Report provides an overview of key postgraduate research activities and events, award schemes, resources and facilities, and administrative structure both at faculty and central levels. The Code of practice for supervision of doctoral and research masters candidates (Chapter 5 of the Handbook for Doctoral and MPhil Degrees) identifies the rights and responsibilities of the university, the department, the supervisor and the postgraduate research student. The code, first drawn up in consultation with the Monash Postgraduate Association in 1987, is believed to have been the first such code in Australia and is updated regularly. The Director's guide to effective supervision is a most useful reference.Administration of the University's Higher Degree by Research ProgramsResearch masters programs, except for the Master of Philosophy (MPhil), come under the control of the faculties through their graduate studies or research degrees committees. All doctoral programs, including professional doctorates, as well as the MPhil, are managed as university-wide degrees by the Research Graduate School Committee (RGSC), a standing committee of Academic Board. The RGSC meets monthly. The weekly Steering Committee meeting deals with candidature, examination, scholarship and supervision matters that do not need to be considered by the full committee. The committee and its various working groups are supported by the Monash Research Graduate School, whose manager is the RGSC secretary. Doctorate RegulationsThe Handbook for Doctoral and MPhil Degrees contains Doctorate regulations that govern the university's doctoral programs. Regulations pertaining to all doctoral candidates preface individual regulations for each of the doctoral programs, such as PhD, EdD, DPsych, DPH, DBA, SJD, and DPH. Doctoral CandidatureA fuller explanation of the regulations is in the Handbook for Doctoral and MPhil Degrees. This will be your key resource in handling the administrative and regulatory requirements of candidature with your candidates. Please read these chapters thoroughly: Forms related to any change in candidature status may be downloaded from the Research section of our website. Requests for change in candidature status usually require endorsement by the supervisor. Please complete your section of the form as carefully as possible. For example, an extension to scholarship is not automatic and will only be granted if the candidature has been delayed through circumstances beyond the candidate's control. Examples given on the form serve as a guide.Confirmation of CandidatureConfirmation is a step that some of your students will be required to undertake if they have been admitted as probationary candidates. The university sets minimum requirements for this process; the faculty may set additional prerequisites for confirmation. For more information about confirmation, please see Chapter 12: Appendix D of Handbook for Doctoral and MPhil Degrees.
Intellectual PropertyStudents and their supervisors are asked to sign a form on intellectual property matters before the candidate enrols. This is not a contract, but rather a way of alerting students and their supervisors to issues that may arise in relation to intellectual property. Chapter 6 of the Handbook for Doctoral and MPhil Degrees provides a summary of the issues of which you should be aware. Ethics ApprovalFor some projects ethics approval will also be necessary. Research involving the distribution and analysis of questionnaires and similar activities also requires ethics clearance. For more information, please see Chapter 2 of Handbook for Doctoral and MPhil Degrees. Annual Progress ReportAll doctoral students, their supervisor and head of department complete an annual progress report. Follow-up action, such as interim reports, will be taken if the Head or Associate Dean (Graduate Studies) recommends such action in order to get the candidature back on track, or to ensure it stays on track. Thesis ExaminationThe key reference to this process is Chapter 7: Thesis and Examination matters of the Handbook for Doctoral and MPhil Degrees. The Examinations section of our website also presents information for candidates, supervisors and examiners. Examinations staff also present regular seminars on thesis examination through the exPERT program. Grievance and Appeal, Discipline and TerminationAn overview of these matters is provided in Chapter 8 of the Handbook for Doctoral and MPhil Degrees. While termination procedures and appeal procedures are set out in the Doctorate Regulations, research candidate misconduct is covered in Chapter 4: Monash University discipline statute. Scholarships and GrantsFor more information about scholarships and grants available to Australian citizens, permanent residents and international students, please refer to the Scholarships section of our website. A number of special grants and awards are available to candidates during the course of their candidature:
Scholarship Opportunities provides information on awards and grants available to postgraduate researchers and JASON (Joint Academic Scholarships Online Network), a national database of scholarships, provides a comprehensive source of scholarships. Research Graduate CentresCurrently the main student centre is located on the Clayton campus, but others are also being developed on other campuses. Faculties and schools also provide study facilities for their research candidates. The Research Graduate Centre produces a fortnightly e-bulletin MRGS News, which provides information on upcoming scholarships, events, seminars, workshops and conferences of interest to candidates. All candidates and their supervisors are invited to join this group by emailing the Centre supervisor. Seminars and WorkshopsThe university's exPERT program of employment and research training offers students the opportunity to acquire a range of other skills. For those unable to attend, an on-line facility is available. DVDs of selected workshops are also available for loan through the DVD Library. For more information, please see the Seminars section of our website. Other Services and FacilitiesA range of other support services and facilities is available to research candidates – please ensure that your candidates are aware of them:
The ForumThe Research Graduate School Forum is held twice a year during the non teaching period to discuss current issues related to postgraduate research. A special induction forum is held early each year for new supervisors and graduate studies coordinators. The convenor is the Director of the Monash Research Graduate School and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research & Research Training), Professor Max King. Further Supervision Training ResourcesEffective supervision is the key to a successful research program. Monash surveys its higher degree research candidates every four years on facilities, resources and supervision and uses the findings to improve supervision practice. Survey results and best practice papers are available on the MRGS website. Useful resources on supervision from other universities:
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