Faculty of Education, Humanities and Law
Research Higher Degree Milestones
This description of Research Higher Degree Milestones for candidates in the Faculty of
Education, Humanities and Law is based on the University’s student record system of
Equivalent Full-Time Student Load (EFTSL) enrolment.
The nature of ongoing enrolments in Research Higher Degrees means that it is difficult to
assign definite years to a candidature. All candidates, whether full-time or part-time, are
time-based candidates, and accrue Equivalent Full-Time Student Load (EFTSL) each
semester (1 EFTSL = 1 year full-time equivalent).
In identifying milestones for Research Higher Degree progress, we use EFTSL as a
consistent unit of temporal measurement for both full-time and part-time candidates.
Any periods of intermission that have been approved and have been zeroed out of a
candidate’s load do not count toward the EFTSL calculation.
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FTE = full-time equivalent
All milestones other than those in bold are guidelines that may be modified by
individual Schools.
Milestones in bold are University or Faculty requirements.
Qualitative judgements will also need to be made by candidates and supervisors
about many matters, such as whether professional development is needed, and what
constitutes an appropriate level of reading at each stage.
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Faculty of Education, Humanities and Law
Research Higher Degree Milestones
PhD – overview
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3-4 years full-time and 8 years part-time
Research thesis 70,000-100,000 words
Normally 6-8 chapters, plus introduction and conclusion
0.5 EFTSL
 Attendance at University/Faculty and School Induction sessions;
 Preliminary planning;
 Satisfactory completion of Academic Integrity activities;
 Completion of necessary documentation of resourcing requirements;
 Plan for submission of ethics proposal, if relevant;
 Commencement of literature review, general reading, and preliminary writing, as
discussed with supervisor.
1 EFTSL
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Attendance at postgraduate and/or staff research seminars and thesis proposal
meetings;
Attendance at relevant professional development courses;
Auditing relevant topics as appropriate;
Plan research with supervisors. This may include construction of a working
bibliography, preliminary discussion of aims and objectives, methodology, timetable,
and rough plan/structure of the thesis;
Satisfactory completion of research proposal and presentation (within 6-12
months FTE)1;
Presentation to an appropriate Work-in-Progress forum;
Participation in the Faculty Big Day In;
Written evidence of substantial reading for the topic;
Submission of Ethics proposal, if relevant;
Completion of Annual Review of Progress Form2 by June 30, in conjunction
with supervisors and Head of School, and endorsed at Faculty level;
Preliminary writing of approximately 10,000-15 000 words, including, for instance,
thesis proposal (draft or complete), draft literature review and draft method chapters;
or
 Substantial progress towards data-gathering and preliminary writing of approximately
5 000-15 000 words.
2 EFTSL
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Further attendance at relevant professional development courses;
Further auditing of relevant topics as appropriate;
Evidence of further substantial reading. This evidence could take the form of a
literature review or demonstration throughout the draft chapters of developing
theoretical and scholarly grounding;
Completion of Annual Review of Progress Form by June 30, in conjunction
with supervisors and Head of School, and endorsed at Faculty level;
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See School specific requirements for Research Proposals: www.flinders.edu.au/ehl/rhd/general-information_home.cfm
For details of Annual Review of Progress requirements: www.flinders.edu.au/graduate-research/progress-completion/annualreview-of-progress.cfm
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Faculty of Education, Humanities and Law
Research Higher Degree Milestones
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Completion of literature review/theoretical grounding;
Conference presentation and/or submission for publication;
Presentation of Work-in-Progress seminar (or similar);
Completion of draft chapters (30,000-40,000 words), including completion of at least
one chapter to a polished standard;
or
 Reasonable progress towards data-gathering and completion of partial draft 20,00025,000, including completion of at least one chapter to a polished standard.
3 EFTSL
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Further attendance at relevant professional development courses;
Further auditing of relevant topics as appropriate;
Written evidence of sufficient reading to keep pace with new literature in the area and
to fill gaps in knowledge essential for completion of the project;
Completion of Annual Review of Progress Form by June 30, in conjunction
with supervisors and Head of School, and endorsed at Faculty level;
Conference presentation and/or submission for publication;
Presentation of Work-in-Progress seminar (or similar);
Participation in 3 Minute Thesis competition
Completion of draft chapters (45,000-70,000 words) including completion of at least
three chapters to a reasonably polished standard;
or
 Substantial completion of data-gathering and completion of draft chapters (40,00060,000 words) including completion of at least three chapters to a reasonably
polished standard; and
 Submission plan, including timetable for completion by end of candidature.
3.5 EFTSL
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Sufficient reading to keep pace with new literature in the area and to fill gaps in
knowledge essential for completion of the project;
Completion of full draft;
Completion of nomination of examiners paperwork for the Faculty Office.
4 EFTSL
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Completion of Annual Review of Progress Form by June 30 (if needed), in
conjunction with supervisors and Head of School, and endorsed at Faculty
level;
Completion of all chapters to polished standard;
Submission.
Extension to Candidature, 6 months3 FTE (if approved) at end of 4 EFTSL
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Refer to Research Higher Degrees Policies and Procedures Section 14: www.flinders.edu.au/ppmanual/student/researchhigher-degrees.cfm#Status
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Faculty of Education, Humanities and Law
Research Higher Degree Milestones
Masters by Research – overview
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2 years full-time and 4 years part-time
Research thesis of 35,000-50 000 words
Normally 3-5 chapters, plus introduction and conclusion
0.5 EFTSL
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Attendance at University/Faculty and School Induction sessions;
Preliminary planning;
Satisfactory completion of Academic Integrity activities;
Completion of necessary documentation of resourcing requirements;
Plan for submission of ethics proposal, if relevant;
Commencement of literature review, general reading, and preliminary writing, as
discussed with supervisor.
1 EFTSL
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Attendance postgraduate and/or staff research seminars and thesis proposal
meetings;
Attendance at relevant professional development courses;
Auditing of relevant topics as appropriate;
Plan research with supervisors. This may include construction of a working
bibliography, preliminary discussion of aims and objectives, methodology, timetable,
and rough plan/structure of the thesis;
Satisfactory completion of research proposal and presentation (within 6-12
months FTE)4;
Presentation to an appropriate Work-in-Progress forum;
Written evidence of substantial reading for the topic;
Submission of Ethics proposal submitted, if relevant;
Participation in the Faculty Big Day In
Completion of Annual Review of Progress Form5 by June 30, in conjunction
with supervisors and Head of School, and endorsed at Faculty level;
Preliminary writing of approximately 10,000-20 000 words, including, for instance,
thesis proposal (draft or complete), draft literature review and draft method chapters;
or
 Substantial progress towards data-gathering and preliminary writing of approximately
5,000-15,000 words;
 Consideration given to transfer to a PhD, if intended, with a timetable for the transfer
to be put in place. (Transfer can be considered anytime between 1 and 1.5 EFTSL).
1.5 EFTSL
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Further attendance at relevant professional development courses;
Further auditing of relevant topics as appropriate;
4
See School specific requirements for Research Proposals: www.flinders.edu.au/ehl/rhd/general-information_home.cfm
For details of Annual Review of Progress requirements: www.flinders.edu.au/graduate-research/progress-completion/annualreview-of-progress.cfm
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Faculty of Education, Humanities and Law
Research Higher Degree Milestones
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or
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Evidence that sufficient reading for the topic has been completed. This evidence
could take the form of a literature review incorporated into the draft thesis or
demonstration throughout the draft of adequate theoretical and scholarly grounding;
Completion of Annual Review of Progress Form by June 30, in conjunction
with supervisors and Head of School, and endorsed at Faculty level;
Completion of literature review/theoretical grounding;
Conference presentation and/or submission for publication;
Presentation of Work-in-Progress seminar (or similar);
Completion of preliminary draft, (around 30,000 words);
Completion of data-gathering and completion of partial draft, around 25,000 words;
Completion of at least one chapter to a polished standard;
Completion of nomination of examiners paperwork for the Faculty Office; and
Submission plan including submission date.
2 EFTSL
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Participation in the Faculty Big Day In
Final writing and polishing;
Submission.
Extension to Candidature, 6 months6 FTE (if approved) at end of 2 EFTSL
Updated June 2015
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Refer to Research Higher Degrees Policies and Procedures Section 14: www.flinders.edu.au/ppmanual/student/researchhigher-degrees.cfm#Status
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