Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences
Research Higher Degree Milestones
This description of research higher degree milestones for candidates in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing
and Health Sciences (FMNHS) is based on the University’s student record system 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 student’s candidature. All students, whether they are full-time or part-time, are time-based
students, and accrue EFTSL each semester (EFTSL = 1 year full-time equivalent). In identifying milestones
for research higher degree progress, we are using EFTSL as a consistent unit of temporal measurement for
both full-time and part-time students. Any periods of intermission that have been approved and have been
zeroed out of a student’s load do not count toward the EFTSL calculation.
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FTE = full-time equivalent;
Milestones in bold are faculty specific requirements;
Qualitative judgements will also need to be made by students and supervisors about many matters,
such as whether professional development is needed and what constitutes an appropriate level of
achievement at each stage.
MASTERS – overview
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2 years full-time or 4 years part-time;
As a guidelines for candidates, a research thesis of a maximum of 50,000 words or 200 pages,
excluding bibliography and appendices;
Normally 3-5 chapters, plus introduction and conclusion.
0.5 EFTSL
 Attendance at University/Faculty induction sessions;
 Provide supervisory panel with a literature review and research plan for the next 12 months
(normally 3,000 words in length). The supervisory panel must formally notify the Faculty
Higher Degrees Committee (FHDC) that the literature review and research plan has been
completed and whether or not the standard is satisfactory. A copy of the literature review
and research plan must be submitted to the Executive Officer of FHDC and reviewed by the
Assistant Dean (Research Higher Degrees (RHD)) who may seek independent advice.
 Attend meetings with supervisor;
 Plan for submission of ethics proposal;
 Submission of ethics proposal;
 Completion of necessary documentation of resourcing requirements eg research student
maintenance.
1 EFTSL
 Present a progress seminar which will be advertised widely in the Faculty and attended by
the supervisory panel with a report to the FHDC that it has been completed, whether the
standard is satisfactory, and whether the student’s progress is satisfactory for the stage of
candidature. The supervisory panel should discuss its deliberations with the student;
 Completion of Annual Review of Progress form in conjunction with supervisor and Associate
Dean and reported to the FHDC;
 Attend meetings with supervisors;
 Attend seminars by other postgraduate students and staff;
 Attend professional development programs, as required;
 Written evidence of substantial reading for the topic;
 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 doing so;
1.5 EFTSL
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Present a progress seminar by no later than 1.5 EFTSL which will be advertised widely in the
Faculty and attended by the supervisory panel. The seminar must encompass all of the work
carried out during candidature, together with a summary of any work remaining and a
schedule for completion of the thesis within the maximum period of candidature. At the
completion of the seminar, the student should take part in a post-seminar interview with the
supervisory panel which must formally notify the FHDC that the progress seminar has been
completed, whether the standard is satisfactory, whether the student has completed
sufficient work to meet thesis requirements for the degree of the candidature and/or whether
there is a strong likelihood of the thesis being completed within maximum period of
candidature. The assessment panel should discuss its deliberations with the student.
Attend meetings with supervisors;
Continued attendance at relevant professional development programs;
Evidence that sufficient reading for the topic has been completed eg literature review incorporated
into the draft thesis or demonstration throughout the draft of adequate theoretical and scholarly
grounding;
Completion of literature review/theoretical grounding;
Conference presentation and/or submission for publication;
Completion of preliminary draft (around 50,000 words or 200 pages, excluding appendices and
bibliography) with at least one chapter to a polished standard;
Approach supervisor about nominating examiners for the thesis;
Submission plan including submission date.
2 EFTSL
 A final seminar no later than 2 months prior to the date of thesis submission unless this
corresponds to the progress seminar by 1.5 years EFTSL. It should be advertised widely in
the Faculty and attended by the supervisory panel.
 Final draft of thesis no later than 2 months prior to the date of thesis submission to the
assessment panel who must formally notify the FHDC that it has read the final draft of the
thesis, prior to submission. The assessment panel must provide the FHDC with an
assessment of the standard of the thesis and of the seminar, and the student should sign the
form to verify that he/she has had a discussion with the supervisory panel and has been
advised of the panel’s opinion.
 Final writing and polishing of thesis;
 Request for extension to candidature if required, with realistic timetable for completion within period
of extension;
 Submission of 3 copies of thesis to Faculty Office.
PhD – overview
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4 years full-time or 8 years part-time;
As a guidelines for candidates, a research thesis of a maximum of 100,000 words or 400 pages,
excluding bibliography and appendices;
Normally 6-8 chapters, plus introduction and conclusion
0.5 EFTSL
 Attendance at University/Faculty induction sessions;
 Plan research with supervisors (eg bibliography, preliminary discussion of aims and objectives,
methodology, timetable and rough plan/structure of the thesis);
 Plan for submission of ethics proposal, if relevant;
 Submission of ethics proposal;
 Completion of necessary documentation of resourcing requirements eg research student
maintenance;
 Commencement of literature review, general reading and preliminary writing as discussed with
supervisor.
1.0 EFTSL
 Attend meetings with supervisors;
 Attend seminars by other postgraduate students and staff;
 Attendance at professional development programs, as required;
 Supply his/her supervisory panel with written evidence demonstrating critical thinking
and problem solving skills, and academic writing skills (approx 3,000 words), comprising
one or more of the following:
o A literature review and research plan for following 12 months;
o A manuscript written by the student as first author (draft, final or accepted form);
o A research grant proposal written by the student as chief investigator or coinvestigator;
o A substantial conference paper written by the student as first author;
o A conference abstract with accompanying poster written by the student as first
author.
The supervisory panel must formally notify the FHDC that the written work has been
completed and whether or not the standard is satisfactory. A copy of the written work
must be submitted to the Executive Officer of the FHDC and reviewed by the Assistant
Dean (RHD) who may seek independent advice.
 Completion of Annual Review of Progress form in conjunction with supervisor and
Associate Dean and reported to the HDC;
 Written evidence of substantial reading for the topic;
 Substantial progress towards data-gathering and preliminary writing of approximately 5,00015,000 words.
2 EFTSL
 Attend meetings with supervisors;
 Continued attendance at relevant professional development programs;
 Evidence of further substantial reading (eg literature review, developing theoretical and scholarly
grounding with draft chapters);
 Conference presentation and/or submission for publication;
 Reasonable progress towards data-gathering and completion of partial draft of chapters including
completion of at least one chapter to polished standard;
 Present a progress seminar which has been advertised widely in the Faculty and is attended
by the supervisory panel which must formally notify the FHDC that the progress seminar has
been completed, whether the standard is satisfactory and whether the student’s progress is
satisfactory for the stage of candidature. The supervisory panel should discuss it
deliberations with the student;
 Completion of Annual Review of Progress form in conjunction with supervisor and Associate
Dean and reported to the HDC.
3EFTSL
 Between 3-3.5 years, present a progress seminar which has been advertised widely in the
Faculty, and is attended by the supervisory panel. The seminar must encompass all of the
work carried out during candidature, together with a summary of any work remaining and a
schedule for completion of the thesis within the maximum period of candidature. At the
completion of the seminar, the student should take part in a post seminar interview with the
supervisory panel who must formally notify the FHDC that the progress seminar has been
completed, whether the standard is satisfactory, whether the student has completed
sufficient work to meet thesis requirements for the degree of the candidature and/or whether
there is a strong likelihood of the thesis being completed within the maximum period of
candidature. The supervisory panel should discuss its deliberations with the student;
 Completion of Annual Review of Progress form in conjunction with supervisor and Associate
Dean and reported to the HDC
 Meetings with supervisors;
 Continued attendance at relevant professional development programs;
 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;
 Conference presentation and/or submission for publication;
 Substantial completion of data-gathering and completion of draft chapters to a reasonably polished
standard.
3.5 EFTSL
 Sufficient reading to keep pace with new literature in the area to fill gaps in knowledge essential for
completion of the project;
 Completion of full draft thesis.
4 EFTSL
 No later than 2 months prior to submission of thesis, each student must present a final
seminar which has been advertised widely in the Faculty unless it corresponds to the
progress seminar between 3-3.5 years of PhD candidature. The seminar is part of the final
report and must be attended by the supervisory panel;
 Each student must submit a final draft of the thesis to the supervisory panel no later than 2
months prior to the expected date of thesis submission. The supervisory panel must
formally notify the FHDC that it has read the final draft of the thesis prior to submission. The
supervisory panel must provide the FHDC with an assessment of the standard of the thesis
and of the seminar, and the student should sign the form to verify that he/she has had a
discussion with the supervisory panel and has been advised of the panel’s opinion;
 Final writing and polishing of thesis;
 Request for extension to candidature if required, with realistic timetable for completion within period
of extension;
 Submission of 3 copies of thesis to Faculty Office.
AM
14/1/14