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Information for Prospective Students

What is a Research Degree?

A degree counts as a research degree when a significant proportion of the assessment rests on a thesis. A thesis is your opportunity to plan and undertake a relevant research project of interest to you and to report on your findings.

Normal lengths for theses in a research degree range from 20,000 - 25,000 words for a thesis comprising 66% of a Masters degree, 30,000 - 40,000 for a thesis comprising 100% of Masters research thesis and a maximum of 100,000 words for a doctorate.

Research Masters Information

General information

A research masters degree is defined as having a research/thesis component of 66 per cent or 100 per cent. Students enrolling for a 100 per cent research masters degree can start their candidature at any time of the year.

Entry requirements for MA candidature

The minimum entry requirements for a research masters degree are a four-year bachelors degree with honours H1 or H2A or equivalent, or a masters qualifying with a research component with an overall grade of H2A or above. With both honours and masters qualifying, applicants are expected to have achieved a distinction or above in the research component, or an equivalent qualification in an appropriate discipline. Applicants should check the entry requirements detailed under the various programs for more specific details. Note that the minimum entry requirements may differ from program to program and from time to time.

For more detailed information also see the Faculty of Arts research website:
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/research

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the relevant program representative on the School's Committee of Graduate Research prior to submitting their application.

PhD Information

General Information

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is undertaken by thesis (100 per cent research),

Entry requirements for PhD candidature

The minimum qualifications for admission to PhD candidature are:

In addition, the PhD regulations make provision for research masters degree candidates to transfer their candidature after a minimum period of nine months full-time (or part-time equivalent) of satisfactory performance.

The maximum period of PhD candidature is four years of full-time or eight years of part-time study.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the relevant program representative on the School's Committee of Graduate Research prior to submitting their application.

For more detailed information also see the Faculty of Arts research website:
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/research

Study Opportunities Overseas

In China

The School has a number of exchange programs with well known Chinese universities: Shanghai Foreign Languages University and East China Normal University (both in Shanghai), Nanjing Normal University and Nanjing University (both in Nanjing), Southwest China University of Finance and Economics (Chengdu). Students can also go to Beijing Language and Culture University and other Chinese universities in China or in Taiwan under special arrangement.

A limited number of Chinese and Taiwanese government scholarships are available for students of Chinese Studies to attend certain Chinese and Taiwanese universities. Interested students should inquire to Dr Gloria Davies.

In Indonesia

Close links are maintained with several universities and research institutions in Indonesia. Travel and field grants are also available on a competitive basis for postgraduate research projects.

In Japan

Monash University currently has an extensive program of exchanges with leading universities in Japan: Chiba, Gakushuin, Kanazawa, Kyushu, Meiji Gakuin, Ochanomizu, Rikkyo, Saitama, Seikei, Tokyo and Tsukuba Universities.

Many of the exchange agreements allow for exchanges at the postgraduate level. Postgraduate students of the School may be eligible, on the basis of good results in their first year of enrolment at Monash University, to study at one of these universities. Some credit transfer may be possible, unit to the approval of the School's Postgraduate Committee.

A number of scholarships are available for research students participating in the exchange programs administered by the School. Other scholarships such as the Japanese Government's Monbusho scholarships are also available. Interested students should inquire with the convenor of the School's scholarship committee.

In Korea

The School of Asian Languages and Studies handles exchange agreements with four prominent universities (Korea University, Pukyong National University, Pusan National University, Yonsei University). A variety of scholarships are available, and Monash University also supports study in Korea under the Monash Abroad program.

Library Facilities

The Monash University Library contains more than 2.6 million items, including 1.7 million printed books, almost 68 thousand journal subscriptions (50 thousand of these are electronic), 300 thousand microforms and 95 thousand items in other formats such as videos, tapes, CDs, and CD-ROMs. In addition, access to thousands of resources is provided via electronic networks and the Internet.

Most material, including electronic resources, can be found in the Monash Voyager Catalogue. Access conditions and loan periods vary according to the item's location which is displayed in the catalogue.

A team of Resource Librarians is available to give advice on all aspects of research related to all programs in the School.

The Asian Studies Research Library (ASRL) is a specialist research collection holding a large collection of material in Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Malay, Thai, Vietnamese and an extensive Japanese Studies collection for research on Japanese linguistics, society and culture. Monash also has the Japanese Music Archive and the largest collection in Melbourne of English language publications for Japanese studies.

Fees

RTS HECS exempt places are expected to be available to all Australian citizens and permanent resident students for the duration of their research candidature. No HECS fees are payable by such students and no HECS debts are incurred. All APA/MGS Scholarship awardees will receive an RTS HECS Exempt place.

Please refer to the Monash University Fees and Costs page:
http://www.monash.edu.au/study/fees/

Offer Letters

Offer letters for the Masters program are forwarded through the Faculty of Arts, whilst the Monash Research Graduate School dispatches PhD offers.

Scholarships

One application kit covers all of the scholarships listed below and is available mid-August each year from Mrs Sally Riley. The application kit comprises the application form and application guide.

NOTE: Applicants MUST first contact an academic staff member in the program in which they wish to study before requesting an application kit from Mrs Riley.

Scholarships include:

NOTE: Scholarship application forms are NOT available on the web or from the Research Graduate School. Applicants MUST contact the department they wish to study in to request a scholarship application form.

Closing date for applications is 31 October each year at:

Monash Research Graduate School
Research Services
P.O. Box 3A
Monash University
Victoria, Australia 3800

"Tricks of the Trade" Program

The Faculty of Arts provides an information program titled "Tricks of the Trade" for commencing and continuing HDR students. The seven-session program (per semester) is designed to encourage a supportive and interactive research culture for higher degree candidates and covers a range of useful topics relevant to commencing and continuing research candidates. Information is available at:

http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/research/training/

Research Student's Survival Guide

The ‘Research Student's Survival Guide' has been compiled by the Arts Research Graduate School as a compendium of what research degree candidates in the Faculty of Arts and their supervisors need to know to complete the journey from commencement to conclusion with confidence and certainty. It is available at:

http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/research/survival/

exPERT Programs

The Monash Research Graduate School offers the exPERT programs. The School's very popular exPERT workshops and seminars cover a range of employment and research training issues. A working group of academic and administrative staff, Monash Postgraduate Association and student representatives, meet to draw up each semester's program. Information is available at:

http://www.monash.edu.au/phdschol/seminars/

Graduate Studies (Research)