Chapter 1: Introduction
1.2 How to Use this Guide
This 'Research Survival Guide' is designed to give Masters and Doctoral candidates and their supervisors the information that helps them navigate the administrative and procedural side of doing a research higher degree at Monash University. While the major focus of the research candidate's enrolment is the design and completion of the research project, this work is done in the midst of the regulations and formal expectations of a University. Similarly, the University itself operates within the larger frameworks of policies and funding arrangements worked out by the Federal Government: your time as a higher degree candidate is therefore affected by the administrative climate of Australian higher education. Translated, this means that you need a map of the administrative and procedural landscape you are about to enter.
Doctoral candidates should also see the Doctoral Information Handbook located at: http://www.mrgs.monash.edu.au/research/doctoral/index.html
This 'Research Survival Guide' is designed to help you find your way to the information you need so that your candidature proceeds with minimal administrative difficulties. It should be kept on hand throughout your candidature as a useful resource for the times when you may wish to change your enrolment, convert from masters to a PhD program, or want to know which person to contact about particular issues. This guide is easy to navigate from the 'Contents' section by clicking on the subject you wish to read about.
Information that changes from year to year, such as the dates of Research Training Seminars, are posted on the Faculty of Arts website located at: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/research/
Some policy and administrative changes are bound to happen during your candidature. It is imperative that the people who administer higher degrees at Monash have access to your current postal and electronic contact details. Candidates are responsible for ensuring that contact details are correct at all time and can update their addresses and contact details online at: https://my.monash.edu.au/wes/
This way the University will be able to contact you whenever necessary.