Law – Postgraduate courses

Doctor of Philosophy


UTS course code: C02028 Testamur title: Doctor of Philosophy Abbreviation: PhD Course fee: see note (local); $7,000 per semester (international) Note: Higher degree research courses are offered under a variety of fee structures. Applicants are advised to contact the Faculty or the University Graduate School for further details. Overview Admission requirements Attendance Course duration Course structure Rules and regulations Overview A candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is required to submit a thesis representing an original investigation, criticism or review of a field of research, of a standard suitable for publication. The PhD is a cross-disciplinary program and is available to both Law and non-Law graduates who meet the admission requirements. For details regarding the Faculty's key research areas and strengths, application procedures, fees and scholarships, infrastructure support for research students and developing a research proposal, see Research degrees – General information. Admission requirements For admission to the PhD, applicants require: a Master's degree, or a Bachelor's degree with First Class Honours or Second Class Honours (Division 1). Details of eligibility for admission are set out in the UTS Rules for Doctoral Degree Students published in the UTS: Calendar and online at: www.uts.edu.au/div/publications/policies/rules/3.5.html Eligibility for admission is not a guarantee that an application will be accepted. Support for the project, availability of supervision, availability of places, and the applicant's overall abilities and experience are all taken into account. All postgraduate research students are expected to be proficient in English comprehension and expression. Applicants whose education was in a language other than English are required to provide evidence of English language proficiency. Attendance Doctoral degree candidature may be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis. Candidates are not required to attend classes. The work may be carried out either on University premises, at a site external to the University, or some combination of both. Candidates are required to make contact with their supervisor(s) at least once a month, to discuss the research being undertaken. Candidates must comply with the University Graduate School Board's Code of Practice for Supervisors and Doctoral Candidates available from the University Graduate School or online at: www.gradschool.uts.edu.au/policies/index Course duration The course can be completed in: a minimum of four semesters (two years) for a full-time student or six semesters (three years) for a part-time student. Course structure Students are required to submit a thesis of approximately 100,000 words in length. Once final approval is obtained for a research proposal the topic cannot be changed except with the approval of the University. An application to change the thesis topic, after enrolment, should be made on a Change of Details form that can be found online at: www.gradschool.uts.edu.au/policies/index Progress reports Both the candidate and the candidate's principal supervisor are required to submit progress reports at the end of each semester. The candidate's supervisor and the Faculty are asked to indicate whether progress has been satisfactory. Note that the progress reports are considered at the time of the Doctoral Assessment. Further details are available at: www.gradschool.uts.edu.au/current/candidature Doctoral Assessment Within the first year of candidacy for full-time students, or the first two years of candidacy for part-time students, candidates have to complete a formalised Doctoral Assessment. The objectives of the Assessment are to ensure that: the candidate has gained the prerequisite knowledge and skills to allow successful and timely completion of the proposed research program; and the candidate's progress is consistent with completion of the research program in the prescribed time and demonstrates potential to complete the work to standard. A student who does not satisfy the requirements for the Assessment will not be permitted to proceed with his or her candidature unless, with the approval of the Academic Board, they are invited to reattempt the Assessment. Further information about the Assessment can be found online at: www.gradschool.uts.edu.au/current/candidature Oral Presentation Approximately two months before the submission of the thesis for examination, the candidate must make an Oral Presentation of the thesis (the format is similar to that of the Assessment). Contact the Director of the Faculty's Postgraduate Program for further explanation. The Oral Presentaion is conducted in accordance with University Rule 3.5.10.6 as stated in the UTS: Calendar or at: www.uts.edu.au/div/publications/policies/rules/3.5.html Submission of thesis Candidates must lodge a Notification of Intent to Submit a Thesis with the University Graduate School at least two months before submitting their thesis for examination. Information about the requirements on the presentation and format of the thesis will be forwarded to candidates when this form is lodged. The form is available from the University Graduate School or online under 'Examination' at: www.gradschool.uts.edu.au/policies/index.html Examination of thesis The thesis is examined by three examiners, of which at least two are external to the University and who are experts in the area of research addressed in the thesis. Guidelines for presentation and submission of the thesis are available from the University Graduate School or online at: www.gradschool.uts.edu.au/current/candidature Rules and regulations Candidates are encouraged to read the Rules of the University, especially in relation to the course they are enrolled in. The Rules are published annually in the UTS: Calendar. The Calendar is available in the UTS Library and is also online at: www.uts.edu.au/div/publications/policies/rules/contents.html It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all course requirements are met. The Faculty's staff are available to answer any inquiries students may have regarding the Rules of the University.