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1. This procedure supports the Higher Degree by Research Policy by stating requirements for higher degree by research (HDR) candidature. It should be read alongside that policy.
2. Requirements for allocation and management of Australian Government Research Training Program–funded scholarships and other HDR scholarships are stated in the Higher Degree by Research Scholarships Procedure (including Research Training Program–funded scholarships).

1. This procedure has the same scope as the Higher Degree by Research Policy.

Admission

Admission – entry requirements

1. To be eligible for admission to an HDR course, an applicant must meet:
   1. the general admission requirements set out in Rule 9(1) of the University of Canberra (Admission) Rules 2022 (Admissions Rules);
   2. the academic entry requirements of the HDR course (see below);
   3. any course specific admission requirements approved by the Academic Board (see 3.2 below); and
   4. the English language proficiency entry requirement (see 3.14 below).
2. The University publishes the specific admission requirements for each HDR course, relevant to each year in which the course is offered (www.canberra.edu.au/courses). These specific requirements may include:
   1. a requirement of a minimum period of professional experience and
   2. any other entry requirement specific to the course, such as completing a selection task such as an audition, interview, performance, test, professional experience or supplementary application form.
3. Applicants who intend to study on an Australian student visa will also need to satisfy federal Department of Home Affairs immigration requirements to obtain such a visa.
4. An applicant must provide evidence of their capacity and aptitude for research in the form of an initial proposal of their research project for the course.
5. The availability of an appropriate supervisory panel for the course will also be considered. The appropriateness or otherwise of a supervisory panel will be at the discretion of the faculty.
6. Meeting the admission requirements does not guarantee admission to an HDR course.
7. The Dean, Graduate Research School may approve admission of an applicant to an HDR course on the basis of evidence of academic, research, or professional achievement equivalent to the minimum academic requirement for admission to such a course.

Admission – academic entry requirements: Doctor of Philosophy

8. The minimum academic requirement for entry to a Doctor of Philosophy (AQF Level 10) course is the completion of one of the following Australian or Australian-equivalent qualifications in the discipline or closely related discipline of the applicant’s proposed research:
   1. Bachelor Honours Degree (AQF Level 8) with first-class or upper second-class honours, or equivalent,
   2. Masters Degree (Research) (AQF Level 9); or
   3. Masters Degree (Coursework) (AQF Level 9) with a research component of at least 25 per cent of the volume of learning leading to the award.

Admission – academic and professional entry requirements: professional doctorates

9. The minimum academic requirement for entry to a professional doctorate (AQF Level 10) course is the completion of one of the following Australian or Australian equivalent qualifications closely related to the discipline of the proposed research:
   1. Graduate Diploma (AQF Level 8)
   2. Bachelor Degree (AQF Level 7) or Bachelor Honours Degree (AQF Level 8); or
   3. Masters Degree (Coursework or Research) (AQF Level 9).
10. For entry to a professional doctorate course, applicants must have at least five years’ experience in the relevant profession.
11. A professional doctorate course may state a higher or more specific professional experience requirement.

Admission – academic entry requirements: master by research

12. The minimum academic requirement for entry into a 18-24 month duration (full-time equivalent) Masters Degree (Research) (AQF Level 9) is the completion of one of the following Australian or Australian equivalent:
    1. Bachelor Degree (AQF Level 7) in the same discipline of the proposed research;
    2. Bachelor Honours Degree (AQF Level 8) in any discipline;
    3. Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma (AQF Level 8) in any discipline; or
    4. Masters Degree (Coursework) (AQF Level 9) in any discipline .
13. The minimum academic requirement for entry into a 12-month duration (full-time equivalent) Masters Degree (Research) is the completion of an Australian or Australian equivalent Bachelor Honours Degree (AQF Level 8) or above in the same discipline of the proposed candidature.

Admission – English language proficiency

14. Minimum English language proficiency requirements apply to all applicants seeking admission to the University’s HDR courses. The University publishes the English language proficiency requirements for each course via its website.
15. Applicants born in Australia or New Zealand and presenting an assessable qualification from Australia or New Zealand must also meet English Language proficiency requirements for all HDR courses.
16. Some HDR courses may have English language proficiency requirements higher than the minimum requirements for admission to a HDR course.
17. The Dean, Graduate Research School may approve admission of an applicant to a HDR course based on evidence of English language proficiency equivalent to the minimum English language proficiency requirement as set out in the Guidelines for English Proficiency Equivalency for HDR Admission.
18. There are three categories in which applicants can demonstrate English language proficiency to a level that meets the minimum requirements for admission to a HDR course.

Category One – Meeting English language proficiency requirements through previous study

19. Applicants meet English language proficiency requirements for HDR courses if they have completed at least one tertiary (AQF Level 7 or above) qualification where the language of instruction and assessment was English in one of the countries/territories listed in Table 1.
20. Previous study does not expire as evidence of English proficiency for applicants born in and presenting an assessable qualification from one of the countries/territories listed in Table 1.
21. For applicants not born in one of the countries/territories listed in Table 1, to be valid for the purpose of meeting the University’s English proficiency requirements, the completion of the qualification must be no more than two years old at the time of application to the relevant course.

Table 1: Countries and territories recognised by the University for the purpose of using previous study to meet English proficiency requirements.

Australia*	Botswana	Canada	Fiji	Ghana	Guyana	Ireland
Jamaica	Kenya	Lesotho	Liberia	New Zealand	Nigeria	Papua New Guinea
Samoa (American, Independent State)	Singapore	Solomon Islands	South Africa	Tonga	Trinidad & Tobago	United Kingdom
USA	Zambia	Zimbabwe

*Includes Australian qualifications offered overseas. Students born in and presenting an assessable qualification from Australia and/or New Zealand, also meet English proficiency requirements for all University HDR courses including those with higher English proficiency requirements.

Category Two – Meeting English language proficiency through an English language test

22. Applicants are considered to have met the minimum requirements under Category Two if they have achieved the requisite result from an accepted English language test. Specifically, for HDR courses the University accepts the following tests:
    1. International English Language Testing System, Academic (IELTS).
    2. Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet Based Test (TOEFL-iBT).
    3. Pearson Test of English, Academic (PTE).
    4. Cambridge English Scale: C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency.

Table 2: List of Accepted English Language Tests and the Required Minimum Scores for Higher Degree by Research Courses.

Minimum test score required
IELTS	TOEFL-iBT	PTE Academic	Cambridge English Scale
Overall ≥ 6.5 No band below 6.0	Overall ≥ 79 Each band ≥ 16	Overall ≥ 58 Each band ≥ 50	Overall ≥ 176 (C2) Each band ≥ 169 (C1)

 

23. To be valid for the purpose of meeting the University’s English proficiency requirements, results from the tests must be no more than two years old at the time of application to the HDR course.

Category Three: Meeting English Proficiency through study at a recognized institution

24. Study at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøC: Applicants meet English proficiency requirements for HDR courses if they have completed one of the following English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) courses at the University of Canberra College (ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøC):

Table 3: Meeting English proficiency through study at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøC.

Name of the ELICOS direct-entry pathway program completed	Minimum Academic IELTS equivalent required for entry to HDR Course	Score Required on completion
AE3	*IELTS 6.5 overall (or equivalent)	70% overall and meets assessment requirements as per the unit outline
AE4	IELTS 6.5 overall (or equivalent)	60% overall and meets assessment requirements as per the unit outline

*Only possible if AE4 course is not available
 

25. Other recognised courses and qualifications in Australia and overseas: The following qualifications/registrations meet the English proficiency for HDR courses.

Table 4: External qualifications to meet English proficiency.

Institution/Country	Completed Qualification (including standard required, where applicable)
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)	Applicants of postgraduate Faculty of Health courses who are required to be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), are, they deemed to have met English proficiency requirements by virtue of their AHPRA/NMBA registration.
Australian Registered Training Organisations (RTO)	Certificate IV in Spoken and Written English – Further Studies

 
Admission – application closing dates and offer deadlines

26. Unless otherwise stated or approved by the Dean, Graduate Research School, complete application for admission must be submitted by the deadline stated on the University website.
27. An applicant receiving an offer of admission must respond to the offer by following the process specified in the offer of admission. If an applicant fails to respond to the offer by the date specified in the offer, the offer will lapse.

Admission – applications and offers

28. Before applying for admission to an HDR course, a prospective HDR candidate will need to go through an Expression of Interest (EOI) process as required by the Dean, Graduate Research.
29. To apply for admission to an HDR course, an applicant will:
    1. Have contacted a potential supervisor, and discussed with them the project under consideration, and their availability to supervise that project;
    2. Have submitted an EOI and had the host faculty confirm that there is a potential supervisor available.
    3. Submitted an application for admission by the process and in the form required by the Dean, Graduate Research School.
    4. Provided supporting documentation sufficient to demonstrate that they meet the entry requirements.
    5. Provide sufficient evidence of their citizenship, identity and, where relevant, Australian permanent resident status.
    6. Arrange for two referees to provide information on the applicant's research capability and past experience.
30. Where an applicant has begun an HDR course at another tertiary education institution and is applying to transfer their candidature to the University of Canberra, the applicant must also provide:
    1. evidence of satisfactory progress in their candidature at the other institution, including completion of any milestones including confirmation of candidature;
    2. an academic transcript or letter from the other institution that details the units of their enrolment for their candidature, the number of candidature days or EFTSL equivalent they were enrolled as an HDR candidate there, and any Australian Government Research Training Program funding they have received up to the date of application;
    3. a full research proposal, including an outline of expected resources and support needed to complete the research, and a timeline for completion and thesis submission, prepared in consultation with their proposed primary supervisor; and
    4. any work completed on their thesis to date, such as draft chapters.

Assessment

31. On receipt of the application, the Graduate Research School will:
    1. assess whether the applicant possesses the qualifications that meet or are equivalent to the course entry requirements;
    2. where an applicant submits overseas qualifications, they may be assessed to determine the equivalence using the (CEP) on the Department of Education website or other internationally recognised tools.
    3. Assess whether the applicant possesses appropriate proficiency in English through established tests or English language equivalency. Where applicants do not meet the minimum English proficiency requirements for a packaged offer the application will be assessed as unsuccessful and will not progress to Faculty assessment.
    4. Establish whether the application has been supported by a potential supervisor.
    5. Establish whether the applicant is eligible for admission to the relevant HDR course and (for an overseas student applicant) likely to obtain a student visa.
    6. Identify if an applicant is a citizen of a country subject to sanctions or restrictions and forward the application to the relevant faculty’s HDR Officer for assessment of their intended research topic against Australian government restrictions.
32. The Faculty HDR Officer will be responsible for:
    1. reviewing the nominated supervisors and consider whether the faculty can support the applicant’s candidature.
    2. If necessary, provide an application for recognition of prior learning;
    3. If necessary, and following the Guidelines for English Proficiency Equivalency for HDR Admission provide an application to evaluate English language equivalency, and either:
       1. recommend that the faculty support the candidature and recommend the admission to the Executive Dean, in the form for this purpose provided by the Dean, Graduate Research School; or
       2. recommend that the application for admission be declined.
33. On receiving a recommendation to admit an applicant from the faculty HDR Officer, the Executive Dean will review the financial and resource requirements and decide whether to recommend to the Dean, Graduate Research School to admit the applicant or to decline admission.
34. Where an applicant asks to commence their candidature outside Australia, and the faculty supports this request, the primary supervisor and faculty HDR Officer will create an offshore candidate management plan to ensure that the candidature will have facilities, supervision, and support for their candidature equivalent to those available for candidates based at the Bruce campus of the University of Canberra for up to a 12-month period.

Offer

35. Offers of admission will be made in writing by an Admissions Officer as per the Admissions Rules.
36. Offers of admission must specify all the requirements set out in Rule 14 of the Admission Rules.
37. Where the applicant has been enrolled in an HDR degree at an Australian University in the three years prior to the start date, the previous EFTSL will be taken into account when calculating the course end date.
38. Where the applicant does not meet the prescribed conditions for admission, the University may make a conditional offer. These requirements will be detailed in the letter of offer. Applicants must provide evidence of meeting prescribed conditions to accept the offer.
39. Where an applicant does not meet the entry requirements for their preferred course, the Dean, Graduate Research School may decide to offer the applicant a place in another HDR course for which they do meet the entry requirements or decline to admit them.
40. The Dean, Graduate Research School may decline to admit an applicant, or cancel an offer already made to an applicant, or cancel an admitted applicant’s enrolment, where they consider that:
    1. the applicant’s behaviour indicates that the applicant, as a student, would pose a risk to the safety or wellbeing of others;
    2. admitting the applicant would break any Australian law;
    3. there is evidence the applicant provided false or misleading information in support of their application; or
    4. there is evidence the applicant, in their application, omitted information that, if it had been included, would have been a significant factor in the decision on the application.
41. The Dean, Graduate Research School may decline to accept an application from a student or former student who has had a certificate issued to them for failure to meet a financial obligation to the University in accordance with the University of Canberra (Obligations) Rules 2022, if the certificate bars the student from enrolling or re-enrolling in courses.
42. The Graduate Research School will inform the applicant of the outcome of their application and, if the application is successful, offer them admission to an HDR course.
43. Where an applicant does not accept their offer of admission by the acceptance deadline stated in the letter of offer, the offer will lapse.

Admission – conditional offers

44. The Dean, Graduate Research School may make an applicant a conditional offer of admission to an HDR course where the applicant:
    1. is awaiting results that will complete their academic qualification required for admission;
    2. is currently enrolled in another tertiary course, which the applicant should either complete or withdraw from;
    3. has provided a copy of a document required for admission, but must provide an original or verified copy of the document; or
    4. does not yet meet the minimum English language proficiency requirement for admission, as set out in the Guidelines for English Proficiency Equivalency for HDR Admission.
45. Where the Dean, Graduate Research School makes a conditional offer of admission, the applicant must meet the conditions before they can be admitted to the course.
46. If the applicant does not meet the conditions by the date specified in the letter of offer, the conditional offer of admission will lapse.

Admission – criteria for offers conditional on improved English language proficiency

47. The Dean, Graduate Research School may make a conditional offer of admission to an applicant who provides, as evidence of their English language proficiency, an accepted test score of at least:

Table 5: Criteria for offers conditional on improved English language proficiency.

	Minimum test score required
	IELTS	TOEFL-iBT	PTE Academic	Cambridge English Scale
20 weeks of ELICOS	Overall ≥ 5.5 No band below 5.0	Overall ≥ 46 Each band ≥ 9	Overall ≥ 45.4 Each band ≥ 40.2	Overall ≥ 162 (B2) Each band ≥ 154 (B1)
10 weeks of ELICOS	Overall ≥ 6.0 No band below 5.5	Overall ≥ 60 Each band ≥ 13	Overall ≥ 51.6 Each band ≥ 46	Overall ≥ 168 (B2) Each band ≥ 160 (B2)

 

48. A condition of the offer may be:
    1. satisfactory completion, by a specified date, of an Academic English program at University of Canberra College. The length of the Academic English program will be determined based on the test scores submitted with the application, or
    2. to provide, within six months after the date the offer is sent to the applicant, evidence of an English language test score that satisfies the English language entry requirement (see 3.14, above).
49. An applicant may ask to defer taking up their offer of admission for a maximum of 12 months from the course start date in the letter of offer. Such requests:
    1. must be made by the offer acceptance deadline in the letter of offer;
    2. are subject to the agreement of supervisors and faculty that the supervision and other resources will be available in 12 months’ time; and
    3. are subject to approval by the Dean, Graduate Research School.
50. Where an applicant is permitted to defer taking up their offer of admission, the following additional conditions must be met at the time the applicant will begin their candidature.
    1. The applicant remains eligible for admission to the course.
    2. If an international student, the applicant will still be studying on an Australian student visa.
    3. The faculty still has staff available to supervise the applicant.
    4. The faculty can still support the applicant’s originally proposed area of research.
    5. The University still offers the course.
    6. Where the other conditions are met, but the faculty can no longer supervise or support the applicant in their originally proposed area of research, the applicant may be offered alternative supervisory arrangements.
    7. Where the other conditions are met, but the University no longer offers the course to which the applicant has deferred taking up their officer of admission, the University may offer the applicant a place in a comparable course of which they meet the entry requirements.
51. Where an applicant is permitted to defer taking up their offer of admission, but then wishes to obtain admission to another course instead, they must apply for admission to the other course by the relevant application process.

Admission – reporting

52. After each semester the Dean, Graduate Research School will report to Graduate Research Committee and University Research Committee, for that semester:
    1. number of eligible applications made to each HDR course;
    2. number of offers made to each HDR course;
    3. number of offers accepted for each HDR course;
    4. number of candidates commencing each HDR course; and
    5. the Dean’s decisions that candidates’ combination of qualifications and experience were equivalent to a minimum requirement (academic or English proficiency) for admission, and the basis of these decisions.

Admission – readmission

53. A candidate who has discontinued their enrolment in an HDR course, or whose candidature has been terminated, may apply for readmission to the course by the process for new admission applications stated above, and subject to the same requirements as any other applicant.
54. A candidate who has been suspended from the University under the University of Canberra (Academic Progress) Rules 2022 (Academic Progress Rules) must serve the term of suspension before they can seek readmission to a HDR course.
55. Candidates may be readmitted with conditions relating to their academic progress. This may include a Progress Support Strategy or commencing the course on Academic Probation as per the Academic Progress Rules.
56. Where a candidate was suspended or excluded under the they cannot be readmitted until the period of suspension or exclusion is over.
57. Where a candidate previously had their candidature in an HDR course terminated, there is no right of readmission. Such candidates may be considered for readmission but will need to provide evidence that they have a better likelihood of success than indicated by their performance in their previous candidature.

Admission – review of admission decisions

58. An applicant for admission whose application was declined may ask the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Engagement to review the decision.
59. The applicant must submit their request for review to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor within 60 calendar days of the date of the decision to decline their application or offer them a place in a different course.
60. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor’s decision on a review of an admission decision is final: there is no further avenue to review the decision within the University.

Candidature away from the University

61. This section applies to candidates whose candidature is based at the University of Canberra campus, and not to HDR candidates based partly or wholly at another tertiary education institution.
62. A candidate is expected to attend a University of Canberra campus physically for at least one year of their candidature, to establish supervisory relationships and participate in the research culture of their discipline.
63. Physical attendance means:
    1. being available for face-to-face supervision meetings;
    2. attending induction, research seminars and other research events; and
    3. conducting study and research in the facilities for these purposes provided to the candidate by the faculty.
64. Under exceptional circumstances, the Dean, Graduate Research School may permit a candidate to be temporarily located at another institution or organisation by the following process and subject to the following conditions.
    1. The candidate must request this permission at the time of admission to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.
    2. The request must be endorsed by the primary supervisor.
    3. The proposed arrangement will involve the candidate spending at least 6 months based at a University of Canberra campus prior to confirmation of candidature when they are planning their research project with their supervisors and familiarising themselves with the research environment of their discipline.
65. For the request to be considered:
    1. any coursework units that the candidate must complete while they will be based elsewhere must be offered online;
    2. the other institution or organisation must provide the candidate with:
       1. the equipment and facilities necessary to carry out their research
       2. a local secondary supervisor; and
       3. a research culture equivalent to that which the candidate would experience if they were based on a University of Canberra campus, and
66. While the candidate is based elsewhere:
    1. supervision by University of Canberra supervisors must continue by digital means; and
    2. If the research involves material production, including experiments, fieldwork or creative practice, it may be necessary for the primary supervisor to visit the site of the candidate’s research.
67. Where permission is granted for a candidate who is on an international student visa to be based away from the University, the Graduate Research School will report the arrangement to the Department of Home Affairs and the candidate may need to apply for changes to their student visa.

Facilities and resources for candidates

68. In recommending an applicant for admission to an HDR course, the Executive Dean will confirm that the faculty will provide facilities and resources needed for the candidature and the candidate’s research.

Facilities and resources – information for candidates

69. Each faculty will provide information to candidates, at the start of their candidature, about:
    1. the facilities, resources and funding the faculty provides to support candidates, their research and their dissemination of the findings of their research;
    2. how to access the facilities and resources;
    3. how to apply for the funding;
    4. any tutoring or other employment in the faculty that is open to candidates and how to apply for it;
    5. faculty processes and instructions relevant to candidates; and
    6. health and safety processes relevant to candidates and their research, including local evacuation processes.
70. Candidates who have concerns about the facilities or funding available to them should raise these first with their supervisory panel and, if not satisfied with the response, may escalate their concerns to the relevant faculty HDR Officer and/or the Dean, Graduate Research School.

Facilities and resources – minimum requirements

71. Faculties will provide candidates with, at a minimum, access to:
    1. a number of hot-desk workstations reasonably sufficient for the number of candidates likely to use the workstations;
    2. tearoom and washroom facilities;
    3. lockable storage space sufficient to keep secure portable personal items and research materials candidates reasonably need to store on campus; and
    4. sufficient access to laboratories, clinical spaces, studio facilities and equipment for them to maintain progress in their research. As far as practicable and safe this should be 24-hour access.
72. Full-time candidates will be provided with a laptop or desktop computer and workstation for their use for the duration of their candidature.
73. Candidates will:
    1. be able to receive mail at a faculty or school postal address;
    2. be provided with student access to university information and communication technology (ICT) systems at the start of their candidature;
    3. receive University Library access and support services they need for their candidature and research;
    4. have access to information technology support and access to enterprise information and communication technology software and systems to which they need access for their candidature;
    5. be able to use computer software provided by the University as needed for their research, have access to networked printing when they are on campus; and
    6. when they are on campus, have access to university stationery for use in any hard copy correspondence in relation to their research, and have shared access to an internal phone extension with reasonable free calling permissions.

Facilities and resources – reasonable adjustments

74. Where a candidate has a disability, health condition or primary caring responsibilities for someone with a disability, they may apply through InclusionºÚÁϳԹÏÍø for adjustments or support in alignment with the Disability Standards for Education act 2005. A candidate's reasonable adjustments and/or support will be recorded in a Reasonable Adjustment Plan and/or HDR support letter.

Facilities and resources – research and conference travel funding

75. The University will make a reasonable amount of funding available each year to HDR candidates, to support the costs of their research and thesis preparation, including editing support, and contribution to travel to conferences in their discipline.
76. As part of their proposal for confirmation of their candidature, candidates are expected to provide a detailed budget of their proposed research expenses.
77. Graduate Research Committee will from time-to-time review funding support for candidates.

Facilities and resources – research culture

78. Candidates’ hotdesk spaces or other type of accommodation should be located near researchers in the discipline of their candidature.
79. Candidates should:
    1. present at least one paper each full-time year of candidature (or part-time enrolment equivalent to a full-time year) in a program of research seminars, university HDR events, or at a conference;
    2. have access to distinguished visitors in their discipline, either in group seminars or, where possible, individually.

Enrolment

80. A candidate must use their University of Canberra student email account for all correspondence in relation to their enrolment and candidature. All correspondence from the University in relation to their enrolment and candidature will be sent to that account.
81. Candidates are required to check their University of Canberra student email account regularly, and a candidate’s failure to check their email account or read communication sent to them will not be accepted as grounds of appeal against University decisions.
82. A part time HDR candidate should be enrolled in 6 credit points per semester, a full time HDR candidate should be enrolled in 12 credit points per semester.
83. Each domestic candidate and international candidate who is not on a student visa, will be enrolled on either a full-time basis or a part-time basis. A domestic candidate may apply to change their enrolment from full time to part time or vice versa. Such change in enrolment can only be implemented prior to the start of a semester (see clause 9.4). A candidate on an international student visa must be enrolled full time.
84. A candidate must remain enrolled in units for their course for the duration of their candidature.
85. Candidates who wish to add a unit to their enrolment should do so electronically via their MyºÚÁϳԹÏÍø account. Units can be added up to the date advertised for self-enrolments closing in the relevant teaching period. Candidates wishing to add units after this date and prior to census date will need approval from the unit convenor for the units they wish to enrol in.
86. Candidates wishing to withdraw from a unit up until census date should do so via their MyºÚÁϳԹÏÍø account. Their debt for the unit will be remitted and they will receive a “withdrawn-early” grade.
87. If the candidate notifies the University of withdrawal from a unit after census date for the relevant ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø semester they will receive a “withdrawn-late” grade for that unit and they are liable for fees.
88. If the candidate believes that circumstances outside their control have resulted in them withdrawing from a unit after census or failing to meet the unit requirements they may apply to the Dean, Graduate Research School, for an enrolment amendment to alter their transcript and/or remit the fees owed for that unit.
89. The Dean, Graduate Research School can only approve amendments for fee remissions under special circumstances with supporting evidence, and only for units commenced within the last 12 months. Special circumstances are those:
    1. beyond the candidate's control; and
    2. did not make their full impact on the person until on or after the census date of the relevant enrolment period (teaching period); and
    3. made it impracticable for the person to complete the requirements for the unit during the relevant ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø teaching period.
90. Enrolment implies the following expected commitment of the candidate’s time to coursework study and research, if they are to maintain satisfactory progress:
    1. for a full-time candidate, at least 35 hours per week; or
    2. for a part-time candidate, at least 35 hours per week pro-rata.

Enrolment – concurrent enrolment and concurrent employment

91. A candidate cannot enrol concurrently in another award course offered by the University or another tertiary education institution. Under exceptional circumstances the Dean, Graduate Research School may approve this.
92. The Dean, Graduate Research School may require a candidate to go on intermission in their HDR course as a condition of being allowed to undertake the other course.
93. Candidates are advised to avoid external commitments such as employment that prevent them from maintaining satisfactory progress in their candidature.
94. The conditions of award of an HDR scholarship may restrict the number of hours of paid employment the scholarship recipient may undertake.

Enrolment in thesis unit

95. Candidates may need to enrol in both coursework and thesis units throughout their course.
96. When a candidate has completed the coursework units required for their course, they will need to enrol in a thesis unit with the required credit point value each semester during the remaining duration of their candidature.
97. For the teaching period when a candidate has not yet submitted their thesis, a ‘continuing’ grade will be recorded for their thesis unit in that teaching period.
98. For the teaching period in which the candidate submits their thesis, they will receive a grade for their thesis unit that reflects the outcome of examination of the thesis: either an ungraded pass, a fail or – if the outcome is that they must carry out further study and/or research, and resubmit the thesis – a ‘continuing grade’.

Enrolment – duration of candidature

99. The following minimum and maximum durations in candidature days apply to candidature in HDR courses:

Table 6: Candidature durations.

Course	Minimum duration	Maximum duration
Doctor of philosophy and professional doctorate	730	1460
Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology	821	1642
Master by research	365	730

 

100. Where a candidate receives credit for coursework units through recognition of prior learning, the duration of candidature may be correspondingly reduced, but not to less than the minimum duration of candidature for the course.
101. Where a candidate is enrolled on a part-time basis for only part of their candidature, and the rest on a full-time basis, their maximum duration of candidature is adjusted in proportion to their period(s) of part-time enrolment.
102. Where a candidate is granted certain types of leave, their duration of candidature is adjusted by the amount of the leave: see the sections on leave below.
103. Where a candidate began their HDR candidature at another Australian tertiary education institution and has transferred their candidature to the University of Canberra, their period of candidature at this university will be reduced by their period of candidature at the other institution.
104. In exceptional cases the Dean, Graduate Research School may allow a candidate to submit their thesis prior to the minimum duration of candidature where:
     1. the primary supervisor has confirmed that the thesis is ready to be examined and would not benefit from further work; and
     2. the faculty HDR Officer has confirmed that the faculty supports the early submission.

Enrolment – extension of candidature beyond maximum duration

105. Where a candidate has not submitted their thesis by the maximum duration of candidature in their course stated in the table in clause 6.20 above, the Dean, Graduate Research School:
     1. may terminate their candidature; or
     2. may extend it for a period of 6 months full-time enrolment, or part-time equivalent. Only one period of extension will be granted unless there are exceptional circumstances.
106. Where a candidate submits their thesis by the end of the maximum duration of candidature in their course, they cease to be enrolled while the thesis is examined, but
     1. if the outcome of examination is that they must revise the thesis and resubmit it, they must re-enrol for the period in which they will do this; and
     2. if this re-enrolment will take them beyond the maximum duration of candidature, they will have to pay tuition fees for the period of re-enrolment.
107. For the Dean, Graduate Research School to extend a domestic candidate’s candidature:
     1. The candidate must make a case, supported by their primary supervisor and endorsed by the faculty HDR Officer, that they are likely to submit their thesis in the requested period of extension.
     2. Either the candidate will pay full tuition fees for their enrolment in each teaching period which they are permitted to continue their candidature beyond the standard maximum duration, or
     3. the Executive Dean of the candidate’s host faculty may agree to waive those tuition fees.
108. Where a candidate is an Australian citizen and is permitted to continue their candidature beyond the normal maximum duration by paying full tuition fees, they may be eligible for a FEE-HELP loan.
109. For an Executive Dean to consider approving overtime fee waiver for a candidate, the candidate must:
     1. have finished collecting the data for their thesis and be writing up the thesis; and
     2. Be placed on a Progress Support Strategy to assist them to complete.
110. A candidate studying on an International student visa can only be granted an extension of candidature where their thesis submission has been delayed by compassionate and compelling circumstances. In these cases, if the Dean, Graduate Research School approves the extension, the candidate will also need to:
     1. Apply to the Student Wellbeing and International Support (SWIS) team for a new Confirmation of Enrolment with the extended course completion date; and
     2. may need to contact the federal Department of Home Affairs to apply for a new student visa.

Enrolment – discontinuation of candidature

111. A candidate may discontinue their course at any time. However a candidate considering discontinuation is strongly encouraged to discuss this with their supervisory panel before deciding whether to discontinue.
112. Where a candidate on an International student visa discontinues, the University must notify the federal Department of Home Affairs of their discontinuation, which may result in their student visa being cancelled. This will be actioned by the SWIS team on advice from Graduate Research.
113. A candidate who has discontinued their HDR course may re-apply for admission through the standard application process.

1.Leave and intermission

114. Candidates may apply for the following types of leave or intermission (leave of absence) during their candidature:

Table 7: Leave and intermissions.

Type of leave/ intermission	Who approves it	Who recommends it for approval	Is the duration of candidature extended by it?
Recreation leave of up to 28 days calendar per year	Candidate’s primary supervisor	N/A	No
Personal leave less than 14 consecutive calendar days , (However, see clause 7.13)	Candidate’s primary supervisor	N/A	No
Parental leave (primary carer) of up to 85 calendar days	Dean, Graduate Research School	Candidate’s primary supervisor	Yes
Parental leave (secondary carer) of up to 14 calendar days	Dean, Graduate Research School	Candidate’s primary supervisor	Yes
Leave for compassionate or compelling circumstances. Must be 14 or more consecutive calendar days	Dean, Graduate Research School	Candidate’s primary supervisor	Yes
Intermission: suspension of enrolment for a period of 6 months, during which there is no access to university resources or supervision	Dean, Graduate Research School	Candidate’s primary supervisor	Yes
Intermission for more than one period of 6 months in succession (to a maximum of 12 months total).	Dean, Graduate Research School	Candidate’s primary supervisor	Yes

 

115. HDR candidates cannot access these leave provisions (excluding intermission) while enrolled in coursework units of their HDR course.  
116. Candidates who wish to take leave while enrolled in coursework units will need to withdraw from the coursework units and enrol in a thesis unit for the teaching period, if this occurs after census they will be liable for the unit tuition fees as per 6.8 above.
117. Unplanned leave applications must be made within 30 calendar days of the leave period ending. Planned leave applications should be made at least 14 calendar days prior to the period of absence.
118. Candidates can only apply for leave that occurred more than 30 calendar days ago if they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances beyond their control that prevented them from applying within the initial 30-day timeframe.
119. Where a candidate has a disability or health condition that requires them to take frequent short periods of leave, a Reasonable Adjustment Plan (RAP) may state that they can count periods of leave that are less than 14 consecutive calendar days to amend their candidature end date.
     1. Candidates who wish to use this provision will need to provide their RAP to the Graduate Research School when applying for leave.
     2. Candidates who hold a RAP with such a condition must keep records for the periods of personal leave so they can provide these to the Graduate Research School with the required Application for Leave form. This should be done at a minimum each semester that the arrangement is in place.
     3. Unless a candidate holds a RAP that includes this provision, personal leave can only extend their duration of candidature if it is for an approved continuous period of 14 or more calendar days.
120. For a request for personal leave for more than 14 consecutive calendar days, parental leave, compassionate leave or intermission to be considered, the candidate must:
     1. apply by the process and in the form required by the Dean of Graduate Research School; and
     2. provide documentation as evidence of the circumstances for which they need the leave, such as a letter or certificate from a treating health professional or (in relation to a crime or accident), a police report.
121. When assessing a leave application, a holistic view of the candidate's situation will be considered. This will include any documentary evidence provided, as well as how any illness or medical issue would reasonably be expected to affect a candidate's progress.
122. Where a candidate goes on intermission, or is permitted to take extended leave, on their return, their primary supervisor and candidate will assess what support is needed to help them make satisfactory progress. This may be formalised as a Progress Support Agreement. (See clause 11.48 and its subclauses.)
123. Where a candidate has been allowed to continue their candidature beyond the maximum duration of candidature in the course stated in the table in clause 6.20 above, they will only be permitted to take further leave in exceptional circumstances.
124. The Higher Degree by Research Scholarships Procedure (including Australian Government Research Training Program–funded scholarships) explains the effects of leave and intermission on candidates’ scholarships.
125. If a candidate on an International student visa applies for leave that will extend the course of study end-date stated on their current Confirmation of Enrolment:
     1. The candidate will fill out the application for leave form and submit it with any documentary evidence to their supervisor.
     2. If the supervisor approves their leave request, the candidate will submit the leave form signed by their supervisor to the Graduate Research School.
     3. The Graduate Research School will check that a valid leave application has been made and if so, submit it to the Dean, Graduate Research School for consideration.
     4. If the Dean, Graduate Research School approves the leave request, it will then go to Student Wellbeing and International Support to assess ESOS compliance.
     5. If SWIS approve the leave application, they will create a new CoE to reflect the change of course end date for the candidate.
     6. Graduate Research School will process the leave.
     7. The candidate is responsible for determining if they need to contact the federal Department of Home Affaire to apply for a new student visa to remain in Australia until the new course end-date.

Leave and intermission – personal leave

126. Personal leave may be granted to a candidate who is unwell or needs to care for an immediate family member who is unwell. Personal leave is managed within the Faculty and will not affect the length of the candidature.
127. Candidates are entitled to up to 14 candidature days of personal leave per year that is included within their standard duration of candidature.

Leave and intermission – recreation leave

128.  HDR Candidates are entitled to receive up to 28 candidature days of recreational leave per year without effect upon the duration of their candidature.
129. Recreation leave does not need to be formally approved by Dean, Graduate Research, but requires agreement with the primary supervisor.

Leave and intermission – parental leave

130. Parental leave of up to 85 candidature days may be available to a candidate who is the primary carer of their newborn or newly adopted child.
131. Parental leave of up to 14 candidature days may be available to a candidate to support their partner who is the primary carer of their newborn or newly adopted child.
132. Documentary evidence should be submitted to substantiate applications for parental leave. This could include a letter from a medical practitioner or adoption paperwork. Additionally documentary evidence of a relationship may be required where partner parental leave is applied for.
133. Where a candidate needs more than the available period of parental leave, they may apply for leave for compassionate and compelling circumstances, or for intermission.

Leave and intermission – compassionate or compelling circumstances

134. Where a candidate requires a period of 14 or more consecutive candidature days of leave , they may apply to the Dean, Graduate Research School for leave because of compelling or compassionate circumstances such as illness, career responsibilities, loss of a close family member; a traumatic experience; or major political upheaval or natural disaster in the candidate’s home country. Documentary evidence to substantiate leave application is required.

Leave and intermission – intermission

135. Intermission is the voluntary suspension of studies for a period of six months, which must be taken as a whole Research Semester (1 January – 30 June or 1 July – 31 December). 
136. The total period of intermission from the course should not exceed twelve months.
137. Where a candidate who is on an Australian student visa requests intermission the application will only be granted in compelling or compassionate circumstances.
138. A candidate will only be granted more than 12 months of intermission from candidature where they satisfy the Dean, Graduate Research School that this is needed because of exceptional circumstances that are outside the candidate’s control.
     1. Where such an exceptional period of intermission is granted, the University cannot guarantee that supervision and resources to support the candidate will be available on their return from intermission. In this situation the candidate may not be able to continue with their candidature.
139. A candidate who has gone on intermission must:
     1. Indicate they are recommencing their course by enrolling in the appropriate units for their course before the start of the teaching period in which they are to resume their candidature
     2. Inform their supervisor that they are returning from intermission and make plans to recommence their research.
     3. Where a candidate does not enrol in the appropriate units for their course prior to the start of the teaching period in which they are to resume their candidature, it will be taken that the candidate wishes to discontinue their course.

Supervision

Supervisor registration and eligibility to supervise

140. The Dean, Graduate Research School may approve someone to be added to the University’s register of people who are eligible to supervise a candidate’s research, on the recommendation of an Associate Dean HDR.
141. The criteria the Dean, Graduate Research School will apply in this decision are that the person must:
     1. hold a doctoral degree or equivalent qualifications and experience
     2. have completed the necessary supervisor training
     3. have completed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural awareness training; and
     4. (where the person is a member of the academic staff of the University) the  faculty HDR Officer must confirm that the person has been evaluated as maintaining the research activity expected of their level of academic position in the Enterprise Agreement, in their most recent performance evaluation as an academic staff member.
142. The Dean, Graduate Research School may consider an education-focused academic staff member or a professional staff member for registration as a supervisor where:
     1. a faculty HDR Officer confirms that the person maintains the research activity that would be expected of an academic staff member whose position requires them to conduct research; and
     2. the staff member meets the qualification and training criteria in clause 8.1a
143. The Dean, Graduate Research School may consider a person external to the University for registration as an additional secondary supervisor if a faculty HDR Officer confirms that the person is an active researcher in their discipline or profession.
144. The Dean, Graduate Research School may permit a former academic staff member who was a registered internal supervisor to continue as a registered external supervisor if they continue to maintain their research activity.
145. To remain eligible to supervise candidates, a registered internal supervisor must, at least every 2 years, provide evidence that they have engaged in professional development relevant to supervision of candidates, such as:
     1. taking on the role of Associate Dean Research or faculty HDR Officer, publishing a paper or giving a conference presentation on supervisory practice;
     2. facilitating a workshop on practice in supervising candidates as part of the University’s Researcher Development program or at another tertiary education institution; or
     3. participating in professional development in the practice of supervising HDR candidates, delivered either by the University or an external provider and approved by the Dean, Graduate Research School.
146. To remain eligible to be a primary supervisor of a candidate’s research, a staff member must meet the research activity expected of their level of academic position in the Enterprise Agreement, as assessed in their most recent performance evaluation.
147. Where an academic staff member leaves the University, the Dean, Graduate Research School may permit them to remain registered as a supervisor and:
     1. continue as a primary supervisor for a candidate who is in the final third of their candidature, other than that they may:
     2. consider them for appointment as a secondary supervisor for candidates.
148. The Dean, Graduate Research School may remove a registered supervisor from eligibility to be a primary supervisor where there is evidence that there is a reasonable likelihood that the supervisor has not been supervising satisfactorily. Such evidence may include (but is not limited to):
     1. failure to complete reports and other documents related to candidature on time or to a satisfactory standard;
     2. concerns raised about the supervisor’s supervisory performance by a candidate or another staff member; and/or
     3. low rates of completion of candidates supervised by the supervisor as their primary supervisor.
149. To supervise a candidate whose research involves the use of animals, a supervisor must:
     1. be licensed to conduct research using animals in accordance with the animal welfare legislation of the state, territory, or country in which the research will take place; and
     2. have completed the University’s animal ethics training course.

Supervision – provisional registration and recognition of prior training

150. Where a staff member has had supervisory experience prior to employment at the University, they may request recognition of prior training to meet the necessary supervisor training stipulated in clause 8.11. The Dean, Graduate Research School will decide if this training will be recognised. To apply for this they must:
     1. Have had at least one HDR completion as primary supervisor.
     2. Provide evidence of completion of the training they are seeking to have recognised, as well as sufficient information about the training to assess equivalence.
151. In situations where a staff member needs to be registered as a supervisor before the required training is complete, they may be provisionally registered. To get provisional registration the staff member needs to:
     1. Demonstrate the need to be registered prior to completing the training. This could be where there is a specific prospective HDR candidate that wants to nominate them as a supervisor in their application for admission to a HDR course.
     2. Show evidence of a booking for the required training or outline a date within the next three months by which the training will be complete.
     3. Have their faculty HDR Officer endorse their provisional registration.
152. A provisionally registered supervisor must have completed all the required training prior to any of their HDR candidates completing the first semester of their course.
153. If a provisionally registered supervisor has not completed the required training by the end of the first semester of study of any of their research candidates their supervisory panel must be changed so that the candidate has a registered primary supervisor. This could be achieved through the activation of the contingency panel.

Supervision – supervisory panels

154. Each candidate will be supervised by a supervisory panel that comprises at least 2 staff from the University. The panel must consist of a Primary and at least one Secondary Supervisor. A panel can include:
     1. additional secondary supervisor(s) who do not need to be staff members of the University; and
     2. additional advisor(s) on the candidate’s research.
155. In establishing a supervisory panel, care should be taken to consider the previous supervisory experience of the intended primary and secondary supervisors. It is recommended that the primary supervisor has been on at least one successful supervisory panel prior to appointment.
156. The division of the supervisory workload of a panel will be expressed as a percentage which must total 100%. Primary supervisors must have the largest share of the supervision workload. Secondary supervisor(s) must be appointed to a panel with a workload of 10% or more. Advisors can be part of a supervisory panel however their supervision workload will be 0%.
157. The primary supervisor will:
     1. be a current academic staff member of the University;
     2. be an active researcher, as confirmed by the faculty HDR Officer in nominating them;
     3. have an appointment that will continue for the maximum duration of the candidature;
     4. have the largest share of the supervision workload; and
     5. provide reports on the candidate’s progress and related recommendations on behalf of the supervisory panel.
158. When a supervisory panel is appointed, the faculty will identify contingency supervisors for when the primary supervisor or secondary supervisor(s) are unable to supervise the candidate, either temporarily or on an ongoing basis.
159. The contingency supervisors continuing availability to take over supervision responsibility should be confirmed at least yearly, and an alternative contingency supervisor(s) appointed if needed.
160. A staff member who is nominated to supervise a candidate must disclose to theFaculty HDR Officer any conflict of interest, as set out in the .
     1. A staff member will not be eligible to supervise a candidate (when the supervisor panel is formed or when it is changed) if they have a significant conflict of interest in doing so.
     2. Where a conflict of interest arises in the course of the supervision, the supervisor must declare it to their faculty HDR Officerso that it can be assessed and managed; if necessary by changing the supervisory panel.
     3. Failure to declare a conflict of interest in supervision is a serious breach of the Charter of Conduct and Values. If a relationship between the candidate and the supervisor constitutes a conflict of interest, and the candidate does not declare it, this is a serious breach of the Student Charter.

Supervision – managing supervisory workloads

161.  A staff member may supervise no more than
     1. 6 candidates as primary supervisor; and
     2. 5 full-time equivalent supervisions (500% of supervision share across all the staff member’s supervisions).
162. The faculty HDR Officer can make a case to the Dean, Graduate Research School for an exception to the maximum supervision load for a supervisor.

Supervision – conduct of supervisors

163. Supervisors will supervise in accordance with the national Principles for Respectful Supervisory Relationships.
164. The supervisory panel shares responsibility for ensuring that a candidate carries out their research in accordance with:
     1. the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research; and
     2. the University’s policies and procedures on research.

Supervision – editing support

165. Supervisors are expected to provide advice on drafts of a candidate’s thesis, including:
     1. substance and structure;
     2. style (clarity, voice and tone, grammar, spelling, punctuation, specialised material and material in other languages); and
     3. illustrations, tables and referencing.

Supervision – continuity of supervision and changes to supervisory panels

166. The Faculty  will ensure continuity of supervision.
167. The Dean, Graduate Research School may approve a change to  a supervisory panel, on the recommendation of the faculty HDR Officer.
168. When a primary supervisor is unable to supervise for a period of more than 6 weeks (for example because of illness or injury), the secondary supervisor will perform that supervisory role.
169. As far as possible, there should be no changes to a supervisory panel:
     1. in the final stages of the candidature;
     2. while the candidate is being supported to improve their progress;
     3. while the candidate is on academic probation; or
     4. while the candidate is revising their thesis to resubmit it for examination.
170. See Clause 3.158 for possible arrangements for continuity of supervision where a supervisor leaves the University.
171. Before a change is made to a supervisory panel it must have been:
     1. discussed and agreed to by the candidate in writing; and
     2. endorsed by the faculty HDR Officer.
172. Where a supervisor is replaced on a panel, the panel must identify an alternate supervisor who will perform the new supervisor’s role if they are on leave or unexpectedly absent.

 
Supervision – dispute resolution

173. Where conflict arises between a candidate and a supervisor, they are encouraged to try to resolve it between themselves.
174. Either may seek the help of the faculty HDR Officerto resolve the conflict, or may seek advice from the Dean, Graduate Research School.
175. Where the conflict cannot be resolved in this way, the candidate may submit a formal grievance under the Student Grievance Resolution Policy.
176. Where the conflict arises from behaviour by either party that may constitute misconduct, it may be dealt with as (as relevant):
     1. a disciplinary matter under the Enterprise Agreement;
     2. a student misconduct matter under the Student Conduct Rules; or
     3. a matter of sexual misconduct under the Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedure.
177. Where the primary supervisory relationship has broken down, and this conflict cannot be resolved, a new primary supervisor will be appointed, if this is practicable. In such a case, the original primary supervisor is expected to:
     1. help identify their replacement (if appropriate); and
     2. continue to supervise until the replacement takes this over.
178. If the replacement cannot begin to supervise reasonably soon, the candidate may be placed on leave or on intermission until the replacement can supervise them.
179. Where a replacement supervisor cannot be arranged, the candidate may be advised to move their candidature to another discipline, research institute/centre or faculty, or to withdraw from their course.

Changes to candidature

180. A change to candidature may be necessary where a candidate’s research changes direction or for various other reasons. The types of change of candidature and requirements in relation to these are set out below.

Changes to candidature – research title or methods

181. Where a development in a candidate’s research entails a change in the title of the research project or working title of the thesis, or a minor change in the research methods, the candidate should note such a change in their next annual progress report.
182. Where the candidate wants to make significant changes to their research topic:
     1. the change will need to be approved by the Dean, Graduate Research School, on the recommendation of the faculty HDR Officer; and
     2. if the candidate is an international student visa holder subject to visa condition 8208 they will be required to seek approval from the Minister for Home Affairs before changing their research topic.

Changes to candidature – enrolment proportion

183. Domestic candidates may change their proportion of enrolment (from full time to part time, from part time to full time), with the approval of their primary supervisor.
184. The candidate must submit their approved request:
     1. before 1 January, to take effect on 1 January; or
     2. before 1 July, to take effect on 1 July.
185. Where a candidate and supervisor agree that the candidate can reduce to part-time enrolment, it is essential that the request is submitted to the Graduate Research School promptly, so that the candidate does not consume candidature days on a full-time basis when they are in fact studying part time or vice-versa
186. Candidates must complete all required self-enrolment steps and be enrolled in a unit by the self-enrolment due date each teaching period.
187. Candidates studying on an Australian student visa must maintain a full-time enrolment load. Where such candidates encounter compassionate and compelling circumstances that prevent them from maintaining a full-time study load, they may apply for compassionate leave or intermission.

Changes to candidature – supervisory panel

188. A candidate or a member of their supervisory panel may request the Dean, Graduate Research School to approve a change of primary supervisor, a change to the membership of the panel or a change to panel members’ share of the supervisory workload.
189. For the Dean, Graduate Research School to consider such a request, it must have been endorsed by the faculty HDR Officer.

Changes to candidature – change of host faculty and/or research institute

190. Where a candidate wishes their candidature to be hosted by a different faculty and/or research institute (without transferring to a different course), they should first:
     1. discuss this with their current supervisory panel; and
     2. if they are receiving a stipend scholarship, contact the Graduate Research School to find out whether its conditions of award permit them to receive the scholarship if their candidature is hosted by a different research institute or faculty.
191. For the Dean, Graduate Research School to approve a change that will move the hosting of a candidature to a different faculty, the proposed Executive Dean HDR of the faculty that is to host must have confirmed that they have the resources and facilities to support the candidate.
192. For the Dean, Graduate Research School to approve a change that will move the hosting of a candidate to a different faculty, a faculty HDR Officer must:
     1. Nominate any new supervisors that are needed for the supervisory panel.
     2. Approve the candidature research plan

Changes to candidature – transfer from one HDR course into another HDR course

193. Candidates may transfer from one HDR course to another HDR course within the University if they have met the requirements detailed below. Candidates may initiate the transfer on their own initiative, at the recommendation of their Faculty or the Dean, Graduate Research School, or as a result of failing to meet the requirements of their current HDR course.
194. The following HDR course transfers are not permissible:
     1. From any HDR course to PhD in Clinical Psychology.
     2. From any Accelerated Masters program (with a course duration of less than 18 months) to PhD.
195. A candidate may apply to the Dean, Graduate Research School, to transfer to a new HDR course, by following process and subject to the following conditions. The candidate must apply in writing:
     1. explaining their reason for seeking the transfer;
     2. demonstrating that they understand how the standards and requirements of the current course differ from the new course;
     3. attaching evidence of their ability to fulfil the requirements of the new HDR course (such as draft chapters of their thesis); and
     4. attaching a copy of their most recent annual progress report or research plan review.

Supervisor recommendation

196. In considering whether to support the candidate’s application, their supervisory panel and the assessors of their transfer seminar should consider the difficulties they may face in reworking their current research project as a coherent thesis at the level of the new course. If the assessors and supervisory panel support the transfer request, the primary supervisor’s recommendation must confirm that:
     1. the candidate has demonstrated their capacity to work at the level required by the new course; and
     2. the proposed research topic is substantial enough and at a sufficiently advanced conceptual level for the new course and is likely to make a contribution to knowledge commensurate with the level of the new course.
197. To be considered for such a course transfer, a candidate must normally have:
     1. completed all coursework units required for the current course; and
     2. have been enrolled in the thesis units of the course for at least 6 months full time or the equivalent period of part-time enrolment.
     3. Such a transfer will not normally be considered where the candidate has been enrolled in the professional doctorate course for more than 24 months of full-time enrolment or equivalent period of part-time enrolment.

Transfer seminar

198. For the Dean, Graduate Research School to approve an application to transfer between HDR courses, the candidate’s primary supervisor and the faculty HDR Officer must recommend it on the basis of the candidate’s successful presentation of a publicly advertised transfer seminar.
199. The transfer seminar will count as the confirmation of candidature seminar at the level of the new course.
200. The transfer seminar will be evaluated by at least two assessors, appointed by the faculty HDR Officer on the recommendation of the candidate’s primary supervisor, who:
     1. meet the academic criteria to be appointed as assessors of a confirmation seminar (see 11.19b); and
     2. are not and have not been a member of the candidate’s supervisory panel.
201. The candidate’s primary supervisor will provide the assessors with the candidate’s full application for transfer at least one week before the seminar.
202. After the seminar, the assessors will meet with the candidate, supervisory panel, and faculty HDR Officer to give feedback.
203. Following the transfer seminar the assessors will return the completed form with their assessment of the candidate’s research proposal and seminar to the primary supervisor.
204. After receiving the form from the assessors, the primary supervisor and supervisory panel will consider if they support the transfer request. If they do support the transfer, the primary supervisor will write a brief recommendation covering their reasons for recommending the transfer, the level of the candidate’s current research and writing, and estimating how much longer it will take the candidate to complete the PhD course.
205. The faculty HDR Officer will consider the candidate’s transfer application and primary supervisor’s recommendation, and whether to endorse the application and forward these materials to the Dean, Graduate Research School for approval.

Transfer implementation

206. After the transfer is approved, the following may be needed:
     1. Credit assessment of coursework units completed against the course requirements of the new HDR course
     2. The candidature in the new course is taken to be a continuation of that from the previous course, with the status of milestones, daycount and supervisory panel in the new course to be the same as those at the departure point from the previous course.
     3. The maximum course duration in the new course will be calculated by taking the registered duration of the new course and subtracting the time spent in the previous course.
     4. International student visa holders that are approved to transfer between HDR courses will be issued a new offer letter, and after their acceptance a new CoE.

Progress monitoring and support

Progress monitoring and support – overview

207. This section supplements the University of Canberra (Academic Progress) Rules 2022 by stating academic progress requirements specific to candidates for HDR awards.
208. A candidate’s supervisory panel, the faculty HDR Officer and the Dean, Graduate Research School will monitor the candidate’s progress by reviewing the following measures and activities:
     1. their results in their coursework units;
     2. participation in supervisory meetings;
     3. the confirmation of their candidature; and
     4. Bi-annual progress reports: the Annual Progress Report (APR) and Research Plan Review (RPR).
     5. In a Doctor of Philosophy or professional doctorate course, a candidate’s progress will also be monitored via seminar or conference presentations given by the candidate between the confirmation of their candidature and submission of their thesis.

Progress monitoring and support – candidates’ concerns

209. Candidates who have concerns about their progress or supervision, which they do not feel comfortable to raise with their supervisors, are encouraged to raise them with:
     1. The faculty HDR Officerof their host faculty, and/or
     2. the Dean, Graduate Research School.
     3. Those with whom a candidate raises concerns about their progress or supervision will keep the candidate informed of steps that are taken to address the concerns.

Progress monitoring and support – course milestones and their due dates

210. The expected due dates of candidates’ course milestones and activities in their course are set out below (duration pro rata for part time candidature).
211. In a Doctor of Philosophy course (other than the PhD Clinical Psychology course) or a professional doctorate course (maximum duration 4 years / 1460 candidature days):

Milestone	By (Full time equivalent)
Research plan developed, and introductory seminar presented	6 months (182 candidature days)
Coursework units completed	12 months (365 candidature days)
Candidature confirmed Needs 2 research training units of coursework complete	12 months (365 candidature days)
Annual Progress Report and Review of Research Plan	RPR by end of March each year APR by end of September each year
Work-in-progress seminar if required by the faculty.	24 months (730 candidature days)
Pre-submission seminar	33 months (1004 candidature days)
submission of thesis	36 months (1095 candidature days)

 

212. In the PhD Clinical Psychology course (maximum duration 4.5 years / 1642 candidature days):

Milestone	By
Research plan developed and introductory seminar presented	6 months (182 candidature days)
Coursework units complete	As specified in course outline
Candidature confirmed	12 months (365 candidature days)
Annual progress report and review of research plan	RPR by end of March each year APR by end of September each year
Work-in-progress seminar if required by the faculty.	32 months Between confirmation of candidature and pre-submission seminar
Pre-submission seminar and	45 months (1369 candidature days)
submission of thesis	48 months (1460 candidature days)

 

213. In a master by research course (maximum duration 2 years / 730 candidature days):

Milestone	By
Research plan developed	5 months (152 candidature days)
Coursework units complete	As specified in course outline
Candidature confirmed	7 months (212 candidature days)
Annual progress report and review of research plan	RPR by end of March each year APR by end of September each year
Pre-submission seminar and	17 months (515 candidature days)
submission of thesis	20 months (608 candidature days)

 

214. In a master by research course (maximum duration 18 months / 547 days):

Milestone	By
Research plan developed	4 months (121 candidature days)
Coursework units complete	As specified in course outline
Candidature confirmed	6 months (182 candidature days)
Annual progress report and review of research plan	RPR by end of March each year APR by end of September each year
Pre-submission seminar and	15 months (456 candidature days)
submission of thesis	18 months (547 candidature days)

 

215. In a master by research course (maximum duration 12 months / 365 days):

Milestone	By
Research plan developed	4 months (121 candidature days)
Coursework units complete	As specified in course outline
Candidature confirmed	6 months (182 candidature days)
Annual progress report and review of research plan	RPR by end of March each year APR by end of September each year
Pre-submission seminar and	9 months (274 candidature days)
submission of thesis	12 months (365 candidature days)

 
Introductory Seminar

216. The Introductory seminar is a compulsory non-assessable milestone for all doctoral level courses. It aims to provide the candidate an opportunity to introduce their research topic, question, proposed methodology and timeline.
217. Masters level courses may include an Introductory seminar at the discretion of the faculty.
218. The Introductory seminary will be organised and promoted by the Primary Supervisor. The candida and the supervisory panel are expected to have discussed and agreed on the content of the presentation.
219. All members of the supervisory panel should attend. Attendees will be invited to provide written and verbal feedback to the candidate. The seminar and the feedback received should be discussed in a subsequent panel meeting.
220. The Primary Supervisor is responsible for notifying the Graduate Research School that the introductory seminar has been completed.

 
Progress monitoring and support – approval of grades in coursework units

221. Candidates’ grades in coursework units for their course are approved and monitored by the following processes.
222. Where a unit is managed by a faculty:
     1. the Faculty Assessment Board will approve candidates’ final grades in the unit, and oversee quality assurance of assessment in the unit, in accordance with the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedure; and
     2. the following meeting of the Graduate Research Committee will receive reports of candidates’ grades.
223. Where a unit is managed by the Graduate Research School, the Higher Degree by Research Assessment Board will approve candidates’ grades in the unit and oversee quality assurance of assessment in the unit.
224. The membership of the Higher Degree by Research Assessment Board is:
     1. Dean, Graduate Research School (chair) or their nominee;
     2. one member of Graduate Research Committee from each faculty;
     3. the program convenor of each centrally-managed HDR program; and
     4. the unit convenor of each centrally-managed HDR unit.
225. A quorum of the HDR Assessment Board is five members.

Progress monitoring and support – coursework units

226. In any HDR course, a candidate is expected to pass all their coursework units, on their first attempt.
     1. If a candidate does not pass a coursework unit, they will be placed on academic probation.
     2. A condition of their academic probation will be that they fail no more coursework units in which they enrol for the course.

Progress monitoring and support – confirmation of candidature

227. A candidate must have their candidature confirmed before they can undertake their research project.
228. For the Dean, Graduate Research School to consider confirming a candidate’s candidature:
     1. The candidate must have:
        1. completed the online research integrity training and received a minimum score of 80%;
        2. submitted a full research proposal;
        3. presented a confirmation seminar on their proposed research; and
     2. the panel of assessors of the proposal and confirmation seminar must have recommended that the candidature be confirmed.
     3. The host faculty will decide the format of the research proposal, which must at a minimum include:
        1. the proposed title of the thesis;
        2. the research questions or problems to be investigated, and their scholarly context, including a literature review;
        3. the research methodology and how it will be applied;
        4. resources and conditions required for the research, including (where relevant) a project budget;
        5. a timeline for the research; and
        6. any ethics approval required for the type of research.
229. Where the work to be submitted as the outcome of the research will be a thesis including published works or a creative work and thesis, the faculty may require the research proposal to have a different format than that stated in clause 11.17.
230. Once the candidate and their supervisory panel are satisfied with the candidate’s research proposal, the candidate will deliver the confirmation seminar and have their research proposal assessed. The primary supervisor is responsible for organising the confirmation seminar and should liase with the faculty administrative staff in regards to timing and location. This entails:
     1. scheduling the seminar, which:
        1. will be based on the content of the research proposal;
        2. will be in a format and of a length that will enable assessment of the merit of the research proposal;
        3. will be delivered by the candidate in a physical location rather than online, unless there is an exceptional reason for them presenting via  videoconference; and
        4. unless the sensitivity of the research precludes it, will be open to colleagues, students and the public to attend
     2. the primary supervisor recommending to the faculty HDR Officer nominations for a panel to assess the research proposal and seminar of at least 2 experts who are active researchers in the field of scholarship of the research topic and:
        1. are not members of the candidate’s supervisory panel;
        2. hold a doctoral degree; and
        3. at least one of whom is external to the University.
        4. Where the candidate is a ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø staff member, all assessors must be external to the University.
        5. Assessors must disclose any potential interest, as set out in the .
     3. Where the nature of the research project requires an assessor that does not hold a doctoral degree, the faculty HDR Officer may make a recommendation to the Dean, Graduate Research School. In all cases, at least one of the two assessors must hold a doctoral degree.
     4. Once the faculty HDR Officer has approved the panel of assessors, at least a week before the confirmation seminar date, the candidate’s primary supervisor will provide the assessors with the candidate’s research proposal and the form for their assessment of the proposal and seminar.
231. The panel of assessors will:
     1. attend the confirmation seminar either physically or via videoconference;
     2. after the seminar, meet with the candidate, their supervisory panel and the faculty HDR Officer to provide feedback; and
     3. return the completed form with their assessment of the candidate’s research proposal and seminar to the faculty HDR Officer.
232. The faculty HDR Officer will recommend the outcome of the candidate’s research proposal and confirmation seminar to the Dean, Graduate Research School for decision. The possible outcomes are:
     1. the candidature is confirmed;
     2. conditional confirmation: the candidate must improve the research proposal as suggested by the assessors, to the satisfaction of the faculty HDR Officer, by a deadline (normally within 3 months); or
     3. the candidate is not confirmed but may have one further opportunity to improve their research proposal and present another confirmation seminar. In this situation, a PSA (Progress Support Agreement) must be activated
233. The Graduate Research School will notify the candidate, the faculty HDR Officer and the primary supervisor of the outcome.
234. Where the outcome is conditional confirmation, with the condition that the candidate must improve and resubmit the research proposal:
     1. Their supervisory panel will:
        1. support the candidate to improve the proposal; and
        2. once the candidate submits the improved proposal, advise the faculty HDR Officer that it has been improved as per the assessors’ suggestions.
     2. Where the faculty HDR Officer is satisfied that the candidate has met the conditions of their confirmation of candidature, the candidature is taken to have been confirmed by the Dean Graduate Research School. Where the faculty HDR Officer is not satisfied the conditions have been met:
        1. the candidature be terminated; or
        2. where the candidature is for a doctoral program, and where applicable, the candidate may be offered the option to transfer to a master by research course.
235. Where a candidate is not confirmed following their first confirmation seminar and submits a revised research proposal and gives a second confirmation seminar, where practicable the assessors will be the same as for the original seminar. Following the seminar, the faculty HDR Officer will recommend to the Dean, Graduate Research School that:
     1. the candidature be confirmed
     2. the candidature be terminated; or
     3. where the candidature is for a doctoral program, and where applicable,  the candidate may be offered the option to transfer to a master by research course.
236. Where the outcome of a doctoral candidate’s confirmation process is that they are offered transfer to a master by research course:
     1. Such a transfer will entail the candidate revising their research proposal and submitting it with the endorsement of the AD HDR for confirmation of their candidature in the master by research course.
     2. The candidate can then be considered for confirmation of candidature in the master by research course without having to give another confirmation seminar.

Progress monitoring and support – Work in Progress seminar

237. The University may require doctoral candidates to present a Work-in-Progress (WIP) seminar within the first two thirds of the total period of candidature (i.e. by 24 months in a 36 month candidature period or 32 months in a 48 month candidature period).
238. The host faculty will decide on a course by course basis if they wish to require a WIP seminar. If the faculty decides that a course will include a WIP, it is a mandatory requirement for all candidates in that course.
239. The Primary Supervisor is responsible for scheduling the seminar into the Faculty or Research Institute’s seminar timetable and for ensuring that the seminar is held.
240. The WIP seminar is not formally assessed but is recorded. It provides an opportunity for the candidate to seek feedback and direction on the research before the final write-up of the thesis; and to test and defend major results and conclusions emerging from the research.
241. Requirements for the content, format and length of the WIP seminar will be as per disciplinary standards. Candidates should seek advice from the Primary Supervisor and consult their host Faculty or Research Institute’s guidelines, where applicable, on the WIP seminar.
242. The supervisory panel and the faculty HDR Officer will attend the seminar.
243. The host Faculty or Research Institute staff and members of the wider research and professional communities (as applicable to the project) may be invited to attend at the discretion of the faculty HDR Officer.
244. The supervisory panel and the candidate will meet as a group after the WIP seminar to discuss suggestions and feedback from the presentation. The panel will recommend action in accordance with the Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Progress and Milestones Policy if it has concerns about the candidate’s progress, and activate the Progress Support Strategy, if required.
245. The Primary Supervisor is responsible for confirming that the WIP seminar has been completed, and the faculty will notify the Graduate Research School.

Progress monitoring and support – Pre-Submission seminar
 

246. The University requires all HDR candidates to present a pre-submission seminar. The pre-submission seminar shall normally take place three to six months prior to submission of the thesis.
247. The objectives of the seminar are to:
     1. provide an opportunity for the candidate to present the research outcomes;
     2. identify potential forms and channels of dissemination;
     3. celebrate the achievements of the candidate; and
     4. promote the University and its research by showcasing the project.
248. The Primary Supervisor is responsible for scheduling the seminar into the Faculty or Research Institute’s seminar timetable and for ensuring that the seminar is held.
249. The supervisory panel and the faculty HDR Officer will attend the seminar.
250. Host Faculty or Research Institute staff and members of the wider research and professional communities (as applicable to the project) should be invited to attend.
251. The Primary Supervisor is responsible for notifying the Graduate Research School that the Pre-Submission seminar has been completed.

Exit award for HDR candidates

252. Where a HDR candidate has to withdraw from candidature, or has their candidature terminated for unsatisfactory progress, and has passed coursework units required for the HDR course, if the HDR course includes an alternative exit award, they can apply to have an exit award conferred on them.

Progress monitoring and support – annual progress reports and research plan review

253. As part of monitoring HDR candidates process, there are two progress reports completed yearly by the candidate and primary supervisor. The Research Plan Review in March and Annual Progress Report in September.
254. Each candidate and primary supervisor must complete these annual progress reports by a date specified by the Graduate Research School. Unless the candidate:
     1. Is in their first semester of their HDR course.
     2. If they have submitted their thesis for examination.
     3. If they are on intermission or on leave for the whole semester.
     4. If they have been exempted from the requirement to complete the progress report by the Dean, Graduate Research School.
     5. If they are on leave during the progress review period, they need to complete their review within 30 calendar days of their return from leave.
255. The Annual Progress Report and Research Plan Review comprises a joint progress report completed by the candidate and primary supervisor, which is the formal record of the candidate’s progress.
256. After submitting their reports, the candidate and primary supervisor will meet to discuss the candidate’s progress and prepare the joint progress report. The faculty HDR Officer may also attend that meeting.
257. The primary supervisor and faculty HDR officer will review the contingency panel during the APR process and ensure that the contingency panel members are still available if needed.
258. If a candidate does not complete their report by the date specified by the Dean, Graduate Research their course enrolment may be discontinued, and their candidature terminated.
259. The candidate will have an opportunity to raise any concerns they have about their supervisory panel during the progress report by indicating they wish to meet with the faculty HDR Officer.
260. Where either the candidate, supervisor or faculty HDR Officer has concerns about the candidates progress, the Dean, Graduate Research School will review the candidates progress and decide on one of the following outcomes:
     1. The faculty HDR Officer of the candidate’s host faculty will review the annual progress report and make a recommendation to the Dean, Graduate Research School on whether the candidate’s progress is satisfactory.
     2. The Dean, Graduate Research School will consider the progress report and the recommendation of the faculty HDR Officer and decide on one of the following outcomes.
     3. The candidate’s progress is satisfactory – no action needed.
     4. The candidate will be offered progress support and invited to meet with the faculty HDR Officer to develop a Progress Support Strategy.
     5. The candidate will be placed on intermission or granted leave for compassionate or compelling reasons, to allow them time to resolve issues that are impeding their progress.
     6. The candidate’s progress reports will be provided to an HDR Progress and Examinations Panel, with the membership stated in clause 11.56, to advise the Dean, Graduate Research School whether the candidate should be placed on academic probation.

Progress monitoring and support – Progress Support Agreement (PSA)
 

261. A candidate may be identified as at risk of unsatisfactory progress, and invited to attend a meeting with the faculty HDR Officer to develop a Progress Support Strategy, where:
262. their primary supervisor recommends this to the faculty HDR Officer because the candidate:
     1. has persistently failed to keep appointments with a supervisor or to keep to an agreed frequency of email contact;
     2. has persistently failed to meet deadlines for completion of drafts or other tasks agreed between the candidate and a supervisor;
     3. is not making progress with their research in accordance with their research plan;
     4. has failed to achieve an expected major activity of their course listed in the table in the relevant subclause of clause 11.4;
     5. has demonstrated a level of English skills inadequate to completing the thesis;
     6. has repeatedly asked to change their research topic;
     7. has repeatedly asked to change the membership of their supervisory panel;
     8. the candidate’s personal situation (such as a health issue, family commitments or work commitments) is impeding their progress; or
     9. this is a recommendation following an annual progress report.
263. See clause 7.9 for the requirement that, where a candidate has returned from intermission or from a period of leave for compassionate or compelling reasons, they be invited to meet with their primary supervisor, to consider whether a Progress Support Strategy is needed.
264. A candidate may ask to meet with their primary supervisor or the faculty HDR Officer to develop a Progress Support Strategy.
265. Where a supervisor recommends, or a candidate requests, a Progress Support Strategy, the primary supervisor or faculty HDR Officer (as relevant) will arrange a meeting with the candidate for this purpose, to be held within 21 calendar days of receiving formal notification of the recommendation or request. If the candidate is returning from intermission, the meeting is to be arranged and held within 30 calendar days of returning to study.
266. At a progress support meeting, the primary supervisor, faculty HDR Officer, and the candidate will develop a Progress Support Strategy:
     1. that specifies actions the candidate is to take or outcomes they are to achieve over a 90 day FTE period; and
     2. using the template for such agreement provided by the Graduate Research School.
     3. The supervisor and/or faculty HDR Officer should make all reasonable efforts to involve the candidate in the creation of their PSA.
     4. However if the candidate does not attend the progress support strategy meeting or does not meaningfully participate, the faculty HDR Officer and supervisor can either decide on a PSA or recommend that the candidate is placed on Academic Probation.
     5. If the supervisor or faculty HDR Officer is unable to reach the candidate or there is indications that the candidate has disengaged, a welfare check referral to Student Wellbeing and International Support should be considered.
267. Conditions and outcomes that a Progress Support Strategy may specify include:
     1. work goals to accelerate progress with the research such as
        1. submitting a revised research plan or research methodology;
        2. attending a schedule of supervisory meetings;
        3. submitting written work;
        4. attending training such as HDR candidate skills development workshops; and/or
        5. auditing a unit offered by the University.
     2. seeking support from a relevant university support service for students
     3. changes to candidature such as changing supervisory arrangements or reducing to part-time enrolment; and/or
     4. going on leave or intermission.
268. The faculty HDR Officer or primary supervisor will forward the completed Progress Support Strategy to the Dean, Graduate Research School, for endorsement after which the Graduate Research School will notify the candidate that the Progress Support Strategy is in effect.
269. Where a candidate has not engaged in the process of developing the PSA this must be noted in the PSA documentation, and the Dean, Graduate Research School, may activate the PSA without the candidate's contribution or place the candidate on Academic Probation directly.
270. If the candidate is approved to take leave or go on intermission during the period of the Progress Support Strategy:
     1. the period of the Progress Support Strategy will be extended by the period of the intermission or leave; and
     2. on the candidate’s return from the intermission or leave they must meet with the faculty HDR Officer and their primary supervisor to discuss the Progress Support Strategy and whether it needs extending or updating to enable the candidate to improve their progress.

Progress Support: Courses of Action

271. A Course of Action plan with realistic and achievable outcomes must be developed following the activation of the Progress Support Strategy. Possible courses of action may include:
     1. A prescribed program of work including, e.g. the submission of a revised Research Plan or methodology for assessment, the setting of specific goals, schedule meetings and timelines/milestones, including the submission of written work, provision of specific training or support for aspects of the project.
     2. Attendance at specific workshops provided by ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Researcher Development or other training providers to develop skills required to progress with research.
     3. Attendance at specific workshops provided by the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Library.
     4. Referral to University support services, e.g. counselling and health service, International Student Support Service, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø College for English language support, Student Inclusion and Engagement.
     5. Changes to candidature, e.g. change to part-time enrolment, modification of supervisory arrangements, intermission (within visa requirements for international candidates); and/or
     6. Audit University of Canberra units or attend units available from other universities on online as appropriate.

Progress – Academic Probation

272. If a faculty HDR Officer considers that a candidate’s progress is unsatisfactory and the candidate is unlikely to submit a passable thesis by their maximum duration of candidature, they may recommend to the Dean, Graduate Research School that the candidate be placed on academic probation.
     1. Such a recommendation will:
        1. state the faculty HDR Officer’s reasons for this view; and
        2. include supporting documentation such as annual progress reports or other communications from the candidate’s supervisors.
     2. Such a recommendation will not normally be made until the candidate has had an opportunity to improve their unsatisfactory progress by carrying out a Progress Support Strategy.
     3. However, where a candidate has been invited to a progress support meeting and has not attended it, without reasonable explanation, the faculty HDR Officer may recommend the candidate be placed on academic probation.
273. In addition, a candidate will be placed on academic probation in accordance with clause 11.15a without the need for a previous Progress Support Strategy or advice from an HDR Progress and Examinations Panel.
274. When the Dean, Graduate Research School receives a recommendation to place a candidate on academic probation, or this is the outcome of an annual progress report, the dean will convene an HDR Progress and Examinations Panel to advise them on the matter.
     1. The panel will comprise the Dean, Graduate Research School (chair) and 2 members of the Graduate Research Committee from other faculties than the candidate’s host faculty.
     2. The faculty HDR Officer of the host faculty will attend the panel as an adviser.
     3. The panel will consider the documentation provided by the faculty HDR Officer of the host faculty and may question the HDR Officer about it.
     4. The panel may at its discretion meet with the candidate.
     5. The panel will recommend one of the following outcomes to the Dean, Graduate Research School:
        1. The candidate be placed on academic probation, with suggested conditions.
        2. The candidate be placed on intermission and will be placed on academic probation on their return from intermission.
        3. The candidate be offered progress support, with suggested conditions or outcomes to be specified in the Progress Support Strategy.
        4. The candidate be placed on intermission and offered progress support on their return from intermission, with suggested conditions or outcomes to be specified in the progress improvement plan.
     6. The panel may also recommend that:
        1. the candidate (if they are a doctoral candidate) be offered a transfer to a master by research award; or
        2. the candidate be encouraged to withdraw voluntarily from the course.
275. The Dean, Graduate Research School may approve an outcome recommended by the Progress and Examinations Panel or vary it.
276. The Graduate Research School will notify the Dean’s decision to the candidate, the faculty HDR Officer and the candidate’s primary supervisor.
277. Where the outcome is that the candidate will be placed on academic probation:
     1. The notice will summarise the reasons for the decision and specify a date by which the candidate may ask the Dean, Graduate Research School to reconsider the decision if the candidate believes the reasons are incorrect.
     2. The candidate will have 90 calendar days FTE from the start of their academic probation to meet the conditions, unless the Dean, Graduate Research School allows a longer period of academic probation.
     3. The faculty HDR Officer and primary supervisor will, within 21 calendar days of receiving the notification of the outcome, meet with the candidate to explain the conditions of their academic probation that they must meet. Where the candidate does not attend this meeting, the academic probation and its conditions will nevertheless apply to the candidate.
     4. Where, however, the Dean, Graduate Research School has decided that the candidate is to go on leave or intermission before their academic probation begins, this meeting will take place within 21 calendar days of their return from leave or resumption of their enrolment after the intermission.
     5. Before the end of the period of academic probation, the Graduate Research School will send the candidate the template for their academic probation report and notify them of the date by which they must submit it.
278. When the candidate’s academic probation report is received, or if it is not received by the specified date:
     1. the Dean, Graduate Research School will:
        1. provide a copy of the report to the faculty HDR Officer and the candidate’s primary supervisor; and
        2. convene the HDR Progress and Examinations Panel, with the membership specified in clause 11.57.
279. The panel will comprise the same members who advised the Dean, Graduate Research School on the original recommendation in relation to the candidate, if they are available.
280. The panel will consider the candidate’s academic probation report, and will hear from the faculty HDR Officer of the candidate’s host faculty as to whether they and the primary supervisor agree with the report.
281. The panel will then recommend one or more of the following outcomes to the Dean, Graduate Research School:
     1. no action, as the candidate has sufficiently improved their progress;
     2. the candidate be offered progress support, with suggested conditions or outcomes to be specified in the Progress Support Strategy;
     3. the candidate be placed on leave or on intermission;
     4. the candidate be placed on academic probation for a further period; or
     5. the candidature be terminated.
282. The panel may also recommend that the candidate (if they are a doctoral candidate) be offered a transfer to a master by research course in the discipline of their research (if there is a master by research course in that discipline).
283. The Dean, Graduate Research School may approve an outcome recommended by the HDR Progress and Examinations Panel or vary it.

Examination

Examination – Editing of theses by professional editors

284. A candidate may engage a professional editor to help prepare their thesis for submission, on the following conditions.
     1. They discuss the proposed engagement with their principal supervisor.
     2. They provide the editor with a copy of this section of this procedure before they begin the editing.
     3. The scope of the editing is limited to copyediting and proofreading (as defined in sections D and E of the ), and does not include matters of substance and structure (as defined in section C of those standards.
     4. The professional editor may draw attention to problems, and may give examples of these, but will not provide solutions.
     5. The candidate and editor follow the .
     6. The candidate includes in the acknowledgements section of the thesis the editor’s name and a brief description of the services they provided.
     7. If a professional editor is engaged by the candidate, they are responsible for any costs incurred. This can be funded by any unspent faculty allowance allocated to the candidate.

Examination – submission of thesis

285. HDR theses will normally be submitted when the candidate’s supervisory panel agrees that the thesis is ready to be examined.
286. A candidate may submit a request, via the faculty HDR Officer, to the Dean, Graduate Research School for permission to submit their thesis without their supervisory panel’s support.
287. The faculty HDR Officer will provide advice on such a request to the Dean, Graduate Research School.
288. To submit their thesis, a candidate:
     1. must be enrolled; and
     2. at least four weeks before their intended date of submission, must have submitted to the Graduate Research School any forms that the Dean, Graduate Research School requires candidates to submit in preparation for thesis submission, completed in accordance with the instructions on the forms.
289. Candidates will submit their thesis for examination as an electronic copy.
290. A candidate’s thesis submitted for the research component of their course must meet the following requirements.
     1. The candidate must have carried out the research represented in the thesis during their period of candidature for the course.
     2. A thesis may include published scholarly work, or work that has been accepted for publication, or written conference presentations, provided that:
        1. the contents of the thesis form a coherent body of work;
        2. the introduction and conclusion of the thesis explain the need for the research of which the thesis contains the outputs, how this contributes to knowledge in the discipline, and how the parts of the thesis contribute to a coherent argument;
        3. where the candidate is a co-author of a published work, work accepted for publication or conference presentation, the co-authors provide a written statement, in the form required by the Dean, Graduate Research School, of the contribution each co-author made to the work; and
        4. where the majority of the thesis is published work, work accepted for publication or conference presentations, the candidate is the lead author for the majority of that work.
     3. The thesis submitted for a doctoral course must:
        1. demonstrate that the candidate has achieved the knowledge and skills in research specified in the Australian Qualifications Framework specification for the doctoral degree;
        2. contain a substantial amount of material suitable for publication or already published;
        3. be written in English, well ordered and satisfactory in its written presentation;
        4. if the thesis is for a Doctor of Philosophy course, contain a maximum of 100,000 words;
        5. where a Doctor of Philosophy thesis is in the form of a creative work, include an essay of at least 30,000 words which:
        6. explains the context and theoretical basis of the creative work; and
        7. analyses the topic and/or reflects on its relevance to creative professional practice
        8. if the thesis is for a professional doctorate course, contain a maximum of 60,000 words; and
        9. meet the requirements of the Dean, Graduate Research School for format, style and order of contents of theses and (for digital versions) file format.
     4. The thesis submitted for a master by research course must:
        1. demonstrate that the candidate has achieved the knowledge and skills in research specified in the Australian Qualifications Framework specification for the masters degree (research);
        2. contain material suitable for publication or already published;
        3. be written in English, and well ordered and satisfactory in its written presentation;
        4. contain a maximum of 60,000 words.
        5. Where the thesis is in the form of a creative work, include an essay of at least 15,000 words which:
           1. explains the theoretical basis of the creative work; and
           2. analyses, critically annotates and/or reflects on the creative component, and
        6. meet the requirements of the University for format, style and order of contents of theses and (for digital versions) file format.
     5. In submitting the thesis, the candidate must sign a declaration that the thesis does not contain any material written by another person except where this is referenced in the text or footnotes.
     6. Material that the candidate produced jointly with another person can only be used in the thesis if
        1. the thesis states the extent of the candidate’s participation in that research; and
        2. the candidate provides written confirmation from the other person of the extent of the candidate’s participation in the research.
     7. The candidate is expected to have obtained permission from the publisher to use any copyright material in the thesis such as images, maps and diagrams, or (in the case of a thesis by publications) published material in which the publisher holds the copyright.
     8. The copyright in the candidate’s own work included in the thesis remains the candidate’s, in accordance with the University’s Intellectual Property Policy.

Examination – appointment of examiners

291. The Dean, Graduate Research School will appoint at least two examiners external to the University for each candidate’s submitted thesis, on the recommendation of the primary supervisor and the faculty HDR Officer.
292. The primary supervisor will consult the candidate on possible examiners and will consider any reasonable objections the candidate may have to a possible examiner.
293. The examiners will be anonymous to the candidate and each other throughout the examination process, however may be voluntarily revealed to candidate after the examination is complete.
294. The primary supervisor will use the examiner nomination form provided by Graduate Research School to nominate the preferred two examiners and at least one reserve examiner.
295. This nomination must be submitted no later than the date at which the candidate submits their work for examination.
296. Examiners must:
     1. hold a doctoral degree;
     2. be an active researcher in the discipline of the thesis they are to examine or a closely related discipline; and
     3. have expertise in the theoretical framework used by the candidate in their research.
     4. At least one examiner of a thesis must be a member of the staff of a tertiary education institution.
297. A potential examiner must not be nominated if:
     1. they are a citizen of a country subject to sanctions or restrictions on sharing of critical technology; and
     2. sharing the thesis with the examiner would constitute a breach of the relevant legislation.
298. Examiners must declare any actual, potential or perceptible significant conflict of interest in examining a candidate’s thesis, as set out in the .

Examination – the examination process

299. The Graduate Research School will inform the examiners appointed by the Dean, Graduate Research School of what is expected of them.
300. Examiners are to complete the examination of the thesis and submit their report, in the form required, within 2 months of receiving the thesis.
301. Examiners are to complete examination of the thesis and submit their report, in the form required, within 2 months of receiving the thesis.
302. Neither the candidate nor the supervisory panel are to contact the examiners about the thesis examination while they are examining. Any request for contact must be made via the Graduate Research School.
303. Examiners are to treat the thesis for examination confidentially and permanently delete any digital copies the thesis submitted for examination, and destroy any hard copies.
304. A candidate or their primary supervisor may ask the Dean, Graduate Research School to require the Examiner to agree to additional requirements around the confidentiality of the thesis, for reasons such as commercial confidence, culturally sensitive materials related to First nations research, potential use of the research findings for criminal purposes or purposes contrary to the interests of Australia, or where restricted access was a condition of the ethics approval or the research.
305. The Dean, Graduate Research School may decide that a candidate will also be examined orally, either on the decision of the Dean themselves, or at the request of the candidate or on the recommendation of the faculty HDR Officer or an examiner.
306. The University will pay an examiner an honorarium of the amount recommended by Universities Australia.
307. The anonymised examiner report may be shared with the other examiner(s) on request after the examination is completed for the purpose of professional development.
308.  

Examination outcomes

308. Each examiner in their report will recommend one of the following outcomes:

     Outcome	Full recommendation	Mark % (Masters only)
     Award	That the candidate be awarded the degree.	80-100
     Award subject to corrections	That the candidate be awarded the degree subject to editorial corrections. (The report must specify the corrections to be made.)	70-79
     Award subject to revision	That the candidate be awarded the degree subject to revisions to the thesis. (The report must specify the revisions to be made.)	60-69
     Resubmit	That the candidate be required to carry out further study or research and revise and resubmit the thesis for examination. (The report must specify the further study or research to be carried out.)	50-59
     Not award	That the candidate not be awarded the degree	0-49

309. The outcome ‘Award subject to corrections’ may involve changing grammar, spelling, referencing layout, or minor changes to clarify content or arguments.
310. The outcome ‘Award subject to revisions’ may require changes to content, arguments, or substantial changes to the structure of the thesis.
311. Where the thesis includes already published material, examiners’ recommendations of editorial corrections or revisions to those sections will be disregarded.
312. Where the examiners’ recommended outcomes differ widely, the Dean, Graduate Research School may, in consultation with the faculty HDR Officer , appoint an additional examiner to examine the thesis.
313. The Graduate Research School will forward the examiners’ reports to the candidate and their primary supervisor, who will provide a written response to each recommended editorial correction, revision or suggestion of further study or research. If all examiners recommend the candidate be awarded the degree, no written response is needed from the candidate.
314. Based on the examiners’ reports, the faculty HDR Officerwill recommend an outcome of examination of the thesis to the Dean, Graduate Research School, attaching to the recommendation the examiners’ reports and any response to them by the candidate and/or primary supervisor.
315. Where the faculty HDR Officer recommends outcome ’Award’, ‘Award subject to corrections’ or ‘Award subject to revision’, the Dean, Graduate Research School may:
     1. decide that the candidate will pass the degree; and
     2. direct that the candidate carry out editorial corrections and/or revisions specified by the examiners, to the satisfaction of the faculty HDR Officer, by a specified date.
316. Where an examiner’s recommendation is ‘Resubmit’ or ’Not award’, or an examiner’s comments are consistent with a recommendation ’Resubmit’, the Dean, Graduate Research School will convene a HDR Progress and Examinations Panel with the membership specified in clause 11.56, to advise the Dean as to the correct outcome of examination.
     1. The Dean, Graduate Research School will provide the panel with the examiners’ reports, any response to them by the candidate and/or primary supervisor, and the recommendation of the relevant faculty faculty HDR Officer.
     2. Where the panel recommends the outcome ’Award’, ‘Award subject to corrections’, ‘Award subject to revisions’ or ‘Resubmit’, the Dean, Graduate Research School may approve the outcome.
     3. Where the panel recommends the outcome ’Not award’, the Dean, Graduate Research School may:
        1. forward this recommendation (along with the examiners’ reports, any response to them by the candidate and/or primary supervisor, and the recommendation of the faculty HDR Officer to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for consideration; or
        2. decide the outcome will, instead, be one of outcomes ’Award’, ‘Award subject to corrections’, ‘Award subject to revisions’ or ‘Resubmit’.
317. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, on receiving a recommendation of outcome ‘Not award’ from the Dean, Graduate Research School, may decide that:
     1. the candidate will not be awarded the degree; or
     2. that the outcome will, instead, be one of outcomes ’Award’, ‘Award subject to corrections’, ‘Award subject to revisions’ or ‘Resubmit’.
318. Where the Dean, Graduate Research School decides that the outcome will be ‘Award subject to corrections’ or ‘Award subject to revisions’, the candidate must submit the thesis with the corrections and/or revisions, to the satisfaction of the faculty HDR Officer, by the specified date, to be awarded the degree. The timeframe to make these changes will be from the date the candidate and primary supervisor are notified of the outcome:
     1. 60 calendar days FTE where only editorial corrections are to be made
     2. 180 calendar days FTE days where revisions are to be made.
319. Where the Dean, Graduate Research School decides that the outcome will be ’Resubmit’, the candidate will have 12 months (whether they are enrolled full-time or part-time) from the date they are notified of this outcome in which to revise and resubmit the thesis.
320. Where a candidate is to revise their thesis or carry out further study and/or research in order prepare their thesis for resubmission (outcome ‘Resubmit’), they must:
     1. re-enrol while they revise their thesis or carry out the further study and/or research and prepare their thesis for resubmission;
     2. If have exceeded their maximum duration of candidature, the candidate will be liable for tuition fees. The Executive Dean of their host faculty may provide a fees sponsorship or waiver for the further period of enrolment;
     3. resubmit their thesis by the date specified by the Dean, Graduate Research School, so it can be re-examined; and
     4. include with the resubmitted thesis a statement of the changes they have made in response to the examiners’ reports and, if they have not accepted an examiner’s suggestion to improve the thesis, their reason for not accepting it.
321. When a resubmitted thesis is re-examined:
     1. where practicable, the original examiners will be appointed to re-examine it;
     2. The Graduate Research School will provide the examiners with the thesis and the guidelines for examiners, the original examiners’ reports and the candidate’s statement of the changes they have made in response to the reports;
     3. the examiners can only recommend outcomes ‘Award’, ‘Award subject to corrections’, ‘Award subject to revisions’, or ‘Not award’.
322. The candidate will receive the following grade for their last unit enrolment for their thesis:
     1. where the final outcome of the examination process is ’Award’, ‘Award subject to corrections’ or ‘Award subject to revisions’, and the candidate has completed any corrections and/or revisions to the thesis to the satisfaction of the faculty HDR Officer: a pass grade, or
     2. otherwise, a fail grade.
323. Where a candidate has passed all coursework units required for their HDR course, and the outcome of examination of their thesis is that they are to be awarded the degree:
     1. the Dean, Graduate Research School will recommend that Academic Board grant the degree to the candidate, and
     2. Academic Board, if it grants the degree, will recommend that the University Council admit the candidate to the award.

Examination – retention of theses by the University

308. Where the outcome of the examination process is that a candidate is to be awarded the degree, they must provide an electronic copy of the final version of their thesis to the Graduate Research School.
309. The Graduate Research School will then provide the candidate’s thesis to the Library, which will make it available for open access online.
310. Where a thesis is the subject of a complaint of breach of copyright, because the candidate did not obtain the necessary permission to include material in the thesis, the Library may redact the relevant material from the thesis.
311. A candidate or their primary supervisor may ask the Dean, Graduate Research School to redact sections of the thesis or restrict access to the thesis for reasons such as commercial confidence, cultural sensitivity, potential use of the research findings for criminal purposes or purposes contrary to the interests of Australia, or where restricted access was a condition of the ethics approval or the research.
312. The Dean, Graduate Research School may recommend to the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Library that they:
     1. approve redaction of sections of a thesis;
     2. restrict access to a thesis for a specific period; and
     3. extend a period of restriction on request.

Grievances and appeals

330. A candidate may raise a grievance against a decision in relation to their candidature, or appeal such a decision, in accordance with the Student Grievance Resolution Policy.

Candidates’ feedback

331. The Graduate Research School will administer an annual survey of candidates’ satisfaction with their course, supervision and candidature experience.
332. Staff who administer these surveys and receive their results will ensure that survey respondents’ anonymity is preserved.
333. The Graduate Research School will provide each faculty with collated results of survey responses from candidates hosted by the faculty, including candidates’ de-identified comments and suggestions for improvement.
334. Each faculty will inform their candidates of any measures the faculty has taken to improve the candidature experience in response to candidates’ feedback.
335. The Graduate Research School will:
     1. survey graduating candidates to gain their anonymous feedback on their candidature experience; and
     2. invite each candidate who withdraws before completing, or whose candidature is terminated, to attend an exit interview to gain their feedback on their candidature experience.

1. This procedure relies on the definitions of terms in the Definitions section of the Higher Degree by Research Policy.
2. The following additional terms used in this procedure have the meanings stated below:
   1. Academic probation has the meaning stated in the University of Canberra (Academic Progress) Rules 2022.
   2. Candidature days means days that count towards a candidates maximum duration of candidature.  For part time (50%) HDR candidates 1 candidature day equals 2 calendar days.
   3. Calendar days means Mon – Sun including public holidays, every week of the year.
   4. Calendar days FTE means Calendar days Full Time Equivalent. For part time (50%) HDR candidates 1 calendar day is 2 calendar days FTE.
   5. Domestic, of a candidate, has the meaning stated in the Enrolment Policy.
   6. Dual degree means an HDR candidature under an agreement between the University of Canberra and another educational institution, whereby the candidate is enrolled at both institutions, spends part of their candidature at each institution, and on successful completion of their course is conferred a degree by each.
   7. Federal Department of Home Affairs means the Commonwealth Government department, of whatever name laws at the relevant time, that issues visas and enforces immigration.
   8. Sanction means a United Nations or Australian Government sanction against a country or individual.
   9. Stipend scholarship means a scholarship that provides regular living allowance payments.
   10. Teaching period means a teaching period or other period in which students are enrolled in a course or courses to receive teaching or undertake research training.
   11. Verified means, of a copy of a document, certified as a true copy of the original by someone authorised in Australia to certify documents, or a person with equivalent authority in another country. A copy certified by a staff member or recruitment agent of the University of Canberra is considered verified.