Appendix J: Faculty-specific milestone guidelines
Faculty-specific requirements applying to all doctoral students from 1 January 2015
Confirmation:
- Monash University Accident Research Centre
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute
- Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Business and Economics
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Information Technology
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Faculty of Science
Mid Candidature Review / Progress Review
- Monash University Accident Research Centre
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute
- Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Business and Economics
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Information Technology
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Faculty of Science
Pre-Submission Seminar / Final Review
- Monash University Accident Research Centre
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute
- Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Business and Economics
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Information Technology
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Faculty of Science
Confirmation:
Monash University Accident Research Centre
The report should include a proposed budget for the research project. Please contact MIRI for additional requirements.
Monash Sustainable Development Institute
MSDI requirements can be found here.
Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture
Candidates enrolled in the Art Design and Architecture Doctoral Program must make a 20-minute oral presentation (open to academia and the public) on the research project, with emphasis on a discussion of the research question and methodology. The oral presentation should explore the research undertaken to date and anticipated future research program directions.
The presentation will be supported by documentation to be submitted at least 10 days prior to the planned progress review date. Documentation includes:
- 1000-word (approx.)summary report including:
- project title & abstract;
- brief chapter outline or project plan;
- discussion of the research question;
- concise summary of project progress and/or issues to date including an overview studio work (completed or in progress, for studio-based candidates);
- bibliography; and
- time-line to completion
- Draft Exegesis chapter (3000 words approx. for practice-based, 5000 words for thesis-only mode candidates)
- Images of studio work (practice-based mode only)
- Evidence of progress towards completing coursework requirements or Monash Doctoral Program professional development activities (as applicable to the mode of enrolment)
- Any other specific requirements identified and communicated to the candidate by the Department in which the candidate is enrolled
Both oral and written components should engage with:
- Title of research report/thesis
- Statement of the research question:
- A. research question or hypothesis
- B. subsidiary questions
- C. review of relevant research and theory
- Method of Inquiry
- A. theoretical and conceptual framework
- B. analytical techniques and research design
- C. the relationship between practical and critical components within the overall project
Transfers
- Minimum period prior to confirmation: Minimum enrolment 9 months EFT and successful completion of Master’s core coursework units.
An intention to transfer application must be made to the Faculty Graduate Research Office with supporting statement from supervisor prior to proceeding to transfer. - Oral and written submission: As for PhD confirmation requirements above.
Faculty of Arts
See requirements for milestones for Arts.
Faculty of Business and Economics
PhD
The Faculty of Business and Economics requires all Graduate Research Students to complete core coursework units as outlined in the program of enrolment, with a mark of not less than 70%. These units should be completed prior to confirmation, unless there are exceptional circumstances beyond a student’s control. In such cases, students may seek approval from the Academic Unit and Associate Dean Graduate Research to complete the compulsory coursework within 6 months of the confirmation date.
Graduate Research Students are required to submit a progress report of 3,000 – 8,000 words depending on the Academic Unit. Students are advised to check with their enrolling academic unit for local requirements.
Transfers
Students transferring to the PhD must satisfy the coursework requirements for their discipline with a mark of not less than 70%, prior to transfer.
Students are to refer to their academic unit's Graduate Research Program Handbook for more information. (If you do not have a copy of this document, please contact your graduate research administrator).
Faculty of Education
Oral Presentation
Maximum 20 minutes duration at milestone seminar, including: project background and scope, aims, theory, methodology and design.
Written Submission
Submit a document of between 8-10,000 words, including:
- cover page and table of contents
- statement of research problem/s (could include):
- introduction
- research questions or hypothesis
- significance/expected outcomes of the study
- literature review of relevant research
- theoretical framework
- methodology (could include):
- research design
- analytical techniques and methods
- ethical considerations
- timeline for project completion/statement of progress to date
- proposed project structure (e.g., draft chapter outline, draft project phase)
- reference list
- glossary of terms (if deemed necessary)
- evidence of significant progress towards completing Monash Doctoral Program
Students must submit their written work to the panel at least one week prior to the presentation.
Note: students intending to prepare and submit a thesis including published works should include demonstration of, or a statement of progress towards such publications in the written submission
Faculty of Engineering
The Faculty of Engineering has specific oral and written requirements in relation to confirmation, including a pre-confirmation requirement.
6-Month Review (pre-confirmation requirement)
The 6-Month Review should take place after 6 months EFT (Equivalent full-time).
The review is usually a verbal discussion between the student and the Department Director of Graduate Research to establish that the enrolment is on track and to identify and address any difficulties that may impede successful completion early in the enrolment.
All compulsory modules must be completed at the times stipulated.
Engineering graduate research students are also required to complete OHS Risk Assessment for Student Projects in the first 6 months EFT of candidature.
Evidence of completion must be provided to:
- The 6-Month Review Panel/Examiner; and
- The Confirmation Milestone Review Panel.
Confirmation Milestone
The milestone requirements are as follows.
- Evidence of completion of compulsory modules and OHS Risk Assessment for Student Projects.
- Students enrolled in the PhD are recommended to have completed ONE out of the TWO coursework units prior to the confirmation milestone. Students enrolled in E8011 Doctor of Philosophy (Industry), are recommended to have completed 60 hours of professional development activities/training.
- Students are required to make an oral presentation and submit awritten report. The milestone must comply with the University's Graduate Research Progress Management Procedures.
The oral presentation must:
- be presented at a public forum with members of the Milestone Review Panelin attendance
- be at least 20 minutes in length
- Cover the following:
- Literature Review
- Research completed to date
- Research issues to be addressed
- Proposed research plan
- Timetable
- Statement of possible research implications;
- be followed by a time for questions and feedback from members of the audience.
The written report for all Doctor of Philosophy courses apart from E8011 Doctor of Philosophy (Industry) should be between 5000 to 7500 words and include the following:
- Title of research report/thesis
- Table of Contents
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Literature Review
- Research Aims
- Methodology
- Research Completed to Date
- Proposed Research
- Contributions of Research
- Communication of Results (e.g. Publication Plan and Strategies)
- Timeline
- References
The written report for E8011 Doctor of Philosophy (Industry) should incorporate a minimum of one portfolio submission and include the following:
- Title of research report
- Table of contents
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Specification of problems faced by industry
- Methodology
- Research completed to date
- Portfolio submission plan, including how the proposed submissions link together
- Contributions of research to engineering professional practice
- Communication of results (e.g., publication plan and strategies)
- Timeline
- References
The final draft of the written submission (along with any appendices) should be run through iThenticate prior to the Milestone Review Panel meeting and a copy of the Similarity Report must be provided to the Panel. For information on how to use iThenticate, see these instructions.
Faculty of Information Technology
Generic requirements
A minimum 20-minute oral presentation at a departmental seminar and/or viva voce is required. Members of the review panel should be in attendance. The oral presentation should explore the research undertaken to date and the anticipated future directions of the research program.
A progress report and publication list (if applicable) should be submitted by the student at least one week prior to the presentation.
A suggested format for the report is as follows:
- Title of research report/thesis
- Statement of the research problem(s)
- Introduction
- research question or hypothesis
- subsidiary questions
- review of relevant research and theory
- theoretical and conceptual framework
- analytical techniques and research design
The progress report should be a minimum of 1000 words.
Please note that students may be required to complete some program requirements prior to the Confirmation milestone. See the Monash Doctoral Program website for more details.
Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law has specific requirements in relation to the oral and written submissions for the confirmation milestone panel.
Oral submission (All degrees):
A 20 minute oral presentation at the milestone to include the research undertaken to date, scope of the thesis, theoretical/conceptual framework of the research, methodology and the anticipated future directions of the research project. The oral presentation will be open to the public.
Written submissions:
PhD
- 1,000-word (minimum) progress report; and
- an example of the student's written work of up to 7,000 words, to be negotiated with the supervisor (a chapter from the thesis is preferable).
Transfers from MPhil to PhD
- 1,000-word (minimum) progress report; and
- Completion of two (draft) chapters (a minimum of 5,000 words for each chapter) at the time of confirmation.
Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD)
Note: This course has been disestablished since 2017. No new students are admitted to this course but current students are able to continue until completion.
- A research proposal/thesis outline (minimum 1,000 words); and
- An essay on the topic which is approved by the supervisor and is related to the thesis (minimum 3,000 words).
- Note: This written submission forms part of the assessment of LAW6300 "Doctor of Juridical Science seminar".
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Faculty 6-Month Review (This is a prerequisite for confirmation)
The Faculty of MNHS requires all graduate research students to complete an initial project and progress review in the first 3-6 months (equivalent full time) of enrolment.
The initial project and progress review is the first formal review of a graduate research student's academic performance to ensure the student is on track and focused from the very beginning of their candidature and to identify any difficulties that may impede successful completion of the research project.
It also provides an opportunity for the candidate and their supervisory team to receive feedback from the student review panel on the project design, progress-to-date and general research direction.
Please click here for further details and requirements. Note, student must check with their individual Academic Unit for any additional local requirements.
Confirmation Milestone
Please click here for confirmation requirements.
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Oral Presentation. An approximate 20 min oral presentation at a theme seminar is required. All members of the review panel should be in attendance. The oral presentation should explore the research undertaken to date and the anticipated future directions of the research program. For students in the Drug Discovery Biology Rotation Model, the 20 min oral presentation at the Annual Drug Discovery Biology Symposium will take the place of the oral presentation at the Confirmation meeting. All members of the review panel should be in attendance at the Annual Drug Discovery Biology Symposium when the student is presenting. The student’s presentation must not be chaired by the student’s supervisors, and supervisors must not be panel members. If the student would like to raise any concerns about their project at this time, the Panel must make themselves available for consultation in a forum where the supervisors are not present. If a student is unable to present at the Annual Drug Discovery Biology Symposium, they must present at their confirmation meeting as detailed above (any delays in the dates of the Symposium are not grounds for an extension to the confirmation milestone).
Confirmation Report. The Confirmation Report should be single spaced, Times New Roman 12 point font, A4 paper, with 2 cm margins. The Confirmation Report should not exceed 30 pages, including figures. The Confirmation Report must be submitted to all Panel members at least 7 days before the meeting by initiating the milestone review process online. The Confirmation Report should include:
- (a) a thesis title
- (b) a project abstract (250 words)
- (c) a literature review that summarises existing knowledge and identifies knowledge gaps that will be addressed
- (d) statement of hypotheses and specific aims
- (e) an outline of the research significance and the potential impact
- (f) experimental design and methods of planned experiments, including statistical methods and a timeline for the proposed work
- (g) discussion of expected outcomes, anticipated problems and alternative strategies
- (h) progress to date focussing on results generated and discussion including details of any problems encountered
- (i) references to support your research plan (not included in the 30 page limit)
The Panel meeting will be run in the following way:
- The Panel Chair will run the meetings. Typical meetings will be for 1 h and should follow the format prescribed below.
- The Panel will engage in a discussion with the student about their theme presentation (if applicable) and Confirmation Report. The discussion will include assessment of the student's general knowledge of their field of research.
- The Panel will review the student's fulfilment of their program requirements.
- The supervisors will leave so that the Panel can discuss with the student, in confidence, any matters of concern to the student.
- The supervisors will return and the student will leave for any further discussion.
- The student will return and be informed of the outcome of the meeting, which will also be communicated by the appropriate Milestone Report Form.
Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science requires all graduate research students to complete an Initial Project Review in the first 3-6 months of enrolment. The initial project review is the first formal review of a graduate research student's academic performance to ensure that the student is on track and focused from the very beginning of their candidature. It is also a great opportunity for the candidate and their supervisory team to receive feedback from the student review panel on the project design, progress-to-date and general research direction. Students are required to submit a brief Research Plan including a preliminary literature review.
Please note that students are required to complete the following prior to the IPR:
- Monash Graduate Research Induction (online)
- Research Integrity (online) (to be completed within 30 days of commencement)
Confirmation:
The following requirements must be completed as part of the confirmation process:
- Oral presentation (20-30 minutes) at a seminar in the presence of the Milestone Review Panel
- Written Progress report
Please refer to your School Specific Requirements in the Faculty of Science Graduate Research Moodle Page for further information. (NOTE: the Moodle site below can only be accessed by currently enrolled students. If you are a current student and unable to open these links, please contact your School Graduate Research Administrative Officer).
Please note that students are required to complete the following prior to confirmation:
- Faculty of Science Induction
- Faculty of Science Initial Project Review
- Project Management (Any Project Management Activity with a minimum of 2.5 hours listed in the suite of Monash Doctoral Program Professional Development Activities.)
A suggested format for the Written Progress report is as follows:
Title of research report/thesis
Statement of the research problem(s)
i ) research question or hypothesis
ii) review of relevant research and theory
Scientific Methodology
i) theoretical and conceptual framework
ii) analytical techniques and research design
Detailed statement of progress to date
i) summary of key research activities and outcomes
ii) list of any publications generated from your research to-date
iii) summary of any change in research direction (if applicable)
Anticipated Progress in Next 12 Months
i) brief timetable of planned research activities
ii) resources required to achieve these outcomes
Brief bibliography
* Student to provide a written summary statement of achievement against the Student Review Panel recommendations from the Initial Project Review meeting (where applicable).
* Interview with the Milestone Review Panel where formal written feedback and recommendations to be provided to the student.
Mid Candidature Review / Progress Review
Monash University Accident Research Centre
Please contact MUARC for requirements.
Monash Sustainable Development Institute
MSDI requirements can be found here.
Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture
Candidates enrolled in the Art Design and Architecture Doctoral Program must make a 20-minute oral presentation (open to academia and the public) on the research project, with emphasis on a discussion of the research question and methodology. The oral presentation should explore the research undertaken to date and anticipated future research program directions.
The presentation will be supported by documentation to be submitted at least 10 days prior to the planned progress review date. Documentation includes:
- 1000-word (approx.)summary report including:
- project title & abstract;
- brief chapter outline or project plan;
- discussion of the research question;
- concise summary of project progress and/or issues to date including an overview studio work (completed or in progress, for studio-based candidates);
- bibliography; and
- time-line to completion
- Draft Exegesis chapter (3000 words approx. for practice-based, 5000 words for thesis-only mode candidates)
- Images of studio work (practice-based mode only)
- Evidence of progress towards completing coursework requirements or Monash Doctoral Program professional development activities (as applicable to the mode of enrolment)
- Any other specific requirements identified and communicated to the candidate by the Department in which the candidate is enrolled
Both oral and written components should engage with:
- Title of research report/thesis
- Statement of the research question:
- A. research question or hypothesis
- B. subsidiary questions
- C. review of relevant research and theory
- Method of Inquiry
- A. theoretical and conceptual framework
- B. analytical techniques and research design
- C. the relationship between practical and critical components within the overall project
Transfers
- Minimum period prior to confirmation: Minimum enrolment 9 months EFT and successful completion of Master’s core coursework units.
An intention to transfer application must be made to the Faculty Graduate Research Office with supporting statement from supervisor prior to proceeding to transfer. - Oral and written submission: As for PhD confirmation requirements above.
Faculty of Arts
See requirements for milestones for Arts.
Faculty of Business and Economics
Please note that students may be required to complete some program requirements prior to the Mid-Candidature Review / Progress Review milestone. See the Monash Doctoral Program website for more details. See your academic unit's Graduate Research Program Handbook for local requirements. (If you do not have a copy of this document, please contact your graduate research administrator).
Faculty of Education
- Progress report of 1,500-2,000 words including:
- a contextualising statement or draft abstract
- response to previous panel comments and suggestions
- detailed chapter outline
- detailed timeline for completion
- evidence of substantial progress towards completing Monash Doctoral Program
- One complete draft chapter of thesis (approx. 8-10,000 words) demonstrating significant research, for example: literature review, philosophical chapter, methodology or findings/results chapter.
Oral Presentation
Maximum 20 minutes duration at milestone seminar, describing project in detail.
Written Submission
Students must submit their written work to the panel at least one week prior to the presentation.
Note: students intending to prepare and submit a thesis including published works should include demonstration of, or a statement of progress towards such publications in the written submission.
Faculty of Engineering
For the Progress Review, students are required to make an oral presentation and submit a written report. The oral presentation must:
- be presented at a public forum with members of the Milestone Review Panel in attendance
- be at least 20 minutes in length
- explore at least one aspect of research undertaken to date
- note anticipated future directions of the research program
- be followed by a time for questions and feedback from members of the audience
The written submission must adhere to the following guidelines: Written Submission for Progress Review Guidelines.
Faculty of Information Technology
Generic requirements
The student is required to make a minimum 20-minute oral presentation at either a departmental seminar and/or a viva voce at which the members of the review panel must be in attendance. Many departments and schools run regular research seminar programs or presentation opportunities for their students and/or staff, and these events are considered an appropriate forum for the mid-candidature / progress review presentations. The oral presentation must explore at least one aspect of research undertaken to date and note anticipated future directions of the research program. The presentation will normally be followed by time for questions and feedback from the members of the audience. Time should also be allowed for feedback from the panel in a closed session, together with a review of the any Monash Doctoral Program requirements (where applicable).
In addition to the generic requirements, the Faculty of Information Technology has specific requirements for the Mid-Candidature Review/Progress Review written submission:
- Report length: 3,000 - 5,000 words
- Proposed report structure:
- Introduction – Summary of the Research Project: - Motivation/current state of the field and an identification of a gap in knowledge
- Research Objective
- Methodology/method/data-collection & analysis - Progress since confirmation
- Proposed Thesis Structure – including a table of the writing status
- Publications arising from the thesis – published or planned
- Potential issues for the panel to consider - Resources/funding requests
- Absence of student/supervisor
- Other issues.
- Introduction – Summary of the Research Project:
In addition, the Report can contain an appendix with material the student and the main supervisor deem to be ready for the review. It can come in the form of a draft thesis chapter (or an excerpt of the chapter) as long as it is material that the student and the main supervisor deem ready for the panel feedback. The student could also attach a conference paper, or any draft of a paper written by the student.
Note: An applicant is asked to provide the report (with all accompanying documentation) at least TWO weeks prior to the presentation. There can be no expectation that the panel members will be able to provide constructive feedback if the report is submitted in less than 10 days before the presentation.
Faculty of Law
The PhD and the Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) have specific requirements in relation to the oral and written submissions for the mid-candidature/progress milestone panel.
Oral submission (PhD and SJD): A 20 minute oral presentation at the milestone to include the research undertaken to date, scope of the thesis, theoretical/conceptual framework of the research, methodology and the anticipated future directions of the research project. The oral presentation will be open to the public.
Written submissions (PhD and SJD):
- 1000-word (minimum) progress report; and
- A chapter from the thesis that is different from that submitted for confirmation and is either:
- (a) an explanation of the theoretical framework and/or methodology; or
- (b) a chapter setting out some of the results of the research.
Note: A chapter that sets out the research question and/or provides a literature review will not normally be sufficient for the mid-candidature milestone.
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Oral Presentation. An approximate 20 min oral presentation at a theme seminar is required. All members of the review panel should be in attendance. The oral presentation should explore the research undertaken to date and the anticipated future directions of the research program.
Progress Review Report. Students will prepare a Progress Review Report that includes:
- an update that summarises progress made since the Confirmation milestone (maximum of 3,000 words); and
- one of the following:
(i) a published paper (preferred);
(ii) a submitted manuscript; or
(iii) a draft thesis chapter containing the student's results.
The Progress Review Report must be submitted to all Panel members at least 7 days before the meeting by initiating the milestone review process online. The Panel meeting will be run in the same manner as the Confirmation meeting. The Panel should focus on providing advice to the candidate on planning the final 12 months of research to allow for preparation of a well-structured thesis.
Faculty of Science
The following requirements must be completed as part of the Mid-Candidature Review / Progress Review process:
- Oral presentation (20-30 minutes) at a seminar in the presence of the Milestone Review Panel
- Written paper which demonstrates progress by the student since Confirmation. This may be a published journal or conference paper, a draft thesis chapter or a prepared paper of a length appropriate to the discipline.
- Timeline outlining future actions towards completion (max. 500 words)
- Student to provide a written summary statement of achievement against the Milestone Review Panel recommendations from the previous milestone review (where applicable).
- Interview with the Milestone Review Panel where formal written feedback and recommendations to be provided to the student.
Please refer to your School Specific Requirements in the Faculty of Science Graduate Research Moodle Page for further information. (NOTE: the Moodle site below can only be accessed by currently enrolled students. If you are a current student and unable to open these links, please contact your School Graduate Research Administrative Officer).
Pre-Submission Seminar / Final Review
Monash University Accident Research Centre
Please contact MUARC for requirements.
Monash Sustainable Development Institute
MSDI requirements can be found here.
Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture
A 20-minute oral presentation (open to academia and the public) on the research project, with emphasis on the final shape of the research and its conclusions. The presentation should explore:
- For studio/project mode: a review of the studio/project work and how it will be exhibited for examination, as well as an outline of the final structure of the written exegesis;
- For thesis mode: a review of the final structure of the written thesis
The presentation will be supported by documentation to be submitted at least 10 days prior to the planned progress review date. Documentation includes:
- 1000-word summary report including:
- project title & abstract;
- brief chapter outline or project plan;
- concise summary of project progress and/or issues to date;
- statement of anticipated contribution the PhD is making to the field;
- outstanding work to completion; and
- updated time-line to completion
- Draft of the Exegesis’ concluding chapter (3000 words for practice-based, 5000 words for thesis-only mode candidates).
- Draft Examination Exhibition plan, and images of studio work (practice-based mode only).
- Evidence all required coursework or Monash Doctoral Program professional development activities (as applicable to the mode of enrolment) have been completed
- Any other specific requirements identified and communicated to the candidate by the Department in which the candidate is enrolled
Faculty of Arts
See requirements for milestones for Arts.
Faculty of Business and Economics
Students are to refer to their academic unit's Graduate Research Program Handbook for more information. (If you do not have a copy of this document, please contact your graduate research administrator).
Faculty of Education
- overview and current state of the project (in detail)
- timeline and plans for completion of thesis
- the contribution/s of the research to knowledge
- Progress report of 1,500-2,000 words including:
- thesis table of contents
- contextualising statement or draft abstract
- response to previous panel comments and suggestions
- outline of thesis including detailed description of each chapter
- detailed timeline for completion
- supervisor confirmation of completion of first full draft of thesis OR of significant progress towards completion of first full draft of thesis
- evidence of completion of Monash Doctoral Program - students must have completed the 120 hours professional development by the time of the final review milestone
- One complete draft chapter of thesis (8-10,000 words) demonstrating significant research, i.e., results/findings, discussion or concluding chapter
Oral Presentation
Maximum 20 minutes duration at milestone seminar, including:
Written Submission
Students must submit their written work to the panel at least one week prior to the presentation.
Note: students intending to prepare and submit a thesis including published works should include demonstration of, or a statement of progress towards such publications in the written submission.
Faculty of Engineering
For the Final Review, students are required to give an oral presentation and submit a written report. All requirements of the Engineering Doctoral Program must be completed by this review.
The oral presentation must:
- be presented at a public forum with members of the MilestoneReview Panel in attendance
- be at least 20 minutes in length
- provide a summary of the thesis structure and findings
- describe in detail at least one element of the research
- be followed by a time for questions and feedback from members of the audience.
The written submission must adhere to the following guidelines: Written Submission for Final Review Guidelines.
Faculty of Information Technology
Generic requirements
Doctoral students are required to give an oral presentation and thesis/exegesis summary at a pre-submission seminar at approximately six months prior to the enrolment end date.
Students enrolled in the Monash Doctoral Program will need to have completed all program requirements by the Pre-Submission Seminar / Final Review milestone.
The student is required to present a public seminar to a critical audience which includes a designated review panel. The seminar should provide a summary of the thesis structure and findings and describe, in greater detail, at least one element of the research. The presentation should normally be followed by time for open questions. Time for feedback should be provided by the review panel in a closed session.
The student is required to submit a thesis summary and chapter outline, and an activities progress report from GRAMS (where applicable), to the review panel one week prior to the seminar. The thesis summary should provide a brief overview of the research project and the main findings and a more detailed explanation of the research element presented at the seminar. The written submission should not exceed 3000 words.
Faculty of Law
The PhD and the Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) have specific requirements in relation to the oral and written submissions for the Pre-Submission/Final Review milestone panel.
Oral submission (PhD and SJD): A 20 minute oral presentation at the milestone to include the research undertaken to date, scope of the thesis, theoretical/conceptual framework of the research, methodology and the anticipated future directions of the research project. The oral presentation will be open to the public.
Written submissions (PhD and SJD):
- 1000-word (minimum) progress report; and
- 3000-word thesis summary or the conclusion chapter.
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Oral Presentation. An approximate 20 min oral presentation at a theme seminar is required. All members of the review panel should be in attendance. The oral presentation should provide an overview of the research findings throughout the thesis and any final studies that may be required for thesis submission.
Final Review Report. The Final Review Report (maximum of 3,000 words) should provide an overview of the research project and the main findings. The Final Review Report should also include a thesis chapter outline as an appendix that should provide the chapter and section headings in numbered format (not included in the 3,000 word limit). The Final Review Report must be submitted to all Panel members at least 7 days before the meeting by initiating the milestone review process online.
Research Impact Statement. A research impact statement of between 300-500 words describing the possible impact of the research, the people for whom the research could benefit, a pathway to impact, and how that impact could be measured.
Panel Meeting. The Panel will undertake broad‐ranging questioning of the student. The Panel will need to be convinced that the student has sufficient research data and has developed as an independent researcher to progress to submission. The student must also demonstrate satisfactory completion of any program requirements (i.e. Monash Doctoral Program). The supervisors will leave so that the Panel can discuss with the student, in confidence, any matters of concern to the student. The supervisors will return and the student will leave for any further discussion. The student will return and be informed of the outcome of the meeting, which will also be communicated by the appropriate Milestone Report Form. The Panel will also provide feedback to the candidate on the chapter outline and advice as to the most desirable path to successful completion of their thesis. The Panel should also offer assistance in career planning at this meeting.
Faculty of Science
The following requirements must be completed as part of the final review process:
- Present a public seminar to a critical audience in the presence of the Milestone Review Panel
- Written paper which demonstrates progress by the student since the Progress Review. This may be a published journal or conference paper, a draft thesis chapter or a prepared paper of a length appropriate to the discipline.
- Timeline outlining future actions towards completion and planned date of thesis submission as agreed to by the supervisory team (max. 500 words)
- Student to provide a written summary statement of achievement against the Milestone Review Panel recommendations from the previous milestone review (where applicable).
- Interview with the Milestone Review Panel where formal written feedback and recommendations to be provided to the student.
Please refer to your School Specific Requirements in the Faculty of Science Graduate Research Moodle Page for further information. (NOTE: the Moodle site below can only be accessed by currently enrolled students. If you are a current student and unable to open these links, please contact your School Graduate Research Administrative Officer).