Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Confirmation

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.

Confirmation report
By 8 months, students will be expected to have made progress in the research project, to have an in-depth knowledge of the literature in their field, and to have developed a research plan that is a road-map for their thesis project. In order to demonstrate this progress, students must prepare a Confirmation Report, which 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 milestone review meeting by initiating the milestone review process online.

The Confirmation Report should include:

1. Thesis title
2. A project abstract (250 words)
3. A literature review that summarises existing knowledge and identifies knowledge gaps that will be addressed
4. Statement of hypotheses and specific aims
5. An outline of the research significance and the potential impact
6. Experimental design and methods of planned experiments, including statistical methods and a timeline for the proposed work
7. Discussion of expected outcomes, anticipated problems and alternative strategies
8. Progress to date focussing on results generated and discussion including details of any problems encountered
9. 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 approximately 1 h and should follow the format prescribed below.
• The Panel will engage in a discussion with the student about their oral presentation and written 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.

Progress review

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 final directions of the research program.

Progress review report
Students will prepare a Progress Review Report that includes:

1. An update that summarises progress made since the Confirmation milestone (maximum of 3,000 words); and
2. One of the following:
   1. Published paper (preferred);
   2. Submitted manuscript; or
   3. Draft thesis chapter containing the student's results.

The Progress Review Report should 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 advising the student on planning the final 8 months of research to allow for preparation of a well-structured thesis.

Explore other Faculty milestones for research Master's degrees