Please note - Swinburne University of Technology

Statute for the degree of Master
(by research)
1. Definitions
In this statute:
Committee means the Higher Degrees Committee of the
Academic Board;
Council means the Council of Swinburne Ltd;
Institute means Swinburne lnstitute of Technology;
Faculty Board means the sub-committee of the Institute's
Academic Board called the 'Faculty Board' (or any authorised
sub-committee thereof) which is responsible for
studies being undertaken in the area;
Head of Department means the person appointed Head
of Department or elected as Chair of Department responsible
for studies in the particular discipline.
2. Title of degree
The degree of Master may be awarded in a field of study of
any faculty of the Institute. Degrees shall be designated as
follows:
Master of Applied Science
MAppSc
Master of Arts
MA
Master of Business
MBus
Master of Engineering
MEng
3. Grading of degree
The degree of Master shall be awarded in one grade only.
4. Admission to candidature
4.1 Entry requirements
A person wishing to be admitted to candidature shall
have:
4.1 .I qualified, at a sufficiently meritorious standard,
for a degree of the lnstitute (in a field relevant
to the work proposed) or such other degree as
the Committee may deem equivalent for this
purpose; or
4.1.2 qualified for an award judged by the Committee
to be of relevant character and appropriate
standard; and have experience which the Committee
deems to be a suitable preparation for
the applicant's proposed field of study.
4.2 Application
No application for admission to candidature may be
approved by the Committee except with the support of
the faculty board.
4.3 Supervision and facilities
An applicant shall be admitted to candidature only if
the Committee is satisfied, or; advice supplied by the
faculty board, that the proposed program is a suitable
study in the discipline or area concerned and that
adequate facilities and supervision are available.
5. Program
The candidate shall carry out a program of research,
investigation or development involving the submission of a
major thesis embodying the results of that program carried
out during the period of candidature by the candidate, in:
5.1 a department of the Institute, or
5.2 industrial, commercial, governmental, educational or
research organisations approved by the Committee,
or
5.3 a combination of 5.1 and 5.2.
In addition, a candidate may be required to undertake
other formal studies as approved by the Committee.
Swinburne lnstitute
6. Duration
The candidate may undertake the program on a full-time
or part-time basis. Excluding any periods of intermission
as set out below, the duration of candidature shall be:
6.1 for a candidate whose degree under 4.1.1 or whose
award under 4.1.2 involved less than four years fulltime
study (or its part-time equivalent): not less thari
21 months and not, under normal circumstances,
more than 36 months of full-time study.
6.2 for a candidate whose degree under 4.1.1 or whose
award under 4.1.2 involved not less than four years'
full-time study (or its part-time equivalent): not less
than 15 months and not, under normal circumstances,
more than 36 months of full-time study.
6.3 where a student undertakes the masters degree program
(or any portion thereof), by part-time study: the
maximum time shall normally be not more than 72
months.
After taking advice from the supervisor(s) and the
Head of Department, the Committee may grant a
period of intermission of candidature on such conditions
as the Committee sees fit.
7. Supervision
For each candidate the Committee shall appoint, on the
recommendation of the faculty board, and on such terms
and conditions as the Committee determines, one or two
supervisors, one of whom shall be a member of the
academic staff of the Institute.
If the program is carried out within the Institute, at least
one supervisor shall be a member of the academic staff of
the department in which the program is conducted.
Where two supervisors are appointed one shall be designated
the Co-ordinating Supervisor. The Co-ordinating
Supervisor must be a member of the staff of the Institute.
The Co-ordinating Supervisor shall have overall responsibility
for the administrative conduct of programs.
If for any reason a supervisor is unable effectively to
supervise the candidate for a period exceeding three
months, the Committee shall, on the recommendation of
the faculty board, appoint a replacement supervisor.
8. Progress
At the expiry of twelve months from the date of admission
to candidature and at such other times as the Committee
may decide, the Committee requires a report on the
progress of each candidate. The report is prepared by the
supervisor (or, where there is more than one supervisor,
the Co-ordinating Supervisor). Prior to the preparation of
the report the supervisor (or Co-ordinating Supervisor) will
be required to interview the candidate. The candidate will
be given access to the report and will have the opportunity
to comment to the Committee on the supervisor's assessment
of progress.
Where the Committee is of opinion that a candidate's
progress is not, prima facie, of a satisfactory level, a
candidate may be required to show cause why candidature
should not be terminated.
Failure on the part of the candidate to demonstrate
satisfactory progress may result in the Committee terminating
candidature.
9. Thesis
9.1 Three copies of the thesis shall be submitted to the
Committee. At least two of the copies must be bound.
9.2 The thesis must be typed 1 '/z spaced, in English, on
A4 size paper, and conform to any other specifications
prescribed by the Committee.