UWA Handbook 2025

Note: This course is not available in 2025.

Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures

1.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.

(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.

Academic Conduct Essentials and Communication and Research Skills modules

2.(1) A student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module) and the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module).

(2) A student must successfully complete the ACE module within the first teaching period of their enrolment. Failure to complete the module within this timeframe will result in the student's unit results from this teaching period being withheld. These results will continue to be withheld until students avail themselves of a subsequent opportunity to achieve a passing grade in the ACE module. In the event that students complete units in subsequent teaching periods without completing the ACE module, these results will similarly be withheld. Students will not be permitted to submit late review or appeal applications regarding results which have been withheld for this reason and which they were unable to access in the normally permitted review period.

English Language competency requirements

3. To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework.

Admission requirements

4. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—met the requirements set out in Doctor of Philosophy Rule 2 except that both the Board of the Graduate Research School (the Board) and the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (the Faculty) will decide who is eligible.

Admission ranking and selection

5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.

Articulations and exit awards

6. The following courses form part of an articulated sequence:

• 01810/52520 Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Infectious Diseases (72 points)
• 54540 Master of Infectious Diseases (96 points)

Course structure

7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 72 points.

(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.

Satisfactory progress

8. To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.

9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module) when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.

Progress status

10. Unless the Faculty and the Board approve otherwise in recognition of exceptional circumstances, students who fail to make satisfactory progress under Rule 8 are assigned a progress status of 'Excluded'.

11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.

Award with distinction

12. To be awarded the degree with distinction a student must achieve a course weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 80 per cent which is calculated based on—

(a) all units above Level 3 attempted as part of the course that are awarded a final percentage mark;

(b) all relevant units above Level 3 undertaken in articulating courses of this University that are awarded a final percentage mark;

and

(c) all units above Level 3 completed at this University that are credited to the master's degree course.

Deferrals

13. Applicants awarded admission to the course are entitled to a deferral of up to 12 months, as per the University Policy on: Admissions (Coursework).

Additional rules

Supplementary assessment

14. Academic Council has granted permission for an opportunity for supplementary assessment to be granted to a student who—

(a) obtains a mark of 45 to 49 inclusive in any of the following units:

MICR5829 Foundations of Infectious Diseases

MICR5830 Principles of Mycology and Parasitology

MICR5831 Molecular and Cellular Microbiology

MICR5832 Diagnostic Medical Microbiology

MICR5833 Antimicrobial Agents

MICR5834 Tropical, Travel and Remote Area Infectious Diseases

MICR5835 Vectors of Infectious Disease and Vector Control

MICR5836 Public and Environmental Health Microbiology

MICR5842 Principles of Infection and Immunity

MICR5846 Molecular Epidemiology and Microbial Communities; or

b) obtains a mark of 45 to 49 inclusive in a unit in which they are currently enrolled and which is the only remaining unit that the student must pass in order to complete their course

Confirmation of candidature

15. Doctor of Philosophy Rule 61 applies to confirmation of candidature.

Submission of research proposal and thesis

16.(1) A student must submit a full research proposal to the Board no later than 31 October in the year of their commencement of candidature if enrolled full-time or within nine months of their date of commencement if enrolled part-time.

(2) A student must, before submission of the thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, complete the Master of Infectious Diseases component as set out in Rule 7.

Time limit

17. Unless the Faculty on the recommendation of the Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences approves otherwise, students must complete the units required under Rule 3 within four calendar years from the date of first enrolment in the combined course.

Qualification for award

18. A student who successfully completes the units required under Rule 7 and completes the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy will qualify for the degrees of Master of Infectious Diseases and Doctor of Philosophy.