UWA Handbook 2025

Note: This course is only available to re-enrolling students.

Master of Research (research)

Rules

Terms used

In the rules that follow—

the Board means the Board of the Graduate Research School and includes any position to which the Board has delegated authority for a particular function.

graduate research coordinator means a person appointed by the head of school and approved by the Board to act on behalf of the head of school on matters pertaining to the master of research degree;

higher degree by research means postgraduate degree course for which at least two thirds of the student load is required as research;

BPhil means a Bachelor of Philosophy course undertaken at UWA

by thesis means by submission of a thesis or, in the case of the creative arts and building sciences, may mean by submission of a thesis and/or other work as required in the rules for specific degrees;

a student and/or students means a student and/or students enrolled for the degree of master by research by thesis;

progression means the forward movement from one course to another at a higher level where the lower degree has not been conferred

internal student means a person undertaking study towards a higher degree by research who, except for approved periods, will conduct research and study towards the higher degree on a campus of this University; and

external student means a student who has been approved by the Graduate Research School to undertake their course of study at a location other than a campus of the University of Western Australia and whose enrolment is formally recorded as external. 

Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures

1.(1) The Student Rules, policies and procedures, and the Master of Philosophy Rules apply except as otherwise indicated in the rules that follow.

(2) These Rules must be read in conjunction with the Master of Philosophy Rules.

Admission and entry requirements

2.(1) The Board, on the recommendation of the appropriate graduate research coordinator, may accept into the course for the degree of master of research an applicant who has:

(a) completed the requirements of an Honours degree at this University with a weighted average mark of at least 70%  but who has not had the degree conferred and wishes to progress to the Masters course;

and

(b) has demonstrated the ability to undertake research through the production of an Honours thesis that is assessed as being Honours 1 or 2A standard;

and

(c) has submitted to the Board for approval a research proposal comprising the abstract and literature review from the Honours thesis plus a description of supervision arrangements, resourcing and additional research to be carried out during the master’s year.

or

(d) has previously undertaken work at an equivalent standard towards an honours degree at another approved institution but has not submitted it for any degree.This includes former students who may have previously exceeded the normal duration of their course;

and

(e) has submitted to the Board for approval a research proposal comprising the abstract and literature review from the Honours thesis plus a description of supervision arrangements, resourcing and additional research to be carried out during the master’s year.

(2) The Board may recognise a qualification completed at another tertiary institution as being equivalent to one completed at this University.

(3) A person who wishes to have a qualification that they have completed at another tertiary institution recognised as equivalent to one completed at this University must provide satisfactory evidence of the work completed for the qualification.

(4) Notwithstanding that an applicant may otherwise have met the University’s minimum English requirements, the Board may require them to demonstrate satisfactory performance in English, as prescribed by the Academic Board, in an approved test of English before being admitted to the University.

(5) Entry into the MRes is not permitted for students undertaking the BPhil program at UWA.

Enrolment

3.(1) Other than prescribed University holidays, there must be no gap in enrolment  of more than one month between the Honours and Masters courses

(2) The minimum period of enrolment is 12 months.

(3) Unless the Board permits otherwise, a student must be enrolled until all examinable components of their program have been submitted for examination.

(4) Students are enrolled as either full-time (1.0 FTE) or part-time (0.5 FTE).
(5) Students who are enrolled full-time are expected to work on their research at least 30 hours per
week.
(6) Students who are enrolled part-time are expected to work on their research at least 15 hours per week.
(7) Students are normally enrolled as internal students and will be assumed to be enrolled internally unless external enrolment has been approved formally by the Board.

Changes to terms of candidature

4.(1) The approval of the Board is required for any change to the terms of candidature approved at the time of first enrolment in the course.

(2) Students enrolled in the Master of Research are not permitted to upgrade to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

(3) With the exception of students admitted under Rule 2. (1) (d), a student enrolled in the MRes may be permitted to withdraw and subsequently graduate with an Honours degree.

(4) Changes between full-time and part-time enrolment will normally be approved only for full teaching periods. That is, a student may not change enrolment part-way through a teaching period other than in exceptional circumstances outside the student’s control.

(5) For the operation of 4(4), exceptional circumstances do not include employment commitments.

Course content

5. (1) The Research Proposal comprises the documents submitted under Rule (2(1) (c) and (e) and is approved by the Board as a condition of acceptance of the student into the course.  The research proposal sets out the broad plan to be followed for the research and production of the thesis.

(2) The student must submit a thesis after completing a course of supervised research and advanced study in a subject approved by the Board as part of the approval of the Research Proposal.

(3) The thesis must be a substantial work generally based on independent research which shows a sound knowledge of the subject of the research, evidence of the exercise of some independence of thought and the ability of expression in clear and concise language.

Progress and reporting

6.(1) If the student has not submitted their thesis before the first anniversary of their commencement in the course they must provide an annual progress report, through the appropriate graduate research coordinator and supervisor(s), in accordance with procedures determined by the Board.  An annual report will be due on each anniversary of the student’s commencement while they remain enrolled in the course.

(2) The report provided by a student must be forwarded by the graduate research coordinator to the Board with a recommendation on whether the student should be permitted to re-enrol.

(3) A student must provide particulars of the progress and results of the research and other agreed tasks to their supervisors from time to time and whenever requested.

(4) A student will be deemed to be making satisfactory progress when, in the assessment of their supervisors and Graduate Research Coordinator, they have—

(a) continued to complete sufficient work, at a satisfactory standard, within agreed times; and

(b) continued to submit reports and other requirements, at a satisfactory standard, within agreed times.

(5) When a student's supervisors and Graduate Research Coordinator assess that a student is not making satisfactory progress they will inform the Graduate Research School. The Graduate Research School will—

(a) inform the student in writing that they are deemed as being at risk of not meeting the course requirements for continuation; and

(b) request that in three months the student submits an Interim Report addressing the specific concerns raised by the supervisors and Graduate Research Coordinator.

(c) on receipt of the interim report and the recommendation of the Graduate Research Coordinator determine whether the student’s candidature in the MRes can continue

Minimum and maximum time limits

7.(1) Unless otherwise approved by the Board, the minimum period of enrolment is one year full-time, or the equivalent as determined by the Board if the enrolment is part-time or a mixture of full- and part-time.

(2) Unless the Board, in recognition of exceptional circumstances, grants an extension of time, a full-time student must submit the thesis within one year from the date of first enrolment, or the equivalent as determined by the Board if the enrolment is part-time or a mixture of full- and part-time.

Approved leave (suspension of candidature) and extension

8.(1) The Board, on written application, may grant a period of approved leave, called a suspension of candidature.

(2) Unless the Board permits otherwise in recognition of exceptional circumstances outside the
student’s control, the maximum suspension during a student’s candidature is one year, irrespective of whether the student has been enrolled full-time or part-time.
(3) Periods of suspension will normally be approved only for full teaching periods. That is, a student may not commence or end a period of suspension part-way through a teaching period other than in exceptional circumstances outside the student’s control;
(4) Periods of suspension are not normally approved while a student is on extension of candidature;
(5) In no circumstances will a period of suspension be approved for less than one month;
(6) For the operation of Rule 8 exceptional circumstances do not include employment commitments.

Termination of candidature

9.(1) Unless otherwise approved by the Board, if a student's thesis is not submitted within the time
limits specified in these Rules, candidature is terminated automatically.

Submission and examination of a thesis

 10.(1) A student submitting a thesis for examination must submit relevant information as directed by the Graduate Research School and must observe any guidelines set down by the Board regarding the preparation and subsequent disposal of the thesis.

(2) A thesis submitted for examination must be accompanied by a declaration signed by the student that—

(a) all sources are acknowledged; and

(b) the thesis has not previously been accepted for any other degree in this or another institution; and

(c) the thesis has been substantially accomplished during enrolment in the degree; and

(d) except in the case of jointly authored work, the thesis is wholly the student's own composition.

(3) Except as set out in (4), a thesis submitted for examination must be accompanied by certification from the supervisor(s) and head(s) of school and approved by the Board that the form and content of the thesis are suitable for examination.

(4) The Board may, in exceptional circumstances, accept for examination a thesis without the certification of the supervisor and/or the graduate research coordinator and may, after an examination is complete, notify the examiner(s) that the thesis was submitted without school support.

(5) A student must submit an electronic copy of the thesis in a form directed by the Graduate Research School  and must comply with any guidelines set down by the Board at the time of submission of the thesis.

(6) In exceptional circumstances a student may be asked by the Graduate Research School to provide printed copies of the thesis in temporary binding.

(7) Except in exceptional circumstances and with the permission of the Board, a student will not be permitted to withdraw, alter or add to a thesis or work after it has been submitted for examination.

(8) The submission of the thesis for examination will be regarded as the end of the formal period of enrolment.

Lodgement of final version following classification

11.(1) When a thesis has been classified as Passed, the student must, after completing any corrections required, submit to the Graduate Research School an electronic copy of the updated thesis.

(2) The format of the version submitted under (1) must comply with detailed specifications laid down by the University Librarian.

(3) Unless otherwise approved by the Board, after a thesis submitted for the Master of Research has been classified as Passed, the Graduate Research School submits the electronic copy of the thesis to the Library which must make reasonable efforts to convert the electronic copy into a digital format suitable for inclusion in the University's Digital Thesis Repository.

(4) After a thesis has been classified, its examiners are normally invited to keep their copies of the thesis.

Nomination and appointment of examiners and examination

12.(1) Prior to the submission of a thesis the appropriate graduate research coordinator and supervisor(s) must submit to the Board the names of two examiners and a reserve third examiner.

(2) Except as set out in (3), the Board, following submission of a thesis for examination, must appoint two examiners, at least one of whom must be external to the State of Western Australia.

(3) In exceptional circumstances the Board may approve arrangements other than those prescribed in (2).

(4) A person who has supervised a student for a higher degree program at this or another institution must not be appointed as an examiner for that student's thesis or work.

(5) For a thesis submitted in accordance with the provisions of Rule 10(3), the appropriate graduate research coordinator, prior to submitting names of examiners to the Board for approval, is required to informally invite the nominated examiners for the thesis and ensure their willingness and availability to examine within the timeframe for examination determined by the Board, which may seek such other advice as it thinks desirable, including a detailed report from the student's supervisor(s).

(6) For a thesis submitted in accordance with the provisions of Rule 10(4), the appointment of examiners is undertaken by the Board which will seek advice as it thinks necessary and/or desirable.

Classification of theses

13.(1) The Board, after considering all reports on a thesis submitted for examination, classifies the thesis as Passed with no requirement for revision, Passed subject to revision, Resubmit or Failed.

(2) A thesis classified as Passed subject to revision must, once the required revisions have been carried out to the satisfaction of the Board, be classified as Passed.

(3) The Board may classify a thesis which has been Passed with no requirement for revision as Passed.

(4) A student whose thesis or work is classified as Passed with no requirement for revision is expected to submit the final version of thier thesis and associated paperwork within one month, and must do so within three months, of the date of notification of classification.

(5) A student whose thesis or work is classified as Passed subject to revision must complete the revisions within three months of the date of notification of classification. Requests for extension of this time must be submitted to the Graduate research School through the supervisors and Graduate Research Coordinator.

Resubmission

14.(1) The Board must not classify a thesis as Resubmit unless, having considered the examiners' reports and any other relevant information, it agrees that the thesis shows some merit and may, by a specified amount of further work under approved supervision, be sufficiently improved for re-submission.

(2) If the Board classifies a thesis as Resubmit, it must inform the student of the further work which is required before it may be resubmitted.

(3) A student whose thesis is classified as Resubmit must—

(a) resubmit the thesis for examination within six calendar months of the date of notification of classification; and

(b) submit with the thesis a detailed report, signed by the supervisor and graduate research coordinator; and

(c) re-enrol and remain enrolled until the thesis is resubmitted for examination.

(4) At the discretion of the Board the resubmitted thesis and the report on the revisions are submitted to—

(a) two of the original examiners of the thesis; or

(b) one of the original examiners of the thesis and a new examiner; or

(c) at least two new examiners.

(5) In the event that one of the examiners fails to submit their report within a reasonable time the
Board may, at its discretion, either classify the thesis on the basis of the single report received or
appoint an additional examiner.

(6) Examiners of a resubmitted master's thesis are invited to recommend one of the following to the Board: Pass with no requirement for further correction; Pass after minor typographical errors have been corrected; or Fail.

(7) A resubmitted master's thesis must, after examination, be classified as Passed or Failed.