UWA Handbook 2025

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.

head of school means a person appointed or acting in that capacity or the Graduate Research Coordinator of the school, Graduate Research Coordinators being designated academics who have been approved by the head of school and the Board to act on behalf of the head of school on matters pertaining to the master's degree by research;

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

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;

master's degree by research means the master's degree by research by thesis;

upgrade refers to a change in course from a master's degree by research to a PhD with no break in enrolment except as permitted by an approved period of suspension and where the research undertaken by the student while enrolled for the master's degree will be continued in the PhD or modified to meet the requirements of a PhD;

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 the University for most or all of their period of candidature; and

external student means a person undertaking study towards a higher degree by research who, as a result of their location, cannot conduct research and study towards the higher degree on a campus of the University for most or all of their period of candidature.

Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures

1. The Student Rules, policies and procedures apply except as otherwise indicated in the rules that follow.

Academic Conduct and Research Integrity Unit

1.A(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 and Research Integrty unit (the ACRI module) and complete within the first six months from the date of commencement in the course.

(2) A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the ACRI 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 the rules for this course.

(3) A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of (2) is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation'

Admission and entry requirements

2.(1) The Board, on the recommendation of the appropriate head of school, may accept into the course for the degree of Master of Forensic Anthropology an applicant who has demonstrated that they have fulfilled the requirements of the University Policy on: Adequate Research Preparation and any other requirements for admission of the University, and—

(a) is a graduate of this University or has been admitted to equivalent status;

or

(b)(i) has the degree of bachelor of this University or a qualification recognised by the Board as equivalent and has since graduation completed at a satisfactory level a Higher Degree by Research Preliminary Program, or equivalent as determined by the Board, in the subject area in which research is to be undertaken;

or

(c) have previously undertaken work, which in the Board's opinion is of a sufficiently high standard,
towards a higher degree by research in this or another approved institution but not have submitted it for any degree. This includes former students who may have previously exceeded the normal
duration of their course;

or

(d) has completed the requirements of the Graduate Diploma of Forensic Anthropology.

Recognition of qualifications completed at an institution other than this University

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

(2) 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.

General requirements for application and eligibility

4. Unless the Board permits otherwise in exceptional circumstances, a person whose work for a higher degree at this or another institution is under examination at the time of application for admission is not permitted to enrol in a master's degree by research or any associated preliminary program of study until that examination has been completed and the final results have been provided to the Board.

English language competency requirements

5. The Board may require an applicant to demonstrate satisfactory performance, as prescribed by the Academic Board, in an approved test of English before being admitted to the University.

Enrolment

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

(2) The Board, having considered the recommendation of the relevant head of school referred to in Rule 18(2), may refuse approval for enrolment.

7. Except when specific combined courses have been formally approved, a student is not permitted to enrol simultaneously—

(a) in a course leading to a formal qualification at another institution; or

(b) in an undergraduate or honours program at this University.

8.(1) The Board, on written application, may permit a student to enrol in specified coursework units up to a maximum value of 24 points concurrently with a master's degree by research if it considers the specified coursework units to be necessary for successful completion of the master's degree by research program.

(2) A student for whom enrolment in coursework units to a value greater than 24 points is recommended at the time of application is required to complete these units either as part of an approved preliminary course for a master's degree by research or through Continuing Education before enrolment in the higher degree by research.

Concurrent enrolment in coursework units

9.(1) Unless otherwise approved by the Board in exceptional circumstances, a student is not permitted to enrol, as part of the degree, in more than 24 points of undergraduate or postgraduate units.

(2) A student may, with the approval of the Board and the appropriate school, enrol concurrently in

a micro-credential, certificate, diploma or other coursework program at this university provided that—

(a) following a written submission application from the student, the name of the concurrent program is

submitted through the supervisor and the head of school to the Board for approval; and

(b) with the exception of the Commercialisation Training Scheme, the concurrent program is not one

for which the University receives Commonwealth Government funding.; and

(c) tuition fees for the concurrent program are in addition to any tuition fees for Master of Forensic Anthropology and are not covered by tuition fee scholarships awarded by the University for the Master of Forensic Anthropology

Prior candidature and time limits

10. Except as otherwise provided by the Board, for a student who commences a course for a master's degree by research at this institution on the basis of an equivalent course in another institution, or for a student who upgrades or changes to another course at the same level—

(a) the minimum period of enrolment is that prescribed for the course into which the student has changed; and

(b) the maximum time limit for completion of the course is reduced by the period of enrolment in the course from which the student has changed.

Enrolment type

11.(1) Students are enrolled as either full-time (1.0 FTE) or part-time (0.5 FTE).
(2) Students who are enrolled full-time are expected to work on their research at least 30 hours per
week.
(3) Students who are enrolled part-time are expected to work on their research at least 15 hours per week.

Internal and external candidature

12.(1) Except as set out in (2), students are normally enrolled as internal students.

(2) The Board, on the recommendation of the appropriate head of school, may accept as an external student a student who, in its opinion, is substantially free to pursue a course of supervised research and advanced study provided that—

(a) the student fulfils the requirement to work within the appropriate University school for a period or periods to be determined by the Board which, during the total period of enrolment, must amount to no less than 10 weeks; and

(b) suitable internal and external supervision and arrangements for access to facilities and resources, if required, have been arranged and approved by the Board.

(3) If appropriate electronic or other methods of remote supervision have been arranged and approved by the Board, the requirement for appropriate external supervision may be waived.

Changes to terms of candidature

13. (1) The approval of the Board is required for any change to the terms of candidature approved at the time of first enrolment for the Masters by Research.
(2) 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.
(3) For the operation of 13 (2), exceptional circumstances do not include employment commitments.

Course content

14. A master's 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.

15.(1) A student must submit a thesis after the completion of a course of supervised research and advanced study in a subject or subjects approved by the Board.

(2) The course of supervised research and advanced study may include—

(a) such courses, lectures, seminars and other work as the supervisors or head of school concerned directs; and

(b) studies and investigations culminating in such reports as the supervisors direct and

(c) additional requirements as set out in the rules for the relevant degrees in the Master's by Research Degrees Administered by the Board of the Graduate Research School with Special Admission or Course Requirements.

(3) On the recommendation of the appropriate head of school and supervisors, the Board may prescribe study additional to the requirements of (2).

16. A student must provide particulars of the progress and results of the research to the supervisors from time to time and whenever requested.

Research proposal

17. A student must provide a research proposal to the Board for approval, through the head of school and supervisors, within four months from the date of first enrolment for the course if the enrolment is full-time, or the equivalent as determined by the Board if the enrolment is part-time or a mixture of full- and part-time.

Annual report

18.(1) A student must provide an annual progress report, through the appropriate head of school and supervisors, in accordance with procedures determined by the Board.

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

Satisfactory progress

19. 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.

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

(a) submitted a satisfactory Research Proposal within the agreed time;

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

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

21. 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.

22. On receipt of the Interim Report the Graduate Research School will determine whether the student's candidature in the PhD can continue.

Approved leave (suspension of candidature) and extension

23.(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 23 exceptional circumstances do not include employment commitments.

24. In addition to the one-year maximum period of suspension of candidature provided for in Rule 23, the Board may, on written application, permit during the course of candidature either—

(a) up to 12 months' leave for pregnancy and childbirth, for each pregnancy; or

(b) up to 12 months' parental leave for the primary carer of a child or children.

25. The Board, in recognition of exceptional circumstances, may approve an extension not exceeding one year to the maximum period of candidature for masters' degrees by research as set out in these Rules.

26. Periods of leave granted under Rule 24 or Rule 25 are not counted for the purposes of calculating the time limit for master's degrees by research.

Minimum and maximum time limits

27.(1) Unless otherwise approved by the Board, the minimum period of enrolment is one year full-time or two years 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 two years 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.

Transfer of candidature

28.(1) The Board, on the recommendation of the head of school concerned, may permit a student in the course for a master's degree by research at this University to upgrade candidature to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

(2) A student who wishes to upgrade to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must, at the time of application for upgrade, provide a research proposal through the head of school for the Board's approval.

29.(1) Subject to (2), a student enrolled for a master's degree by research may upgrade to a joint/double-badged PhD with full credit for work completed during the course for the master's degree by research (by thesis) of this University.

(2) Except in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the Board, a student is not permitted to transfer into a joint/double-badged PhD if they have been enrolled in their current course for more than half of the maximum period of candidature.

Termination of candidature

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

Intellectual property, confidentiality

31. If a student's thesis or other work contains material of the kind described in Rule 34, or if the student has obligations to a third party as outlined in that rule, a student must notify the Board in writing, allowing sufficient time for the Board to comply with Rule 32.

32. Upon written application by a student or by an interested party prior to the lodgement of a thesis or other work, the Board, after consultation with the student, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and others where appropriate, may restrict access to the thesis or other work for a period of time not normally exceeding two years from the date that it is classified as Passed.

33. The Board may recommend that a student be granted permission to include in an appendix to a thesis or other work material that is essential to the thesis or work but which may not be available for general inspection for a period not normally exceeding two years from the date that the thesis or work is classified as Passed.

34.(1) The restriction on access referred to in Rules 32 and Rule 33 normally apply only if the thesis or other work contains confidential material, or if it was a condition imposed by the owner of private records and material used by the student, or if the student was in an employment or other contract relationship with a third party that made the restriction a condition of the contract.

(2) In exceptional circumstances and after consultation with the student, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and others where appropriate, the Board may, for reasons other than those outlined in (1), restrict access to the thesis or other work for a period not normally exceeding two years from the date that the thesis or work is passed.

35. Subject to Rule 36, during a period of restricted access approved by the Board, a person will be granted access to the thesis or other work or to the appendix only with the written consent of the student and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).

36. The examiners of a thesis or other work and the Board must have access to the thesis or work and any appendix to it for the purposes of any examination, re-examination or classification.

37. A person authorised to examine or consult a thesis or other work or an appendix to a thesis or other work in terms of Rule 35 or Rule 36 is required to sign a prior undertaking of confidentiality.

Content and format of a thesis

38. A thesis must be in English unless the Board has approved otherwise.

39.(1) Material that has been presented for a degree in this or another university must not be submitted as a student's thesis but, if clearly indicated, may be incorporated in it.

(2) The sources from which a student's information is derived, the extent to which the work of others has been used and to which the assistance of individuals, associations or institutions has been obtained, must be acknowledged generally in a preface or introduction, specifically in notes, a bibliography or appendices, and must be, throughout the thesis, shown clearly and fully by appropriate references.

(3) The portion of material presented for examination claimed as original must be indicated in the thesis.

40.(1)(a) A thesis may be presented in the form of a typescript, a published book or a paper or series of papers which have been published in refereed journals.

(b) A typescript may be structured in any of a range of ways, including, but not limited to: a monograph; a paper or series of papers suitable for publication in scholarly journals; or a combination of published and unpublished work.

(c) Work that has been published may be presented in the format in which it was published or with the formatting adjusted for consistency with the rest of the typescript.

(2) If any of the items submitted in terms of (1) have been jointly authored—

(a) the work done by the student must be clearly indicated and certified as such by the co-authors; and

(b) the co-authors must certify that they agree to the inclusion in the thesis of work of which they are joint authors.

(3) Work of which the student is sole or joint author may be submitted as an appendix in support of the thesis, but, in the case of joint authorship, the work done by the student must be clearly indicated.

(4) If a series of papers is presented, there must be a full explanatory introduction and a review article at the end to link the separate papers and to place them in the context of the established body of knowledge.

(5) If detailed data and descriptions of methods are not otherwise given, they must be included as appendices.

41. A thesis must include a summary of approximately 250 words.

42.(1) If a thesis is in typescript it must be typed on A4 size paper (30cm x 21cm) with a margin of 4cm on the left-hand side of the page.

(2) If a thesis is part in print and part in typescript, the Board, in consultation with the University Librarian, may grant permission for the pages to be of a size other than A4.

(3) No specific restrictions are placed on the size of drawings or maps accompanying a thesis.

Word limits

43.(1) Except as provided in the rules for individual master's degrees, a thesis, including footnotes but excluding words in tables, maps, endnotes, bibliographies, appendices and other illustrative matter, normally must not exceed 50,000 words.

(2) If it appears that a thesis is likely to exceed the word limit specified and the Graduate Research Coordinator/head of school concerned judges that there are good reasons for this, the Graduate Research Co-ordinator/head of school must submit a written case for approval of a thesis exceeding the standard limit for the consideration of the Board.

Submission of a thesis for examination

44.(1) A student submitting a thesis for examination must submit relevant particulars on a form to be obtained at the Graduate Research and Scholarships Office 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 (see Rule 40), 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 supervisors 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 supervisors and/or the head of school and may, after an examination is complete, notify the examiner(s) that the thesis was submitted without school support.

45. A student must submit a thesis for examination in temporary binding and must comply with any guidelines set down by the Board at the time of submission of the thesis.

(2) All students must lodge with the copies of their thesis for examination one additional copy (unbound) of the summary referred to in Rule 41.

46.(1) A student submitting a thesis for examination must provide two printed copies in temporary binding upon request by the Graduate Research School.

47. 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 in a form suitable for examination.

48. The submission of a thesis in temporary binding will be regarded as the end of the formal period of enrolment.

Lodgement of final version following classification

49.(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 Forensic Anthropology 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.

50. 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

51. Prior to the submission of a thesis the appropriate head of school and supervisors must submit to the Board the names of two examiners and a reserve third examiner.

52.(1) Except as set out in (2), 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.

(2) In exceptional circumstances the Board may approve arrangements other than those prescribed in (1).

53. 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.

54.(1) For a thesis submitted for examination the appropriate head of school, 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 supervisors. The nominated examiners must be advised that the thesis will be sent electronically for examination unless the examiner specifically requests a hard copy.

(2) For a thesis submitted for examination, the appointment of examiners is undertaken by the Board which will seek advice as it thinks necessary and/or desirable.

55.(1) The names of examiners are not withheld from students.

(2) Students, supervisors and heads of school must not discuss any aspect of an examination with examiners during the examination process.

56.(1) Examiners must not, before submitting their independent reports, consult or otherwise communicate with each other or anyone connected with the preparation of the thesis.

(2) The Board may ask examiners to consult or otherwise communicate with each other before, or after, receipt of their individual reports.

57. Before a thesis is classified, the Board may require a student to—

(a) sit a written examination in subjects related to the thesis; and/or

(b) undertake an oral examination by video-conferencing, teleconferencing or any other mode of communication approved by the Board in subjects related to the thesis.

58. To classify a thesis, the Board may require a student and/or supervisor, after submission of a thesis and before or after receipt of examiners' reports, to provide it with further information, and/or comment and explanation concerning any aspect of the thesis.

Classification of theses

59.(1) The Board, after considering all reports on a thesis submitted for examination, classifies the thesis as Passed with no requirement for correction or amendment, 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 correction as Passed.

60. A student whose thesis or work is classified as Passed subject to revision must complete the revisions within four months of the date of notification of classification.

Resubmission

61.(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 one calendar year of the date of notification of classification; and

(b) submit with the thesis a detailed report, signed by the supervisor and head of school; 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.

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

Examination of a master's degree by research thesis as a PhD thesis

63.(1) After having regard to the recommendation of the appropriate head of school, the Board may permit a student who has completed a thesis for a master's degree by research to submit that thesis for examination for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, although the student has at no time been enrolled for that degree.

(2) If, after considering the examiners' reports on a thesis submitted for the award of a master's degree by research, the Board considers that the thesis may be suitable for submission for examination for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, it may with the agreement of the student permit the student to submit the thesis for examination for the award of that degree.

(3) If, after due consideration, the Board determines that a thesis produced as part of the course for a master's degree by research but recommended for submission for examination for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy is not suitable for that examination, it must so advise the student immediately.

(4) If the Board is satisfied that the thesis is suitable for submission for examination for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, it must arrange the examination immediately.

64. If, following examination, the Board classifies a thesis submitted for examination in terms of Rule 63(4) as Passed—

(a) the student is qualified for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, although he or she has at no time been enrolled for that degree; and

(b) the Board arranges for details of the student's qualification for the degree to be entered on the academic record as a course result of 'PhD Awarded'.

65. If, after considering the examiners' reports on the thesis submitted for examination in terms of Rule 63(4), the Board determines that the thesis is not suitable for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy the Board must—

(a) so advise the student; and

(b) arrange for the academic record to be annotated to indicate that the thesis was examined, but found unsuitable, for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy; and

(c) proceed to examine or classify the thesis, as appropriate, in terms of the rules for the Master of Forensic Anthropology.