Higher Degree Research
Applying for candidacy
The Higher Degree Research Office is responsible for the processing of any application for candidacy. There are various deadlines for applications and they can be found on the website. The application is used by the university to assess a candidate’s suitability for Higher Degree Research and provides a confidential record of the candidate’s contact details and previous research experience.
Prospective candidate
Ensure that you have obtained the appropriate application form well ahead of the due date if you are applying for a scholarship (e.g. APA, E-IPRS). You will be asked to provide some personal details, education/experience background, referees’ reports (if you are applying for a scholarship) and an indication of the scope of the research project. The research proposal should outline the main research question to be examined, a rationale for the choice of the topic, a brief review of relevant literature to support the project, and a preliminary indication of the research methodologies to be used in the exploration of the topic.
This proposal is very important as it enables Departmental and Faculty research committees to make an informed decision about the merits of your project and your ability to undertake it. If you are applying for a scholarship then you should also select your referees with care and choose people who have a knowledge of your academic experience, can make informed comment about your potential to undertake research, and who can describe your intellectual abilities. The referees’ comments are confidential and are used as part of the process of candidate selection.
Prospective supervisor
It is important to advise the potential candidate about the application procedures, especially about the due dates for application. The candidate’s research proposal will probably reflect some of the issues that you have raised in previous discussion. It is important, however, that the proposal be developed by the candidate, as the ability to express research plans becomes an important component in candidate selection. In some cases candidates will be applying for research scholarships associated with specific research agendas within Departments. In this case the focus of the proposal is on the candidate’s suitability to undertake that specific project.