Higher Degree Research
Scholarship Requirements
Government Scholarships
The number of government-funded awards on offer varies from year to year. For 2009, we received funding for 54 Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) for Australian/New Zealand Citizens or Australian permanent residents, and a further 7 full tuition-fee Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (E-IPRS) for International students (excluding New Zealand). Given the number of applications received, there is intense competition for these awards. To receive a first round offer, or to be ranked on the reserve list, an applicant would normally need to demonstrate outstanding academic merit which includes equivalent research to an Australian four-year Bachelor degree with high first-class honours. As an example, equivalent evidence could include research experience, peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, academic prizes, the completion of a Master degree with a substantial research component. First-class honours equivalence cases need to be made on behalf of the applicant by the Faculty to which they have applied for postgraduate research or in which they are currently enrolled.Where we have to make a decision between applicants having the same rating level, the University does reserve the right to give preference to candidates in areas of research strength within the University.
English Requirements for Scholarship Holders
Scholarship applicants needing to meet English language proficiency requirements are expected to have an overall IELTS score of 7.0 (or an equivalent overall score of 250 in Computer-based TOEFL ; 600 in Paper-based TOEFL or 100 in Internet-based TOEFL with 25 in writing and 23 in all other sections).
Advanced Standing for Scholarship Holders
Applicants who have been previously enrolled in the degree to which they are applying either at Macquarie University or another University have advanced standing in their course. Under the conditions of award for most scholarships, this is deducted as advanced standing from the maximum scholarship tenure. For example, if you have completed 1 year of a PhD prior to commencing at Macquarie University on a scholarship the maximum tenure available of a 3.5 year scholarship would be 2.5 years.
Advice Regarding Part time Status for Scholarship Holders
Scholarship applicants wishing to be part time will need to outline their individual case for requiring part time status. A written statement should be included with your admission application.The request for part time status should not be work-related in nature, and International applicant requests are subject to their visa requirements.
Advice on Deferment of Acceptance
Scholarship offers are valid for the semester of offer. Deferment is not automatic. If you wish to defer an acceptance of offer you will need to submit a request in writing outlining the reason you wish to defer your commencement of award and the anticipated start date. The request will be assessed in line with the scholarship award conditions, any funding restrictions, and requires the agreement of your supervisor and Faculty of registration.
Advice on Eligibility
Advertisements will list the eligibility requirements for application including citizenship, the minimum academic standard expected and appropriate areas for background experience for the project. Applicants for scholarship are considered on academic merit. Most scholarships require you to demonstrate equivalent research to an Australian Honours First Class or Second Class Division One as part of their eligibility requirements. For International applicants this can be demonstrated for example, by a Masters thesis component awarded with a Distinction, evidence of peer-reviewed research or relevant work and professional experience. Macquarie University uses the National Office for Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR) guidelines in assessing overseas programs for equivalence to the Australian programs.
Referee Reports
Scholarship Applicants are requested to obtain references from two senior academics who can comment on their research capabilities. If you do not have senior academics, then an academic or a professional who has been in a senior position to you and can comment on your research skills and capabilities would be appropriate. If they can not fill in some of the questions on the form, they can just leave this blank. If you wish to use your proposed supervisor as a referee that is fine, however in this scenario we would suggest you get a third reference.
All referees are welcome to attach further correspondence to the form should they wish to.
If you wish to know if your referee has forwarded your report, please check with them directly. If their email address was provided and a reference has not arrived by the time we process your application, your referee will be sent an courtesy email reminder.
The Application Process at Macquarie University
Applications are assessed for completeness and eligibility before loading into the student system and forwarding to the Faculty for consideration. This generally takes around 2-4 weeks, but can take longer at peak times. Time in the the Faculty varies but we will advise on our current scholarships page when we anticipate having an outcome for specific scholarships. Once a scholarship nomination comes from the Faculty the Higher Degree Research Committee reviews the applications for approval. Once a result is obtained we will advise applicants of the outcome. Please note that any advice on outcomes supplied via other parties, such as your potential supervisor, can not be considered an official University offer.
Rating Scholarship Applicants & Alternatives to Honours Equivalence
Macquarie University assesses applicants for scholarship based on academic merit usually at Australian First class or Second class honours or equivalent research qualifications/experience. This includes reviewing academic records, peer reviewed activity, relevant work or professional experience. The Higher Degree Research Committee have approved guidelines to assist in the rating of scholarship applications. These guidelines appear below.
- Macquarie University Scholarship Rating Guidelines
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