means the candidate has not submitted an Annual Progress Report by the due date and he/she has not applied to the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee for Leave of Absence.

means the process in which enrolled candidates undertaking a Higher Degree by Research have their research program, supervisory arrangements and on-going progress approved by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee in accordance with the Higher Degree by Research Regulations for Master's (by Research) or Doctoral Degrees.

means the candidate's enrolment is constrained by conditions determined by the Divisional or University Graduate Studies Committee.

means enrolment in the Higher Degree by Research program following approval of Candidacy.

means the Divisional Committee responsible for the admission, enrolment, candidature and examination of Higher Degree by Research candidates and which makes recommendations to the University Graduate Studies Committee during the period of the candidate's enrolment.

means the Head of an area that is permitted to enrol Higher Degree by Research students.

means a committee of supervisors appointed by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee at the time of approval of admission to the program and comprises at least a Chairperson and a Supervisor.

means a research Master's degree as approved by the Academic Senate.

is the term used to identify a candidate who is enrolled but has not submitted a thesis within the prescribed time limits as determined in the Higher Degree by Research Regulations for Master's (by Research) or Doctoral Degrees.

means enrolment in the Higher Degree by Research prior to approval of Candidacy.

means a supervisory committee formally appointed by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee at the time of approval of Candidacy and associated with a specific candidate as defined in these Regulations. It comprises at least three persons including a Chairperson, Supervisor, and one or more Associate Supervisors or a Co-supervisor or a combination of both.

means the panel that is appointed prior to submission of the thesis and comprises the Chairperson of the Thesis Committee (ex officio) acting as Chair, and two Examiners at least one of whom is external to the University. An internal Examiner must be external to the School in which the candidate is enrolled.

is the status held by the candidate following submission of the thesis and prior to determination of the classification of the thesis by the University Graduate Studies Committee.

means the standing committee of the Academic Senate.

Unless the contrary intention appears in these Regulations or in any policy statement arising therefrom, the provisions of the Code of Conduct for the Responsible Practice of Research, adopted by Council in October 1991, as updated from time to time, shall be deemed to apply for the purpose of these Regulations.

The University Guidelines for Higher Degrees by Research Candidates should be read in conjunction with these Regulations and provide guidance to candidates and supervisors in relation to good practice in postgraduate research supervision and conduct.

Subject to and in accordance with these Regulations, a Master's (by Research) degree shall be awarded for a thesis as defined in Regulation 11 or a combination of a thesis and coursework in which the coursework component does not exceed one third of the Master's degree program. In all cases the thesis must in the opinion of the Examiners be a substantial original contribution to the knowledge or understanding of a field of study and demonstrate the capacity of the candidate to conceive, design and carry to completion independent research.

The Office of Research and Development is responsible for the administration of the Regulations and in particular the management of the process of examination of all Higher Degree by Research theses.

For admission to a Master's degree program an applicant shall satisfy the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee that at least one of the following eligibility criteria has been met:

graduated with or qualified for the award of the degree of Bachelor with First Class Honours or Second Class Honours within the University;

graduated with or qualified for the award of Postgraduate Diploma within the University;

graduated with or qualified for the award of the degree of Bachelor within the University, with a superior performance, together with relevant and substantial work experience;

obtained qualifications from another institution which are recognised by tertiary admissions authorities in Australia and which are deemed to be equivalent to, or a satisfactory substitute for, any of the qualifications prescribed in Regulation 3(a), (b) or (c).

A candidate may enrol in a Master's degree either full-time or part-time. Enrolment shall be continuous with the exception of periods of Leave of Absence as approved by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee.

Enrolment in the Master's degree shall be for a minimum period of one year and a maximum period of two years of equivalent full-time study. The time limits shall be adjusted for approved periods of Leave of Absence. In exceptional circumstances the periods of enrolment noted above may be varied by the University Graduate Studies Committee upon the recommendation of the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee.

Candidates who seek to enrol part-time must satisfy the Head of Enrolling Area that they are able to devote the time necessary for the satisfactory completion of the research program within the prescribed time limits.

A candidate enrolled for a Master's degree normally shall conduct the research, other than field work, at the University. The Head of Enrolling Area may recommend to the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee that a candidate be permitted to conduct the research at another institution or at other places, particularly where special facilities exist, provided that the Head of Enrolling Area is satisfied that the research can be supervised in a safe and satisfactory manner and that appropriate facilities and infrastructure exist.

The Divisional Graduate Studies Committee, upon the recommendation of the Head of Enrolling Area, must be satisfied that an appropriate level of contact can be maintained between the candidate and the Thesis Committee. The level of face-to-face contact (either in person or using appropriate technology) should be agreed between the candidate and the Thesis Committee prior to Candidacy and should be reviewed annually. The agreed level should be reported in the Annual Progress Report.

No candidate may be enrolled in a Master's program at the University while simultaneously enrolled in any other higher degree, Bachelor's degree, or diploma course at this or any other institution, without the approval of the University Graduate Studies Committee.

The Head of Enrolling Area may, after consultation with the Thesis Committee, allow a full-time candidate to undertake a limited amount of University teaching or other work and, in agreed circumstances, to enrol for study in units other than those prescribed in the Master's degree program in accordance with Regulation 4(j). The Head of Enrolling Area must be satisfied that these activities will not interfere with progress in the Master's degree program.

A candidate who is unable to pursue his/her studies may be granted Leave of Absence and have enrolment suspended for a period of one to twelve months by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee on the recommendation of the Head of Enrolling Area. In exceptional circumstances, the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee may approve further periods of Leave of Absence. Applications for retrospective periods of Leave of Absence may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Candidates are required to lodge the application for Leave of Absence on the prescribed form prior to the start date of the proposed period of leave.

A Master's degree program may contain both coursework and research (thesis) components. For the purposes of these Regulations, the research component of a Master's degree must comprise at least two thirds of the degree program. The coursework component may be as prescribed in the course description or at the direction of the Head of Enrolling Area following consultation with the candidate and the Thesis Committee.

An application for admission into a Master's degree shall be made on the prescribed form and shall be lodged with the relevant Head of Enrolling Area. The applicant shall disclose all previous tertiary studies.

The Supervisor shall be a member of the academic staff of the University. A Supervisor shall possess at least a Master's qualification or be deemed by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee to be of equivalent status with recognised standing in the field of study. Only a full-time or fractional-time staff member shall be appointed as the Supervisor. Where a member of staff has a limited-term appointment, the Head of Enrolling Area shall certify at the time of appointment of the Supervisor that adequate supervision is available for the duration of the proposed research program.

The Head of Enrolling Area may appoint a Co-Supervisor who may be another member of academic staff, an Adjunct Fellow² or an Emeritus Professor of the University. The Co-Supervisor shall possess at least a Master's qualification or be deemed by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee to be of equivalent status with recognised standing in the field of study.

A member of staff who is enrolled in a Master's program shall not be appointed as a Supervisor or Co-Supervisor of a Master's candidate.

The Divisional Graduate Studies Committee shall advise all applicants for admission of the decision of the Committee. Successful applicants shall be provided with an offer of a place and other information necessary for the completion of enrolment into the Master's program. A copy of these Regulations and any other guidelines which may be approved from time to time shall be provided to the candidate at the time of offer of a place in a Master's Program.

Successful applicants shall confirm acceptance of the offer of a place by completion of an Enrolment Form and such other forms and instructions as required to comply with the University's enrolment requirements. No enrolment shall be regarded as having been completed until the candidate has been notified by the General Manager, Student and Staff Services or nominee.

A candidate who is deemed to have Provisional Candidature, will be required to submit a Summary of Proposed Research Program for the purposes of Candidacy, as prescribed in Regulation 6. A candidate may not submit a thesis for examination until Candidacy has been approved.

An applicant for admission who has completed more than six months' enrolment for a Master's (by Research) degree in another University may be permitted by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee, on the recommendation of the Head of Enrolling Area, to count for credit the whole or any part of the period of this enrolment, as a period completed in a Master's (by Research) degree program at this University, provided that:

Master's (by Research) candidates with Provisional Candidature shall apply for Candidacy on the prescribed form to the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee not later than three months of equivalent full-time study after initial enrolment. Extension of time may be approved by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee. The application for extension form shall include the Supervisor's recommendation, endorsed by the Head of Enrolling Area.

Candidates enrolled in a research Master's program with a prescribed coursework component with Provisional Candidature shall apply for Candidacy on the prescribed form to the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee not later than three months of equivalent full-time study following successful completion of the assessed course work component to the satisfaction of the Thesis committee.

Failure to apply for Candidacy within the prescribed time limits may result in the candidate's enrolment status being changed to "Conditional" by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee. Should Candidacy not be approved within a further period prescribed by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee, the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee may recommend to the University Graduate Studies Committee that the candidate's enrolment be "Terminated".

After Candidacy has been approved, the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee may approve changes to the thesis title and composition of the Thesis Committee on the recommendation of the Head of Enrolling Area. Where there is a significant change of focus in the research program, a new Candidacy application must be submitted, as prescribed in Regulation 6(d).

Candidates wishing to transfer between Higher Degree by Research programs shall follow the appropriate procedures based on whether or not they have attained Candidacy for the course in which they are enrolled at the time of application as follows:

The Divisional Graduate Studies Committee shall advise the candidate whether or not the application is successful and arrange for the enrolment to be amended as necessary.

At the time of application for Candidacy, the Head of Enrolling Area shall, following consultation with the candidate, nominate a Thesis Committee of at least three persons, comprising a Chairperson, Supervisor and either one or more Associate Supervisors or a Co-Supervisor or a combination of both. The nominated Thesis Committee shall be submitted to the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee for approval.

The Chairperson shall be a member of the academic staff of the University and possess at least a Master's (by Research) Degree or be deemed by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee to be of equivalent status.

The Supervisor shall be a member of the academic staff of the university. A Supervisor shall possess at least a Master's (by Research) Degree or be deemed by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee to be of equivalent status with recognised standing in the field of study. Only a full-time or fractional-time staff member shall be the Supervisor.

The Associate Supervisor(s) shall be appointed from within or outside the University to assist the Supervisor in the supervision of the Master's candidate. At least one Associate Supervisor shall possess at least a Master's (by Research) Degree in the field of study or be deemed by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee to be of equivalent status with recognised standing in the field of study. If external to the University, the Associate Supervisor(s) shall consent in writing to this appointment.

The Head of Enrolling Area may appoint a Co-Supervisor who may be another member of academic staff, an Adjunct Fellow³ or an Emeritus Professor of the University. The Co-Supervisor shall possess at least a Master's (by Research) Degree or be deemed by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee to be of equivalent status with recognised standing in the field of study.

A member of staff who is enrolled in a Master's program shall not be appointed a Supervisor or Co-Supervisor of a Master's candidate.

After Candidacy has been approved the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee may approve changes to the composition of the Thesis Committee on the recommendation of the Head of Enrolling Area. The Head of Enrolling Area should consult with the candidate prior to making such recommendations to the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee.

In the event that an appointed Supervisor or Co-Supervisor is unable to supervise the candidate for a period exceeding three months, the Head of Enrolling Area shall, following consultation with the candidate, nominate a replacement Supervisor or Co-Supervisor for the relevant period for approval by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee.

In the event that the Chairperson of the Thesis Committee is unable to perform the assigned duties for a period exceeding three months, the Head of Enrolling Area shall nominate a replacement Chairperson for the relevant period for approval by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee.

The candidate and Thesis Committee shall be jointly responsible for ensuring regular and adequate communication throughout the period of candidature.

The candidate shall submit an Annual Progress Report by the due date specified by the University Graduate Studies Committee to demonstrate progress towards the stated objectives of the Master's degree program. The Dean, Graduate Studies or the Thesis Committee may, following consultation with the candidate, require the candidate to submit reports, additional to the Annual Progress Report, to monitor progress in the Master's degree.

Candidates making satisfactory progress and likely to complete the research program as prescribed should be accorded the status of "Good Standing". Candidates whose progress raises concerns as to their ability to complete the research program as prescribed should be accorded "Conditional" status. Candidates whose progress is unsatisfactory and who are unable to complete the research program should have their enrolment terminated and/or counselled regarding alternatives. Annual Progress Reports shall assist in the determination of academic status. Recommendations regarding the academic status of candidates other than those whose status remains "Good Standing", shall be made by the Head of Enrolling Area or appropriate alternative to the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee.

If a candidate fails to submit an Annual Progress Report by the due date, the Head of Enrolling Area may recommend to the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee that the candidate be withdrawn from enrolment and their status be changed to Absent Without Leave.

Candidates shall remain enrolled provided they have been granted "Good Standing" or "Conditional" status in accordance with Regulation 9(c).

Candidates whose status is changed to "Conditional" shall be notified in writing by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee of the applicable conditions.

Candidates who have been identified as Overtime shall be placed on "Conditional" status and notified in writing by the University Graduate Studies Committee of the applicable conditions.

In accordance with Regulation 4(a), a candidate shall remain enrolled continuously until the thesis has been submitted for examination to the Thesis Examinations Officer, except during periods of approved Leave of Absence.

A candidate who is not on approved Leave of Absence and is deemed by the Head of Enrolling Area, following consultation with the Supervisor, not to be actively pursuing their research program may, upon recommendation to the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee by the Head of Enrolling Area, be withdrawn from enrolment and have their status changed to Absent Without Leave for a period of six months.

In exceptional circumstances a candidate whose status is Absent Without Leave may be re-enrolled on the recommendation of the Head of Enrolling Area to the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee after a period of time on whatsoever terms and conditions the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee may prescribe consistent with the Higher Degree by Research Regulations for Master's (by Research) Degrees.

A candidate whose status is Absent Without Leave for a period exceeding six months may have his/her enrolment terminated by the University Graduate Studies Committee in accordance with Regulation 16.

A thesis shall normally be presented in Standard English. Any exceptions to this requirement must, upon the recommendation of the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee, be approved by the University Graduate Studies Committee, in which case it may be required that the thesis be accompanied by a translation into Standard English.

A thesis shall be presented in one of the following forms:

A candidate submitting a thesis in a form as specified in Regulation 11(b)(i) or 11(b)(iii) shall submit three temporary bound copies (normally using thermal binding) of the thesis to the University Graduate Studies Committee. A candidate submitting a thesis in a form as specified in Regulation 11(b)(ii) shall submit to the University Graduate Studies Committee three copies of the thesis in a format specified by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee.

The thesis shall conform to the following conditions:

A thesis submitted in the form of a series of published papers shall conform to the following:

The thesis may be presented for examination in electronic portable document format (.pdf), providing there is written agreement of the examiner(s) to review an electronic version.

The sources from which the candidate's information is derived, the extent to which the work of others has been used and/or for which the assistance of individuals, associations or institutions has been obtained, shall be acknowledged generally in a preface or introduction, and specifically in notes, references and appendices.

The thesis shall not be accepted for examination without a statement from the Supervisor, on behalf of the Thesis Committee, recommending that the thesis be sent for examination. Notwithstanding the above, if the Supervisor, on behalf of the Thesis Committee, declines to provide such a statement, the candidate may request the thesis be sent for examination in accordance with Regulation 15 (Grievance Procedures).

Where a thesis contains material that may reasonably affect the security of persons, nations, industry or commerce the University Graduate Studies Committee may, upon recommendation from the Head of Enrolling Area prior to submission, declare the thesis to be confidential for a specified period of time, normally not exceeding two years.

A candidate shall, subject to the University's Ownership of Intellectual Property policy and supporting procedures (Operational Policy D001, D001/P1.1, and D001/P1.2), own the Copyright in the thesis.

The copies of the thesis submitted by the candidate shall become the property of the University. The copies are subject to any confidentiality agreements entered into by the University, the candidate, and any sponsoring body of the research in accordance with the University's Ownership of Intellectual Property policy and supporting procedures (Operational Policy D001, D001/P1.1, and D001/P1.2).

The candidate may submit a digital copy of the final version of the thesis in a format approved by the University Graduate Studies Committee in accordance with the Guidelines for the Submission of Digital Theses of Higher Degree by Research Students.

The Divisional Graduate Studies Committee shall, on the recommendation of the Head of Enrolling Area, appoint a Thesis Examining Panel, comprising:

No person who is or has at anytime been a member of a candidate's Interim Thesis Committee or Thesis Committee shall be eligible for appointment as an Examiner.

In recommending a Thesis Examining Panel, the Head of Enrolling Area shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that Examiners are free from bias with respect to the candidate, the Supervisor, or the University and shall preserve the integrity and independence of the examination process.

Examiners shall possess at least a Master's qualification or be deemed by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee to be of equivalent status with recognised standing in the field of study.

Examiners are requested to examine a thesis within six weeks of receipt. If any Examiner is unable to complete the examination within three months, the Head of Enrolling Area may recommend a replacement Examiner to the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee for approval.

The Dean, Graduate Studies may, upon recommendation by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee, appoint a replacement Examiner, or Adjudicator as appropriate, in the following circumstances:

Names of Examiners shall not be released unless the Examiner(s) specifically approves the release of his/her identity, subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Only the Dean, Graduate Studies (or nominee), the Chairperson of the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee and the Chairperson of the Thesis Committee may communicate with the Examiners regarding the examination process while the thesis is under examination. Breaches of this Regulation in relation to communication with Examiners will be referred to the University Graduate Studies Committee and may be interpreted as misconduct within the terms of University policy (refer to the Agreement on Enterprise Bargaining (Academic Staff) and Curtin University of Technology - Statute No. 10 - Student Discipline Statute).

In order for a thesis submitted for examination to be classified as passed by the University Graduate Studies Committee, four copies of the final version of the thesis in appropriate binding or in a format specified by the Divisional Graduate Studies Committee shall be presented to the Office of Research and Development for distribution as follows:

Candidates may also submit their thesis in digital format to the Library in accordance with the Guidelines for the Submission of Digital Theses of Higher Degree by Research Students.

A member of staff who during the course of their employment has published a work or series of works may make application to the University Graduate Studies Committee to submit the published works for examination for the award of an appropriate Master's degree. The application must satisfy all of the following criteria:

A person who has, for not less than three consecutive years during the preceding five years, been employed as a full-time member of the staff of the University (whether or not the person is currently so employed) may apply for admission to the degree on the grounds that the person has, by published work⁷ of which the person is the author or a joint author, made a substantial contribution to learning and demonstrated a capacity to relate the work done by the person to the broader framework of the discipline within which it falls at the standard internationally recognised for a Master's (by Research) degree in the relevant discipline or disciplines.

The published work, or collection of published works, on which the applicant relies shall be comparable in quantity and academic quality to that which is required for a Master's (by Research) degree in the same general field of study.

This Regulation does not apply in relation to a published work or collection of published works unless:

An application for the Master's (by Research) degree under this Regulation shall be made to the University Graduate Studies Committee as follows:

The application shall be in the form of a thesis in one of the following forms:

Subject to Regulations 19(g) and (h), the University Graduate Studies Committee shall direct the examination of the thesis as provided in Regulations 19(i), (j), (k) and (l).

The applicant shall clearly mark in the thesis material which has been previously submitted for the purpose of obtaining a degree of any university.

The University Graduate Studies Committee shall direct an examination of the publications, only if, in its opinion, they consist preponderantly of material which had not been previously submitted for the purpose of obtaining a degree of any university.

The University Graduate Studies Committee may refuse to direct an examination of the thesis if the applicant has previously pursued a Master's (by Research) degree under these Higher Degree by Research Regulations for Master's (by Research) Degrees.

The University Graduate Studies Committee shall, if an examination is directed, appoint two Examiners in accordance with Regulation 12, both of whom are external to the University.

An applicant under this rule may be orally examined in a manner determined by the University Graduate Studies Committee and in accordance with Regulation 14.

Examiners of the thesis must submit to the University Graduate Studies Committee a report in a form as prescribed in Regulation 13 in which they shall recommend that the applicant be awarded or be not awarded the appropriate Master's degree.

The Dean, Graduate Studies (or nominee) shall, as Chair of the Master's (by Research) by Supplication Review Committee, receive the Examiners' reports and, after consideration by the Review Committee, report to the University Graduate Studies Committee. Subsequently the University Graduate Studies Committee may:

A applicant may appeal against a recommendation by the University Graduate Studies Committee that the Master's degree not be awarded in accordance with Regulation 17(e) to 17(j) inclusive.

A candidate shall comply with these Regulations as from time to time amended or remade except that, where the University Graduate Studies Committee is of the opinion that any candidate has been or may be adversely affected by a change in the Regulations since initial enrolment, the candidate may be permitted to continue under such Regulation or Regulations in force at any time during the period of candidature and on conditions the University Graduate Studies Committee may prescribe.

The previous Regulations governing the degree of Master's (by Research) at this University shall be repealed on the date on which the Regulations herein are promulgated.