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PhD Coursework Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to take the Workshop and elective units or can I pick my own subjects outside of these?

You must complete the Research Workshop. With the consent of yourAdvisory Committee you may be permitted to substitute 1 or 2 of the Electives with a subject or subjects considered necessary for your research and at an equivalent level. 

Your Principal Supervisor will need to email arts-research@unimelb.edu.au to request that you undertake a specific subject(s) with a brief explanation of the Committee’s reasoning behind the request.

I won't be enrolling in my PhD until part way through the semester, what should I do?

You can complete Electives that are available, but should enrol in a Research Workshop stream from the start of either semester 1 or semester 2.

I am a part-time PhD student, what coursework should I do first?

Our advice is that you complete your Elective units in the first year of your candidature and then enroll in the Research Workshop in your second year, because the latter is more focused on preparation for Confirmation, which would be towards the end of your second year.

Is there an attendance requirement (do I have to attend every session of the workshop/subject?)

The Research Workshops have an attendance requirement as an un-assessed hurdle. To complete the subject, students are expected to have attended a minimum of at least 75 percent of the Workshops. To gain the most value out of the workshops, it is expected students will endeavour, and want to attend all classes.

I work full-time and study part-time. I'm unable to take time off during the day to attend these workshops. What do I do?

The University's PhD Handbook states regarding part-time candidature:

'An applicant for admission as a part-time candidate must satisfy the head of department and supervisor that adequate time is available to devote to their PhD work and to maintain regular contact with the supervisor and department.'

Some members of my Advisory Committee are away, how can I pick my electives?

You should consult your supervisors and can also seek advice from the Research team (arts-research@unimelb.edu.au)  in the GSHSS.

Is there a cost to doing the coursework?

There is no financial cost to undertaking the coursework.

Will it take more time to complete my PhD?

No. The coursework component in the first year of your candidature complements the development of your thesis proposal and project. We expect that completing the coursework will enhance rather than detract from your progress, particularly as the 10,000 words of written work submitted for assessment in the coursework can, if appropriate be integrated into your thesis itself.

Can I take additional coursework subjects beyond the amount required?

Yes, subject to discussion with your supervisor and your Advisory Committee to ensure that you are not over-loading at the expense of progress on your thesis. In this case, you would be 'auditing' additional subjects and would need the approval of the subject coordinator to attend. We anticipate that most coordinators of Elective subjects would welcome more students participating by 'auditing', but it is their decision based on how many students they have formally enrolled. Please send an email to arts-research@unimelb.edu.au to seek approval to audit a class.

Can I attend one of the other Electives on an ad hoc basis if I want to?

Only with the permission of the staff member teaching that Elective; most of the Electives will be intensive small group work, and the staff teaching them may, or may not welcome others 'dropping in'. Please send an email to arts-research@unimelb.edu.au to seek approval to audit a class.

I commenced my PhD during 2011, can I take some units in 2012?

Coursework is not an official part of the PhD degree prior to 2012, but yes, subject to discussion with your supervisor and your Advisory Committee to ensure that you are not over-loading at the expense of progress on your thesis. You will need the approval of the subject coordinator, who will have the final decision on whether or not they want to take additional students. You can either 'audit' a subject or choose to formally enrol. Please note that there will be consequences to your enrolment status and academic progress if you choose to enrol. If you are formally enrolled, the result for the subject will appear on your official academic transcript. You will also have to meet all attendance and assessment requirements, meaning any leave of absence may not be possible for the duration of the semester in which you are enrolled. If you choose to 'audit', you will not be assessed, nor have a result on your transcript. You will however have access to documents prepared in LMS.
For more information or if you wish to audit or enrol in the coursework subjects, please contact your School Graduate Research Administrator or send an email to arts-research@unimelb.edu.au.

I'm doing a Master of Arts by thesis and I am thinking of converting to a PhD. Should I take the units?

Yes, you should. The introduction of coursework in the PhD has significantly changed the options Master of Arts students have for conversion to the PhD.

In the past, if you were enrolled in a Master of Arts (MA) by thesis – and if you satisfied the initial entry requirements (H2A) for a PhD – you could apply, after about 9 months progress, not for Confirmation of the Masters but for Conversion to a PhD. This involved developing a PhD thesis proposal and showing excellent progress in your research and was subject to the approval of your Advisory Panel. This constituted Confirmation of the PhD candidature. Now, however, a Master of Arts by thesis student would arrive at that point after PhD students have completed their coursework, preparatory to their Confirmation.

If you are enrolling in a Master of Arts by thesis, and have the entry requirement for a PhD, and want to keep the option open of conversion to a PhD, then you will need to enroll in and complete the coursework during your first (full-time) year of candidature.

Having completed it, and made good progress in your research, you would have two options.

1. You could apply for Conversion to the PhD. You should discuss early and often the option of converting to a PhD with your supervisor and - you will need to have their support.
2. You could decide that you don't want to convert to the PhD but instead want to complete the Masters degree in which you are enrolled. In this case, we expect that you will have benefitted from the coursework, and you are able to integrate the 10,000 words of written work completed in the coursework in your Master of Arts thesis.

If you are sure that you want to complete an Master of Arts by thesis then you do not need to do any coursework, but need to be clear that the option of conversion to a PhD would be closed off by your choice. (You can, of course, complete a Masters and then start a PhD from scratch, but if you have an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) scholarship for the Master of Arts, you need to be aware that APA scholarships only last for 3.5 years full-time enrollment.)

I am enrolled in the MA (ASST) [Advanced Seminars and Shorter Thesis]. Do I still have an option of converting to a PhD?

Yes. The structure of the MA (ASST) involves the same amount of coursework as for the PhD.

If you started with the required entry level for a PhD, and if you have completed the MA (ASST) coursework in your first year, and achieved the minimum required grades for the PhD coursework, then we expect you could apply for conversion to the PhD and be given 'credit' for the equivalent coursework. Conversion to the PhD then involves the same process of ensuring you have the support of your Advisory Panel.

What if I take leave of absence in the first 12 months?

Students are not normally permitted to take leave in the first twelve months of their candidature unless there are exceptional circumstances. If you are granted approval for leave you will need to discuss with your Advisory Committee and with course advisors in the Graduate School what your options are. You would have credit for the parts of coursework completed before the leave of absence.

Why are the required grades for Workshops different from those for Electives?

The minimum required grade for the Research Workshop is H2A (the standard required for entry to the PhD), but H3 for the Electives. Our thinking here was that we did not want to discourage you from exploring unfamiliar fields in your Electives, but you should feel free to tackle something new without fear that you would be penalised if your work was at a lesser standard than usual.

What happens if I don't get the required grades in the Workshop and/or the electives?

Your Advisory Committee will, at Confirmation, be making an assessment of the grades achieved in your coursework. Written work in the Research Workshop will have been double-marked by both the Workshop coordinator and your principal supervisor. Not meeting the required minimum expectations is a firm indication that you should not be confirmed in your PhD candidature. In this case, there would be an option to convert your candidature to an Master of Arts thesis degree.

If the problem lies with a poor mark in one Elective, you should discuss with your supervisor taking a third Elective; the requirement with Electives is to have completed two at the required minimum level.

Can I change my elective unit part way through the unit?

You can withdraw from an Elective, but you can't start one half-way through. The requirement of the coursework is that you complete two Electives at the required minimum level.

Will the Workshop and Elective units appear on my transcript?

Yes, any subjects that you are officially enrolled in will appear on your University transcript.

When and how do I submit the Workshop and Elective Selection Form?

You will need to submit the completed and signed form before your enrolment can be completed. Please either submit the hard copy of the form to the Graduate School reception desk, ground floor Old Arts Building or by emailing the scanned signed copy of the completed form to arts-research@unimelb.edu.au. You may also return the completed form during the GSHSS Welcome and Induction Day.

Can I change my elective or workshop if I would prefer to take a different one than the one I'm already enrolled in?

You can withdraw your enrolment from an elective or a workshop but you cannot start one half-way through the semester. You can re-enrol in another elective or workshop as long as this is done before the Census date, which is 31st March for Semester 1 intake, and 31st August for Semester 2 intake. 

Can I choose two electives from the same semester?

Yes. You can choose to enrol in two electives within the same semester as part of the hurdle requirement to obtain your confirmation.

How do I enroll in the workshop and elective subjects?

1. You must accept your offer by the Offer Lapse date in your admission letter
2. To accept, decline or defer your offer refer to the instructions in your admission letter
3. You must also complete your enrolment by the Enrolment Lapse date in your admission letter
4. When you reach the 'Select Subjects' step you will have completed all that you can in the student system but your enrolment won't be complete yet

To complete your enrolment please send an email to arts-research@unimelb.edu.au and provide the following information so that we can complete your enrolment for you:

1. Confirm your commencement date
2. Complete the Workshop and Elective Selection form (130kb pdf), scan and return it to us via email.

When we have received your completed Workshop and Elective form and have your commencement date we will complete your enrolment and send you an email to confirm this. It will not be possible to complete your enrolment until we have received the completed form.