Admission to Candidature
Admission requirements
Successful applicants to the professional doctorate program will be expected to have:
An Honours degree of H2A standard or equivalent, or a Masters by coursework of a high academic standard and a thesis of at least 10,000 words;
Normally at least three years of relevant professional experience. In certain circumstances, candidates who can supply sufficient evidence of research capacity may be admitted through a special entry category. Admission criteria are summarised in Table 1 below.
| Mode | Academic Qualifications | Experience or other qualification |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honours degree (H2A or above); Postgraduate Diploma with research component equivalent to Honours; Masters with thesis component of at least 10,000 words. | 3 years |
| 2 | Special admission*: Masters with no thesis component Postgraduate Diploma | More than 3 years experience at a senior level; Evidence of research capacity # |
* Candidates admitted on the basis of "special admission" (mode 2 above), will be given "conditional admission" and will only be able to progress to the thesis after satisfactory completion of the coursework component, with a B average for at least two of the subjects.
# Evidence of research capacity includes a published paper in refereed journal or other relevant evidence, preferably related to the field being contemplated for the thesis project. Academic referees in their reports that form part of the application for candidature should specifically address evidence.
Applicants who enrol in either the Clinical Science doctorates or the DSW are required to have appropriate professional qualifications; applicants who enrol in the DrPH must have either appropriate professional qualifications (e.g. an MPH) or relevant professional experience in public health, as determined by the Professional Doctorates Course Management Committee Applicants enrolling in the Doctor of Nursing must be eligible for registration with the Nurses Board of Victoria. Applicants enrolling in the Doctor of Medicine must be medical practitioners able to be registered in the country in which they obtained their medical degree.
Normally, candidates will only be able to enrol in the thesis component after completing the Health Research subjects or equivalent.
Candidates may be exempted from the Health Research subjects on a case by case basis, depending on supervisor's recommendation, however candidates will be required to undertake a replacement subject(s) of equivalent credit point value.
Enrolment
Enrolment may be either full-time or part-time. The Research and Graduate Studies Office will enrol students in the school/centre in which they will be supervised for the thesis component of their degree. Professional Doctorate students enrol in subjects both for the coursework and thesis components. Prior to enrolling or re-enrolling, students should consult their Professional Doctorate Coordinator to determine the subjects in which they should enrol. Students must complete the Faculty Professional Doctorates Enrolment form (see back of this publication) and submit it to the Professional Doctorate Coordinator. An electronic copy is available on the web or from Professional Doctorate Coordinators. The thesis is overseen by the Faculty and the University Higher Degrees Committee through the Research and Graduate Studies Office (RGSO).
Conversion
Conversion from Masters by Coursework will not be permitted. Conversion from Masters by Research will be permitted as outlined in the publication 'La Trobe University Handbook for Candidates and Supervisors for Masters Degrees by Research and Doctoral Degrees'. In the case of conversion from Masters by research:
- Masters candidature counts towards minimum enrolment period for doctorate.
- Candidates admitted via the special admission category must complete the coursework before submitting the thesis.