Professional Doctorates

Colloquia/Seminars

Schools will arrange seminars for all enrolled research students with presentations by staff, visiting academics, and by students presenting their final thesis designs, research instruments, analysis strategies and interim results. As part of the course requirements, professional doctorate students are required to present at least three research colloquia to their peers and to fulfill this requirement will present as part of the School colloquia/seminar program. Presentations will take the form of one thesis proposal and two "work in progress" seminars, one of which might be analogous to an oral defence of the nearly completed thesis. Professional doctorate students must attend at least 75% of the research colloquia/seminars or will be asked to Show Cause.

Supervision

All candidates must have a 'principal supervisor' who is a member of the academic staff of La Trobe University and who has the appropriate level of qualifications to supervise, or demonstrated research experience of equivalent standing. That is, the principal supervisor must be a member of the University at the level of lecturer or above and should have a qualification that is at least equivalent to the degree that they are supervising. Candidates are encouraged to have a co-supervisor who would also be a member of staff of La Trobe University. Co-supervisors can provide additional input, support and direction to the research. In some instances, an associate supervisor from outside the University may be appointed. This person is not an academic staff member of La Trobe University and therefore cannot be a principal supervisor. For further information about supervision, please refer to the Faculty Academic Policy and Procedures Manual (Section 4.15) and the La Trobe University Handbook for Candidates and Supervisors for Masters Degrees by Research and Doctoral Degrees. Candidates are strongly encouraged to discuss the availability of potential supervisors and possible thesis topic areas with the relevant School before enrolling.

Academic progress

Requirements

Coursework

Academic progress is reviewed annually (or otherwise as required) by a Chief Examiners Meeting (CEM) and in the case of students considered not to be making satisfactory progress, also by an Academic Progress Committee (APC). Unsatisfactory progress is broadly defined as failure in a significant component of a year's work or failure for a second time on a subject. More information can be found in the University regulations and the Faculty Academic Policies and Procedures Manual.

Thesis

Progress is reviewed annually by the University Higher Degrees Committee which requires candidates to complete a progress report with comments and/or signature from the supervisor, professor of the relevant discipline, Head of School and Chair of Faculty Higher Degrees Committee. In addition to this, the Faculty requires students to complete a similar report approximately six months prior to the University report. This report must be completed on the appropriate Faculty pro forma and is due to the School by 31 March each year.

Lapse of candidature

It is the candidate's responsibility to re-enrol by the required date each year. Candidature may lapse if these requirements are not met and if no satisfactory reason is provided to the University Higher Degrees Committee. Candidates may be re-instated on the recommendation of the Head of School on the advice of a Professor of the discipline or other proper authority.

Grievance procedures

If a candidate has a grievance or other problem, steps should be taken to resolve the problem with the supervisor, the Head of School/Postgraduate coordinator and/or the professor of the discipline, the chairperson of the Higher Degrees Committee and/or the La Trobe University Postgraduate Association.

Support services

A number of support services are available to professional doctorate candidates including Careers Advisory Service, Study Skills Assistance, Disability Liaison Officer, Counselling Services and Computing Services. Further information is available from postgraduate coordinators.

Timetables

Some schools provide students with a relevant timetable. Other information is available on the University website at: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/students/timetables.html