The Doctor of Philosophy is an Australian Qualifications Framework AQF 10 qualification, completed solely by research. Graduates must demonstrate through practice and production of a thesis / exegesis, expert, specialised cognitive, technical, and research skills in a discipline area to independently and systematically: 

Graduates at this level will apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate autonomy, authoritative judgement, adaptability and responsibility as an expert and leading practitioner or scholar.

The Masters by Research Degrees are AQF 9 qualifications, completed solely by research. Graduates must demonstrate through practice and production of a thesis / exegesis, expert, specialised cognitive and technical skills in a body of knowledge or practice to independently:

Graduates at this level will apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate autonomy, expert judgement, adaptability and responsibility as a practitioner or learner.

Applications to Federation University HDR courses must be submitted in accordance with the method and evidence outlined on the Federation University website. Prior to applying, applicants should discuss the following with a potential supervisor aligned to their intended research:

Applications for admission to candidature will be accepted at any time of the year.

An Offer of Admission to Candidature is based upon the following:

For an Offer of Admission to Candidature to be issued, supervisors must be registered and demonstrate that they have: relevant experience within the discipline of the research topic, familiarity with the proposed research methods, and the available supervision workload. Experience must be demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications in a related area, awarding of grants in a related area or other relevant research experience within the last five years.

Where a proposed research topic is in an emerging or cross-disciplinary field of research, the supervisory team must show how their combined research experience enables them to adequately supervise the candidate.

Conditions may be imposed on an offer of probationary candidature, as deemed appropriate by the Dean, Graduate Research and will be recorded in the Offer of Admission to Candidature.

Admission will also be consistent with the assessment of any overseas qualification by the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR).

Where an application may be subject to Sanction Laws, the actions described in the Sanctions Compliance Procedure must be followed.

An international applicant who does not hold a valid passport from and is not a citizen of, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland must provide the required evidence of a satisfactory level of competence in oral and written English as specified by the Academic Board:

English language proficiency exemption requests will only be considered where applicants meet criteria outlined on the Department of Home Affairs website.

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicants who do not meet entry requirements may be considered for entry by the Dean, Graduate Research, in consultation with relevant staff from the proposed affiliated Research Centre.

Variations to the conditions of candidature may be included in an Offer for Admission to Candidature, such as:

HDR candidates from other institutions may apply to transfer their candidature to Federation University. Applicants requesting transfer to Federation University should follow the standard admission process, as described on the Federation University website, and must meet all selection requirements as per the Research and Research Training Policy. Applicants will be required to supply:

Where a candidate is requesting to transfer ethics approval and /or where their project has been confirmed by their previous institute, they must also provide:

Requests to waive confirmation of candidature or other required milestones based on work undertaken at the previous enrolling institution must be supported by documentation from the previous enrolling institution and approved by the Dean, Graduate Research at Federation University.

The period of enrolment at the previous institution will be deducted from the usual period of candidature at Federation University. Transfer to Federation University will not usually be allowed for candidates who have completed more than two years, or part time equivalent, of a doctoral course or six months, or part time equivalent, of a masters course.

Applicants for PhD and Masters by Research courses must demonstrate that they have previously undertaken research and generated outputs in a cognate discipline to their proposed research project, which is equivalent to an Australian honours-level course in terms of both quantity and quality. This will require an applicant to have undertaken research or research-related activity that is deemed to be equivalent to completion of an Australian Honours Degree at AQF 8 as evidenced by peer reviewed publications, prior academic qualifications and/or professional research experience. 

Applicants can support their case by providing evidence such as transcripts of achieved qualifications, awards or prizes based on research outcomes and evidence of involvement in the production of refereed publications or other appropriate research outputs including work related activities.

A case for honours equivalence must demonstrate that the applicant has, through study, research experience, professional experience, or a combination of these areas, developed:

And will demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills:

Federation University courses by coursework that include significant research components, can be recognised as honours equivalent. Subject to satisfactory completion of the required courses, graduates of these courses will be deemed to meet honours equivalence and therefore eligible for an offer of probationary candidature in a HDR course. 

Candidates may request to defer their commencement for up to one year, with permission of their principal supervisor. Stipend holders should refer to the RTP and HDR Scholarship Procedure. Processes for deferment are described in the Higher Education Deferral or Leave from Studies Procedure.

The allocated periods of candidature for HDR courses are defined as: 

Candidates may apply for an extension to the allocated period of candidature for PhD and Masters by Research degrees, as per Section 6.9.

Periods of candidature may be paused during periods of leave from studies, as per Section 6.8.

The minimum period of candidature for a PhD or Masters by Research candidate is 12 months.  

Regardless of periods of Leave from Study or fraction of enrolment, all candidates must complete their degree within ten calendar years from the date of initial enrolment, as per Federation University Australia (Students) Regulation 2022, Division 6. 

Candidates may study on-campus, off-campus or from an external site. Candidates in receipt of a stipend scholarship should refer to their terms and conditions, as some stipends may require candidates to study on-campus or from a specific location.

HDR candidates are required to enrol in each semester of study in their course and unit at their approved fraction and location, as per the Students and Support for Students Policy. Candidates may apply to the University to change enrolment fraction from full time to part time, or part time to full time stating the reasons for the requested change. Applications for change to conditions of candidature must be endorsed by the Principal Supervisor and approved by the Dean, Graduate Research (or nominee). Candidates requesting a change from full-time to part-time candidature, who hold a stipend, may be required to relinquish the stipend. These candidates should refer to the RTP and HDR Scholarship Procedure.

Designated cohorts are designed to facilitate entry and establish support for a cohort of candidates with similar attributes, skills and/or knowledge.

Applications for a designated cohort must be submitted to the Graduate Research School Board, through the Dean, Graduate Research, to create special or reduced entry requirements for a cohort of candidates entering a higher degree by research course. The application must be sponsored by an academic unit. Application is made under the designated cohort process and is outlined in the HDR Candidate Guidelines.

To complete a HDR course within the period of candidature, the University expects full-time HDR candidates to study towards their degree for an average of 38 hours per week over the life of the degree. The expectation for part-time candidates is at least 50% of the full-time load.

Candidates in receipt of a stipend scholarship must refer to the RTP and HDR Scholarship Procedure for further information. Some limitations may apply to employment where a candidate is in receipt of a stipend.

There is no limit to the number of hours candidates can undertake paid employment, however paid employment commitments during the period of candidature will not be accepted as grounds for an extension of either candidature or scholarship. International candidates should check their student visa regarding limitations on working arrangements and hours. Candidates with stipend scholarships are encouraged to meet with their supervisor to discuss work arrangements and study commitments.

International student visa holders should refer to their visa conditions regarding undertaking paid employment.

Candidates may only enrol in another degree or diploma during their candidature where they have demonstrated satisfactory progress in their HDR course and with the approval of their Principal Supervisor and Dean, Graduate Research (or nominee).

Newly enrolled candidates will be offered a range of induction and orientation activities as detailed below. Where a candidate’s primary location is off-campus or external, online induction alternatives may be offered, however candidates should attend in person where they can.

Candidates must complete prescribed sessions of the HDR Skills Development Program in each year of candidature. Compulsory modules to be completed prior to attempting confirmation are described in the Skills Development Program online resources. Requirements will be communicated to candidates during the Skills Development Program Induction. Cases for recognition of prior learning and experience will be considered and must be provided to the Dean Graduate Research. The Dean, Graduate Research (or nominee) will assess the case.

The acceptance of a Higher Degree by Research HDR candidate by the University indicates that there are finances, space, supervision, and other required resources available to support the candidate through to timely completion.

The support provided by the Graduate Research School and the relevant Research Centre (or equivalent) will be supplemented by the provision of University services including the Library and Information Technology Services.

The minimum level of resources/services provided by the University for all HDR candidates who are undertaking their course are listed below. On-campus, part-time candidates may be required to share some resources, where appropriate.

Research Centres and supervisory teams should provide candidates with information about the resources available to help facilitate the timely completion of a quality research project and have the opportunity to engage with scholarly communities both within the university and globally.

Admission to HDR candidature is on a probationary basis, and candidature must be confirmed as follows:

For candidature to be confirmed, the Candidate must demonstrate to a panel that a viable research course has been developed, satisfactory progress has been made, and the degree requirements can be completed within the approved candidature period, as per section 3.1.

The confirmation of candidature process and requirements are described in the HDR Candidature Guidelines.

Failure to confirm within the required timeframes may impact on candidate scholarships or support, as advised in the RTP and HDR Scholarship Procedure.

For projects involving Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, practices, places, and/or cultural knowledge, the confirmation of candidature panel should include at least one member of an appropriate Indigenous community. This person may also be recognised as a discipline or cultural expert depending on the nature of the proposed research and their position within the community.

The Confirmation Panel will recommend to the University one of the following outcomes:

All candidates are required to participate in an Annual Progress Report (APR) during each year of enrolment. A candidate will also be required to participate in an Interim Progress Report where they:

When completing an Annual or an Interim Progress Report, candidates will be asked to report on:

It is recommended that candidates meet with their Principal Supervisor or supervisory team prior to completing the APR. Candidates will also be provided with the opportunity to submit a Confidential Report directly to the Graduate Research School.

Where a candidate is not enrolled or has submitted their thesis, they are not required to participate in progress reporting.

A candidate may be required to show cause as to why their candidature should not be terminated in any of the following instances:

Any request to undertake Show Cause processes must be supported by sufficient written evidence from the supervisory team or relevant parties.

Candidates who are required to show cause will be notified in writing via email to their Federation University email and postal address. Details regarding the Show Cause process can be found in the HDR Candidate Guidelines. Candidates are required to provide a written submission detailing why their candidature should not be terminated. Where a report is not provided by the candidate, candidature will be terminated. Applications for Leave from Studies will not normally be considered once a candidate has been identified as having to Show Cause. 

A Show Cause Committee (SCC) convened by the Dean, Graduate Research will consider the candidate’s show cause submission and details of candidature, and make one of the following recommendations:

The Chair of the SCC will formally advise the candidate of the decision and the process for appeal via their Federation email address and postal address.

Research projects and practices must conform to the University’s Responsible Conduct of Research Policy and to accepted community standards. Any research involving human subjects must be approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee. Any research involving animals must be approved by the Animal Ethics Committee. Ethics applications for HDR research projects must be submitted by the Principal Supervisor who should be named as the Chief Investigator; however, candidates should be involved in preparing the application; and aware of their responsibilities. Where a project has ethics approval and the Principal Supervisor changes during candidature, this change should be reflected in an Amendment Request to the relevant ethics committee.

Where projects involve research involving humans or animals, data cannot be collected before formal ethics approval has been granted. Any data collected before such approval cannot be presented in the thesis or published in the University’s name. Ethics project approval codes are generally required to publish data.

Candidates are encouraged to undertake a research internship, which is defined as a position with a research end-user where a candidate undertakes research and development related to their project.

Where a candidate is undertaking an internship from an external location, they are considered an external candidate for the duration of the internship and section 3.2.3 External Candidature applies. Candidates should be aware of any constraints or implications relating to their internship, and in particular the generation of IP and its ownership, and the use of that work in their thesis. 

All research internships must be supported with an agreement with the research end user, whether they are undertaken on site or via distance, are paid or unpaid.

The Student Evaluation of the Postgraduate Program (SEPP) is an evaluation by the candidate of the HDR course and is used to provide continuing improvements to the academic quality and candidate experience. All HDR candidates are encouraged to complete the SEPP; responses are anonymous. HDR candidates are invited to complete an evaluation annually until they submit their thesis/portfolio for examination.

Leave of absence entitlements do not extend scholarship or candidature periods. Candidates have access to the following leave of absence entitlements:

Candidates may access additional leave entitlements as assigned to Academic and General Staff, with the exception of Leave without Pay and Long Service Leave. Such leave entitlements include the following, none of which extend the period of candidature or scholarship entitlements:

Candidates should refer to the People and Culture website for further details regarding these types of leave.

Paid periods of leave are available for stipend holders, and can be viewed in the RTP and HDR Scholarship Procedure.

A candidate may apply for Leave from Studies extending for at least one teaching period (six months) and up to one year. Leave from Studies periods pause candidature and stipend payments, where relevant, for the duration of the leave. The period of candidature is extended by the period of leave.

Leave from Study for periods between four weeks and six months will only be considered where there are extenuating circumstances, and appropriate documentation (e.g. medical certificates) are provided.

Applications for Leave from Studies by candidates who have not yet undertaken Confirmation of Candidature or whose progress is unsatisfactory will only be considered after a candidature management plan has been developed by the candidate and Principal Supervisor, and approved by the Dean, Graduate Research (or nominee).

Full leave entitlements are described in the Guidelines.

Under exceptional circumstances, candidates can request an extension to candidature of up to six months, or part time equivalent, subject to the approval of the Dean, Graduate Research.

PhD candidates may request a second extension to candidature where their HDR studies have been severely impacted by circumstances beyond their control. Such circumstances may include, but are not limited to:

Requests for extension to candidature must be submitted at least four weeks prior to the approved submission date. Candidates who do not submit their thesis or request an extension to candidature prior to their approved submission date will be considered as having lapsed candidature and section 6.16 of this procedure will apply.

Extensions to scholarships are considered separately from extensions to candidature. Extensions to scholarship, including fee scholarships, are described in the RTP and HDR Scholarship Procedure

A candidate may request a change to the title of their research project (and therefore their thesis). Requests for change of thesis title must be approved by the candidate’s Principal Supervisor and submitted to the Graduate Research School.

Candidates who are impacted by UN or Australian Sanctions may be required to seek Government permission to change thesis title. A change in thesis title may occur without significant change to the research project.

Project scope should be decided leading up to confirmation of candidature. Subsequent significant changes to the research project should be avoided where practicable.

A significant change to the research project which occurs after Confirmation of Candidature must be approved by the Dean, Graduate Research.  Reasons for the change must be compelling and show that suitable supervision and other required resources remain available for the new research topic. There will be no extension to the total duration of candidature arising from these changes. Where there has been a significant alteration to the candidate's research questions, the research project may require the candidate to undertake the Confirmation of Candidature process again as determined by Graduate Research School Board.

Candidates who are impacted by UN or Australian Sanctions may be required to seek Government permission to change projects.

Candidates enrolled in a Masters by Research degree may apply to transfer to a PhD course. Masters by Research candidates will be required to undertake the Confirmation of Candidature steps as outlined in the HDR Candidate Guidelines for PhD probationary candidates with the exception that it must take place within the first nine months (or equivalent part-time) of candidature.

Where a candidate has already confirmed into a Masters by Research degree, and requests to transfer to a PhD, they must demonstrate that their project is appropriate for a doctoral degree. This may be through undertaking the PhD confirmation of candidature process.

If a candidate transfers from a Masters by Research degree to a PhD, the total period of candidature will be up to three years from the date that the candidate commenced the master's degree. There will be no extension to the total period of candidature arising from transfer from Masters to PhD.

Applications for transfer between courses must be endorsed by the Dean, Graduate Research.

Transfers from a PhD to a Masters by Research degree will generally be considered where an extension for candidature has not already been approved. Where a candidate has exceeded the period of candidature allowable for a Masters by Research (18 months), their thesis must be submitted within six months of their transfer request, or part-time equivalent and any stipends will be terminated on approval of the conversion request.

Applications for transfer between courses must be approved by the Dean, Graduate Research.

Information on withdrawing from candidature is in the Students and Support for Students Policy.

Readmission to HDR candidature after withdrawal may be considered where support from the Principal Supervisor and Dean, Graduate Research exists. Candidates must readmit to the same course within 12 months of withdrawing

Where a candidate withdrew having consumed the maximum period of candidature, they must submit their thesis within the semester of readmitted enrolment.

A candidate will be regarded as having abandoned their course of study and their candidature will lapse under one or more of the following circumstances:

Following a lapse of candidature, within the first twelve months, re-admission is possible under certain circumstances. Applications for readmission to candidature must be endorsed by the Principal Supervisor and approved by the Dean, Graduate Research

Candidates should be aware of the University’s policy relating to intellectual property, moral rights, and commercialisation prior to undertaking research. 

Federation University and supervisors have a responsibility to assist candidates in understanding authorship and copyright requirements and providing guidance to candidates in publishing their work during candidature and immediately following submission of the thesis for examination.

Candidates must be aware of data management and storage requirements, as outlined in the Research and Research Training Policy.

Academic Integrity is the expectation that academics, students, researchers, and all members of the academic community act with honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. Academic misconduct is activity that involves academic fraud, plagiarism, and any other dishonest conduct to gain academic or general advantage; or conduct that otherwise contravenes the provisions of the University’s academic rules, policies, and procedures. 

The Academic Integrity Procedure applies to all Federation University staff and students. Breaches of the Academic Integrity Procedure will be dealt with under the Student Misconduct Procedure.

The University adheres to the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, The Code, and requires all researchers, including HDR candidates, HDR supervisors and research managers to be familiar with, and abide by its provisions, and to conduct their research and related tasks in accordance with these provisions and all other relevant legal, regulatory and policy requirements.

The Research Integrity Procedure applies to all Federation University staff and students. Breaches of the Research Integrity Procedure will be dealt with under the Research Integrity and Misconduct Procedure.

As per section 4.4.3, all staff and candidates participating in research activity are required to participate in University endorsed Research Integrity Training.

Advice regarding academic and research misconduct can be sought from the University Integrity Officer.

A HDR thesis submitted for examination must be written in English unless provided with an exemption by the Research Committee, and be of a satisfactory standard of literary presentation, including an accepted referencing system appropriate to the candidate’s discipline area.

A HDR thesis must not contain material which has been accepted for the award of any other qualification at Federation University or any other institution, nor any material previously published or written by any person (including the candidate), except where due reference is made and appropriate arrangements regarding copyright have been made.

HDR theses must be presented in one of the approved formats:

Requirements for the format and presentation of theses are set out in the HDR Candidature Guideline.

A Doctoral Degree Research thesis will usually be:

A Masters Degree (Research) will usually be:

Thesis word counts do not include appendices or references.

The thesis presented by a candidate for examination shall conform with the requirements of this section unless otherwise agreed by Research Committee.

The thesis must include the following acknowledgements and statements, as applicable:

Candidates enrolled before 1^st January 2019 should refer to the HDR Candidature Management Policy approved on 19^th October 2015 for details on requirements for the thesis including publications. Section 4.3 applies to all candidates commencing on or after 1^st January 2019.

Candidates may include published or submitted papers and book chapters in their thesis only where the following criteria are satisfied:

Published papers selected for inclusion in a PhD or Masters thesis should be peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, or refereed conference papers. Candidates submitting papers for publication during their candidature should select journals that are non-predatory, rigorously peer-reviewed and are suitable to their research area. Evidence of publication or acceptance should be included as an appendix to the thesis. A thesis including publications may include some chapters that are in preparation for submission for publication.

A PhD thesis incorporating publications would usually include at least three published or accepted papers.

A Masters by Research thesis incorporating publications would usually include at least one published chapter or accepted chapters.

Research outputs that have been published or submitted for publication outside of the term of candidature may be included in the thesis. However, the following rules apply:

Candidates should also be clearly aware that incorporation of previously published material may only form up to 66% of the thesis. Furthermore, inclusion of previously published work does not exempt candidates from their minimum study period as appropriate to the course being undertaken.

A thesis submission may comprise of creative work and exegesis or exegetical work. The extent of these two components within the thesis should be negotiated between the candidate and the supervision team, having regard to the academic requirements of the degree being sought. The thesis proportions, where designated to comprise creative work and dissertation must be specified at confirmation and the dissertation component cannot be less than 25% of the work. In particular, the thesis plan that is presented as part of the confirmation of candidature milestone should include consideration of:

If the performance or exhibition is held prior to submission of the thesis, the candidate must present an abstract of the thesis prior to the performance or exhibition.  Confidentiality of the examination will be maintained.  This may require scheduling private sessions or performances for examiners and may require that examiners attend the performance or exhibition at different times.  If the performance or exhibition involves audience participation or interaction with the candidate, the candidate must not influence the examiners’ assessment of the creative work.  The exegesis and creative work must be examined as an integrated whole.  A durable record of the performance or exhibition (electronic format) must be submitted with the thesis or within six weeks of submission of the thesis.

To be eligible to submit a thesis or exegesis for examination a candidate must:

Candidates must complete and submit the Intention to Submit form at least four weeks prior to their intended submission date.

All theses submitted for examination must be accompanied by a completed Release of Thesis form and include a statement of originality incorporating an acknowledgement of others’ contributions, editorial assistance, copyright provisions, required summaries and other relevant approvals. A thesis will not be released for examination without these materials in place. For further guidance, candidates are directed to the HDR Candidature Guidelines

Normally, a candidate will submit a thesis for examination with the endorsement of the supervisory panel, as demonstrated by the signatures on the Release of Thesis form. In certain rare circumstances, a candidate may submit a thesis for examination without the endorsement of the supervisory panel. Such a thesis will not be accepted without the permission of the Dean, Graduate Research and unless the candidate has signed an acknowledgement outlining:

Resubmission of a thesis with post-examination revisions must occur within the timeframe designated by Examination Committee. 

Where the candidate requires further time to undertake post-examination revisions, a special case for consideration may be addressed to the Dean, Graduate Research (or nominee)

The Graduate Research School is responsible for sending theses to the nominated examiners.

An individual may be appointed as an examiner where they have:

An individual would be expected to hold a Research Doctorate Degree (or equivalent to a Level 10 award under the AQF) to be appointed to an Examination Panel for either masters or doctoral candidates.

In exceptional circumstances, an examiner without a Research Doctorate may be acceptable, where it can be shown that they possess equivalent relevant experience. The Dean, Graduate Research must approve exceptions.

Examiners must be external to the University. Current Emeritus Professors, adjuncts and honorary staff of the University are ineligible. Previous staff of the University may be eligible if at least five years has elapsed since their employment, and the staff member has not interacted with the candidate, supervisory team and/or work being examined. Current or previous supervisors of the candidate are not to be appointed as examiners.

Consideration will be made of the balance of expertise on the panel, and the independence of examiners. Generally, more than one examiner for a given thesis will not be appointed from the same institution, particularly if from the same unit (e.g., faculty or research centre).

Examiners will be recorded on a register of examiners. Where an examiner has acted more than once and have been nominated again, the Dean, Graduate Research determine the appropriateness of their appointment.

When nominating examiners, supervisors must consider and declare conflicts of interest.

Supervisors and examiners must declare any real or perceived conflict of interest (either professional, personal, or commercial) that exists between the individual, the candidate and/or the supervisory panel. The Dean, Graduate Research will determine whether such a conflict results in ineligibility to serve on the Examination Panel.

All parties should consult the Australian Council of Graduate Research’s Guidelines for Managing Conflicts of Interest, which provides assistance in identifying major and minor types of conflict.

Where the Dean, Graduate Research becomes aware of a conflict of interest during the examination and/or prior to the release of the examination outcome to the candidate, the examiner may be stood down and/or their report may be considered ineligible.

Theses submitted for all HDR courses require the nomination of a minimum of three external examiners. Generally, the thesis will be examined by two of the nominated examiners, with additional examiner(s) considered as ‘reserve’ examiner(s).

The principal supervisor, in consultation with the supervisory panel, is responsible for nominating examiners.

The Recommendation of Examiners form should be submitted to the Graduate Research School for approval by the Dean, Graduate Research. The Dean, Graduate Research may consult with the relevant academic staff member in considering such approvals.

Where examiners are unavailable or unresponsive to a request to examine, that examiner will be stood down and a reserve will be substituted to help ensure a timely examination process.

The University reserves the right to appoint the reservist as a third examiner for the purposes of:

Where the latter case is applied, a third examiner would be introduced prior to the initial examination outcome being released to the candidate.

If a thesis is being re-examined and new examiners are required, the process for nomination and appointment is as per sections 8.7 and 8.9.

The nomination and appointment of examiners should be done in confidence. Supervisors may request that the candidate provide a list of examiners who are unsuitable (e.g., due to co-authorship); however, other than this, the candidate should not have any role in identifying or nominating prospective examiners. Participation of the candidate in the nomination process may result in one or more examiners being stood down.

Candidates may receive one of five possible examination outcomes, which are labelled and defined as per below:

A candidate who receives either:

may be required to re-enrol for a minimum period of six calendar months. The candidate is responsible for meeting any applicable tuition costs associated with a period of re-enrolment to effect major revisions.

The HDRC convenes the Examination Committee and acts as, or nominates, the Chair. The Examination Committee (EC) should comprise of at least three people. Members should:

The Dean Graduate Research receives the Examiner Reports and provides a recommendation to the Chair, EC in the form of a Dean, Graduate Research Report. The Dean, Graduate Research may request additional information from any examiner, supervisor or discipline expert.

Where corrections or revisions are required, the candidate is responsible for preparing a revised thesis, together with the Corrections Template to respond to the examiners' comments. This should be submitted through the Graduate Research School to the EC. In responding to revisions, the candidate should clearly indicate any amendments made, and a rationale for adopting (or not adopting) the recommendations provided in the examiners’ report. No new information or research should be included in the thesis when undertaking corrections where the thesis will not be resubmitted for examination.

Candidates should note that having published sections of the thesis in a peer-reviewed format is not, on its own, an adequate defence for not addressing suggested changes to unpublished sections.

Corrected theses are submitted to the EC which must complete the Results Recommendation Form and confirm that the thesis is ready for a Recommendation of Award.

Where an examination outcome of deferred is confirmed by the EC, the following will apply:

Where a candidate has revised their thesis following a result of deferred, a new Release of Thesis form must be submitted with the revised thesis.

A research thesis which is undergoing external re-examination is eligible for only one of three examination outcomes:

Where, following consideration of the reports of the examiners, it is determined that a thesis does not meet the standard expected for a PhD, but the Graduate Research School Board is satisfied that the research is of suitable merit, the Graduate Research School Board may recommend that the appropriate masters degree be awarded. The award of the masters degree is subject to the acceptance of that degree by the candidate.

Following re-examination, the Dean, Graduate Research shall receive the examination reports, and provide a moderated recommendation to the EC. In arriving at their decision, the Dean may request additional information from any examiner, either in written format or via an interview.

Following re-examination, the Dean, Graduate Research may recommend only one of the re-examination outcomes listed in, and follow the requirements as set out in section 8.14. 

An oral defence is not mandatory at Federation University. The oral defence shall serve the purpose of confirming or moderating the examination outcome recommended by the external examiners. An oral presentation may take place at the request of the Examination Committee, candidate and/or the Dean, Graduate Research, the candidate may be required to:

Such an interview may take place in person, or by tele- or videoconference.

The Candidate must submit two thesis summaries:

Summaries must be submitted to the EC for approval. 

Once revisions have been completed (where required) the Chair, Examination Committee, on behalf of the EC, will complete the Results Recommendation Form, approve the summaries, and submit them to the Graduate Research School.

The Graduate Research School obtains final approval for Recommendation of Award from the Dean, Graduate Research and the Chair, Academic Board.

If a thesis contains culturally or commercially sensitive or potentially patentable research results, the University shall ensure that examiners sign an appropriate confidentiality agreement prior to examining the thesis. The University shall take whatever other action is necessary to protect patentable or culturally or commercially sensitive material contained in theses in a way which will not introduce undue delay in the awarding of the degree.

Examiners shall be eligible to receive an honorarium payment consistent with the rates applied for the examination of research theses, as published by Universities Australia from time to time. The honoraria will be paid only after receipt of an examination report (and would be offered to any examiner who has supplied a report, even if that report is later set aside).