PhD in Applied Science

Applied Ecology Specialization

Aims

The PhD course aims to provide the opportunity for students:

to learn to conceive, plan and carry to completion a substantial piece of original research in a specialized area of academic study, under the supervision of a professional in the field. In so doing, the candidate will be expected to extend their chosen field of study by contributing to knowledge in that field or by reworking existing knowledge to provide new insights.

to make a substantial contribution to the development and application of knowledge to the solution of a particular problem in an appropriate field of science, and to publish the results in a scholarly journal;

to gain exposure to an active research environment, to become fully familiar with contemporary knowledge and thinking in a chosen field, to interact with research staff and to participate in discussion on current controversial issues in science.

Although basic research interests are not discouraged, the emphasis of the research programs is on applied research, and candidates are also expected to acquire the skills and attitudes considered desirable when they become practitioners in a professional area or become involved in the application of policies in the workplace. In particular, candidates are encouraged to --

appreciate the relevance of their work in the broader context of society and the workplace;

present their findings in a format that can readily be understood and applied by an informed professional on the periphery of the candidate's immediate area of interest;

develop skills for marshalling support for projects; and

develop skills for interacting with other researchers and professional and so be able to contribute constructively to a research or professional team.

Admission Requirements

An applicant seeking admission to a PhD programme shall

have a degree of bachelor with first or upper second class honours by research awarded by an Australian university or the equivalent;

provide evidence of research training and aptitude for research; AND

provide a preliminary research proposal (3-5 pages).

Applicants that do not satisfy the first criterion may be admitted to the programme if the University Higher Degrees Committee is satisfied that the applicant:

holds an award or has completed work that has honours equivalence, that is, where the applicant is demonstrated to have, based on a recommendation of the Faculty, significant research ability. Such ability may have been demonstrated through Masters degree work, publication and other research outputs. Applicants are referred to the Gold Book.

Offer of Place

Candidates that meet the admission requirements are selected for entry on the basis of merit. Places are restricted. To be considered for entry, applicants should ensure that they have discussed potential projects with a member of academic staff, and to obtain commitment from that member of staff to supervise the project. Applications without the support of a supervisor will not be successful.

Duration

The PhD course is of 3 years duration full time and 6 years duration part-time. Students may apply at any time for entry to the PhD programme, but those wishing to be considered for an Australian Postgraduate Research Award (with stipend) should apply by October 31 or Overseas Postgraduate Research Scholarship should apply by September 30. Maximum duration of enrolment at the university is 5 years full-time and 8 years part-time.

Level

The PhD degree offered to students in Applied Ecology is a postgraduate research degree under the criteria set by Department of Education, Employment and Training (DEST).

Curriculum

PhD students are expected to engage in the following formal activites, as part of the set curriculum:

Undertake a thorough and critical review of the literature on their research topic, with particular attention paid to current issues and conflicts of theory, practice and opinion.

Prepare a detailed research proposal, in addition to the initial proposal which accompanies the application for entry. A proforma is available from the Director's office. Resources will not be released for the project until this proposal is approved.

Undertake a research project and prepare a thesis. The thesis should not normally exceed 200 pages of text (excluding figures, tables and appendices. See the Guidelines to Thesis Format.

Present at least two open seminars, one on their proposed research, one on the results of their research, and present the results of their research at professional conferences as they arise.

Actively participate in the weekly journal sessions currently run by the Institute for Applied Ecology, including formally taking the lead in at least three of these sessions.

Attend the weekly research seminars held in the School of Resource and Environmental Science.

Undertake coursework as directed by their supervisor(s) on topics where there is a perceived deficiency or a special need. Such coursework may, for example, consist of discrete modules from existing statistical or computing units or the unit Research Planning PG.

Students are required to meet with their supervisor(s) in the first week of their program to discuss and finalize a work program, including all of the above elements.

Assessment

The thesis is the sole assessable item in the course, though satisfactory progress in meeting the other elements of the curriculum is a mandatory requirement of the course.

Theses will be examined externally by three examiners who are independent of the project and the candidate. A grade of pass or fail will be issued, subject to the examiners' reports and any recommendation from them that the candidate be given the opportunity to amend the thesis.

Enrolment

The closing date for applications is October 31 for candidates wishing to be considered for an Australian Postgraduate Research Award (with stipend) or September 20 for Overseas Postgraduate Research Scholarships. Other prospective candidates may apply at any time.

Enrolment packs can be collected from the Divisional Executive. Enrolment closes in late February for first semester intakes and July for second semester intakes.

Full time students with no coursework component should enrol in:

Doctoral Thesis in Applied Science D (Full Time) (72 cp, Unit #4091)

Part-time students with no coursework component should enrol in:

Doctoral Thesis in Applied Science D (Part Time) (72 cp, Unit #4090)

All combinations involving coursework and research should be dealt with by specific course variation, with the proviso that coursework should not exceed 12 cp in total.

For further details on the University rules governing the PhD programme, refer to the Gold Book: Higher Degree Policies available in hardcopy from the Divisional Graduate Studies Office.