Research Master's in a Nutshell

A Research Master’s degree is a research degree carried out over 3 to 6 trimesters (1 to 2 years) full-time or 6 to 12 trimesters (2 to 4 years) part-time. Research Master’s students who do not complete the requirements for the degree within these timelines must apply for permission to continue.

Schools will assign each Research Master’s student:

1. A Principal Supervisor, who has primary responsibility for your academic supervision. There may also be a co-supervisor, if appropriate, who supports the Principal Supervisor 
2. A Research Studies Panel (RSP) that provides advice, monitors your progress and supports the student-supervisor relationship. The RSP should normally be assigned to you within the first trimester of your registration and meet at least twice in the first year and at least once a year thereafter. 

Each School may have specific programme requirements, which every student should make themselves aware of. However, every Research Master’s student must:

1. successfully complete Master’s level research, the main outcome of which is a submitted thesis in an acceptable form and of a satisfactory standard
2. complete Research Integrity training while registered to the programme
3. document your educational, training and personal and professional development needs in collaboration with your Research Studies Panel, which, along with the proposed programme of research, will inform the development of a Research and Professional Development Plan (RPDP).

Option: Research Master’s students, as required or recommended by their Principal Supervisor, may take taught modules relevant to their area of research or professional development. 

Research Master’s students may apply to transfer to a PhD programme.

• To do so, you need to have been on the Research Master’s programme for a minimum of 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time.
• To transfer, you need to undertake a formal interview with a Transfer Assessment Panel made up of faculty members who are experts in your discipline. The panel will base their judgement on an interview where you make an oral presentation about your progress to date and your research plan for the future.
• The panel will also review a written submission from you evidencing your progress, a review of your RPDP and a written statement of progress from your Principal Supervisor.

If you are successful, you will normally transfer to Stage 1 of the PhD programme.

The final examination is based on a description of your research in a thesis, describing the context, nature, methodology and outcomes of the research.

• A Research Master’s thesis must demonstrate the attainment of skills and competencies in research.
• Research Master’s theses can only be submitted if fees are paid in full, student registration is current and you are compliant with the programme requirements outlined above.
• All Research Master’s theses are submitted as a PDF file to the University for examination via the eThesis Examination System. This system is accessed via your SISWeb account. Emails are sent to you at every decision point, allowing tracking of the progress of the thesis through the examination process.
• Research Master’s theses are normally examined without a viva voce examination.