Doctor of Philosophy

Admission requirements

1

A person who holds a bachelors degree with honours class 1 or 2A from Flinders University, or who holds qualifications deemed by the Board of the appropriate faculty (hereafter referred to as 'the Board') to be at least equivalent, may be accepted for enrolment as a Doctor of Philosophy student provided that:

(a)

the program of studies has been approved by the Board, except that in the case of a person already holding the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, or an equivalent qualification, acceptance for enrolment must have been approved by the Academic Senate; and

(b)

the proposed program of studies can be conveniently pursued and appropriately supervised; and

(c)

the person is judged by the Board to be qualified to undertake the program

(d)

where the application is for a cotutelle PhD, the relevant documents have been completed.

Qualifications deemed to be equivalent include the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery with minimum credit average, masters by coursework with an average grade of Distinction or better or masters by research.

2

Notwithstanding the provisions of Clause 1, a person may be required as a prerequisite for enrolment as a doctoral student to undertake and to complete to the satisfaction of the Board such qualifying studies as the Board prescribes.

3

A person who does not hold an honours degree of the University or who does not hold qualifications deemed by the Board to be at least equivalent to an honours degree of the University will be required as a prerequisite for enrolment as a doctoral student to undertake and complete to the satisfaction of the Board such qualifying studies as the Board prescribes.

4

Notwithstanding the provisions of Clause 3, the Academic Senate in special circumstances and subject to such conditions as the Academic Senate prescribes in each case, may accept as a doctoral student a person who does not hold an honours degree of a university or a qualification deemed by the Board of the appropriate faculty to be at least equivalent to an honours degree of a university, but who has given evidence satisfactory to the Academic Senate of fitness for doctoral studies and whose enrolment is supported by the Board.

Study requirements

5

Except with the permission of the Board a full-time student for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy shall pursue the approved program of studies for a period of not less than two and not more than four years, and a part-time student for a period of not less than three and not more than eight years from the month from which enrolment commenced. For students who commenced their candidature prior to 1 January 2001, the maximum duration of candidature will be four and one half years (full-time) and nine years (part-time).

6

At the conclusion of the approved program of studies, or within the approved period as specified in Clause 5 above, each student for the degree shall present a thesis embodying the results of the work done while enrolled and containing a significant contribution to knowledge or scholarship within the scope of the subject.

7

The thesis presented for the degree shall not contain material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma; nor shall it contain any material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text of the thesis or in the notes.

8

Except with the permission of the Board, in the case of a person who is required to undertake qualifying studies, any work undertaken before the completion of the qualifying studies shall not be presented for the degree.

Examination

9

The Board shall appoint at least two examiners who shall be external to the University, and may appoint additional examiners. The examination of a thesis prepared under a cotutelle arrangement will be subject to the conditions agreed in the proposal governing each candidature.

10

The examiners shall each submit to the Board a written report on the student's thesis.

11

After considering the reports of the examiners, the Board shall report to the Academic Senate whether the degree should be awarded or not.

12

After considering a report from the Board, the Academic Senate shall decide whether the degree shall be awarded.