Flinders Crest Print Version
Teaching Strategies

Postgraduate Supervision

Supervising postgraduate research is an important connection between the teaching and research aspects of your academic career. At its best it can be exciting, rewarding and a wonderful learning experience. Equally, done well, it is demanding and challenging, requiring careful attention to detail, policies, student needs and interests, and academic integrity and rigor.

The new research environment shaped by the white paper has had implications for postgraduate research supervision, notably, that higher degree students are expected to complete their degree in 4 years or less. There will be financial penalties for institutions if students do not complete within the prescribed time or fail to complete at all. With this in mind, Flinders University has reviewed and enhanced its existing arrangements to support students' successful participation in research degrees. This is outlined in a June 2000 paper from Flinders to DETYA titled Research at Flinders University- Planning for Continued Success. Section 4 deals with Ensuring a High Quality Educational Environment For Research Higher Degree Students.

According to the Australian Vice Chancellors' Committee, the purpose of an honours program is to provide students with research training. Therefore honours programs nearly always have a strong research component. Many supervisors go on to publish the honours research that they have supervised, in conjunction with their students. Furthermore, many honours students continue on directly to a higher degree, often with the same supervisor they had in their honours program. Honours supervision requires somewhat different strategies to PhD supervision and is governed by different policies because of the nature of its size and its time constraints.

This program is compulsory for staff members new to supervising Postgraduate Research Degrees Students at Flinders.

  • Postgraduate Research Supervision
    The program comprises of two core workshops and the choice of two electives which are:
  • Online Resources