- Regulation
- Schedule
- Accountability
Regulation 5.1.6 ‐ Degree of Professional Doctorate
Pursuant to Statute 5.1 Awards, the Council of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology makes the following amendments to Regulation 5.1.6 – Degree of Doctor of Business Administration.
1. Regulation 5.1.6 – Degree of Doctor of Business Administration is revoked and in its place is substituted Regulation 5.1.6 ‐ Degree of Professional Doctorate.
2. This Regulation governs the degrees of Professional Doctorate listed in the Schedule to this Regulation.
3. The degree of Professional Doctorate will be awarded for:
(a) a thesis or project based on original supervised research, and
(b) coursework as described in the relevant program accreditation documentation, which has been approved through the appropriate channels.
Both components must be successfully completed.
Professional Doctorates comprising two-thirds or more of research are classified as research degrees. Professional Doctorates must not comprise less than one-third research.
4(a). An applicant for admission to candidature will:
(i) have qualified for or graduated with an appropriate honours degree or Masters degree of the University in the core discipline areas of the proposed doctoral program; or
(ii) be a graduate as described in 4(a)(i) of another recognised university or institution; and
(iii) have the appropriate level of advanced professional experience relevant to the discipline area.
(b) Portfolios may approve advanced standing for qualified students in Professional Doctoral programs.
5. Notwithstanding sub-sections 4(a) and (b) a person will not be admitted to candidature unless such candidature has been approved through the relevant Portfolio process authorised by the Research Committee (the Committee).
6. A candidate will be enrolled either as a full-time or part-time candidate and may, subject to the relevant portfolio process, transfer between full-time and part-time candidature.
7. A candidate will pursue their candidature and submit the thesis or project within the period of candidature which will be:
(a) for a full-time student three years; or
(b) for a part-time student six years;
(c) the minimum period of candidature will be two and a half years for a full-time student and five years for a part-time student.
8. Notwithstanding Section 7 the Committee may, in exceptional circumstances, extend the period of candidature provided that the total period of candidature will not exceed four years in the case of a full-time student and eight years in the case of a part-time student.
9. A candidate may be granted leave of absence during their period of candidature which period will not exceed a total period of twelve months except that, in exceptional circumstances, the Committee may grant such longer period as it may consider appropriate.
10. The period of candidature will begin on the date the candidate is enrolled.
11. No candidate enrolled under this Regulation will enrol in any other program at the University or at any other university or institution except with the written approval of the Committee.
12. The Committee may at any time terminate a candidature where:
(a) the candidate’s progress is considered by the Committee to be unsatisfactory; or
(b) the candidate fails to comply with this Regulation; or
(c) for any other reason the Committee considers it inappropriate that the candidature be allowed to continue.
13. (a) Any candidate who fails to enrol by the required census date in any year during the period of candidature will be deemed to have terminated their candidature.
b) A candidate whose candidature has been terminated under sub-section (a) may apply to be re-enrolled as a candidate and the Committee may approve such re-enrolment on such conditions as it considers appropriate.
14. A candidate may appeal against any decision of the Committee to the Academic Board.
15. A candidate will pursue their research wholly or in part either within the University or at such other location as may be approved by the Committee which location may include, but without limiting the same, an industrial, commercial, government, educational or research organisation.
16(a). The Portfolio will appoint for any candidate a senior supervisor and at least one other supervisor;
(b) Where a candidate pursues their research at a location other than the University, the Portfolio will appoint a supervisor at that location.
(c) In the event of a supervisor being absent from the University or other location for a period exceeding three months or for any other reason being unable to supervise the candidate, the Portfolio will appoint an acting supervisor.
17. The candidate and senior supervisor, for each semester of candidature, will complete a progress report no later than the date prescribed.
18. The Committee will appoint not less than two external examiners except that, in exceptional circumstances, the Committee may appoint as one of the examiners a member of the academic staff of the University who has not been either wholy or partly, a supervisor of the candidate. Where an internal examiner is used, an oral examination is required.
19. A candidate may be required to attend an oral examination.
20. (a) At the time a candidate submits their thesis or project, the Head of School or appropriate academic authority, after consultation with the senior supervisor will submit to the Committee a statement certifying that, in their opinion, the thesis or project is worthy of examination.
(b) Where the Head of School, or appropriate academic authority, does not certify that the thesis or project is worthy of examination, the candidate may appeal to the Committee which will determine whether the thesis or project is to be examined.
21. A thesis will be submitted in such style and form as the Committee may prescribe and will include:
(a) a summary of not more than 1,000 words;
(b) a statement by the candidate certifying that the thesis:
(i) represents the work of the candidate alone except where due acknowledgment has been made;
(ii) has not been submitted, either in whole or in part, for any other academic award; and
(iii) represents research undertaken during the period of candidature.
22. A project will be presented by the candidate to the examiners or to a panel together with:
(a) (i) an appropriate durable record of the project; and
(ii) such documentation as may be appropriate; and
(iii) a description of the purpose, theoretical base and development of the project which will not usually be less than 10,000 words nor exceed 15,000 words and submitted in such style and form as the Committee may prescribe.
(b) a statement signed by the candidate certifying that the project:
(i) represents the work of the candidate alone except where due acknowledgment has been made;
(ii) has not been submitted, either in whole or in part, for any other academic award; and
(iii) represents work undertaken during the period of candidature.
23. Each examiner will submit a separate report to the Committee on the merit of the thesis or project within eight weeks of receiving a copy of the thesis or of examining the project, as the case may be.
24. The Committee will:
(a) recommend to the Academic Board that the candidate be admitted to the degree; or
(b) permit the candidate to resubmit the thesis or project subject to such conditions and within such period as it may prescribe; or
(c) classify the thesis or project as “Failed”.
25. Except in exceptional circumstances a candidate may not:
(a) resubmit a thesis more than once;
(b) resubmit a thesis which has been failed.
Before being admitted to the degree a candidate will lodge with the Committee two copies of the thesis or appropriate durable record, as the case may be, bound as prescribed.