HIGHER DEGREE BY RESEARCH (HDR) The School of Philosophy and Theology Studying for Higher Degree by Research (HDR) at the School of Philosophy and Theology The School of Philosophy and Theology, Research background a step further and provide an intelligent, in cooperation with the Research Office, informed, original and academically offers three kinds of HDR programs in MRes and PhD programs require not robust contribution to the development Philosophy and Theology: only some coursework background of the discipline in which your research in Philosophy and/or Theology, but is carried out. Thus, a PhD project is • Master of Philosophy (MPhil) also some research background. This not simply an extended, longer Masters • Master by Research (MRes) background can be an Honours thesis, project. It is a different kind of project • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) a substantial research component of altogether and due to the different a coursework degree (e.g. a capstone expectations with regard to the level of research-based project) or some its originality, a PhD thesis is going to Preliminary remarks publications in the area of interest. be structured and carried out somewhat Please note that marks which you • Eligibility – can I enrol into a differently to a Masters thesis. As the received from your Honours or your HDR program? regulations of the University stipulate: research-based capstone project will “The PhD research and the resulting If you wish to enrol into a HDR program be taken into account in the process of thesis are an independent supervised available at our School you must have making the decision about admission. a substantial degree of knowledge and systematic advanced level investigation In the MPhil program the research experience in the area of Philosophy into a significant question or related background would certainly also be very and/or Theology. If your academic questions, problems or useful, however it is not a necessary background is in another area you phenomena. The thesis must make an prerequisite for admission since the should consider enrolling into one original and substantial contribution to MPhil program includes four units of of our postgraduate coursework knowledge.” coursework which are designed to help programs in Philosophy and Theology. you to gain the most important research You can find the list and explanation skills in your area of interest. of these coursework programs here: www.notredame.edu.au/about/ The timeframes for the HDR schools/sydney/philosophy-and- Masters or Doctorate? programs are: theology/our-programs. The two Masters programs (MPhil and MPhil 1.5 years of full-time study The best contact persons for these MRes) require writing a thesis which is MRes 2 years of full-time study coursework degrees are shorter than a PhD thesis. A standard PhD 3 years of full-time study • Dr Dejan Šimković in Philosophy MPhil thesis in Philosophy and/or ([email protected]), and Theology is c. 45,000-55,000 words long and a standard MRes thesis is c. Please note that it is possible to enrol • Dr Kevin Wagner in Theology (kevin. 50,000-60,000 words long. A PhD thesis either in full-time or part-time mode. [email protected]). should normally be between 80,000 and For more information about this please 100,000 words long. All these figures contact the Research Office. Choosing the right program refer only to the body of the text and For some more general information about exclude footnotes and bibliography. the HDR degrees here: If you already have some academic, www.notredame. coursework background in the area in However, the length of the thesis is not edu.au/research/research-at-notre- which you want to pursue your research, the only difference between a Masters dame/postgraduate-research/ you need to think about which HDR thesis and a doctorate. The main postgraduate-information. program would be most suitable for you. difference concerns the level of the in- If you have doubts about which program There are two things which need to be depth analysis of the given issue and the would be most suitable for you, please taken into account here: your research originality of the scholarly contribution of contact the Associate Dean of Research background and the difference between your project. While the aim of MPhil and and Academic Development, the Masters programs and the Doctoral MRes theses is to synthesise the existing Dr Mariusz Biliniewicz program. knowledge in an original way, PhD ([email protected]). should do this too, but it should also go THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME AUSTRALIA First steps in the process of Research Office for further details (www. • bibliography (what works have you enrolment notredame.edu.au/research; sydney. already consulted and are going to [email protected]). consult?) If you have the necessary background • timeline (when are you going to do in your research area, developed a Admission to the program and your project? what will be the most specific research question and decided plan of study important milestones?) into which program you would like to More information about how enrol, you should get in touch with the Once your official application comes to prepare the official research School through the Associate Dean of through and is accepted, you will be proposal can be found here: www. Research and Academic Development. officially admitted to the program and will notredame.edu.au/__data/assets/ At this initial contact it will be explained begin your study under the guidance of pdf_file/0007/2005/GUIDELINE- to you that in order to enrol into a HDR your supervisors. degree in our School you will be strongly Format-and-Presentation-of-a- encouraged to organise a few important If you are enrolled in the MPhil program, Research-Proposal-for-Higher- things before you apply officially. These you will need to complete four units of Degrees-by-Research.pdf. coursework before commencing the include: Your research proposal will need to be Supervised Dissertation part of your approved by your supervisor and then by • Your academic CV. You will need study. Your supervisors and the Associate the SRC. When this happens, it will be sent to state your academic experience, Dean of Research will help you to choose out for review to two readers, one internal credentials and also provide contact the most suitable courses for your project and one external to the University. Once details of two academic referees (for more information about the MPhil the reviews arrive, the SRC will examine who can confirm your suitability for program and its structure, see www. them and determine whether the School enrolling into a HDR program. notredame.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_ can confirm your candidacy. If it happens • Initial research proposal. You will file/0024/32784/MPhil-Sydney.pdf). that the proposal requires revisions, this need to explain what it is that you If you are enrolled in the MRes or PhD will be communicated to you and the are planning to do in your project program, you will not be required to SRC will explain to you what changes are and how you are planning to do it. complete any coursework and will enrol required and how much time you have to This initial proposal should not be straight into the Supervised Dissertation implement them. longer than 1500 words and should part of your study. be accompanied by a partially Oral proposal annotated bibliography. As a part of the process of confirmation Confirmation of candidature – of candidature you will need to present • Supervisors. You are expected to oral and written proposal make an initial contact with those your research proposal orally to our community of academics and your fellow academics who you think would be In the first stage of your study you will HDR students. This is usually organised good supervisors for your project. need to develop an official research by Associate Dean of Research when the Every project should have two proposal which will be sent out for review proposal is ready. Normally both of your supervisors, in some cases having and upon which the confirmation of your supervisors should be present at this three supervisors is also possible. At candidature will depend. In the MRes and presentation. If this is not possible then least one of your supervisors needs PhD programs this will need to happen in at least the principal supervisor should be to be working at our School or be our the first six months of study if you study present. adjunct. The list of our academics full-time, or in the first twelve months if and their areas of specialisation you study part-time. In the MPhil program Although the oral presentation can take can be found here: https://www. one of your four units of coursework will place either before or after the written notredame.edu.au/about/schools/ be devoted to helping you with writing the presentation is submitted, the School sydney/philosophy-and-theology/ proposal. suggests that you present your proposal supervision-expertise. orally first. The reason for this is that Official written proposal usually the feedback received at the oral What happens next? Your official, written proposal, which will presentation helps to strengthen the be developed in cooperation with your official written proposal. Once the Associate Dean of Research supervisors, will need to be normally receives your CV, your initial proposal and 5,000-6,000 words long and will need to include: What happens when my the details of your proposed supervisors, candidature is confirmed? he will present the documents to the • research question (what is it that you School Research Committee (SRC) are doing in this project?) Once your candidacy is confirmed, all and contact the proposed supervisors • methodology, including proposed that is left to do is write your project! In to confirm their readiness to supervise outline of chapters (how are you the process of writing remember to work you in this project.