Postgraduate Research at ADRI
We currently have upwards of 120 HDR students working with ADRI-based supervisors - you could be one of them!
One of the most important functions of a university is to provide training in research. While many organisations engage in research, universities have a unique responsibility to provide research training. This is done in research degree programs including PhD and Masters degrees. (More formally, these are called higher degrees by research, or HDR.)
Students enrolled in an HDR program will develop independent research skills. These skills include the ability to formulate a significant research problem, the ability to relate the research to the broader framework of knowledge in the area, the mastery of appropriate skills to tackle the problem, and the ability to describe the new knowledge that is gained in exploring the problem.
The award of a research degree by Deakin University requires the candidate to complete an approved program of research under the guidance of one or more supervisors within a prescribed time period. The supervisors will be experienced and active researchers with expertise in the field of study. While the candidate contributes to the selection of the research program, it must be approved by the supervisors as suitable for a research degree. A finite period of time is allowed for completion of the degree because it is the candidate's ability to make a significant contribution in a limited time which is being assessed.
The results of the research are incorporated into a thesis which is submitted for examination at the end of the program. The thesis must be a self-contained, integrated, and coherent body of work which constitutes a substantial original contribution to knowledge as judged by independent experts.
Satisfactory completion of a higher degree by research requires dedication, motivation, persistence and hard work. Research is a creative activity and, like all such activities, it is approached in different ways by different people. Within the overall framework of the program, a candidate has considerable freedom to choose his or her own work style, but with that freedom comes responsibility for seeing the task through to completion. A great deal of assistance and support is available during candidature, but it will be up to the candidate to take the initiative and finish the work with a large degree of independence.
Members of the Alfred Deakin Research Institute supervise students who undertake two types higher degrees:
- Master by Research
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
A masters by research degree is awarded for an original contribution to knowledge achieved in up to two years of full-time candidature (or two to four years of part-time candidature). Usually a written thesis of not more than 50 000 words is submitted.
Doctoral degrees are awarded for a substantial original contribution to knowledge achieved in two to four years of full-time (or four to eight years part-time) candidature. Usually a written thesis of not more than 100 000 words is submitted.
In the case of both masters by research and PhD degrees, the program may include some coursework, but the focus of the degree is on research.
View possible supervisors based at ADRI.
For further information about undertaking a Higher Degree by Research through ADRI visit the Future Students Higher Degrees by Research webpage or contact:
Professor David Lowe
Director, Alfred Deakin Research Institute
Email: director-adri@deakin.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 52272691
