Processing Priorities
The Research Higher Degrees Unit manages a broad range of administrative processes, of varying complexity and impact. Work tasks associated with those processes are prioritised by RHD Unit staff in the following order.
- thesis assessment processes (includes submission of thesis, dispatch of thesis to assessor, review of thesis reports)
- admission and scholarship processes (includes offer of admission and/or scholarship)
- progression milestone processes (includes attainment of milestone, extension for attainment of milestone)
- other candidature processes (includes change of enrolment, change of advisory team)
In addition, the RHD Unit gives work activities that are time-critical higher priority than work activities that are not. For example, the RHD Unit gives commencing or cancelling scholarship payments higher priority in the days immediately preceding the closing date for the pay fortnight, and gives enrolment changes that affect enrolment status at a Census Date higher priority in the month after the Census Date.
Processing Timelines
To provide the best possible service to the University community, the RHD Unit aims to review and action all complete and fully endorsed work requests within set timelines. The timeline for a given work activity is not the period within which the RHD Unit finalises all requests of that type, including problematic ones. Instead, it is the period within which the RHD Unit aims to either
- obtain a decision from the Dean, UQ Graduate School, and advise the outcome of the work activity, or
- advise the school/advisor/candidate that more information is required and why.
If additional information is requested, the RHD Unit aims to review and action the updated work activity within 1 week (5 working days) of receiving that information, complete and fully endorsed.
Review and action within 1 week (5 working days)
- commencement of scholarship payments
- interruptions and withdrawals that affect scholarship payments
- enrolment in additional courses
- course enrolment on commencement of candidature
- thesis submission
- approval of nominee for position of thesis assessor
- review of thesis reports
- dispatch of outcome of Dean's decision on thesis
- request for review of candidature (termination, withdrawal, transfer to MPhil)
Review and action within 2 weeks (10 working days)
- interruptions and withdrawals that do not affect scholarship payments
- changes to advisory team
- change of project title and/or field of study
- application for permission for concurrent enrolment
- application for scholarship only (includes GSRTG and CTS)
- attainment of milestone
- extension of milestone
- assessment of recommendation to confer degree
Review and action within 3 weeks (15 working days)
- assessment of application for admission and scholarship
note that UQ International aims to issue the offer of admission letter to international applicants within 2 weeks (10 working days) of the Dean, UQ Graduate School approving the application