In this section:

Coursework programs   Research program   What you need to know   Initial enrolment   Continuing enrolment   Talking with Advisers

Postgraduate Coursework Programs

The University of Queensland's enrolment procedure is completely electronic and all students are required to enrol using mySI-net via my.UQ. MySI-net enables you to have input into and control over your enrolment. For more information, see: Enrolment

Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Programs

What you need to know

Research higher degree candidates should receive information from their school/institute on how the school/institute functions. In some instances, this information may also be provided to postgraduate coursework students. This briefing may take the form of an individual or a group orientation. The school, institute or faculty Administrative Officer, Program Coordinator, Academic Advisor or another staff member may provide this information. Questions you may want to consider asking include:

• Which staff you need to see about school/institute administration, facilities and student matters?
• Will you be provided with an office, or a desk, or a shared laboratory?
• Does the school/institute have a computer room and/or printers? Is there a cost to use these?
• Do you get stationery, use of photocopier or a photocopy account, or access to a telephone?
• Are there extra program-related expenses that may or may not be covered by tuition fees? Examples are fieldwork expenses and conference travel.
• Equipment /materials? Who pays? How is it arranged?
• Is there a student or staff common room? If yes, are there restrictions on who can use it?
• How is mail sent and received in the school/institute? Are there email facilities?
• Do you get a key to the building, laboratory or computer room? If so, what are your responsibilities?

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Initial enrolment

When you arrive in Australia to start your research higher degree studies at UQ, you must advise your school/institute of your arrival. Your school/institute completes the School Recommendation form, and advise the University of:

• the commencement date of your research higher degree studies;
• your principal and associate advisors; and
• anything else the school considers important, such as requiring you to complete an additional course as part of your research higher degree program.

The School Recommendation form is sent to the Research Higher Degrees Unit of the Research and Research Training Division (RRTD) in the Cumbrae-Stewart Building (72). If the School Recommendation is complete, you are enrolled following the final decision of the Dean, UQ Graduate School.

Note: if your school/institute has not finalised your enrolment within 10 working days (2 weeks) of arriving in Australia you may be are in breach of your student visa conditions. You may need to remind them of this.

Username and password

You receive these after arrival, after attending a Getting Started Session from the Student Centre, or from IT Services following enrolment by the Research Higher Degrees Unit. Once the Research Higher Degrees Unit has enrolled you, they send you an email, advising you to contact Information Technology Services (I.T.S.) to obtain your User Name and Password.

Academic progress reports

As a research higher degree candidate, you must complete an academic progress report once every year. The report must include a detailed outline of your progress over the past twelve months and of the work you plan to complete over the coming twelve months. Academic progress reports are written documents that you, your advisory team, and your enrolling school contribute to, which are then reviewed by the UQ Graduate School. For information on how to complete your Academic Progress Report, look here.

Courses

Some schools and institutes require research higher degree candidates to complete coursework at either Undergraduate or Postgraduate level during candidature to broaden the learning experience. Candidates taking additional courses are expected to continue to make satisfactory progress with their research studies. Find out more about courses

Confirmation of candidature

Except in some special cases, all research higher degree candidates are admitted on a provisional basis. At the end of the first year of full-time study (or second year of part-time study) for PhD candidates; and at the end of the first 6 months of full-time study (or first year of part-time study) for MPhil candidates, the principal advisor and school/institute postgraduate coordinator are asked to make a recommendation to the Dean of the UQ Graduate School about the status of your candidature. This recommendation can be to confirm candidature, to extend provisional candidature to a specified date, or to terminate candidature. Find out more here.

You should discuss your confirmation requirements with the Learning Advisers in Student Services, and/or the UQ Union Education and Postgraduate Advocate. It may be helpful to take along any previous academic progress reports, as these help identify any difficulties and provide advice on fulfilling the university requirements. The academic progress reports of most candidates who are terminated by the Dean of the UQ Graduate School show that:

• There were signs of limited progress in the reports
• The candidate was not familiar with University procedures and did not recognise the warning signs; but
• The candidate did not seek additional help (from a Learning Adviser, for example) until it was too late.

Candidates should not feel they are being disloyal to their advisors if they choose to discuss the situation with an impartial member of staff in a confidential interview.

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Continuing enrolment of postgraduate students

Continuing postgraduate coursework students need to enrol for each semester by the due date (see the current year’s Enrolment Guide, available at your campus Student Centre or on line at MyAdvisor). Penalties may apply for late enrolment. Be sure the university has your correct residential mailing address at all times, and that you have organised for the forwarding of emails from your UQ email address to the email address that you access regularly. See the Student Centre if during the period of your studies, you may wish to: change enrolment; change personal details; interrupt full time study; cancel enrolment or seek permission to enrol following exclusion By comparison, PhD and MPhil students are automatically enrolled by the Research Higher Degree Unit. If you do not want to be enrolled, you must request a change by completing the Change of Candidature Status form.

UQ Graduate School

The UQ Graduate School website contains a lot of useful information for postgraduate students, including contact details for staff of the UQ Graduate School.

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Talking with Advisers

The key relationship for research higher degree candidates is with their academic supervisers (called advisers at UQ). The core of the relationship is professional guidance and mentoring. Although research mentoring is a crucial facet of the transmission of ideas, the advisery experience is also an integral part of the extension of knowledge. Leading universities recognise that the work of research higher degree candidates forms a vital part of an institution’s overall research effort and that candidates contribute importantly to the university’s research profile. Excellence in advisery practice helps candidates to fulfil their potential and contributes to the institution’s research profile.

There are several components to the advising and mentoring of research higher degree candidates. Good advisery support requires that each of those components be addressed. At a minimum, they include the work of individual advisers, the infrastructure support available through the school, the University’s policies on research higher degree candidature, and the ways in which administrative structures and procedures assist candidates. Find out more about what to expect of research advisers on the UQ Graduate School website.

If your relationship with an adviser is not progressing well, seek help early! While candidates are advised to try and resolve issues of concern at the school/institute level, it is also important not to let issues affecting your academic progress go on for too long. In addition, you may want to talk about matters affecting the progress of your research with a Learning Adviser in Student Services.

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