The Good Universities Guide

While research degrees involve a great deal of self-directed study, you won’t be expected to name your thesis topic and then seclude yourself in the library or lab for the next few years to figure it all out by yourself. There will be proposals to write, seminars to attend, supervisors to meet with, and conferences to present at. Some programs are quite structured and many research students find themselves working as part of a larger team or lab. There are a few general guidelines below, but remember that every university and department is different. Talk to potential supervisors or students from their department to get a better idea of what your research experience might be like.

How long will it take?

How many hours will I work?

When will I work?

How often do I see my supervisor?

What do I do all day?

Where do I work?

What happens when I finish my research?

How long will it take?

A masters by research degree typically takes between one and two years to complete. The Research Training Scheme (RTS) and most scholarships generally provide funding for up to two years.

For a PhD there is no set timeframe, with students often taking anywhere from two to seven years to complete their thesis. However, the Research Training Scheme (RTS), which pays students’ tuition fees, only funds four years of study. Many scholarships, such as Australian Postgraduate Awards (APA), pay students an annual stipend for the first three years of their study, with a six-month extension available to students whose research has been delayed by circumstances beyond their control. To find out more about funding for research degrees see Funding your research degree.

You can usually start either program in first or second semester but check with your preferred institution to make sure. You may be able to take an (unpaid) leave of absence for up to 12 months during your program but again this will vary.

How many hours will I work?

Research programs can usually be undertaken part time or full time. However some scholarships are only available to full-time students and international students may be restricted to full-time study due to visa conditions.

As for how many hours you need to put in each week, this varies considerably between universities, departments, supervisors and areas of research. In some universities’ publications graduates boast of a Monday–Friday 9–5 work week and the benefits of work/life balance. In others prospective students are advised to prepare themselves for long days and weekends in the lab, and warned that all research students should be putting in 60 hours a week if they want to succeed in academia. In most cases the reality is probably somewhere in between, with quiet periods followed by bursts of activity.

When will I work?

Depending on your area of research, you may have the flexibility to choose your own hours. When you’re on a roll you can stay up all night typing away, and catch up on sleep the next day. However, if you’re working on a collaborative project or using specialised equipment and laboratories, you may find your research hours just as rigid as your undergraduate coursework. You will also need to consider the availability of any research subjects, travel requirements, and any coursework units, seminars or conferences you will need to attend.

Many scholarship awards include periods of recreation leave, sick leave and other entitlements. In some cases your scholarship will be extended by the duration of your leave, in others using your leave allowance is merely a formal recognition you will not be working on your degree on that day. Check your individual scholarship for details.

How often do I see my supervisor?

By the time you enrol you will have chosen or been assigned a supervisor who will work with you until the completion of your degree. Depending on your institution and area of research you may be assigned a second supervisor as a ‘back-up’ or as a representative of another organisation involved in your research project. You and your supervisor will meet regularly to discuss your work. He or she will help you clarify your ideas, guide you and evaluate your progress. Generally, every six months both you and your supervisor will make a report or presentation on the progress of your research.

What do I do all day?

Your daily activities will depend on the stage of your program you are in. At the start of your program you’ll have an induction period where you’ll get to know your supervisor and others in your department. In your first semester you’ll usually take a coursework unit in research methods (although you may be exempt from this if you have a large amount of previous research experience) and various seminars and workshops covering experiment techniques, tips for effective research and similar topics.

Around six months into your degree you will submit a detailed research proposal, prepared in close consultation with your supervisor. Your proposal will be reviewed and formally accepted. Note: some students may be required to submit this proposal at the commencement of their program and will not need to complete this process again.

For the new few years you’ll continue to research your topic: reviewing relevant literature, conducting experiments, collecting data and analysing your results. You’ll be meeting regularly with your supervisor to discuss this work.

In addition to your research you might be enrolled in a few coursework units related to your research topic, or undertaking other professional development workshops and training. After a while you could start working on a paper outlining any discoveries you have made so far, with the goal of publication in an academic journal. You may also have the opportunity to attend conferences on your area of research, and even present one of your own papers.

Research students are often strapped for cash so you may be interested in taking a casual job within your department as a tutor or research assistant. Tutors supervise undergraduate tutorials by leading discussions, explaining concepts and marking assignments.

Towards the end of your program you’ll focus on writing up your thesis, submitting drafts to your supervisor and others for comments and suggestions. When the last revision is done your thesis will be published, bound and examined (see below).

Where do I work?

You’ll usually be assigned your own desk and computer somewhere within your host department, as well as lab space if you need it. You might even have your own office! Of course, you’re welcome to work in the library or at home if you don’t need access to samples or equipment, but working at university provides a distraction-free environment where help is close at hand should you have a question or problem.

What happens when I finish my research?

When you’ve finished your research and written your thesis you’ll have it published and bound. Some scholarships provide funds to cover these expenses. You thesis will then be examined by a panel of experts in the field, although the form this examination will take depends on the university and faculty.

In most research programs copies of the student’s thesis are sent to individual members of the review panel by mail to examine at their leisure. This process can take up to several months. The panel will decide whether to accept the thesis as presented, request minor revisions, question the candidate further, or deem it unacceptable. The latter verdict is rare, as the candidate’s supervisor would not usually recommend a thesis be submitted for examination until it was of an acceptable standard.

Other programs also require students to ‘defend’ their thesis before a live panel, an academic tradition that is popular overseas. This process is known as a thesis defence or viva voce. The examination panel generally includes a senior member of the candidate’s faculty or university and several external reviewers. They will have read the thesis thoroughly beforehand and will use the thesis defence to clarify areas of the written thesis, raise any issues or inconsistencies they have found and perhaps test the candidate’s knowledge of the broad field of study, or comprehension of their own work. The panel may make their recommendation at the closing of the defence or after a period of reflection. The thesis defence is sometimes preceded by a short open seminar given by the candidate covering the major parts of their work.

Once any required revisions are completed and have been approved either by the candidate’s supervisor or the examiners, the degree will be awarded through the university’s usual processes. After graduation those awarded a PhD will be able to use the title ‘Dr’.

Some graduates will begin applying for graduate research positions, while o will move into different areas. See Graduate success for more information about life after a research degree.

Back to top