PhD Milestones
PhD Milestone requirements & due dates (from enrolment/commencement)
Milestones are compulsory and must be completed to fulfil annual reporting requirements and to evaluate progress | ||
| Full time | Part time | |
| Confirmation of Candidature (CoC) | ||
| 3 months | 6 months |
| 6 - 10 months (initial CoC presentation) (Ensures completion within the maximum 12-month limit in the event a CoC resubmission is required ) | 12 - 20 months (Ensures completion within the maximum 24-month limit in the event a CoC resubmission is required ) |
| Ethics Clearance | If required, usually follows the CoC and prior to any data collection - see ethics pages for more detail | |
Mid-Candidature Review (MCR)* Informal oral presentation to supervisors. Submit draft chapters and progress report. (An additional formal oral presentation to a review panel may be requested) | 18 - 24 months | 36 - 48 months |
Final Year Review (FYR)* Informal oral presentation to supervisors. Submit draft thesis and progress report. (An additional formal oral presentation to a review panel may be requested) | 30 - 36 months | 60 - 72 months |
| Interim Report | Required for any year in which another milestone is not completed, e.g. by part-time students, or as requested. | |
*Formal versus informal presentation: Following an informal presentation to the supervisory panel, and once the mid-candidature or final year/ third year review form is submitted, the principal supervisor, the home faculty or school PVC/Director or delegate, and/or Dean of Graduate Studies will determine if a formal presentation is also required. Students progressing on schedule will usually not need to give a formal presentation. However, if required it will be along the lines of the CoC in that the presentation is delivered to and evaluated by a review panel. NB. The schedule of milestone due dates includes the maximum completion month. Please note that milestone extensions are not permissible. To ensure timely thesis completion students should aim and plan to complete their milestones as soon as feasible. For example, most capable students often complete their CoC within 6 to 7 months, the MCR at the halfway point and the FYR during the final year. Supervisors will offer guidance in this regard. The links below connect to a summary of the individual milestone requirements. For further details please refer to the Higher Degree by Research Progression Procedure Higher Degree by Research - Progression Procedure / Governance Document Library | ||