During your HDR studies, you may need to make changes to your candidature. The information below has been designed to assist you with organising leave, changing your enrolling School or Institute, and altering your enrolment status. For additional information about making changes, contact your Research Hub.
Have a question that is not covered here? Try the AskUs portal.
Have a question about managing your course or graduate research coursework you would like answered? Email it to Graduate.Research@utas.edu.au
If you have questions about the Admissions process, please see the Admissions FAQs.
If you wish to change your research project or title please complete a Change Thesis Topic form. The form will need to be endorsed by your Primary Supervisor and Graduate Research Coordinator before being submitted to the Graduate Research Office. The Change Thesis Topic Form can be found on the Candidate Forms page.
You must talk to your supervisors and GRC about these arrangements first as not all schools support external candidature. If you are an international candidate studying at The University, you must speak to an International Student Adviser.
If it is less than 10 days, this is arranged through your school or institute, please contact your Primary Supervisor for more information. If your sick leave is more than 10 days, please complete a change form and a medical pro-forma which can be downloaded from here
Requests to interrupt candidature (Leave of Absence) cannot be made prior to confirmation. Complete the Leave of Absence form and submit this to the Graduate Office at least three (3) weeks prior to the first day of interruption (where possible). Retrospective applications will only be approved in exceptional circumstances. It is worth noting that the maximum suspension period is 12 months and that suspensions in the last 6 months PhD/last 3 months Masters will not be approved unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Approval process: your Primary Supervisor and School must endorse your request by signing the change candidature/scholarship form. This is then submitted to the Graduate Research Office for approval by the Dean of Graduate Research.
While on leave: although you are not expected to work on your research project while on Leave of Absence, you are still considered to be a research higher degree student by the University and continue to have access to Library, email, and MyLO-net facilities. As a result, you are still required to maintain your student record on MyLO, and regularly access your student email address and read all official University emails.
Returning from leave: HDR candidates on approved periods of leave or interruption to candidature must report their return date to Graduate Research Office at least two (2) weeks prior to their original return date.
Interruptions (Leave of Absence) related to ill health must be submitted as close to the first day of absence as possible, and no later than two (2) weeks after the first day of absence. Leave of Absence outside of these timeframes will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances.
Approval process: your Primary Supervisor and School must endorse your request by signing the Leave of Absence form. This is then submitted to the Graduate Research Office for approval by the Dean of Graduate Research.
Returning from leave: HDR candidates on approved periods of leave or interruption to candidature must report their return date to Graduate Research Office at least two (2) weeks prior to their original return date.
HDR candidates who wish to extend their leave or Leave of Absence must submit an extension request at least two (2) weeks prior to their original return date. Failure to notify the Graduate Research Office within this timeframe may result in withdrawal from the program and the cessation of scholarship payments. Maximum suspension period is 12 months. Further, suspensions in the last 6 months PhD/last 3 months Masters will not be approved unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Candidates who are applying on medical grounds for an extension should use the Medical Pro forma and the Leave of Absence form which can be found on the Candidate Forms page.
MRes students can apply to convert their MRes to a PhD if they have completed no more than 75% of their MRes study.
PhD students can apply to convert their PhD to a MRes if they have completed no more than 2 years (equivalent full time) of their PhD.
The University recognises that there are many factors that can delay the progress of your research. To help keep you on track while you manage any issues that arise with your project, you have the opportunity to apply to extend your candidature.
Please be aware that extensions will normally only be granted if you have experienced research-related delays. Examples include unexpected experimental results, the emergence of new literature or delays in gaining ethical approval for a project. To request an extension, please complete the Extend Candidature form, found on the Candidate Forms page.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your supervisor or the Graduate Research Administration Officer (GRAO) for your faculty.
You may withdraw from your program by advising the Graduate Research Office in writing. Withdrawing from candidature does not stop you applying for re-admission at a future date.
Have a question about scholarship support you would like answered? Email it to Graduate.Research@utas.edu.au
If you have completed the action, please forward the automated email to your supervisor who will mark off the action in iGRad.
If you have not completed the action, please forward to your supervisor to arrange a meeting to complete the action item.
If the absence of your primary supervisor is short term (a few weeks), they may continue to action these items remotely using the University's VPN (Virtual Private Network).
If the absence is long term, you supervisor will need to complete a change of supervision form with you.
Please log into iGRad and click on the Confirmation/Annual Review Option; ensure all the fields are completed.
When completed click on the save and submit button. If an error does occur, the error message will be at the top of the screen, please scroll up to ensure that no error has been generated. The error message will state what needs to be completed. Once you have hit save and submit, please let your supervisor know you have completed the report.
The Research Plan in iGRad must be completed electronically. Please ensure all the requirements under each tab have been completed. You can update your Research Plan as many times as needed and iGRad keeps the previous Research Plans for you.
When your electronic research plan is complete, please generate the plan as a pdf by clicking the button under the Overview tab of the Research Plan.
You will need to upload your Research Plan in the pdf version to:
Your confirmation/annual review will open two months before the scheduled due date, you will be able to complete it from this time onwards.
When completing your confirmation/annual review you will be provided with an option to share your comments with your supervisor electronically. This decision cannot be reversed until the confirmation/annual review has been completed in iGRad by the GRC.
This is a monthly meeting with your GRC to discuss the progress of your thesis and will occur during the last six months prior to your maximum expiry date.
These results are accessible in eStudent only.
Please log into iGRad and click on the Examination option, then choose the intention to submit tab. You will need to read and complete all of the instructions under this tab. When finalised, including the uploading of your abstract, please save and submit. The Graduate Research Office will be automatically informed of your submission.
Please log into iGRad and click on the Examination option, then choose the Thesis Submission tab. You will need to read and complete all of the instructions under this tab. When finalised, including the uploading of your Thesis, please save and submit. The Graduate Research Office will be automatically informed of your submission.
You will not be able to access this tab until you have submitted your abstract under the Intention to submit tab.
Where do I submit my final thesis, AHEGS statement, 40 word summary and Thesis Access Form?
Please log into iGRad and click on the Examination option, then choose the Graduation Requirements tab. You will need to read and complete all of the instructions under this tab. When finalised, including the uploading of your documents, please save and submit. The Graduate Research Office will be automatically informed of your submission.
Please log into iGRad and click on the Examination option, then choose the Intention to Submit tab.
Please ensure that you have chosen your abstract to upload and clicked save and submit. Please note, save does not submit your work and will not stop iGRad alerts.
Information on any unit available at the University of Tasmania can be found in the online Course and Unit guide. However, course specific information should be consulted first.
The frequency of which a unit is offered in a given year can be found in the online Course and Unit guide.
The number of course work units available to you depends on the course you are enrolled in:
The University of Tasmania offers a wide selection of units. Please consult the Course and Unit guide.
For further details on any unit you have an interest in, please contact the Unit Coordinator. Their name is usually listed in the Course and Unit guide. If the name is not listed, contact the faculty who owns the unit.
Your supervisory team are best placed to help you make a decision regarding unit selection.
If you cannot find a unit that suits your needs, please first speak to your supervisory team and your Graduate Research Coordinator (GRC) for assistance.
Sometimes workshops and courses you undertake as part of your research can count towards your course work component. Please contact the Associate Dean of Research Training via email (assocdean.gradcert@utas.edu.au) to discuss this.
You cannot participate in any course work units prior to the commencement of your candidature.
The key academic contact for any given unit is the Unit Coordinator. Please contact the faculty if you are unsure.
Please expect a number of assessment tasks when you undertake a course work unit. These tasks and the associated deadlines are set by the Unit Coordinator.
Your feedback is a valuable resource! Help us to us to identify where our strengths and weaknesses are by filling in the Evaluate Survey at the end of each of your units.
You may not be able to see your unit in MyLO for a variety of reasons. First though, check your current enrolment record on eStudent. If you are not enrolled, you won't have access to the online content:
Your candidature progress is managed via iGRad and your unit content is managed via MyLO. For a comprehensive list of your academic results, please log onto eStudent and check your academic record.
To interpret the result you have been awarded for a unit, please consult the legend of results.
Results are released for publication throughout the year, depending on the study period in which you took the unit. You can see the expected result release date by looking at the schedule of Key University Dates.
You may be missing a result for a unit for a number of reasons, however the most common reasons are outstanding assessment submission or the Unit Coordinator may be delayed in the resulting process. Please speak to the Unit Coordinator to find out further information.
Access to view your results is blocked if you have outstanding fees. Please log into eStudent to investigate what you have outstanding and make a payment. If you believe the information you find is incorrect. Please email Fees.Unit@utas.edu.au and include your student number.
You can find information about the examination process here.
It may also be useful to familiarise yourself with the Higher Degree by Research Thesis Preparation, Submission and Examination Policy, found here.
This information is available on your iGRad Overview page and is listed as your Maximum Expiry Date.
Discuss this with your Supervisor/s first. If they agree that you are close to submission and you meet the eligibility requirements for submitting your thesis, as outlined in the Higher Degree by Research Thesis Preparation, Submission and Examination Policy, then please upload your abstract by completing the Examination > Intention to Submit tab in iGrad.
More information on how to complete the Intention to Submit tab is available here.
On receipt of your Intention to Submit, notice will be sent to your school from the Graduate Research Office to request the nomination of examiners for your thesis.
Unfortunately, iGRad will not allow you to upload a new copy of your abstract via the Intention to Submit tab. Instead, please send an updated copy to Graduate.Research@utas.edu.au with your full name and student ID, and we will replace the copy on file.
Please apply for an extension of candidature using the Change Candidature form available here.
Once completed and signed by all relevant parties, please submit the application to your Research Hub.
Please apply for an extension of candidature, for consideration by the Dean of Graduate Research, using the Extend Candidature form available here.
Once completed and signed by all relevant parties, please submit the application to your Research Hub.
These requirements need to be met before you will be permitted to graduate. Please refer to Graduate Research Coursework here.
Please email details of your conjoint/cotutelle arrangement to Graduate.Research@utas.edu.au with your full name and student ID.
Please send an email request to Graduate.Research@utas.edu.au with your full name, student ID and any specific information that you wish to be included in the letter.
Discuss this with your Supervisor/s first. If they agree that you are ready to submit and you have already completed the Intention to Submit, then please upload a signed, electronic copy of your thesis by completing the Examination > Thesis Submission tab in iGRad.
Note that your Head of School will also need to officially approve of the thesis submission in iGrad before you will be placed under examination and your thesis is sent out to examiners.
Please discuss the length, composition and format of your thesis with your Supervisor/s to ensure that the finished product complies with the expected disciplinary norms.
Please upload your thesis as a PDF, however if you are submitting a creative component (such as a portfolio of musical recordings or art works), please seek advice from the Graduate Research Office in the first instance.
Printed copies of your thesis are no longer required, unless specifically requested by an examiner. In this case, the Graduate Research Office will request these from you.
Candidates who have been awarded a scholarship may be entitled to a claim a refund for the printing of their thesis for personal or professional use. Candidates must check their scholarship conditions before submitting a claim to confirm they are eligible and refer to the Instructions for submitting a Thesis Allowance Claim for further information.
No. Under no circumstances may a candidate have any contact with examiners, either in person or by any other means, between the time they are appointed and the time your result is decided.
The standard timeframe is approximately three to six months. The Graduate Research Office endeavours to ensure timely examination for candidates, however some delays occur due to working with external parties.
You can track the examination process via the Examination tab in iGrad. This will inform you of the below details:
Once all of the examiner reports are received, they are sent to your Head of School/Institute for their recommendation on the length of time required for corrections to be made.
Please send an email to Graduate.Research@utas.edu.au with your full name, student ID and any specific questions. One of our Examinations Officers will provide you with an update.
You will receive notification via email. Examiners are requested to return their reports to the Graduate Research Office within six weeks of receiving the thesis, however this can occasionally take longer due to workload and personal circumstances.
The Graduate Research Office has procedures in place to follow-up on overdue examiner reports and will provide you with copies of your reports as soon as possible.
The majority of Candidates need to make some corrections to their thesis. Timeframes for corrections tend to fall between one to three months, depending on the extent required. You must make sure you are available to make these corrections. Timeframes are set by your School and you will be informed of these by the Graduate Research Office at the same time as you receive your reports.
When you have completed the required revisions, please submit your corrected thesis to your Head of School. The Head of School then informs the Graduate Research Office via email that they approve the final thesis and recommend that your degree be awarded.
After the Graduate Research Office receive this approval, we can then advise you of the identity of your examiners and invite you to upload your final thesis and graduation requirements by completing the Examination > Graduation Requirements tab in iGRrad.
In order to graduate, you will need to have completed the below steps:
Please contact the Graduation Office by sending an email to graduation@utas.edu.au
Please contact the Fees Unit by sending an email to fees.unit@utas.edu.au
