Chapter 6: Supervision
6.2 Masters Supervision
(1) The principal supervisor must be an academic staff member of the University and must also be accredited as a supervisor by the Monash Research Graduate School.
Adjunct appointees and research fellows may be principal supervisors where they have:
- a proven and current research record;
- a period of tenure that extends beyond the likely period of candidature
- accredited to be a principal supervisor by the Faculty of Arts and the Monash Research Graduate School (through experience in postgraduate research supervision and/or completion of the Supervisor Accreditation Program.
Adjunct appointees should also be undertaking teaching and research responsibilities expected of a member of University academic staff
(2) An associate supervisor must also be appointed. Where the associate supervisor is a member of the University academic staff, they must be accredited to supervise by the Faculty of Arts and Monash Research Graduate School (unless s/he has undertaken supervisor induction with the Associate Dean (Graduate Research)). If not a member of the University academic staff, they should have some formal association with the school/centre and has recognised standing in the field. An expert who has no formal association in the school/centre may be invited to act as an adviser rather than a formal supervisor.
(3) Where the nominated principal supervisor has little experience supervising Masters research candidates, an experienced supervisor should be appointed as either a joint or associate supervisor.
(4) The proposed supervisor(s) is sufficiently expert and interested in the area of research to offer the candidate proper supervision.
(5)The supervision load of all supervisors at Monash is governed by the Research Graduate School Committee. Level 1 accredited supervisors can supervise up to 6 candidates or 4 EFTSL. Level 2 supervisors can supervise up to 12 candidates or 8 EFTSL. Unaccredited supervisors in the Faculty of Arts may supervise up to 3 candidates or 1 EFTSL provided they have undergone the supervisor induction with the Associate Dean (Graduate Research) and are advancing through the accreditation program.
(6) Where a candidate is permitted to undertake overseas/interstate study and research away from the University, the School graduate co-ordinator advises the Arts Research Graduate School on the appointment of an associate supervisor who may supervise the research while the research candidate is off campus. There may be other appropriate arrangements which could be established when the candidate is working off campus.
(7) If a supervisor plans to be absent from the University, the Faculty, on the advice of the relevant School graduate co-ordinator, appoints an acting supervisor.
(8) Research candidates wanting to change their supervision arrangements can do so by contacting their School, the Arts Research Graduate School or the Associate Dean (Graduate Research).