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Adelaide

Candidates studying for the PhD in the Business and Management Program who enrol with the University of South Australia as a domestic (Australian-based) candidate are managed by the Division of Business.

These candidates can be supervised by academic staff of the International Graduate School of Business.

Application enquiries and information may be obtained from the Division of Business website: http://www.unisa.edu.au/businessres/degrees/prospective.asp

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International locations

Candidates studying for the PhD in the Business and Management program who enrol with the University of South Australia as a transnational (offshore-based) candidate are managed by the International Graduate School of Business. The PhD in Business and Management is offered in two international locations, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Application enquiries and further information may be obtained from our partners.

As many potential candidates for the PhD have little or no training in research, and as research is at the core of the PhD, the University of South Australia has introduced a doctoral foundation coursework program, the Graduate Diploma in Management Research.

This program is designed to advance the professional development of senior practising managers and professionals in the business arena by extending their management knowledge and equipping them with research skills to enable them to undertake research in their chosen fields and prepare them for research at the doctoral level.

The GMR program comprises a total of 36 units.

For those students who intend to complete the GMR and PhD programs in the minimum time of three years, the structure is outlined below.

Program structure

Graduate Diploma in Management Research

Courses in the GMR program are offered in intensive mode, and the program can be completed in a minimum period of one year full time study.

The GMR program comprises a total of 36 units.

YEAR ONE

Semester 1

Semester 2

Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business and Management

The PhD is universally recognised as the pre-eminent research degree. Whilst its form continues to evolve, its key elements remain unchallenged: that the research must make a significant contribution to knowledge in a specified area, that the research be supervised and that the findings be submitted to public examination by eminent scholars in the area. The PhD in Business and Management of the University of South Australia is consistent with those tenets.

The primary emphasis of the PhD is research leading to a major thesis. Candidates for the award of the PhD degree by research must demonstrate that their work is comprehensive in both theory and methodology and that they have made a significant original contribution to knowledge and/or the application of knowledge within the field of study. Accordingly, candidates will develop professional research skills producing an in depth study that is focused on a defined topic.

The research review sessions in the PhD program are offered in intensive mode, and the program can be completed in a minimum period of two years full time study.

The PhD program features four face-to-face research review sessions.

YEAR TWO

Semester 3

Semester 4

YEAR THREE

Semester 5

Semester 6

Program progression

Students will be assessed and required to attain the prescribed standard of achievement in the GMR program. Substantial pre-seminar preparation and written reports, class activities/participation will be required by all courses. Therefore, seminar attendance is compulsory for all courses. Failure to attend or participate in any course seminars will result in a 0% F2 grade for the course.

GMR students must complete all course assessment requirements including seminar attendance to be eligible to pass the course overall.

GMR students must achieve a pass grade (a minimum of 50%) in the final assignment (post-seminar assignment) for each course to be eligible to pass the course overall.

At the end of the GMR students will be accorded one of the following status:

  1. On completion of each course with a minimum of P2 grade with an average grade of P1 or above over the five courses, and on satisfactory submission and defence of their PhD proposal with a grade of P1 or above, students will be accorded PhD candidature.

  2. On completion of each course with a minimum of P2 grade with an average of P1 or above over the five courses, but failing to have their PhD proposal accepted at a grade of P1 or above, students will have the following options:
    a. Exit the program with a Graduate Diploma in Management Research; or
    b. Submit and defend the new or revised PhD proposal to the University of South Australia for re-assessment within six months, having access to a Research Advisor, and paying the required extension fee. On satisfactory submission and defence of the new or revised PhD proposal with a grade of P1 or above, students will be accorded PhD candidature.
    c. Students who do not meet the requirements of option b) and/or do not achieve a grade of at least P1 for their PhD proposal and defence may choose option a), or re-enrol in the GMR to undertake a course/s as determined by the University.

  3. On completion of each course with a minimum of P2 grade with an average grade of P2 over the five courses, students will exit the program with a Graduate Diploma in Management Research and will not be offered progression to the PhD.

  4. Satisfactory completion of the first three courses would qualify the student to be eligible for the degree of Graduate Certificate in Management Research Literature only.

  5. Failure to satisfactorily complete the first three courses would result in no award.

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