Top of page
Global Site Navigation

For Research Students - Research journey

Local Section Navigation
You are here: Main Content

Enrolment

As a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) candidate, you must maintain an active enrolment at all times during your studies and it is your responsibility to ensure that you’re enrolled each semester.

Re-enrolment

  • Masters by Research and Professional doctoral  candidates who are required to re-enrol into coursework units should contact Student Administration between November and beginning of March for semester 1 and from May until beginning August for Semester 2.
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Professional doctorate and Masters by Research candidates who are re-enrolling into non-coursework or thesis units will be re-enrolled via their Progress report. Progress reports should be completed in October-November for semester 1 enrolment and in May-June for semester 2 enrolment.  You will receive an email  to complete this report.

For more information related to enrolling in coursework units in a Masters by Research program, please contact your School’s HDR Coordinator.

Variation of enrolment

Variation of enrolment relate to any changes to your enrolment, study mode or attendance mode of your degree, for example reducing or increasing your study load, changing your attendance to on or off campus, applying for an intermission (deferral), or withdrawal from your course.

Any variation to your enrolment must be requested prior to the census date each semester. The census dates are available on the Withdrawal dates webpage here: Withdrawal Dates.

International students

If you are an international candidate, there may be implications if you vary your enrolment, intermit, or withdraw from your research degree. You must discuss this with a Student Success Officer prior to submitting a Variation of Higher Degree By Research (HDR) Candidature form.

Scholarship holders

Scholarship holders should firstly refer to their Conditions of Award and contact their Coordinator Research Student Support before applying for a variation to enrolment. This is to ensure they are not in breach of their scholarship conditions, which can result in termination of scholarship.

If you are receiving a research scholarship and wish to withdraw from your research degree, you must advise the scholarships team in Student Administration to terminate the scholarship. For more information and advice, please contact Student Administration.

Before varying your enrolment, you should follow the steps below:

  1. Discuss the variation to your enrolment with your Principal Supervisor
  2. Seek advice from your Coordinator Research Student Support, and for International candidates from Student Success.
  3. Submit the appropriate Variation of Higher Degree by Research Candidature form:

For candidates that are currently enrolled: Variation of Higher Degree By Research (HDR) Candidature

For candidates that do not have access to the Student Portal (i.e. currently intermitted or discontinued)Variation of Higher Degree By Research (HDR) Candidature – Non-current Student

Changing your study load

You can be enrolled in a research degree full-time (100%) or part-time (50%). You may also be enrolled at 75% or 25% load for one semester if your Principal Supervisor and School’s Associate Dean Research approve. If you are an International candidate, you will also need approval from Student Success. This is normally arranged through your research progress report, which you are required to complete at the end of each semester.

For information relating to length of candidature, extension of candidature, and stages or milestones within your research enrolment, visit the Candidature management web page.

External candidates

It is expected that you will be enrolled as an on-campus candidate; however, in exceptional circumstances you may apply to study off-campus. External candidates are those who cannot conduct research and study at ECU for most or all of their period of candidature as a result of their location.

External candidates must also be aware of the following enrolment expectations:

  • Students are required to meet with their supervisor on a regular basis during the research phase of candidature.
  • Face-to-face meetings (ie. Through TEAMS or ZOOM) are required on no less than 10 days per year of full or part-time (pro-rata) enrolment.
  • In addition to this, candidates are required to present and defend their research proposal on campus in Perth, by video/teleconference (through TEAMS or ZOOM), or at a location the supervisor is able to attend.

You should firstly speak with your supervisor and complete an Off-Campus PhD Candidate Agreement. Once completed, please contact Student Administration to change your study mode and submit your approved off-campus PhD Candidate Agreement.

Intermission (deferral) request

You can defer your enrolment for up to a maximum of 12 months (or 2 semesters) during your candidature. You must have completed at least one unit (or a semester of study) in the course before you decide to defer your studies.

If more intermission periods are needed, your School (through the Associate Dean Research), with support from your supervisor(s), may approve an extension to this period.

Note: Intermission, or "intermit" status, is considered a period of non-enrolment. As a result:

  • You are not covered by University insurance, or entitled to access all facilities or services, such as supervision, IT services, Library, laboratory or rehearsal spaces;
  • You are not permitted to do research. The University must ensure that any candidate research conducted on its behalf is supervised, monitored and performed in an ethical manner. This is not possible for non-enrolled candidates;
  • You will have the minimum and maximum submission of thesis dates adjusted, as this period is not counted towards candidature.

If you are receiving a research scholarship and require a period of intermission, you must also submit a HDR Living Stipend Scholarship Suspension Application. For more information and advice on suspending your scholarship, contact Student Administration

When your period of intermission ends, you must submit a Variation of HDR Candidature - For candidates not currently enrolled. If you do not re-enrol, your enrolment in your course will lapse and you will have to apply for re-admission. If your contact details have changed, you must advise Student Administration.

Withdrawal

The decision to withdraw from your course should be well considered. You should discuss the matter with your supervisor, postgraduate coordinator or Coordinator Research Student Support about whether this is the best option for you.

When requesting a withdrawal it is important to take into consideration the census and academic penalty dates which are noted on the Withdrawal Dates page. If you withdraw after these dates, you may be subject to a financial or academic penalty. For advice on this matter please contact Student Administration or your Coordinator Research Student Support.

If you decide to return to the same research degree, or a degree in the same field of research, you need to apply to resume your course by completing an application for re-admission into higher degree by research course . This application will be assessed by your School and the availability of your supervisor will be taken into account, as this may have changed since you were last enrolled.

Contacts

Student Administration

Telephone: (61 8) 6304 6000

Skip to top of page