Doctor of Philosophy - Fine Arts and Music (DR-PHILFAM) — The University of Melbourne Handbook

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Overview

Award title	Doctor of Philosophy
Year & campus	2019 — Southbank
CRICOS code	099323G
Fees information	Subject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date
Study level & type	Graduate Research
AQF level	10
Duration	4 years full-time, or equivalent part-time

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy signifies that the holder has undertaken a substantial piece of original research, which has been conducted and reported by the holder under proper academic supervision and in a research environment for a prescribed period.

The PhD thesis demonstrates authority in the candidate's field and shows evidence of command of knowledge in relevant fields. It shows that the candidate has a thorough grasp of the appropriate methodological techniques and an awareness of their limitations. The thesis also makes a distinct contribution to knowledge. Its contribution to knowledge rests on originality of approach and / or interpretation of the findings and, in some cases, the discovery of new facts. The thesis demonstrates an ability to communicate research findings effectively in the professional arena and in an international context. It is a careful, rigorous and sustained piece of work demonstrating that a research 'apprenticeship' is complete and the holder is admitted to the community of scholars in the discipline.

In scope, the PhD thesis differs from a research Masters thesis chiefly by its deeper and more comprehensive treatment of the chosen subject. It is written succinctly, in English, unless approval has been given for the thesis to be written in a language other than English. The normal length of a PhD thesis is 80,000 words, exclusive of words in tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices. Footnotes are included as part of the word limit. The thesis should not exceed 100,000 words (or equivalent) without special approval from the Research Higher Degrees Committee.

Except in the disciplines of Creative Arts Therapies, Music Psychology, Music Therapy and Musicology/Ethnomusicology, the thesis may be submitted as Creative Work and Dissertation. Any thesis submitted as Creative Work and Dissertation will be examined as an integrated whole.

The Faculty of Fine Arts and Music offers PhD programmes in the following disciplines:

At the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music:

Composition
Interactive Composition
Jazz & Improvisation
Music Performance
Music Psychology
Music Therapy
Musicology/Ethnomusicology

At the Victorian College of the Arts

Dance
Design
Film and Television
Indigenous Arts and Culture
Music Theatre
Production
Theatre
Visual Art

Through the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music

Creative Arts Therapies

Theses submitted as Creative Work and dissertation must be equivalent to 80,000 words – for details see Course Structure below.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

a four-year bachelor degree in a relevant discipline which includes a substantial research component equivalent to at least 25% of one year of full-time study and have achieved a minimum weighted average of 75% in the final year subjects or (University of Melbourne) equivalent; or
a masters degree in a relevant discipline which includes a substantial research component equivalent to at least 25% of one year of full-time study and achieved a minimum weighted average of 75% or (University of Melbourne) equivalent; or
a qualification and professional experience considered to be equivalent;

Applicants for all discipline areas must provide:

referee reports (except for applicants who have graduated from the University of Melbourne within the last 5 years); and
evidence of the endorsement of a prospective supervisor.

In addition, applicants must provide a research proposal, example of scholarly writing and/or folio as follows:

Creative Arts Therapies, Music Psychology, Music Therapy and Musicology/Ethnomusicology:

a research proposal of 2,500 words; and
a recent example of scholarly writing of 4,000 to 5,000 words.

Dance, Design, Film and Television, Indigenous Arts and Culture, Music Theatre, Production, Theatre and Visual Art:

a research proposal of 2,000 words; and
a folio of work as per discipline requirements.

Composition:

A proposal of approximately 1,000 words for the PhD folio and dissertation;
A recent example of scholarly writing of approximately 2,000 words;
Three representative works submitted as recordings and in notated score format (where applicable). These should include a major work of over 15 minutes duration and a work for large acoustic ensemble (may be the same work), and at least one work written in the last 2 years; and
A CV including list of works composed, performances and broadcasts.

Interactive Composition:

a research proposal of 2,000 words; and
a folio containing recordings of 4 of your original compositions at a total duration of 20 minutes.

Jazz & Improvisation:

a research proposal of 2,000 words; and
applicants must demonstrate a very high standard of artistic ability via a live audition or live performance recording. The audition or recording must be at least 20 minutes in length.

Music Performance:

a research proposal of 2,000 words outlining plans for a research project that integrates a written thesis (minimum 20,000-25,000 words) and portfolio of recorded works (210 minutes) with details of proposed repertoire and timeline for completion;
70 minutes of unedited live recordings; and
a recent example of scholarly writing of 4,000 to 5,000 words.

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In selecting applicants, the selection committee will consider applicants’:

prior academic performance and, if relevant, professional qualifications;
understanding of the research question to be explored;
demonstrated ability in the creative discipline;
performance at an interview;
motivation and capacity to complete the course in a timely manner;
relevant prior research and/or professional experience; and
the referee reports.

3. The selection committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Selection and Admission Policy.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for graduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, the following performance bands are required: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD – Fine Arts and Music Band 6.5

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

All candidates are required to complete the equivalent of at least one-third advanced study and research at the University (unless studying at an approved outside institution). The RHDC will not approve entirely distance supervision or entirely on-line supervision for graduate research students.

Throughout their candidature candidates are expected to attend the University in order to benefit from planning, conducting and writing up their research within a University community and environment.

The residency requirement is deemed especially important during the period of probationary candidature. During probationary candidature the student is expected to interact on a regular basis with the supervisor, the department (including staff and other research students) and the University, so as:

to build the skills and knowledge necessary to carry out the proposed research program
to acquire an understanding of the standards and requirements for a PhD awarded by the University
to make use of support programs and facilities provided by the University of Melbourne throughout candidature.

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Overview, Objectives and Generic Skills sections of this entry.
It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this course are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit:
http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Intended learning outcomes

Doctoral degrees at the University of Melbourne seek to develop graduates who demonstrate academic leadership, increasing independence, creativity and innovation in their research work. Graduates of the Doctor of Philosophy – Fine Arts and Music should have:

Knowledge

substantial knowledge of research principles and methods applicable to the field of work or learning
a substantial body of knowledge at the frontier of a field of work or learning, including knowledge that constitutes an original contribution

Skills

cognitive skills and use of intellectual independence to think critically, evaluate existing knowledge and ideas, undertake systematic investigation and reflect on theory and practice to generate original knowledge
cognitive skills to demonstrate expert understanding of theoretical knowledge and to reflect critically on that theory and practice in the field
communication skills to explain and critique theoretical propositions, methodologies and conclusions
expert creative skills applicable to the field of work or learning
expert skills to design, implement, analyse, theorise and communicate research that makes a significant and original contribution to knowledge and/or professional practice
communication skills to present cogently a complex investigation of originality or original research for external examination against international standards and to communicate results to peers and the community

Application of knowledge and skills

Graduates should demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills:

with initiative and creativity in new situations and/or for further learning
with intellectual independence
with full responsibility and accountability for personal outputs
with the ongoing capacity to generate new knowledge, including in the context of professional practice
to plan and execute original research

Graduate attributes

Doctoral degrees at the University of Melbourne seek to develop graduates who demonstrate academic leadership, increasing independence, creativity and innovation in their research work.

The University expects its doctoral graduates to have the following qualities and skills. The University provides a variety of opportunities in addition to the supervised research program, to facilitate students' acquisition of these attributes:

an advanced ability to initiate research and to formulate viable research questions;
a demonstrated capacity to design, conduct and report sustained and original research;
the capacity to contextualise research within an international corpus of specialist knowledge;
an advanced ability to evaluate and synthesize research-based and scholarly literature;
an advanced understanding of key disciplinary and multi-disciplinary norms and perspectives relevant to the field;
highly developed problem-solving abilities and flexibility of approach;
the ability to analyse critically within and across a changing disciplinary environment;
the capacity to disseminate the results of research and scholarship by oral and written communication to a variety of audiences;
a capacity to cooperate with and respect the contributions of fellow researchers and scholars;
a profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of research and scholarship;
an advanced facility in the management of information, including the application of computer systems and software where appropriate to the student's field of study;
an understanding of the relevance and value of their research to national and international
communities of scholars and collaborators;
an awareness where appropriate of issues related to intellectual property management and the commercialisation of innovation;
an ability to formulate applications to relevant agencies, such as funding bodies and ethics committees.

Course structure

A candidate will have appropriately experienced supervisor(s) and an Advisory Committee who, in consultation with the candidate, arranges a course of supervised research designed to suit the individual requirements and interests of the candidate.

Coursework Component

Students enrolled in disciplines offered by the Victorian College of the Arts are required to complete the following subject in their first semester of candidature.

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
CREA90001	Research Methods 1	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5

Students enrolled in disciplines offered by the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music who do not have the appropriate research methodology background may be required to take the following Research Methodology subject in the first semester of their candidature:

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
MUSI90191	The Research Process For Musicians (RHD)	Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)	12.5

Thesis Submission

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
MUSI80002		No longer available
CREA80001	PhD Research	Time-based Research (On Campus - Southbank)

Creative Arts Therapies, Music Psychology, Music Therapy and Musicology/Ethnomusicology

PhD candidates undertake supervised work that leads to a thesis (of approximately 80,000 words).

Dance, Design, Film and Television, Indigenous Arts and Culture, Music Theatre, Production, Theatre and Visual Art

The PhD thesis may take the form of performance and/or corpus of creative work, plus a dissertation of 40,000 - 50,000 words which aims to address, elucidate and contextualise the work; or as a written dissertation of approximately 80,000 words.

Composition

PhD candidates in Composition submit a folio and dissertation. The folio will constitute 90-120 minutes of music and is weighted at 70%. The accompanying dissertation will be 20-25,000 words and weighted at 30%.

Interactive Composition

PhD candidates in interactive Composition submit a folio and dissertation. The folio will constitute 90-120 minutes of music and sound with other media and is weighted at 70%. The accompanying dissertation will be 20-25,000 words and weighted at 30%.

Jazz & Improvisation

PhD candidates undertake supervised work that leads to a dissertation, normally of 40,000-50,000 words, and a folio of creative work. The thesis and folio must be presented in a form that can be sent for assessment by external examiners who are usually international.

Music Performance

PhD candidates undertake supervised work that leads to a dissertation, normally of 20-25,000 words, and a folio of performances equivalent to 3 full recitals or 210 minutes. The thesis and folio must be presented in a form that can be sent for assessment by external examiners who are usually international. The performance folio must created during the candidature for the purposes of fulfilling the requirements of the PhD.

Last updated: 18 December 2020

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