Master of Science (Vision Science) (MC-SCIVIS) // Course structure

Course structure

All students must complete 200 pts, including:

• Discipline Core subjects (25 points);
• Discipline Elective subjects (25 points);
• Professional Skills subjects (25 points);
• Research Project (125 points).

Subject options

Discipline Core

Students must take:

Discipline Electives

Students must select 25 points of subjects available through the Master of Science programs. Subjects will be selected in consultation with the research supervisor. Subjects will be selected both to broaden the student’s training and to enhance the skills relevant to the chosen research area. Where appropriate and with approval, a student may complete up to two 200-level or 300-level subjects.

Professional Skills

Students must select two of the following subjects:

Research Project

Students are required to complete a 125 point Research Project. Students will gain experience in conducting research in vision science by taking responsibility for a research project, including experimental design, laboratory experiments; the collection, appropriate statistical analysis, and interpretation of data; and providing an oral and written presentation of the results.

The project will be taken over four consecutive semesters and will begin on the Monday of semester of entry (semesters 1 or 2) and continue for up to 88 weeks until the end of the fourth semester, minus recreation leave of between 4 and 8 weeks (22 weeks per semester over the four semesters).

For how long and at what time within the enrolment the actual period of leave is to be taken needs to be negotiated with a student’s supervisor.

The Research Project will be due for submission by the end of the formal examination period of the fourth semester of enrolment if an earlier date is not specified.

A literature review (up to 3000 words; pass/fail) will ensure students assimilate and critically evaluate existing knowledge within a scientific paradigm; a grant proposal/project brief and associated 10 minute oral presentation (up to 2000 words; 15%) will encourage students to consider the justification and budget of their proposed research; a final oral presentation (20 minutes; pass/fail) will combine oral and visual communication skills of their project results; a thesis (of 10,000-14,000 words, 85%) will describe the students’ research and enhance their capacity to express persuasive intellectual, scientific arguments.

Students may enrol in a combination of research project subjects and coursework subjects over their two years of full-time study or over their four years of part-time study as long as once the Research Project is commenced (which may not be the first semester in the case of part-time course enrolments), the consecutive enrolment requirement is met and to ensure they have completed a total of 125 points for the research project by the end of their course.

Last updated: 21 February 2025