Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

• A PhD normally takes three years of study.
• Course work is not usually a component. PhD students can, however, choose some course work if they wish, especially when they are unfamiliar with some aspect of their proposed research topic.
• All PhD students have at least one main supervisor and one associate supervisor although supervisory teams are common and co-supervision (two supervisors of equal status) is frequent.
• Some PhD topics have funding which has been obtained by a staff member, either as a stand-alone scholarship or as part of a research grant. These latter topics are usually advertised nationally and internationally

1.  A research plan is developed

PhD students begin their studies by developing their research plan, guided by their supervisors and others, and their key task in the early weeks is to produce a Research Proposal.

2. The research plan is commented on and presented

The research plan is usually read and commented on by all members of the supervisory team and when it is complete the student presents a seminar on the proposed work to a small group comprising the supervisor and the representative from the Division.

3. The research plan is approved

Once the proposal has been approved, the student can apply for research consumables funding from their Division. A preliminary, small allocation may be made at an earlier stage, to allow photocopying, access to the web, etc.

4. The PhD research is undertaken

Lincoln University places great emphasis on well planned and well executed PhD programmes and, especially in the sciences, there is an increasing trend for theses to be smaller than they have been in the past. They are also being submitted earlier and research manuscripts have often been submitted to refereed journals, or published, by the time the thesis is submitted for examination.

As well as support from the supervisory team, the student can seek help and advice from other members of the Division. The Postgraduate and Research School also offers support when needed, from the Academic Programme Director – Postgraduate Studies or his/her Deputy. The Lincoln University Students Association, through its Education Officer, also provides help and support for Postgraduate students.

5. The PhD is examined

Most PhD students at Lincoln University "defend" their PhD via an oral examination after the thesis has been independently examined by four people. These are the main supervisor and one other member of the supervisory team, along with two external examiners who are appointed by the Academic Administration Committee. One of these examiners is a specialist from within New Zealand and the other is from overseas.

The New Zealand examiner, but not the overseas one, attends the oral and leads the discussion, asking questions on behalf of the overseas examiner as well as themselves.

The oral is chaired by a neutral convenor from an unrelated discipline within the University. The convenor is also appointed by the Academic Administration Committee, and their job is to ensure that the meeting is fair and reasonable.