Academic Regulations
1. Inquiries for PhD candidature are previewed by the Director of Postgraduate Studies and the Registrar. Potential supervisors are identified in consultation with the Principal.
2. A formal application is prepared by the applicant in consultation with the supervisor-designate for consideration by the Postgraduate Committee.
3. If candidature is approved by the Board of Studies on the recommendation of the Postgraduate Committee an application for enrolment at the University of Sydney (USyd) may be prepared. Applications close on 31 October and 30 April for the following semester. This application should be submitted to the MTC Registrar for lodging with USyd.
4. During the process of preparing the application for enrolment at USyd the MTC supervisor-designate &/or Registrar will assist the applicant to make contact with the appropriate Department Head at USyd with a view to identifying an appropriate USyd supervisor. At least one meeting must be held with a member of the USyd academic staff before the application is submitted by the MTC Registrar to USyd.
5. Once the USyd application has been submitted to MTC, research may commence and early priority should be given to preparation of the detailed thesis proposal. This document is a MTC requirement and not of USyd. However, it is very helpful for it to be available to USyd when identifying its supervisors. It is to be a 2,000 word essay detailing the proposed thesis topic and approach to research. The following headings should be included in the essay:
5.1. Topic; | 5.2. Introduction; |
5.3. Statement of problem; | 5.4. Proposed research; |
5.5. Methodology and parameters | 5.6. Tentative outline of thesis; and |
5.7. Preliminary Bibliography (25 items key items) (Books/articles already consulted and yet to be sourced/consulted) | |
When endorsed by the MTC supervisor this thesis proposal is submitted to the MTC Postgraduate Committee for approval.
6. Once the thesis proposal has been approved by the MTC Postgraduate Committee and the application to USyd has been completed to the satisfaction of the MTC Registrar, the application will be forwarded by MTC to USyd.
7. When USyd offers the applicant a place and advises the name(s) of its supervisor(s) candidacy commences and is conditional on satisfactory progress.
8. As soon as candidacy commences it is the responsibility of the MTC supervisor to take the initiative in arranging a meeting of the supervision panel. This should consist of the MTC supervisor and co-supervisor, the Principal Supervisor from USyd and the student.
At that meeting the following will be addressed:
8.1. The MTC thesis proposal will be endorsed or an agreement documented to modify it;
8.2. The first year milestones will be agreed upon;
8.3. The USyd document ‘Thesis Proposal: Information for thesis proposal advisory committee members’ will be reviewed and a preliminary plan agreed for the student to prepare for the presentation and defence of the thesis proposal. The preliminary plan should include names of other MTC academic staff members who will be present for the presentation.
8.4. A program of meetings with the USyd Principal Supervisor needs to be agreed.
9. Soon after the foregoing meeting a program of meetings between the MTC supervisor and the student needs to be agreed.
10. Part-time candidates required to undertake the first two semesters as full-time residential students. Thereafter those wishing to reside outside Sydney metropolitan area must spend at least two weeks per year in Sydney.
11. All candidates are required to participate in MTC’s program of Advanced Topic Seminars and, where appropriate, Biblical Studies Research Seminars. This includes the presentation, at least once per year, of an abstract of their research to date. The MTC supervisor is required to attend this presentation. Normally, students are required to participate in all such seminars offered by MTC (usually four per year). However, students residing outside the Sydney metropolitan area may apply to the Postgraduate Committee for permission to participate in a lesser number. In such cases, students are expected to combine visits to Sydney for seminars with face-to-face consultations with their supervisor.
12. Changes to a thesis topic may be initiated by the student, the supervisor or the Postgraduate Committee. Changes must be approved by the Board of Studies on the recommendation of the Postgraduate Committee and then submitted to USyd through the Principal Supervisor.