Masters by Research Candidates Off-Campus Research Procedures

Masters by research candidates at the University who intend to be engaged in off-campus research for a continuous period exceeding one month during their masters degree, and their academic unit.

To specify the requirements that must be met by a masters by research candidate in order for a period of off-campus research exceeding one month to be approved.

Registration for the duration of the thesis without regular in-person access to supervision and/or University resources is an unusual circumstance requiring careful management. It is recognised that some students may also need to conduct research off-campus for a period, for example to undertake field work, use laboratory facilities or access special library collections.

Application

1. Any period of research activity where a candidate will be without in-person access to University resources and/or supervision for a continuous period of more than one month requires approval by the Board of Graduate Studies.

2. Authority for such approvals is delegated to the Associate Dean (Postgraduate) of the relevant faculty.

3. In each case, supporting information must be supplied to the relevant Associate Dean (Postgraduate).

4. This must include a statement from the supervisor describing why they feel confident that the candidate can successfully accomplish the research without regular in-person access to the supervisor and/or University resources; details of items 6-8 below (signed by student and supervisor) must also be provided.

Supervision

5. The main supervisor must be a University of Auckland staff member.

6. There must be an agreed, regular schedule of email, video-conferencing and where possible in- person supervisory contact between the candidate and the on-campus supervisor; video-conferencing must take place at least once a month if not supplemented by in-person supervision.

Resources

7. The candidate must have access to required resources during the period of absence.

8. Where possible, the candidate must be located/working in an environment conducive to their area of research, such as a research-oriented or tertiary educational institution.

Note: depending on the duration of off-campus research and level of in-person access to the University and supervision, it may be appropriate for the candidate to have a co-supervisor or an adviser at the host site.

The following definitions apply to this document:

Academic unit may refer to a faculty, school, department or institute.

In-person access refers to in-person rather than virtual or electronic access.

Main supervisor is the lead supervisor who takes overall responsibility for the supervision of a candidate and for assistance in the provision of research resources.

Masters by research candidates refers to students enrolled in a masters degree which includes a thesis component of 90 points or above.

Off-campus research refers to research activity undertaken by masters by research candidates which results in them being without in-person access to University resources and/or their University supervisor for a period exceeding one continuous month during their masters degree.

Staff member refers to an individual employed by the University on a full or part-time basis.

University means the University of Auckland and includes all subsidiaries.

Not applicable.

Owner: Pro Vice-Chancellor Education
Content manager: Manager, Academic Quality Office
Approved by: Board of Graduate Studies
Date approved: March 2019
Review date: 31 March 2024