MPhil Procedures

• Staff members of the University involved in doctoral supervision and/or the governance of the MPhil
• Doctoral candidates invited to enrol in, or to fulfil the requirements for the award of, the MPhil
• Students enrolled in the MPhil

To specify the procedures that apply to the MPhil degree.

Precepts

1. These procedures are to be read in conjunction with the regulations for the MPhil degree.

2. Students cannot apply for, or nominate themselves for, enrolment in the MPhil or for consideration for the award of an MPhil.

3. The MPhil is a pass/fail degree; it cannot be awarded with honours.

4. The admission and enrolment, thesis and examination requirements detailed in items 6-30 of these procedures do not apply where a student has been invited by the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) to fulfil the requirements for the award of the MPhil as the final decision as to the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Clinical Psychology or Doctor of Education or Doctor of Fine Arts or Doctor of Health Sciences or Doctor of Medical Sciences.

5. The Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) may invite a student to fulfil the regulatory requirements for the award of the MPhil as the final decision as to the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Clinical Psychology or Doctor of Education or Doctor of Fine Arts or Doctor of Health Sciences or Doctor of Medical Sciences only where the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) is satisfied that the work, as submitted for doctoral examination, is appropriate to the award of a masters degree.

Admission and enrolment

6. Admission to, and enrolment in, the MPhil is required for the award of the degree, except where a student has been invited by the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) to fulfil the requirements for the MPhil as the final decision as to the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Clinical Psychology or Doctor of Education or Doctor of Fine Arts or Doctor of Health Sciences or Doctor of Medical Sciences.

7. Admission to and enrolment in the MPhil is available, by invitation only, as the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) approved outcome of a statutory review of provisional doctoral candidature for the Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Medical Sciences or Doctor of Clinical Psychology, and only at the time of the invitation from the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate).

8. The Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) may admit a student to the MPhil only where the Board is satisfied, having considered the views of the supervisor/s, confirmation review committee and academic head (and Associate Dean/Director (Postgraduate Research) where provided):

a) That the quality of the work achieved and/or the rate of progress during provisional doctoral candidature are not sufficient to warrant confirmation of doctoral candidature but are consistent with masters candidature

and

b) That, given the work achieved during provisional doctoral candidature, an MPhil thesis satisfying the requirements of items 14-19 could be completed within 6 months of full-time equivalent enrolment.

9. Admission to, and enrolment in, the MPhil entails termination of the doctoral enrolment.

10.
a) Where a student is admitted to the MPhil, the student must pay tuition fees as an MPhil candidate up until the date of submission of the MPhil thesis.

b) Students who accept an invitation to enrol in the MPhil are responsible for any scholarship implications associated with the termination of the doctoral enrolment and enrolment in the MPhil.

11. A student enrolled in the MPhil must submit a 120 point masters thesis within six months of full-time equivalent enrolment from the date of approval of admission to the MPhil programme, unless an extension is approved under item 12.

12. An extension of up to six months may be approved, in exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control, at the discretion of the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate).

13. A suspension of enrolment may be approved, in exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control, at the discretion of the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate).

Thesis

Note: The MPhil thesis requirements as stipulated at items 14-21 apply only to students enrolled in the MPhil and not to students who are invited to fulfil the requirements for the award of an MPhil as the final decision as to the award of a doctoral degree.

14. A 40,000 word limit applies to the thesis for students enrolled in the MPhil.

15. The MPhil thesis topic must be the same as, or a subset of, the topic of the terminated doctoral thesis enrolment.

16. The MPhil thesis requirement must be satisfied by a cohesive written document completed in accordance with the language conditions approved for the terminated doctoral thesis enrolment.

17. Scholarly creative work (written or otherwise) that forms an integrated whole with the written document may be submitted for examination as part of the thesis requirement, where:

a) the student had approval to present scholarly creative work as part of the thesis requirement for the PhD

and

b) the length of the written document, excluding any scholarly creative written work, is not less than approximately 60% of the disciplinary norm (at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland) for a 120 point masters thesis.

18. A student enrolled for an MPhil may include publications in the MPhil thesis only where the publication was completed:

a) prior to admission to the MPhil and during the terminated doctoral thesis enrolment

and

b) in accordance with the requirements and provisions for the inclusion of published work in the Doctoral Thesis Policy and Procedures.

19. The MPhil thesis must satisfy the copyright and formatting requirements of the Doctoral Thesis Policy and Procedures.

20. An MPhil thesis enrolment requires at least one supervisor appointed by the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate).

21. The student must submit a digital copy of the MPhil thesis to the School of Graduate Studies by the submission date determined in accordance with items 11-12.

Examination

Note: The examination requirements stipulated at items 22-30 apply only where a student is enrolled in the MPhil and submits an MPhil thesis for examination. They do not apply where a doctoral candidate has been invited to fulfil the requirements for the award of an MPhil as the final decision as to the award of a doctoral degree.

22. Two examiners (one of whom must be external to the University) will be appointed in accordance with the Masters Thesis/Research Portfolio Examiner Appointment Procedures, except that the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) will fulfil the role prescribed in those procedures for the academic head.

23. Examiners will be asked to report on the thesis and recommend whether it should pass or fail in relation to the following criteria:

a) Demonstrate mastery of sophisticated theoretical subject matter
b) Evaluate critically the findings and discussion in the literature
c) Research, analyse and argue from evidence
d) Engage in rigorous intellectual analysis, criticism and problem-solving
e) Demonstrate a high order of skill in the planning, execution and completion of an original, independent research project
f) Apply research skills appropriately.

24. Where an examiner recommends a pass under item 23, the examiner may indicate any minor corrections that should be made to the thesis.

25. The examiners’ reports will be considered by the academic head who will recommend to the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate):

i) that the MPhil should be awarded

or

ii) that the MPhil should be awarded subject to the completion of minor corrections to the satisfaction of the Academic Head within 1 month

or

iii) that the MPhil should not be awarded,

or

iv) that an external referee should be appointed to report on the work and its examination and to recommend a pass or fail result.

26. The Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) may appoint an external referee pursuant to item 25(iv) and/or where the Board has concerns about the recommended final result.

27. Where an external referee is appointed, their recommended result will be the final result, provided the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) is satisfied with the integrity of the recommendation.

28. The Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) will consider all material supplied under clauses 23-27 and decide:

i) that the MPhil should be awarded

or

ii) that the MPhil should be awarded subject to the completion of minor corrections to the satisfaction of the academic head within 1 month

or

iii) that no degree should be awarded.

29. Except where material is withheld on grounds consistent with the Privacy Act (2020), the student will be provided with copies of the non-confidential sections of the examination reports.

30. The academic head will notify the School of Graduate Studies as to whether minor corrections have been satisfactorily completed.

Final submission

31. Where a student is invited by the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) to fulfil the regulatory requirements for the award of the MPhil as the final decision as to the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Clinical Psychology or Doctor of Education or Doctor of Fine Arts or Doctor of Health Sciences or Doctor of Medical Sciences:

a) The title page of the thesis (that was submitted for doctoral examination) must be amended to identify the MPhil as the degree for which the thesis submission fulfils requirements.

b) Only corrections/revisions prescribed by the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) as part of the determination of the doctoral examination in accordance with item 5 above are permitted.

c) Within one month of being advised of the outcome of the doctoral examination, the student must deposit the final digital copy of the thesis in ResearchSpace in the University Library and notify the School of Graduate Studies of the deposit.

d) The thesis will be accessible through the University’s digital repository unless embargoed pursuant to the University’s General Examination Regulations.

32. Where the outcome of an examination under items 22-28 of these procedures is that the MPhil degree should be awarded:

a) Within one month of the approval of the final version of the thesis, the student must deposit the final digital copy of the thesis in ResearchSpace in the University Library and notify the School of Graduate Studies of the deposit.

b) The thesis will be accessible through the University’s digital repository unless embargoed pursuant to the University’s General Examination Regulations.

Appeals

33. Where a student is invited by the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) to fulfil the requirements for the award of the MPhil as the final decision as to the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Clinical Psychology or Doctor of Education or Doctor of Fine Arts or Doctor of Health Sciences or Doctor of Medical Sciences, the MPhil outcome is the result of the doctoral examination process and subject to the appeal provisions of the doctoral degree regulations and not items 34-37 below.

34. A student may appeal the outcome of an MPhil examination determined under item 28 of these procedures subject to the following provisions:

a) The outcome of an MPhil examination may be appealed only on the grounds that the result was materially impacted by a procedural flaw in the examination process.

b) The appeal must be lodged by the student, or by a proxy acting on the authority of the student, within two months of the date of notification (to the student) of the outcome of the MPhil examination.

c) The appeal must state clearly the procedural grounds relied on by the student, and all relevant and supporting documentation must be attached.

35. The appeal will be considered and determined by an arbiter who was not involved in the MPhil examination process, and in accordance with the following provisions:

a) The Chair of the Board of Graduate Studies will act as arbiter or appoint a nominee to the role.

b) The arbiter may seek further information and/or evidence relating to the student’s appeal. This provision in no way mitigates the responsibilities of the student under item 34(c) above.

c) The arbiter will determine the appeal and convey the outcome and the reasons for the outcome in writing to the student.

36. The Supervisors, academic head, Associate Dean/Director (Postgraduate Research) and the School of Graduate Studies will be notified of the outcome of the appeal.

37.   The arbiter’s determination of the appeal under item 35(c) is the final decision on the appeal as to examination outcome.

38. A student may appeal the outcome of an MPhil extension or suspension application subject to the following provisions:

a) The outcome of an MPhil extension or suspension application may be appealed only on the grounds that

i) information/evidence that was unavailable at the time of the decision has since become available for consideration

and/or

ii) the outcome was manifestly at odds with the evidence.

b) The appeal must be lodged by the student, or by a proxy acting on the authority of the student, within one month of the date of notification (to the student) of the outcome of the extension or suspension application.

c) The appeal must state clearly the grounds relied on by the student, and all relevant and supporting documentation must be attached.

39. The appeal as to the extension or suspension application will be considered and determined by an arbiter who was not the original decision-maker, and in accordance with the following provisions:

a) The Chair of the Board of Graduate Studies will act as arbiter or appoint a nominee to the role.

b) The arbiter may seek further information and/or evidence relating to the student’s appeal. This provision in no way mitigates the responsibilities of the student under item 38(c) above.

c) The arbiter will determine the appeal and convey the outcome and the reasons for the outcome in writing to the student.

40. The Supervisors, academic head, Associate Dean/Director (Postgraduate Research) and School of Graduate Studies will be notified of the outcome of the appeal.

41.   The arbiter’s determination of the appeal under item 39(c) is the final decision on the appeal.

Variation

42. In exceptional circumstances, where it deems it appropriate, the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) may approve a variation to items 12-14 and 31-32 of these procedures.

Academic head refers to the Head of the relevant academic unit or their nominee for the purposes of MPhil matters.
Associate Dean/Director (Postgraduate Research) normally refers to the person holding that role (or equivalent) in the faculty or Large Scale Research Institute (LSRI) in which the candidate is enrolled, or to that person’s nominee in the case of an LSRI or one-department faculty, but the role may also be carried out by the person holding that role in another faculty or LSRI or by a person holding another Associate Dean/Director role within the same faculty or LSRI.
Doctoral candidates, for the purposes of these procedures, are people who have been enrolled in a doctoral programme at the University.
MPhil candidate refers to a person enrolled in, or under examination for, the MPhil.
Confirmation review committee is the committee convened under the Doctoral Confirmation of Candidature Policy and Procedures.
Publications include any work that has appeared in a journal, book or other publication, and any work submitted or accepted for publication. Publications include hard copy works, such as books and journal articles, and works that only appear in digital form.
Staff member refers to an individual employed by the University on a full or part time basis.
Student, for the purposes of these procedures, refers to a person who has been enrolled in a doctoral or MPhil programme at the University.
Supervisor refers to main supervisor, joint supervisor, or co-supervisor.
University means  Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland and includes all subsidiaries.

Doctoral Examination Procedures
Doctoral Oral Examination Procedures
Doctoral Examination Appeal Procedures
Masters Thesis/Research Portfolio Examiner Appointment Procedures
Doctoral Confirmation of Candidature Policy and Procedures
Doctoral Thesis Policy and Procedures

Content manager: School of Graduate Studies
Owner: Dean of Graduate Studies
Approved by: Board of Graduate Studies, Senate and Council
Date approved: April 2023
Review date: February 2028