DocFA Candidate Research Capacity Policy and Procedures

Applicants for the Doctor of Fine Arts (DocFA) programme at the University.

To detail the requirements for research capacity that must be satisfied by applicants for the DocFA programme at the University.

1. The requirements for DocFA candidate research capacity encompass the requirements for research experience and ability, disciplinary training and suitability for the proposed research project as detailed in this policy.

2. Relevance, equivalence, appropriateness and incompatibility, where invoked in this policy and associated procedures, are subject to determination by the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate).

3. An applicant admitted to the DocFA programme under clause 13 of the Doctoral Exceptional Circumstance Entry Policy and Procedures is deemed to have satisfied the requirements of this policy and associated procedures.

Research experience and ability

4. Applicants must have completed, in accordance with the requirements of clauses 5-7

either

a) a sole-authored Masters research project comprised of scholarly creative outputs, of no less than 30 points at the University of Auckland with at least a B+ result, in a subject area relevant to the proposed doctoral research project

or

b) the equivalent as determined by the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) in accordance with the procedures below

and, in addition to a or b,

either

c) a sole-authored Masters level non-creative practice written research project of no less than 30 points at the University of Auckland with at least a B+ result, in a subject area relevant to the proposed doctoral research project

or

d) the equivalent as determined by the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) in accordance with the procedures below

and, in addition to a or b, but inclusive of c or d:

e) sole-authored postgraduate written outputs in a relevant subject area, equivalent to the outputs of at least 45 points of non-creative practice course enrolment at the University of Auckland, with the equivalent of at least an average result of B+ at the University of Auckland.

5. University of Auckland research work must have been examined and assessed in accordance with the University’s procedures for the Examination of Sub-doctoral Postgraduate Research Components of 30 points and above Procedures 2021 and, in the case of bridging programmes approved under clause 9, in accordance with any further conditions stipulated by the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate).

6. Multiple items of research work may not be combined for the purposes of assessment for equivalence with a 30 point research project under clause 4. Equivalence with a 30 point research project must be established through a single assessable piece of research work.

7. Where an applicant’s most recent qualification in a relevant subject area does not satisfy the requirements of clause 4:

a) a previous qualification in a relevant subject area may be used to satisfy this policy and associated procedures only with the permission of the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate). Such permission may be granted only where the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) is satisfied that the most recent qualification is subject to proportionate extenuating circumstances.

b) a subsequent certificate of proficiency or postgraduate certificate at the University of Auckland may be used to satisfy clause 4 only where the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) has approved the composition of the certificate of proficiency or postgraduate certificate. Any research enrolment, which must not be less than 30 points, may be required to be equivalent in scale to any existing research enrolment that was not completed to the required standard.

Disciplinary training

8. The Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) must be satisfied as to the appropriateness of the applicant’s qualification(s) to the proposed research topic.

9. The Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) may approve an individual bridging programme at the University of Auckland for the purpose of providing an applicant with an opportunity to satisfy clause 4 or clause 8 of this policy.

Suitability to proposed research project

10. Two independent academic references must be supplied for all applicants who have not graduated from the University of Auckland, with their most recent qualification in a subject area relevant to the proposed DocFA, within the five years prior to the application for admission to the DocFA programme.

11. The main or joint supervisor and the Academic Head must be satisfied as to the applicant’s suitability for the proposed research project. Consideration may include the conduct of an interview with the applicant.

12.

a) At the invitation of the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate), an applicant may submit, for consideration in relation to clause 4b of the above policy, a research output, in a subject area relevant to the proposed doctoral project, in the form of

• a supervised postgraduate creative practice research project output (such as, but not limited to, an exhibition, performance or film) from a research course enrolment equivalent to no less than 25% of one year of full-time study

b) At the invitation of the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate), an applicant may submit, for consideration in relation to clauses 4d-e of the above policy, a research output, in a subject area relevant to the proposed doctoral project, in the form of

either

i) a single supervised written postgraduate research project, research essay, dissertation, or thesis (or equivalent) output from a non-creative practice research course enrolment equivalent to no less than 25% of one year of full-time study

or

ii) a single written research publication proposed as equivalent to the output of a non-creative practice postgraduate research course enrolment of no less than 25% of one year of full-time study

and, in addition to (i) or (ii) where the written research output is equivalent to no more than the output of 25% of one year of full-time study:

• written output(s) proposed as equivalent to no less than the output(s) of a 15 point postgraduate non-creative practice course enrolment at the University of Auckland (c. 5,000 words).

13. Except where a submission under clause 12 of these procedures is manifestly incompatible with the requirements of clause(s) 4 and/or 6 of the above policy, the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) may release the output(s) to the academic unit for assessment and recommendation regarding equivalence with the requirements of clause 4 of the above policy.

14. The Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) may stipulate conditions and/or criteria for the assessment, including but not limited to, requirements for:

• independent assessment (defined as assessment by an experienced academic staff member who is not part of the proposed supervision team)
• recommendations, accompanied by supporting rationales, as to the scale of the work in relation to a University of Auckland postgraduate points enrolment, and/or as to grade in relation to the University of Auckland grading scale.

15. Co-authored research work may be considered under these procedures only where:

a) an applicant’s contribution to an individual piece of co-authored work can be established, to the satisfaction of the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate), as equivalent to a sole-authored research component of 30 points or more

and where

b) a statement regarding author contribution and standing of research output, corroboration from at least one co-author and any other evidence as requested by the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate), are provided for consideration.

16. The Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) may also require the assessment of work in relation to clause 8 of the above policy. In such cases, the provisions of clause 14 of these procedures apply.

17. The Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) may determine that an assessment conducted under these procedures is insufficient and/or that any recommendation made under these procedures is at odds with the evidence or with the substance of an assessment.

18. The final decision as to whether an applicant satisfies the requirements for DocFA candidate research capacity will be made by the Board of Graduate Studies (or delegate) after due consideration of the application and any material produced pursuant to the above policy and these procedures.

The following definitions apply to this document:

Academic Head is the head of the academic unit in which the applicant wishes to enrol, or their nominee.

Academic unit may refer to a faculty, Large Scale Research Institute (LSRI), school or department.

FTE is an abbreviation for Full Time Equivalent.

Joint supervisor refers to the joint supervisor with primary responsibility for administrative requirements.

Main supervisor is the lead supervisor who takes primary responsibility for the supervision of a candidate.

Subject area is the official subject area in which the applicant wishes to enrol.

University means the University of Auckland and includes all subsidiaries.

Include the following:

• Examination of Sub-doctoral Postgraduate Research Components of 30 points and above Procedures 2021
• Doctoral Exceptional Circumstance Entry 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: December 2021
Review date: December 2026