Students have appropriately experienced supervisor(s) and an Advisory Committee who, in consultation with the candidate, arrange a course of supervised research designed to suit the individual requirements and interests of the candidate.

Students are enrolled in the PhD Research subject for the duration of their candidature. At the completion of the course students submit their final project which can consist of a written thesis, or a combination of creative and written work, depending on the discipline area.

Students are expected to participate in Research Seminars and Intensive research weekends where relevant

Your final submission will be as follows:

Creative Arts Therapies, Music Psychology, Music Therapy and Musicology/Ethnomusicology

PhD candidates undertake supervised work that leads to a thesis (of approximately 80,000 words).

Dance, Design and Production, Film and Television, Indigenous Arts and Culture, Music Theatre, Theatre and Visual Art

The PhD thesis may take the form of performance and/or corpus of creative work, plus a dissertation of 40,000 - 50,000 words which aims to address, elucidate and contextualise the work; or as a written dissertation of approximately 80,000 words.

The VCA strongly supports practice-led or artistic research projects leading to the submission a thesis comprising both Creative Work and Dissertation, according to the University guidelines for a thesis with Creative Work.

Composition

PhD candidates in Composition submit a folio and dissertation. The folio will constitute 90-120 minutes of music and is weighted at 70%. The accompanying dissertation will be 20-25,000 words and weighted at 30%.

Interactive Composition

PhD candidates in interactive Composition submit a folio and dissertation. The folio will constitute 90-120 minutes of music and sound with other media and is weighted at 70%. The accompanying dissertation will be 20-25,000 words and weighted at 30%.

Jazz & Improvisation

PhD candidates undertake supervised work that leads to a dissertation, normally of 40,000-50,000 words (50%), and a folio of creative work (50%). The thesis and folio must be presented in a form that can be sent for assessment by external examiners who are usually international.

Music Performance

PhD candidates undertake supervised work that leads to a dissertation, normally of 20-25,000 words (25%), and a folio of performances equivalent to 3 full recitals or 210 minutes (75%). The thesis and folio must be presented in a form that can be sent for assessment by external examiners who are usually international. The performance folio must created during the candidature for the purposes of fulfilling the requirements of the PhD.

Coursework Component

Melbourne Conservatorium of Music

Students enrolled in disciplines offered by the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music who do not have the appropriate research methodology background may be required to complete MUSI90191 The Research Process for Musicians in the first semester of their candidature.

Victorian College of the Arts

Students enrolled in disciplines offered by the Victorian College of the Arts are required to complete CREA90001 Research Methods 1 in their first semester of candidature.