To qualify for the higher degree a candidate will not undertake a formal program of study but is expected to use the period of enrolment to prepare a contextual statement for their body of work, and to submit both in the format required by the University.

For a candidate to qualify for the degree of Higher Doctorate, the student must receive a determination that the degree be awarded following the examination of the body of work and contextual statement.

The submitted body of work and contextual statement must meet all requirements for presentation and lodgement specified in the Higher Degrees by Research Policy and Higher Doctorates Submission Rules.

The submitted work must not contain:

Material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma, except where that work is clearly identified as having been so submitted
Any material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the published works and/or the contextual statement

Assessment

The examination will assess whether the student has demonstrated that their body of work has made internationally recognised, significant and sustained original contributions to a field of research or to inter-disciplinary scholarship, at a level substantially higher than the requirements of a Doctor of Philosophy.

A body of work may be regarded as meeting the requirements if it meets one of the following:

Represents a significant advance in knowledge in the relevant field, or to inter-disciplinary scholarship
Has caused, or become a major part of, a significant debate among scholars in the relevant field
Has caused significant changes in the direction of research or in the practice of recognised scholars in the relevant field