PhD in History
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While writing an MA thesis is a logical progression from a good Honours degree, a PhD thesis is a very different undertaking. The research involves a sustained, rigorous, and systematic approach to a relevant body of knowledge. It requires the preparation of a substantial thesis that presents the outcome of the research and places it in the broader framework of the discipline or field of study. A PhD thesis is required to make an original contribution to knowledge or understanding in the field of study, and to meet recognised international standards for such work. A thesis is expected to meet the following criteria:
- An original thesis which contributes to the state of knowledge.
- Identification of problem(s) and/or question(s) to be investigated in relation to existing scholarship.
- Familiarity with and ability to evaluate the historiographical literature associated with the project.
- Thorough acquaintance with relevant primary sources and secondary literature.
- Clear and definite evidence of ability in source selection, interpretation and analysis, methodological rigour and other related skills as defined by the specific project.
- Absolute accuracy when citing from and, otherwise, interpreting sources.
- Strict and consistent adherence to scholarly conventions relating especially to citations, referencing, etc.
- Literate in presentation (style, format, grammar, syntax, etc.)
At least two years of full-time study at Canterbury are required. The Programme expects full-time students to complete the PhD thesis in three years. For full-time students, a thesis must be completed within 6 years from the date of enrolment; for part-time students, within 8 years after enrolment.
The Programme expects a PhD thesis to be between 80,000 to 100,000 words, including footnotes, bibliography, and appendices.
Research often requires travel to archives elsewhere. While the Programme helps to finance some travel within New Zealand and a few other grants may be available from elsewhere to assist with travel overseas, it is essential to be sure that a sufficient core of primary sources is available here or easily obtainable, before commencing work. (See below pp.44-46 for details of financial support.)
Prospective students need to think carefully about their career goals and personal objectives and ask advice before setting out on a PhD. For many, although by no means all, the degree is primarily training for an academic career.
All that said, however, the Programme welcomes applications from suitably qualified students. Those with a good First Class Honours at BA(Hons) are encouraged to proceed straight to PhD work. Others are best advised to begin work at the MA level, with the possibility of upgrading their enrolment to PhD if they make good progress and the subject is suitable. Normally the graduate equivalent of either a First Class BA Honours or an MA with at least Second Class Honours, Division One, is required for enrolment.
Prospective students should begin discussions with the Director of Graduate Students and a potential supervisor well in advance of enrolment so as to determine whether a proposed topic or field of study can be undertaken at Canterbury. For both MA and PhD theses, co-supervision (with a senior supervisor and at least one other supervisor) is required by the University. A co-supervisor may be from outside the Programme.
Enrolment
The requirements and the procedure are similar to that outlined above for the MA thesis (see pp.19-21). Enrolments can be accepted at any time. Acceptance by the Programme depends on the prior approval of a written preliminary thesis proposal, outlining in about 1000 words the problem or issue to be investigated and the ways it is to be tackled, together with a critical appraisal of the main sources and secondary works available. This is to demonstrate that the topic is viable in terms of its definition, the adequacy of sources, the availability of supervision and the proposed timetable for completion. A prescribed form to attach to the proposal is available from the Programme Administrator, and from Academic Services.
A proposal is considered by the Programme's Research Committee and a recommendation made to the Programme Co-ordinator who nominates a senior supervisor (or co-supervisors) and forwards the proposal to the Dean of Postgraduate Studies for approval.
Registration
Once enrolled, the candidate works under the guidance of the senior supervisor, and in consultation with any other supervisors, to develop a more substantial research proposal for registration. This proposal has to be submitted to the Research Committee for consideration within six months of enrolment. Enrolment may be terminated if registration is not completed within one month of a reminder notice from the Registry. The research proposal will be formally registered after the approval of the Head of Programme and the Dean of Postgraduate Studies has been obtained.
The objective of the registration proposal is to ensure that the topic will (i) lend itself to treatment in considerable depth and (ii) allow the development of a strong and original thesis with adequate methodological sophistication. An extended critical appraisal of the relevant secondary literature is normally required along with a definition and detailed discussion of the issues to be examined. The relevant primary sources, and their location, should be specified together with comment on how these sources will be used. Where oral evidence from interviews is involved, approval by the University's Human Ethics Committee is required before registration.
A realistic timetable for completion within three years should specify the number of proposed chapters, the amount of time expected to be taken to research, write and revise them, and a completion date. The proposal should also provide details of any special supervisory arrangements (for example, provision of alternative supervision in the case of a supervisor taking study leave). There should also be a statement about who has been consulted about the project.
The research proposal must be accompanied by the Application for Approval of Registration of PhD Research Proposal form available from the Programme Administrator, the Director of Graduate Students, and from Academic Services. This form contains a standardised supervision agreement which is signed by the candidate, senior supervisor (who is responsible for ensuring administrative and regulatory requirements are met) and the Head of Programme. It is forwarded to the Dean of Postgraduate Studies.
Transfer from MA to PhD
After six months full-time enrolment, students may apply to transfer their enrolment from MA to PhD. Candidates wishing to do so should, in consultation with their supervisors, submit to the Director of Graduate Students an application to transfer which is accompanied by a full account of the progress made in research for the Master's thesis. The application must also include a PhD research proposal (as required for registration). Transfer will not be approved unless the PhD research proposal is approved.
The application will be considered by the Research Committee, and approved by the Dean of Postgraduate Studies on the recommendations of the Head of Programme and the Faculty Dean. If the candidate is enrolled for PhD under this procedure, the date of enrolment will be backdated as is considered appropriate, normally to the date at which the Master's thesis work commenced.
Seminar on research methods for new thesis writers
All newly enrolled PhD candidates are expected to attend a series of weekly seminars in their first year. See this section under MA Thesis for further details.
Friday staff/student research seminar
During each year of their enrolment Ph.D students are expected to give a presentation on their project to the History Programme's research seminar held on Fridays in Room 311. In consultation with their supervisors, thesis writers should arrange a date with the seminar convenor at the outset of each academic year.
Progress reports
Six months after the date of registration and at six monthly intervals thereafter until the completion of the thesis, PhD candidates must provide written reports to the Director of Graduate Students on the progress of their research. These reports will be considered by the Research Committee which may also ask for further comments or clarification from the candidates and supervisors.
The candidate's report should give:
- a summary of progress since the last report, including a comment on extent which to the timetable for research and writing is being achieved or needs to be modified.
- An outline of the proposed programme for the next twelve months; and
- An outline of any difficulties experienced whether in respect of supervision, resources, or otherwise.
The senior supervisor should also sign and add a comment on candidate's report when it is not accompanied by a separate report from the senior supervisor as required in (2) below.
Six and twelve months after the date of registration and at twelve monthly intervals thereafter, the senior supervisor will write a report on the candidate's progress for the Programme Co-ordinator to submit to the Dean of Postgraduate Studies. The student shall also sign this report, and may add comment if she or he wishes. A copy of the candidate's report, as required under (1) above will accompany the senior supervisor's report.
The senior supervisor's report will be on the standard form available from the Programme Administrator, and and from Academic Services.
The senior supervisor should state whether or not, in her or his opinion, the candidate's progress is satisfactory, and outline any difficulties experienced. The student must see the completed form and sign it. After consulting the Research Committee, the Head of Programme will comment on whether progress is or is not satisfactory before forwarding the report to the Dean of Postgraduate Studies for approval.
Should a candidate's progress be unsatisfactory, the Dean of Postgraduate Studies may place a candidate on probation for a period up to a year and require six monthly reports from the student and the senior supervisor. If satisfactory progress has not been made by the end of the probationary period, the Dean of Postgraduate Studies may terminate a candidate's registration on the recommendation of the Head of Programme.
If at any time a student is dissatisfied with the supervision provided or with any other matter affecting his or her progress, the student should report the matter to the Director of Graduate Students or the Head of Programme. If the student is still dissatisfied, he or she may take the matter to the Dean of Postgraduate Studies or to the Joint Academic Grievance Committee.
Submission and Examination of PhD Thesis
The procedures for submission and examination of the thesis are detailed in the University's PhD Regulations and Guidelines, sections 8 and 9. There are technical requirements for the submission of theses for examination and deposit in the Library. The General Course and Examination Regulations, Section L, in the Calendar provide some general guidance. It is also necessary to consult the Library's A Guide to the Presentation of Theses available from the Central Library Information Desk.
The thesis will be submitted to three examiners. The internal examiner will be a continuing staff member of the History Programme who is one of the supervisors. The other two examiners must be external to the university and not close working colleagues of any of the supervisors, and one of the external examiners shall normally be from overseas. The procedure for the nomination of external examiners is similar to that for the external examiners of MA theses.
Each of the three examiners will submit an independent written report on the thesis to the Manager of Student Records, in the Academic Section of the Registry. Each of the supervisors who is not an examiner will submit a contextual report on the thesis to the Manager of Student Records. All reports are forwarded to the Programme Co-ordinator.
Normally, within a month after the receipt of reports from all examiners, the candidate will be examined orally on the subject of the thesis and on the general field to which the subject belongs. Any revision of the thesis should take place after, not before, the oral examination.
The oral examination will be conducted by two of the examiners, the internal examiner and one of the external examiners. Normally, the overseas external examiner will not be required to travel to New Zealand for the oral, but may provide advice on questions to be asked at the oral. It is common practice in the oral examination for the external examiner to lead the discussions.
The candidate has the right to have up to two persons present at the examination as observers.
The Dean of Postgraduate Studies, after consultation with the Programme Co-ordinator, will appoint a senior member of the Programme who is not an examiner to organise and preside at the oral examination. S/he will act as a neutral chair and does not have voting rights, but may ask questions of the candidate and will ensure that questions posed by the third examiner are put to the candidate. S/he will consult the examiners in determining whether or not the examiners' reports, or parts of them, will be made available to the candidate before the oral examination. At the end of examining process, if not during it, examiners' reports are normally released to the candidate unless an examiner forbids this.
After the oral examination, the examiners shall after consultation, forward a joint report to the Manager of Student Records on the whole examination. They may recommend that the thesis:
- be accepted and the degree awarded;
- be accepted and the degree awarded after minor amendments have been made by a specified date to the satisfaction of one of the examiners nominated by the person presiding at the oral examination;
- be rejected in its present form, but be revised and re-submitted by a specified date;
- be accepted for another degree, with or without amendments;
- be rejected with no right of resubmission.
A form for this purpose is available and from Academic Services.