
A research project comprises an in-depth study of a relevant public health, global health, health management or infectious diseases intelligence issue or topic and may be in the form of a small-scale research study, a case study, a program evaluation or a report on field placement.
Projects will vary in their aims, scope and design. During the course of the project, candidates are expected to demonstrate their ability to:
The overall learning experience for students is independent research with supervision by one or more academic supervisors. Projects are either negotiated, student-led proposals or selected from projects proposed by academic supervisors. It is important that you set yourself realistic goals for the project and not attempt to undertake work that would be appropriate for a research Master’s thesis. Three project options are available:
Research projects are only available to students enrolled in the Master of Public Health, Master of Global Health, Master of Health Leadership and Management or Master of Infectious Diseases Intelligence, or associated dual and extension postgraduate coursework programs, who achieve a WAM of 75 or above after completion of at least 18 UOC of their program.
Students who wish to undertake a research degree will need to complete at least 12 UOC in research courses to be considered for entry into the PhD program.
The first step is to read the Research Project Guidelines for Students, Supervisors and Examiners booklet, which has important information for students considering or enrolling in a research project. It includes guidance about the scope of the project and what students should aim to achieve; how to plan the project; responsibilities of student, supervisor and co-supervisor; what assessors will be looking for, and other important considerations.
The earlier you begin preparing for the project, the easier it is to complete the project within the period of enrolment. Candidates who start planning a project early will be able to select relevant elective courses and may undertake some preparation through their assignments. By the time you have completed half the course work required in your program, you should have identified your topic area and approached academics about their capacity to supervise your project so you are ready to enrol in the project well ahead of the start of term. You may wish to consider one of the advertised projects. You are encouraged to consider the knowledge and skills that you would like to acquire during the project before you start contacting potential supervisors (see Early Stage Research Project Planning). Projects that require ethics approval must have the approval prior to submitting your application for enrolment. Obtaining ethics approvals takes time, which is an important reason to start planning early. In the term prior to enrolment, you will need to draft your proposal with the input of your supervisor/s and obtain feedback and approval from the Research Coordinator prior to enrolment.
Enrolment in the research project is completed manually by student administrative staff. Students are not able to enrol themselves via myUNSW. Before you can be enrolled in a research project, the following requirements must be met:
The deadline for the submission of the final version of the proposal is the Monday of O Week in the term the student is to be enrolled. Once the application and project proposal have been approved by the Research Project Coordinator and Education Support Office, you will receive an email confirming your enrolment in the research project.
Vanessa Green–for application process, administrative queries and submission of assessments.
Dr Kathleen Falster–for project proposals.
Examiners will be asked to use two documents to guide their assessment of the final research report: