Jenny Tung's Must Knows for International Students' when applying for admission to UWA Masters Research and currently enrolled in UWA Coursework Masters
International students – What you need to know about enrolling in a Masters by Research when you are currently enrolled in a Master by Coursework
1. You need to complete your first year of master acquiring certain prerequisite grades (usually above 70%).
2. Choose a research topic and identify supervisors in the field. The topic of research is decided on and refined by both the student and supervisor, so ensure that you have discussed with your supervisors before you decide to switch.
3. VISA! When you switch from Coursework to Research, you will need to apply for a new Student Visa (this is because research degree falls into a different visa subclass – higher education vs. postgraduate research) and buy a new OSHC (e.g. your existing OSHC expires in March 2014, but your new visa valid until Nov 2014, you will need to buy another 8 months of OSHC).
Ø It may be helpful in the decision making process to factor in these fees before you decide on switching.
4. Lodge an application with the International Student Application Form, the Supplementary Form and a Research Outline.
5. If you are applying for International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IPRS), Scholarships for International Research Fees (SIRF) and UWA China Scholarships you should complete the online application form on the Scholarships website.
6. Allow for up to 3 months of processing your application.
Ø Your application is handled mainly by the International Centre, as well as the Student Administration and Graduate Research School (GRS).
Ø It is better to hand in your application personally, to the International Centre. Documents can get lost, which is why you should keep a copy of your application yourself, and (or) a copy with your school/centre.
Ø Know the staff that handles your application to keep track of the progress.
7. Prepare for the worst – if your application is not yet approved when uni starts:
Ø Your originally enrolled course will be discontinued. Consequently à
Ø Your library account may be disabled.
Ø Your Transperth SmartRider may cut your full-time student discount.
Ø You may not be able to access your laboratory, or school with your student card.
Ø You may need to chase around between the International Centre, Student Admin and GRS, to see where or why your application got stuck.
Nonetheless, undertaking a research degree offers you a rewarding and exciting learning experience.
l Explore an issue in real depth independently, and enjoy the challenges that come with it.
l Develop generic or transferable skills – project and personal management skills; ability to think independently and critically; effective problem solving and communication skills.
l Graduates from higher degree by research programs are highly employable, across all fields of study.
