Skip to:

Getting Organised

There are no formulas for completing a PhD but there are general requirements and standard elements.

This module is designed to help you get organised so that you'll be on track to achieve the PhD milestones within the candidature period. The focus here is on project management and, in particular:

Understanding what you are expected to achieve and demonstrate by the end of candidature
Identifying the components and requirements of a PhD
Prioritising tasks and managing your time
Developing systems to manage the information you will accumulate during candidature.

The first two topics - on understanding expectations of graduates and the components of a PhD - draw your attention to the 'big picture', helping you to form an overview of higher degree research. We look at the broad outcomes for candidates in terms of skills development and graduate attributes, as well as knowledge and expertise.

The latter two topics - on prioritising tasks and managing time and information - get down to the nitty-gritty: how are you going to achieve the required outcomes working on a week-by-week and day-by-day basis? You'll need to be highly organised and efficient to complete a PhD within the candidature period, and the general expectation is that you'll work independently and be self-managed, with your supervisor providing support rather than instruction.

The University of New England respects and acknowledges that its people, courses and facilities are built on land, and surrounded by a sense of belonging, both ancient and contemporary, of the world's oldest living culture. In doing so, UNE values and respects Indigenous knowledge systems as a vital part of the knowledge capital of Australia. We recognise the strength, resilience and capacity of the Aboriginal community and pay our respects to the Elders past, present and future.