The attendance pattern for this course is full-time or part-time according to candidate choice.

Places are limited and will be offered to qualified applicants based on merit, according to the following minimum admission criteria and any other requirements specified by the Committee.

Admission to the degree requires:

a bachelor's degree with first or second class honours from the University of Sydney, or an equivalent qualification; and

satisfactory evidence of adequate training and ability to pursue the proposed course; and

suitability of the applicant's proposed topic; and

availability of appropriate supervision.

Applications for admission to part-time candidature shall include a written undertaking that the applicant will:

have sufficient time available to complete the requirements for the degree within the maximum course duration; and

be able to attend at the University at such times and on such occasions for purposes of consultation and participation in faculty activities, as may be required on the recommendation of the Committee.

To qualify for the award of the degree, a candidate must:

complete the unit of study LAWS6077 Legal Research 1; and

complete a thesis in the subject approved by the Committee, having an upper limit of 50,000 words of text that may be exceeded only with the permission of the Committee; and

satisfy the examiners that the thesis is a substantial contribution to the subject concerned.

Each candidate shall pursue their course of advanced study and research wholly under the control of the University. Where a candidate is employed by an institution other than the University, the Committee may require a statement by that employer acknowledging that the candidature will be under the control of the University.

The Committee shall appoint a suitably qualified supervisor and associate supervisor(s) for each candidate to take primary responsibility for the conduct of the candidature and to be responsible for the progress of the candidature to the Committee in accordance with policy established by the Academic Board.

Subject to approval of the supervisors and the Committee, a candidate shall attend the University for consultation with the supervisors and participate in Legal Research 1 classes and faculty seminars. A candidate pursuing candidature outside Australia must also complete a minimum of one semester of candidature within the University before submission of the thesis.

The Committee may, upon satisfactory documentary evidence of illness, injury, misadventure or other extenuating circumstances, permit a variation to the candidature, including change of attendance pattern, suspension of candidature, and extension of candidature.

A candidate may spend time in another institution during the period of candidature or complete the candidature away from the University of Sydney. In such cases, the approval of the supervisors must be sought and the Committee informed of the arrangements made for continued supervision. Supervision arrangements will be reviewed annually.

The Committee may, upon written application by a candidate, permit a candidate who has been admitted to candidature but has not enrolled to defer enrolment for one year.

A full-time candidate shall complete the requirements for the degree not earlier than the end of the first year of candidature and, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, not later than the end of the second year of candidature.

A part-time candidate shall complete the requirements for the degree not earlier than the end of the second year of candidature and, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, not later than the end of the fourth year of candidature.

The earliest and latest dates for completion of requirements for the degree shall be adjusted for a candidate who has varied their attendance pattern or suspended their candidature.

The Committee may deem time spent or work done towards the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by a candidate before admission to candidature for the Master of Criminology by Research to be time spent or work done after admission, provided the candidate has ceased to be a candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy.

Each year, a candidate shall provide evidence of progress and attend a progress review interview.

On the basis of evidence provided and the interview, the Committee shall recommend the conditions of candidature to apply for the following year and may require the candidate to provide further evidence of progress at the end of one semester or such other period as the Committee considers appropriate.

At any given time, if a candidate fails to submit evidence of progress or if the Committee considers that the evidence submitted does not indicate satisfactory progress, the Faculty may, on the Committee's recommendation, call upon the candidate to show cause why that candidature should not be terminated by reason of unsatisfactory progress towards completion of the degree and where, in the opinion of the Faculty, the candidate does not show good cause the Faculty may terminate that candidature or may impose conditions on the continuation of that candidature.

On completing the course of advanced study and research, a candidate shall submit three copies of the thesis in a form prescribed by resolution of the Academic Board and three copies of a summary of about 300 words in length.

The thesis shall embody the results of the work undertaken, which shall be a substantial contribution to the subject concerned.

The Committee, in accordance with the policies determined by the Faculty and University, shall appoint two examiners with qualifications it deems appropriate to examine the thesis of the candidate, of whom at least one must be external to the University of Sydney.

The candidate shall state, generally in the preface and specifically in notes, the sources from which the information is derived, the human ethical approvals obtained, the extent to which the work of others has been made use of, and the portion of the work the candidate claims as original.

The candidate may not present as the thesis any work which has been presented for a degree or diploma at this or another university, but the candidate will not be precluded from incorporating such in the thesis, provided that, in presenting the thesis, the candidate indicates the part of the work which has been so incorporated.

The thesis shall be accompanied by a certificate from the supervisor stating whether, in the supervisor's opinion, the form of presentation of the thesis is satisfactory.

The Committee will determine the grade at which the degree is to be awarded in light of the reports of the examiners. The degree is awarded at Honours Class I, Honours Class II or Pass level.

The Committee will ensure that the result is in accordance with University policies and procedures.

The degree will not be awarded until the candidate has lodged with the University Librarian a permanently bound copy of the thesis printed on archival or permanent paper, containing any amendments or corrections that may be required.