First up, follow us on our socials!

Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook to keep yourself up to date with all the resources available to Monash graduate students. You can also join your student graduate research community on our HDR Facebook group.

Make sure to log in to the MGA website using your Monash student account to stay in the loop. Event bookings, volunteer opportunities, graduate group funding and, the distribution list of our fortnightly newsletter are all streamlined through your one-time website login.

Now you’ve done that, have a read through this page to find out all you need to know about being a research grad student at Monash University! We’ll cover both the facilities and services available to you, and give you more information about the research journey.

Facilities and services

Parking

Before you even set foot on campus, you will need to work out how you’re going to get here. There are several options via public transport. 

If you plan to drive, there are plenty of parking options available.  You can download the OPark app which will allow you to park on any of the campuses under a Pay As You Use (PAYU) permit system (beware, you will get fined if you don’t remember to activate your parking each time you arrive on campus). Alternatively, all campuses have casual metered parking, but this can quickly cost more than the PAYU system if you are attending regularly.

If cost is an issue, consider carpooling – you’ll save money, the environment and make new friends!

Study space

Let's start with the basics, that is, a place to work. Hopefully, you have been accommodated in your department or school. If not, or if you are a distance education graduate student and visiting a campus, there are central graduate student-specific study spaces available on .  Swipe access to all graduate-specific spaces (except the PhD hub) is automatically loaded onto your student card.

Towards the end of your degree, if you need a quieter place to work, consider applying for a desk in the PhD Hub on Clayton Campus or one of the HDR writing rooms on Caulfield.

The Monash libraries are also a great study location.

Software, email accounts & IT support

It’s important to make sure you’re connected to the Monash IT network, so you’ll need to get your username and password set up. Once you have your Monash account, you can log into the University-wide intranet portal, called my.monash.

If you need any help setting up your computer in your new study space, or require internet access or a printer connected, contact eSolutions. As a Monash University student, you also have access to a range of software that is provided free of charge or at a reduced price.

While you are likely to be provided with a staff-like email account (firstname.secondname@monash.edu), it is important to also check your student email account regularly, as this is the way in which the University will communicate with you about administrative matters.

Better still, set up mail forwarding from your student account to your staff-like account.

Library

If you haven’t been in a library for a while, you’ll definitely need some help familiarising yourself with the search systems, resources and library services available to graduate research students today.

International student orientation

Student advisers from the Campus Community Division run orientation sessions for newly arriving international research students. The International Student Essential Information sessions cover topics such as accommodation and living in Melbourne, Australian culture, health cover, tax matters and more. Click here for details.

Seminars

The MGA runs seminars on all four Victorian campuses and at off-campus locations and online – you are welcome to attend any of those within your reach! See what's on here.

Social Events

After all that intellectual stimulation you can debrief and share experiences with other graduates students at the MGA social events, such as free lunches, coffee catch-ups and monthly socials. We also run bigger events, like an annual HDR Trivia Night, a Graduate Student Ball and a Thesis Bootcamp.

The research journey

Scholarships

It’s hard enough to live on a scholarship income but it’s even harder to live without one at all. If you’ve missed out on a scholarship you can always apply in the next round.

Statistics/ethics

If your research involves using biohazards or human or animal participants, you will need to seek ethics approval before you start connecting electrodes to brains or even conducting surveys or interviews.

Reach out to the Monash Statistical Consulting Service to ensure that the statistical analysis you have in mind is a good fit with your planned research.

Learning and Language Support

Stuck for words? The University has some great online resources about planning and writing a thesis that are worth a look.

Want to speak to someone? Make an online or in-person appointment with a Learning and Language Adviser who can provide advice about academic writing.

Referencing

It’s important to properly reference and cite other people’s work used in your thesis. Issues like plagiarism, even when unintended, are taken very seriously and the consequences at Monash can be severe. Find out more about academic integrity here.

Supervision

Aaah supervision! What can we say? It can make or break a PhD. At Monash there is a Graduate Research Supervision Policy that sets out what you can expect from your supervisor and school, and what they will expect from you.

You need to make sure you keep your supervisor relationship healthy and happy. Whatever you do, don’t let the situation deteriorate without acting. Things can sometimes look bad, but there’s almost always a solution. If you do find yourself in need of some confidential advice, make an appointment with one of the MGA Advocates.

Intellectual property

Just a brief word about intellectual property. If your research requires you to sign a deed of assignment or any other document that affects or restricts the ownership or use of your work, you should seek advice from one of the MGA Advocates before signing.

Travel grants

If you’re planning to present at a conference or undertake fieldwork, have a look at the information provided for Studying Away in the Handbook for Doctoral Degrees. You may be eligible for some kind of travel grant or support – every little bit helps!

Confirmation of candidature

All first year PhD candidates need to work towards the formal confirmation of candidature that will take place around the nine month to one year mark. Talk to your supervisor about what this involves so that you are properly prepared when the big day arrives.

Once you are over the confirmation of candidature hurdle, there will be a Progress Review to ensure you are staying on track, and a Final Review held a few months prior to the submission of your thesis. Both the Progress Review and the Final Review are now formal hurdles and must be satisfied in order to progress.

Annual re-enrolment

All doctoral candidates are required to re-enrol annually. To assist candidates in meeting this requirement, the University sends information and instructions about online re-enrolment procedures, including the closing date for re-enrolment, to candidates via their Monash University student email accounts towards the end of each year.

Please remember to enrol on time – there are fines for late enrolments and they can be quite punitive!

Authorship

We know you’ve only just started but if you’re producing quality results, then your supervisor might get you working on a paper for publication. This will usually be a joint publication with your supervisor and possibly other staff and students. Have a chat with your supervisor at the beginning of the process to find out how the authorship arrangements will work. It’s good practice for everyone to have an agreed position on this from the outset.

Monash Graduate Research Office

The Monash Graduate Research Office  is the administrative arm that sits over all research training and deals with enrolments, scholarships and candidature-related processes like intermissions, extensions and examinations. Contact the Monash Graduate Research Office staff if you have any questions about how it all works.

Advice & advocacy and self-care

Finally, make sure you look after yourself! Undertaking a graduate research degree can be challenging, even when everything is going smoothly. 

The HDR Thrive portal for graduate research students is a fantastic resource for stressed-out procrastinating students. 

If you feel as though things are spiralling out of control, make an appointment to see a counsellor for a chat and some strategies for dealing with your situation.

You can also drop into one of the  to speak with the  or make an appointment to see one of the MGA Advocates if you need help to get you back on track.