Assessment

Here you'll find information about how you'll be assessed during your research.

  • Standard Assessment

    University standards about assessment in graduate coursework subjects – 5,000 words of assessment per 12.5 points.

    A significant piece of written work (thesis, research report, paper for publication) remains the central focus of assessment and is to be weighted at 60% (or above) of weighting towards overall assessment. Students must also orally present their work as a hurdle requirement.

    For all projects a standard structure (Table 6.1) applies.

    Table 6.1: Standard Assessment for Research/Industry Subjects

    Subject Code Assessable Item Word
    Limit
    Due Date
    (11pm Monday)
    Value
    (%)
    ENST90006
    (12.5 pts) 
    • Extended Bibliography
    • Literature Review
    • Extended Bibliography: 1000
    • Literature Review: 4000
    • Week 5
    • Week 1 of Exam Period
    • 20
    • 80
    ENST90007
    ENST90025
    (25 pts)        
    • Literature Review
    • Research Seminar*
    • Research Project
    • Literature Review: 1500
    • Research Seminar: 15 min
    • Research Project: 7000
    • Week 5
    • Week 11*
    • Week 1 of Exam Period
    • 15
    • 15
    • 70
    ENST90035/36
    ENST90039/40
    (25 pts)        
    • Literature Review
    • Research Seminar*
    • Research Project
    • Literature Review: 1500
    • Research Seminar: 15 min
    • Research Project: 7000
    • Week 10 (1st Semester)
    • Week 11 (2nd Semester)*
    • Week 1 of Exam Period
    • 15
    • 15
    • 70
    ENST90016
    ENST90020
    (50 pts)        
    • Literature Review
    • Research Seminar*
    • Research Project
    • Literature Review: 3000
    • Research Seminar: 15 min
    • Research Project: 15500
    • Week 5
    • Week 11*
    • Week 1 of Exam Period
    • 15
    • 7
    • 78
    ENST90037/38
    ENST90041/42
    (50 pts)        
    • Literature Review
    • Research Seminar*
    • Research Project
    • Literature Review: 3000
    • Research Seminar: 15 min
    • Research Project: 15500
    • Week 10 (1st Semester)
    • Week 11 (2nd Semester)*
    • Week 1 of Exam Period
    • 15
    • 7
    • 78

    *Hurdle requirement

  • Assessment Criteria

    Final research reports are assessed on the following criteria:

    CRITERIA

    WEIGHTING

    Definition of the problem to be investigated.

    Demonstration of knowledge of the relevant literature and a capacity to analyse it in relation to the problem defined.

    30%

    Use of literature and proven techniques of investigation, to solve or to clarify the readers understanding of the problem being investigated.

    Explanations of limitations within the students’ own work and the nature of any contribution made.

    50%

    Demonstration of competence in technical and/or discipline specific writing.

    Assembly of a logical report that is well laid-out (presentation).

    20%

    Format requirements

    On a title page, include the following details

    • Your full name
    • University of Melbourne Student ID Number
    • Title of the research project
    • The full name of your degree
    • The subject title and number
    • The name of your supervisor and their Faculty
    • The month and year of submission.

    Please include the following:

    • A short abstract of up to 500 words (near the start of your report)
    • Up to 5 keywords for the library catalogue
    • Your full name and Student ID Number in the footer of every page of your project
    • Spacing – 1.5 or 2; Font 11 or 12 point depending on your preferred font. E.g. Times New Roman, 12 point font
    • Full acknowledgment of all other material used
    • A Student Declaration worded as follows and signed by you:

    “The work in this project was undertaken in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Melbourne for the degree of Master of Environment.”

  • Submission

    Research projects must be submitted via LMS.  The digital version must be submitted by 11pm on the first Monday of the Exam Period. Students may also upload their report to the Library’s online repository for the benefit of future students and academics.

    Electronic submission via the LMS

    Submit through LMS

    • Click on ‘Assessment’ in the left hand column
    • Select ‘Research Project (final) Semester (one or two, year) and follow the instructions to upload your document

    It is highly recommended that you do a test run submission in Turnitin; you can also check your similarity score. You are able to withdraw and resubmit your project any time before the due date.

    Please note: You cannot undertake a test submission any time on or after the due date even if you have an approved extension, as you will not be able to withdraw the test.

    Digital repository submission

    An electronic copy of your report (referred to as a thesis for library purposes) can be deposited into the University’s Institutional Repository, Minerva Access. If you do decide to deposit your report into Minerva Access, access to your thesis will be restricted to University of Melbourne staff and students only. This complies with Copyright regulations and to allow students to publish work in academic journals or other contexts.

    To deposit your report into Minerva Access:

    1. Open: https://minerva.unimelb.edu.au/
    2. Navigate to the Deposit you research section and click on the Honours and Masters Coursework Theses option.
    3. Follow the Deposit your thesis into Minerva Access instructions.
    4. If you require assistance with the depositing process please contact the Minerva Access team
  • Examination

    Examiners are nominated by your supervisors according to the size of the subject:

    • 12.5 points: supervisor
    • 25 points: supervisor and 1 other academic
    • 50 points: 2 other academics

    Examiners will remain anonymous until the final result is released and may elect to withhold their identity altogether. Examiners are given 10 business days to mark the report. The Subject Coordinator will review the comments and grades and calculate the final grade:

    • 12.5 point subjects: supervisor grade typically becomes final grade
    • 25 point and above subjects: if grades are less than a grade band apart (e.g. H2A and H1) the 2 examiners' grades are averaged to give the final grade.

    If grades are greater than a grade level apart, the Coordinator will:

    1. Consult with the supervisor.
    2. Based on advice from supervisor the Subject Coordinator will either:
      1. consult with the individual examiners to seek a resolution, or
      2. seek a third examiner (nominated by the Subject Coordinator who will be given up to ten days to complete their assessment.
    3. The result of the third assessment will be forwarded to the Subject Coordinator who will review the result in consultation with the Chair of the Board of Examiners for Master of Environment Subjects. A result will be derived (usually by averaging the two marks that lie closest together of the three).

    The Subject Coordinator will do all they can to ensure that student grades are resolved in a timely fashion so that students can graduate as planned. However, there is no guarantee: extensions or inconsistencies in examiners grades can prolong the process.

    Appeals

    Students who wish to appeal against the grade and mark must make a case in writing to the subject coordinator within a month of the official release of results. The Subject Coordinator may dismiss the appeal if they believe an adequate case for re-marking has not been made. The Subject Coordinator may ask the supervisor to appoint an additional Examiner who will make an independent assessment of the research project and provide a mark and a report to the Subject Coordinator. The Subject Coordinator will then act as the arbitrator of the appeal process, based on the three reports and a letter from the supervisor indicating the supervisor’s position. The original mark will then be confirmed or adjusted.

    Any reduction (or change) in the mark as a result of the appeal will be reported to the Academic Board. Students retain the right of appeal beyond the Office for Environmental Programs to the Academic Board, but it should be noted that such appeals will address only procedural matters and not questions of academic judgment.

  • Presentations

    Students enrolled in 25 or 50 point research projects are required to do an oral presentation during their project (minimum 15 minutes), which is a hurdle requirement and represents 7% (50 point projects) or 15% (25 point projects) of their overall assessment.

    Research presentation days run approximately 2-3 weeks prior to the submission date for the final report. Presentations must be assessed by two academics, typically the supervisor and a colleague.