The Australian Association of Writing Programs

What does a Research degree in Writing project proposal include?

Admission requirements for a Masters or PhD in research usually require a potential candidate to:

1. show evidence they have potential for research; and
2. show evidence of a capacity for producing publishable written work; and
3. have appropriate academic qualifications.
   In addition to this, the potential candidate must also:
4. show that their project is worthwhile, viable and within the university’s areas of interest and supervisory capability.

A Masters or Doctoral proposal usually includes material that covers these 4 areas.

In most universities, therefore, a project proposal will include a statement of:

(word or page lengths for the below vary for each university – follow what it specifies)

1. Which degree you are applying for.
2. CV/Resume: including your contact information, education and degrees, publication history, grants, awards, and any other related information about you as a writer such as any professional memberships, writing competition success or mentorship involvements.
3. Project outline: including a synopsis of your proposed piece of creative/professional work, the genre, projected audience and possible venues for publication, possible topics for the dissertation/exegesis and a brief overview (literature review) of previous relevant research in your area.
4. Sample of your writing: this can be from work-in-progress or already published work, but should be in a similar genre to your proposed thesis, both creative work and exegesis.
5. While some universities require you to locate, contact and nominate potential supervisors, in the absence of this, you may wish to indicate a staff member whose work/research interests intersect with your own.
6. Other project information such as: if you require cross- and multi-disciplinary project supervision, whether you are seeking full-time or part-time enrolment, and whether you will be an internal (on-campus) and external (off-campus) student. Remember to check such factors as not all universities offer all these options for all programs.

Make sure you include your contact details (postal, fax and telephone, not mobile phone number) and keep copies of all materials, as proposals are not always returned.

What is an exegesis?

The exegetical component of the thesis is an integral part of these degrees and will comprise a scholarly dissertation confirming the nature of the creative/professional work as research. Such components may include a statement of the research question, a literature review, methodology section, contribution to the research area, as well as analytical and/or interpretive discussions of genre, audience and working methods as research. Purely reflective or self-interpretive work is unacceptable.

The exegesis will normally be worked on in association with the major creative/professional work of publishable standard, under the guidance of the supervisors.

For further information on the exegesis, please see the papers in TEXT, ‘Illuminating the Exegesis’ as well as the links in the accompanying ‘Exegesis - The Debate in TEXT’ section.

Where can I find out about universities, courses, potential supervisors and their special research areas?

• University websites usually lists members of staff and their special research areas, teaching areas and publications.
• The AAWP guide to writing courses