Confirmation review
Last reviewed 17 September 2026
Your confirmation review takes place in the first year of your PhD. Full-time candidates hold it after 9 to 12 months of study and must be confirmed within 15 months. If you started in Term 1, 2026, your review will be in November or December 2026.
Before the review
- In late October, tell the Postgraduate Research Coordinator (PGRC) that you are due for confirmation.
- With your supervisors, choose your preferred panel members and send the PGRC a list of names. This is optional, but we strongly recommend it: the panel will give you feedback throughout your dissertation. You may also nominate a chair.
- The PGRC appoints three panel members, in consultation with your supervisors.
- Contact the panel members to find a date and time when all of them and your supervisors can attend. The review can be held online.
- The School of Economics (SOE) office books a venue and handles the logistics, but you must confirm the date, the time and whether the review is in person or online.
- Complete the review form in the Graduate Research Information System (GRIS) and send the documents listed below.
Panel members cannot be anyone who has been on your supervisory team, academics supervised by your supervisors, or your supervisors' active research collaborators.
Documents and deadlines
| Document | Where | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Review form, with your progress against your milestones and evidence that you meet the minimum requirements | GRIS | At least one month before |
| Presentation slides | GRIS | At least one month before |
| Evidence that you have completed UNSW's research integrity and research data management training | GRIS | At least one month before |
| Milestones for the next 12 months, agreed with your supervisors, and a timeline for completing your thesis | GRIS | At least one month before |
| PhD Program Learning Outcomes (PLO) assessment form, signed by your supervisor (a Business School requirement) | GRIS | At least one month before |
| Presentation material | Email to your panel | At least one week before |
If you miss the review or don't complete the GRIS form, you will receive a show cause request.
At the review
- You present your work for 30 to 40 minutes, covering:
- a literature review;
- preliminary results and/or a preliminary draft of a paper, which will be the first chapter of your dissertation;
- a thesis proposal, with concrete ideas for the remaining chapters.
- The panel has 10 minutes for questions.
- The panel asks you to leave, and discusses your progress among themselves and with your supervisors. You may also meet the panel without your supervisors present.
- When the panel reaches a decision, you are called back to hear its feedback. The panel reviews your milestones for your first annual progress review.
Minimum requirements
Coursework
- Direct-entry students: an average of at least 85 in the core courses, with at least 75 in each, and on track for an average of at least 75 in any other courses.
- Former MPDBS students: an average of at least 75 in your PhD courses.
PhD seminar series
Two presentations over the academic year, discussant duty, and at least 80% attendance. See the seminar requirements.
Research
- A good understanding of the literature you are researching, usually shown through a literature review.
- Preliminary results. A research proposal with only a literature review is not acceptable.
- A rough draft of a paper, which would be the first chapter of your dissertation.
- Proposals for chapters two and three, with a timeline.
Business School and Graduate Research School (GRS)
UNSW's research integrity and research data management training, and any required inductions.
If you don't meet the requirements
- The outcome of your confirmation review will be Marginal or Unsatisfactory.
- The panel sets conditions, and a second confirmation review is held within three months (for full-time candidates).
- If you still don't meet the requirements at the second review, you will be asked to show cause why your enrolment should continue.
Teaching
If you are tutoring or lecturing, at UNSW or at another institution, you must report it at your confirmation review. The panel may advise you to change your teaching load.
For the full rules, see the UNSW Higher Degree Research Policy and its HDR Progression Instruction.