Higher degree by research enrolment guide

Prior to enrolment, you will need to accept your program offer. Instructions for responding to and accepting your offer are included in your offer letter. 

If you have also received a scholarship offer, there is no additional step to formally accept the scholarship. By accepting your offer of admission, you are accepting an offer of admission and scholarship. Please refer to the 'Scholarship offers' section of this webpage for further instructions on providing us with your banking details via Enrolment Online to receive your scholarship payments.

• Your RMIT offer (specifically your student number and program details)
• Proof of citizenship
• A form of photo identification (example: passport or driver licence)
• Your Unique Student Identifier (USI). It’s a government requirement that you have a USI to enrol in a higher education program. If you don't have a USI, you can create your USI via the Australian Government USI website
• International offshore candidates or New Zealand citizens studying offshore are not required to provide a Unique Student Identifier (USI) number.

Before you can proceed any further, you must change your RMIT password and register for multi-factor authentication. To do this, go to RMIT ID and password and follow the instructions under Log in for the first time.

Enrolment Online is the system you use to enrol.

Log in to Enrolment Online

Log in to Enrolment Online using your RMIT email address, new password and multi-factor authentication.

What to enrol in

Your courses will be pre-selected in accordance with the enrolment requirements of your research program. The Research Training Services team will contact you with instructions on how to complete your enrolment.

Before you log out, ensure your enrolment details are correct.

If your details are wrong or you have any queries, please contact Student Connect.

You will be required to re-enrol to your program each year.

Your rights and responsibilities

As part of the enrolment process, you agree to the University’s Statement of student responsibilities. Familiarise yourself with this statement as it governs your conduct while a student at RMIT.

Learn more about your rights and responsibilities.

Preferred name

RMIT recognises both your legal name and your preferred name. To update your preferred name, follow the instructions on Update your personal details.

Please refer to your offer letter for your program commencement date.

If you cannot commence within your intake month, you may request to defer your program. Deferral requests are not automatically guaranteed and are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

To defer your program, submit a request through the Student Connect portal as soon as possible with the subject line "Change of Commencement Date". When considering a deferment, we encourage you to choose a start date that is suitable to both you and your senior supervisor. Evidence of supervisor support for the deferral must be uploaded as an attachment to the request.

If you have received a scholarship offer from the School of Graduate Research (SGR), this will be noted on your offer letter. SGR Scholarships include the following:

• Vice Chancellor’s PhD Scholarship (VCPS)
• RTP Stipend Scholarship (RSS)
• RMIT Research Stipend Scholarship (RRSS)
• RTP International Fee Offset Scholarship (RIFOS)
• RMIT International Tuition Fee Offset (RRITFS)

Note: If you have been offered an RTP fee place, this is not a scholarship offer.

If you have received a school-based scholarship offer, you will need to contact your school to discuss individual scholarship allowances and entitlements.  

Receive your scholarship payments

In order to receive your scholarship payments, you will need to provide us with your banking details via Enrolment Online.

1. Log in to Enrolment Online
2. Go to My student record
3. Go to View/manage bank accounts
4. Input the details of your nominated bank account

Scholarship payments will be made fortnightly into your nominated bank account, as per the RMIT pay calendar.    

Scholarship commencement date

If you are a new candidate, your scholarship start date will reflect your program commencement date. The scholarship start date for existing candidates will be set to a pre-approved date for all awardees (this is indicated on your offer letter).

Unless stated otherwise, scholarship duration for PhD is 3 years, with the possibility of a 6-month extension. SGR has provisionally extended all scholarships for the additional 6 month period on the basis that satisfactory progress is maintained. Failure to maintain satisfactory progress may result in the cancellation of the 6-month extension.

Scholarship duration for Masters by Research is 2 years, with no provision for extension.

Any period of study towards a higher degree by research completed prior to the start of this scholarship will be taken into account and the duration of the scholarship will be reduced accordingly.

Conditions of scholarship

Failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress, as outlined in the HDR Progress Management and Support Procedure, may result in a suspension of scholarship payments.

Further details relating to the terms and conditions of your scholarship can be found within the HDR Scholarship Terms and Conditions.

Please read this document carefully before accepting your scholarship.

Communications from RMIT

RMIT will send important messages to your RMIT student email account.

It is very important that you log in to your RMIT student email account at least twice a week to check for emails and notices.

Starting candidature

Once you have successfully enrolled in your new program, you are advised to visit Starting your HDR which is specifically designed to help you to get started and settle in to your candidature.

You can also check out the New Student Guide, which has general information for all new RMIT students, and Research students, with links and information specifically for HDR candidates.

Remember to:

• view your financial details and make an online payment via Enrolment Online – remember it is important to pay on time or penalties will be applied
• see important dates for when semester starts and to make a note of your census dates
• get your RMIT student card
• regularly check your RMIT student email account
  
• complete your coursework and research training requirements.
  
• pay your fees.