Policy Enactment and Complexity

This thesis is an exploration of the enactment 1 of a complex policy, a master by research 2 in a complex context, a university. It is positioned with those studies that are concerned with the idea of the university, and the conundrum in which the university finds itself at this time of tensions and contestations. Variations and contradictions within descriptions of the master by research as a policy suggest it is a contested phenomenon and one that is changing in response to the shifts occurring in research training more broadly. Through a descriptive case study of a new degree, a Master of Philosophy (MPhil), this project contributes to understanding both the master by research as a policy object and how we do policy at universities. The original contribution of this work is twofold: it builds understanding of the master by research deeply, as little research has so far been done on this degree; and also employs the construct of a conceptual framework drawing from complexity theories and policy enactment. The central material used in this study is the analysis of four (4) key documents that contributed to the development of the MPhil, and fifteen (15) interviews with a range of policy actors involved in the development, delivery, or study in the MPhil, who are known in this thesis as policy authors, supervisors, and students.