Bachelor of Arts (Honours)

• Program Overview
• Entry Requirements
• Honours Areas
• Program Structure
• Program Requirements and Notes

Program Overview

The Honours degree offers you the opportunity to continue your undergraduate studies at a higher level in your area of interest and to specialise in a discipline before entering the workforce in a relevant position.

The Honours degree indicates to potential employers that you are able to design and complete a research project relatively independently within a given timeframe. This degree is also the main pathway to further study at Masters level.

Entry Requirements

You must have completed a Bachelor of Arts, or a related degree, with at least eight courses in the area of study of your thesis topic. A high level of achievement in the intended area of study must be demonstrated. These are minimum requirements and do not guarantee entry. Importantly, enrolment is contingent upon the Faculty's capacity to provide appropriate supervision.

Honours Areas

Honours is offered in the following areas:

• Australian and Cultural Studies
• Creative Writing
• Environmental and Planning Studies
• Politics and International Studies
• Social and Community Studies

You develop your research topic in consultation with a supervisor and the relevant Area Coordinator.

Program Structure

The Honours program has two major components of equal weighting:

• a 48 unit coursework component (which can consist of 4 x 12 unit, or 3 x 16 unit, or 2 x 24 unit components); and
• a 48 unit thesis component (also known as a dissertation component).

Satisfactory participation in the Faculty Honours Seminar is also required.

If you are completing your Honours program part-time over two years, the first year will normally comprise coursework and the second will be dedicated to your thesis.

Coursework Component

Coursework comprises a mix of:

• reading courses based on a program of supervised reading;
• existing courses in the chosen area of study, with additional prescribed reading and assessment; or
• dedicated Honours courses.

Thesis Component

The nature of the thesis component is determined by your supervisor, the area of study and your topic.

After choosing an honours area and a broad topic, seek advice from the Area Coordinator to define a specific topic. Your topic will be confirmed after discussions with potential supervisors, depending on your interests, your supervisors' interests and the availability of appropriate supervision.

Program Requirements and Notes

Length of Thesis

Your thesis will be a research project conducted over the full one year of enrolment and will normally be 15,000-20,000 words in length. The length is determined by the precise nature of the research in consultation with your supervisor and subject to the approval of the Dean.

Faculty Honours Seminar Program

The Honours Seminar Program helps to build an honours research culture and allows students from every Honours Area to meet in a flexible way, throughout the semesters.

At least one presentation at the Honours Seminar will be a requirement of the Honours program and students will not be deemed to have successfully completed the program if they have not presented at the Seminar.

Examination

All coursework is normally graded internally. A copy of your thesis will be sent to two independent examiners, one of whom is normally internal and the other of whom is external to this University.

Assessment Requirements

To be eligible to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) students are required to pass the thesis and all components of the coursework. Satisfactory participation in the Faculty Honours Seminar is also required.

Classes of Honours

The degree will be awarded in one of the three classes:

• Class 1
• Class 2
• Class 3

Class 2 Honours is awarded as Division 1 or Division 2.

The class of Honours awarded may not be more than one grade higher than the grade for the thesis. For example, if you receive a Credit for your thesis, you may not be awarded the Honours degree at a higher level than Class 2 Division 1, regardless of the average mark.

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