Honours

Eligibility for Admission
How to Apply
Enquiries
Workload and Assessment
Awards
Scholarships

Honours is an intensive year-long program of advanced study based around research. Honours is undertaken after successful completion of a Bachelor degree and where the overall mark is a minimum credit average (65%). Entry into Honours is selective and work at this level is challenging. Students should plan for their Honours year as early as possible to ensure that the appropriate units are undertaken during the Bachelor degree. The relevant Honours Coordinator can offer useful advice.

Many students discover early on in their degree that they have a passion or special aptitude for a particular subject and want to engage, in depth, with the subject and learn how to practice its methods through undertaking research.

Download a document explaining the Nature and Purpose of Honours.

Each department or program has an Honours Coordinator who directs all aspects of Honours in that subject area. Honours Coordinators are members of academic staff and are the primary source of advice including workload, thesis topics and course structure. Students should discuss their intention to apply for Honours with the relevant department's Honours Coordinators.

Download the Honours Supervision code of practice.

Eligibility for Admission

Students who are in their final semester or who have completed their Bachelor degree at the University of Sydney or another university are eligible to apply. The Bachelor degree must have a relevant major in the subject area in which the student is applying.

Checklist before applying:

1. discuss research topic with a relevant Honours Coordinator
2. must have completed a bachelor degree
3. must have a minimum credit average (65%) over 8 senior units of study in the relevant area of specialisation
4. must check requirements for additional prerequisites, including advanced senior units in the Undergraduate Handbook
5. If choosing Honours in Economics please view the
   Degree Resolutions and refer to the Departmental Honours page
6. Submit Application

• complete the online application
• an original or certified copy of the official transcript of your academic record.
• Graduates of The University of Sydney need not attach an academic transcript of their local enrolment.
• all other requested documents listed on the application form
• proof of Australian citizenship or permanent residency status, i.e. birth certificate or passport (local applicants only).

For further information on applying for Honours, and what is expected of you when you are in an Honours degree, please refer to the Award with Honours document which can be found in the University Policy Online site.

How to Apply

For Semester 1, 2012

The deadline for applications has been extended and is now 16 January, 2012. Applications submitted after 30 November won't be considered for the Honours Scholarship however.

All Honours Applicants should apply through Sydney Courses. Use Bachelor of Arts (Honours) as your search criteria and follow the prompts.

DISCONTINUED COURSES
If you are a student who is currently enrolled in a discontinued course and intend to apply for Honours in it, refer to the link for the appropriate course below.

DH043 - Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) (Honours)
Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) (Honours)

AH040 - Bachelor of Liberal Studies (Honours)
Bachelor of Liberal Studies (Honours)

DH056 - Bachelor of Economics and Social Science (Honours)
Bachelor of Economics and Social Science (Honours)

DH059 – Bachelor of Socio-Legal Studies (Honours)
Bachelor of Socio-Legal Studies (Honours)



For an instruction sheet to guide you through the process of applying for Honours, download the Application Guide

Additional Requirements for students applying for Honours in Psychology
In addition to applying for Honours through Sydney Courses, students will also need to complete the following forms;

The School of Psychology Honours Application Form
The Empirical Research Preference Form

The following Departments do not accept mid-year entry:

• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Art History and Theory
• Digital Cultures
• Film Studies
• Government and International Relations
• History
• Media and Communications
• Political Economy
• Psychology
• Sociology and Social Policy

Enquiries

Contact the Honours Coordinator for:

• thesis topics
• research
• assessments and workload
• course structure
• joint honours

Contact General Enquiries for

• application dates
• procedures
• enrolment
• eligibility
• other

Workload and Assessment

Each Honours program involves a mix of seminars and a thesis. For more information click here

Seminar work is marked by the academic leading the class. This work is read by a minimum of two academics in the relevant field other than the student's supervisor. Students are supplied with detailed reports on each thesis and assigned a tentative grade. The final grade for each thesis is decided on by the department and program staff collectively. Honours results are thus subjected to close scrutiny at multiple levels.

For further information see the Supervision Code of Practice

The Honours results for each department are considered for nomination for the University Medals which are considered by the Faculty Honours Board. This Honours Board includes the Honours Coordinators from every department in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Awards

Honours is awarded in the following classes:

• First Class
• Second Class, First Division
• Second Class, Second Division
• Third Class

Scholarships

Each year the University of Sydney offers around 50 Honours Scholarships, each worth $6000. These scholarships are open to students who are an Australian or New Zealand Citizen or permanent resident of Australia. Also included are students who have completed their undergraduate degree at a university other than the University of Sydney. Further information about these scholarships is available on the Scholarships Office website.