Honours in Cultural Studies

To proceed to fourth year Honours in Cultural Studies students must have a credit average in Senior level Cultural Studies units (including cross-listed units) totaling at least 48 Senior Credit Points.

The Honours year consists of: a 15000 word thesis on a topic devised by the student in consultation with a supervisor appointed by the department; a methods unit that provides training in thesis research and writing and includes a series of practical research skills workshops; and at least six research skills seminars chosen from a list that changes from semester to semester.

You apply to undertake Honours at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences office and your Honours program must also be approved by the Honours co-ordinator.

Students taking Honours in Cultural Studies will enroll in the following units:

2013 Seminars

In 2013, Students choose from the following seminar options:

Semester 1

Arguing the Point
Dr Ruth Barcan
This seminar aims to introduce students to a range of research practices and methods, writing styles and forms of argumentation.Through the study of different examples of Gender and Cultural Studies research, we will seek to encourage students to develop their own research practices and writing skills. Students who are writing their thesis will be encouraged to experiment with different ways of arguing and writing their research. Students who are just starting will have the opportunity to develop their ideas.

Philosophy in the Feminine
TBC
What is the relation between femininity, masculinity and the human? Does sexual difference affect our identity? Does it affect our relations with others? Is there any link between cultural and racial difference and sexual difference? Where does equality fit into all this? Drawing on the work of recent feminist philosophers this unit examines philosophical and psychoanalytic representations of femininity, the issue of embodiment, and how sex and race are articulated within the concepts of otherness and the stranger.

Semester 2

Identity Place and Culture
Prof Meaghan Morris
This unit familiarises students with contemporary ideas and debates concerning cultural identity, community and location, with an emphasis on diversity and difference in contemporary Australian culture but placed in an international context by the wider field of cultural studies. It will focus on contemporary case studies to enable students to explore theories of identity, community and cultural location and develop appropriate and effective means of analysing contemporary cultural identities and practices.

Natures and Cultures of Bodies
Dr Kane Race
This advanced unit explores new approaches to embodiment in the wake of contemporary theories of biopolitics, or the politics of life. Drawing on new work in science studies as well as theories of embodiment, it equips students with a fully materialist approach to the analysis of nature, culture and bodies. The body is approached as an object of knowledge and power, as always implicated with technologies, as an organisation of affects and as a medium of experimentation. We also develop ways of accounting for the activity of nonhuman actors in the worlds and practices in which humans participate. The unit combines theoretical reflection with case studies of bodily practices, cultures, subcultures and technologies.

Mid-year entry and part time enrolment

Mid-year entry is allowed for this degree, and it is also possible to take Honours part time.

How do I apply?

All students wishing to apply for Honours must to apply via the Courses online website. Instructions can be found here.

If you are interested in applying, you are encouraged to discuss your application with the departmental Honours coordinator before submitting your application

Registration with the Department of Gender and Cultural Studies

Students also need to register with the Department itself. Each student’s program of seminars and thesis topic must be approved by the Honours co-ordinator, who will sign the student’s registration form. The completed form should be emailed to the co-ordinator by Tuesday 30 April 2013 (for entry in July 2013) or Thursday 31 October 2013 (for entry in 2014). It’s possible to change your seminar choices before semester begins, but we do need an indication of what your program will be. Download registration form here

Marking

The Department complies with the Faculty's Honours Grade Descriptors which apply to all Honours work.

Faculty Honours Grade Descriptors

80-100: First Class (I)

90+
Work demonstrating the highest levels of accomplishment and intellectual autonomy that can be expected from an undergraduate student. An overall Honours mark of 90 or higher is a requirement for the award of a University Medal, though Medals are not automatically awarded to students with overall results of 90 or more.

In many fields of the humanities and social sciences, a mark in this range indicates substantial and innovative research; wide and deep reading in the scholarly literature; sophisticated, perceptive, and original interpretations of data, documentary evidence, fieldwork, literary texts, or works of art; and a very high level of independent thought and argument.

In work written in a language other than English, a mark in this range indicates an excellent level of grammatical accuracy, syntactical sophistication, and nuance in use of vocabulary and register.

85-89
Work that demonstrates a very high level of proficiency in the methodologies, subject matter, and modes of expression and argumentation appropriate to the field or fields studied. Work in this range shows strong promise for doctoral study.

In many fields of the humanities and social sciences, a mark in this range indicates substantial original research; wide and deep reading in the scholarly literature; a very high level of skill in interpreting data, documentary evidence, fieldwork, literary texts, or works of art; and a high level of independent thought.

In work written in a language other than English, a mark in this range indicates a very high level of grammatical accuracy with only some mistakes, as well as syntactical sophistication, and nuance in use of vocabulary and register.

80-84
Work that demonstrates a high level of proficiency in the methodologies, subject matter, and modes of expression and argumentation appropriate to the field or fields studied, and shows potential for doctoral study.

In many fields of the humanities and social sciences, a mark in this range can indicate thorough research; a firm grasp of the relevant scholarly literature; and a high level of skill in interpreting data, documentary evidence, fieldwork, literary texts, or works of art.

In work written in a language other than English, a mark in this range indicates a very high level of grammatical accuracy with few mistakes and only very rare basic errors, with vocabulary and syntax varied and expression highly coherent and well structured.

75-79: Second Class, First Division (II.1)
Work that demonstrates a generally sound knowledge of the methodologies, subject matter, and modes of expression and argumentation appropriate to the field or fields studied.

In many fields of the humanities and social sciences, a mark in this range can indicate solid research; a firm grasp of the relevant scholarly literature; and competent interpretations of data, documentary evidence, fieldwork, literary texts, or works of art. However, work in this range may also show evidence of a higher level of independent thought combined with some significant lapses in research or expression.

In work written in a language other than English, a mark in this range indicates a high standard of grammatical accuracy with few mistakes and only very rare basic errors, with vocabulary and syntax varied and expression highly coherent and well structured.

70-74: Second Class, Second Division (II.2)
Work that demonstrates an adequate but limited performance in the methodologies, subjects, and/or languages studied.

In many fields of the humanities and social sciences, a mark in this range can indicate an adequate general knowledge of the subject from the reading of both primary material and secondary literature, straightforward argumentation, and clear expression. A mark in this range may also reflect a superior performance in one or more of these areas combined with serious lapses in others.

In work written in a language other than English, a mark in this range indicates a good standard of grammatical accuracy, albeit with some mistakes, including occasional basic ones; the work shows a good grasp of complex sentence structures and an appropriately varied vocabulary.

65-69: Third Class (III)
Work only barely above the standard of pass-degree work in the field studied. A mark in this range indicates a basic but limited understanding of the methodologies and subject matter of the field or fields studied, and skills in argument and expression that are only just adequate for Honours-level study and research.

Below 65%
Honours not awarded.