Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
What you’ll study
The honours year comprises seminar classes and work toward a short thesis on an independent research project under the supervision of an academic staff member who is an expert in the field of your research.
It is possible to complete either double honours or joint honours in some Arts subjects. Double honours involves completing all the honours requirements in one subject area and then in another and thus normally takes an additional year. In joint honours the two units of study are more generally closely related and a special program of study is designed for the honours year. This will usually entail doing approximately half the final honours requirements for two subject areas.
Typical workload and assessment
Each honours year involves a mix of seminars and a thesis. Some honours years require three seminars and a shorter thesis (12,000-15,000 words). Others involve two seminars and a longer thesis, up to 20,000 words. Seminar work is marked by the academic staff member leading the class. In some departments, a second academic staff member will mark work written for seminars. A thesis is read by at least two academics in the field other than the student's supervisor. Examiners write detailed reports on each thesis, which the student receives, and assign a tentative grade.
The final grades for each thesis are decided by the department or program staff collectively. Each department or program ranks all honours candidates based on their thesis and seminar results. These departmental results and nominations for the University Medals are then considered by the Faculty Honours Board, which includes the Honours Coordinators from every department in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Honours awards and classes
The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) is awarded as either Pass or Honours. The honours degree is awarded in classes ranging from First Class to Third Class according to the rules specified in the Coursework Policy and the Resolutions of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Joint and double honours
It is possible to complete either double honours or joint honours in some Arts subjects. Double honours involves completing all the honours requirements in one subject area and then in another and thus normally takes an additional year. In joint honours the two units of study are more generally closely related and a special program of study is designed for the honours year. This will usually entail doing approximately half the final honours requirements for two subject areas.
Sample study plan
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
| Year | Sem | Units of study | ||||
| 1 | 1 | Honours semester one | ||||
| 2 | Honours semester two | |||||
All students who plan to undertake Honours in Arts must submit an application to the University. As soon as you decide you may want to do Honours in a subject area of your choice, you should read the relevant department information from the Honours page to understand exactly what the specific requirements will be for that subject area and plan your degree structure accordingly.
Fees
Admission criteria
How to apply
Before applying
Before submitting a course application you will need to secure an academic supervisor.
All students who plan to undertake the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) must submit an application to the University.
Students are encouraged to commence the application process in their final year of the Bachelor of Arts, or equivalent degree at another institution.
A guide to the application process is found below, more detailed and faculty-specific information on the application process for current University of Sydney students can be found by visiting Applying for honours and for students studying a comparable degree at another institution visit How to apply for an honours degree.
Steps to apply
1. Prepare a research topic proposal
- You need to choose a research topic for your honours study. This should be an area of interest to you and considered of academic importance to the relevant faculty. Most disciplines have an honours coordinator to assist with preparing your research topic proposal, and in some cases may provide a list of available projects.
It is best to submit your research topic proposal as early as possible (see the faculty pages for more details). For stand-alone programs this should be before the end of your final semester. Be aware that pre-approval of your topic doesn’t guarantee entry to the honours program, you will still need to meet the other eligibility requirements.
In some faculties and schools, you may need to provide a preliminary topic proposal first for approval. Once this is approved, you then develop the more detailed research proposal that will form the basis of your these.
2. Find a supervisor
- You may need to arrange a supervisor before you apply.
Contact the honours coordinator in the relevant faculty or school for information about honours projects and potential supervisors. It is best to find a supervisor with experience in your topic area.
You may need to meet with your proposed supervisor to see if they are able to supervise your honours program and discuss your proposed research topic. You should provide evidence of their support with your application.
3. Submit your application
Submit your application form with any required supporting documents. The way this is done and the application deadlines vary depending on the type of honours you are completing and the faculty or school.
Your application will be assessed by the relevant faculty or school. You will be offered a place in the honours program provided there are places available and you have met the eligibility criteria, including completion of any prerequisites.
Submit application
Standard closing dates:
Semester 1 - 15 January of the commencing year.
Semester 2 - 25 June of the commencing year.
We strongly encourage applicants to apply as early as possible, offers are made on a rolling basis and places are limited. Separate scholarship deadlines apply - check the scholarships website for details.
Starting date
Semester 1 (February) and Semester 2 (August)
