Honours

Studying Honours in the school of Social Science offers a chance to develop your research and professional skills guided by staff who are passionate about research and the development of new researchers.

An Honours degree is the highest level of undergraduate degree in the Australian university system, offering an optional fourth year of study. Honours provides educational benefits through a different quality of learning, intellectual benefits through sustained involvement with a research topic, closer engagement with the academic community, and professional benefits of project management skills.

Honours indicates to employers, selection committees and postgraduate training institutions that Honours graduates were at the top of their year. The research produced by an Honours student can set them apart from other graduates because of the skills developed, and the extended engagement in a relevant field of study.

Honours can be a challenging year, as well as a rewarding one, and requires a commitment on the part of the student to manage their time and balance their personal life with their research commitments. They are guided through the research process by their supervisor, and are given assistance relating to both planning a research question and writing a thesis through the Thesis Workshops. The thesis can be up to 20,000 words, and accounts for 60% of their grade.

In addition to the thesis workshops, students take part two seminars which count for 40% of their grade.

To apply for Honours, students must have:

• completed a major sequence in their proposed discipline
• have a WAM of 70 in their discipline

Honours Guide for 2012 (PDF) (195 Kb)
Intention to do Honours form for 2012 (PDF) (134 Kb)
Honours Application Form (PDF)
Bachelor of Social Work Honours Program 2012 (PDF) (38 Kb)

Combined Honours is also available for suitable candidates. For more information about Combined Honours, please contact the Honours coordinator of each of the relevant disciplines.

Honours Coordinator for Social Sciences: Claudia Tazreiter (additional contact Katrina Moore)
Honours Coordinator for Social Work: Jan Breckenridge

There are scholarships available to study Honours.