Honours
Studying honours gives you the chance to develop your research and professional skills in a specialised area. It represents the highest level of training in an undergraduate degree within the Australian tertiary education system. Honours is an extra year of study that combines aspects of undergraduate study with those of postgraduate research.
Why study honours?
Undertaking an honours year allows you to get your first real glimpse of what’s involved in being an academic. You’ll have the opportunity to devise your own thesis/research project and conduct an original investigation, analysis and reporting to complete your project. An honours year provides the satisfaction of advanced study, a close supervision relationship with an academic, the ability to engage in specialised research and enhanced job opportunities upon graduation.
Completing an honours degree brings many rewards, including:
- obtaining a much deeper understanding of your academic discipline
- working one-on-one with your supervisor and receiving instruction on the finer points of reading, writing and critical thinking
- developing a sense of collegiality with a select group of Honours students who will be your peers and with whom you will share all the excitement, interests, aspirations, and insights that come with an intensive period of study.
At UNSW School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, we offer the following honours disciplines:
- Biology
- Climate Science
- Ecology
- Environmental Management
- Geography
- Geology
- Marine Science
- Palaeoscience
What our graduates say
"Our recent graduates consistently reveal that the employment prospects of honours graduates are markedly superior to those with pass degrees, which suggests that employers, including those outside the biological field, value the extra training of the honours year."
Eligibility
Honours is a pathway to a postgraduate research degree such as a Masters by Research or a PhD. Studying honours is available to students who’ve attained a specific level of academic achievement in a particular program of study.
The general entry requirements into honours include the following:
Prior study requirement: 3-year full-time bachelor degree in any discipline.
WAM requirement: Minimum credit (65) weighted average mark (WAM) for overall degree.
Project/supervisor allocation: List up to three potential supervisors and rank in order of preference on the application form. Unsure where to start? Complete the EOI and we'll be in contact.
Term Intake Period: Term 1 and Term 3
Study Load: Full Time only
