Honours

The Anthropology Honours course is an intensive, whole-year course for students who have completed the requirements of the Undergraduate Pass degree. It is an exciting experience for students to participate in self-directed research in a supervised setting. The research may involve any combination of text-based and field research. The Honours year is divided into two components:

In Semester 1, students complete two unified seminars that address central problems in Anthropology today:

Unified Seminar 1 Theory and Ethnography
Anthropology's development has largely concerned the dynamic tensions between theory and ethnography. Any theory prioritises some dimensions of ethnography while marginalising others. Alternatively, ethnography may expose the weaknesses of a theory leading to its modification or change. This tension is explored primarily through critical debates concerning ritual, witchcraft and sorcery. The major ethnographic focus concerns African cultures.

Unified Seminar 2 Anthropology of the Nation State
Anthropology’s concern with critical contemporary issues means that power, inequality and difference are always dimensions of our study. With this in mind, this unit explores aspects of the nation-state experience: nationalism and trans-nationalism; racism; gender and exploitation; poverty and marginalisation, and religion and ritual (old and new).

In Semester 2, students focus more intensely on their research topic and work to the submission of a research thesis on or before October 31. Their topic and supervisor are chosen through consultation with the Honours coordinator and other members of staff. In order to enrol in the Honours year, students enrol in the four units of study listed below, two that represent the unified seminars and two that represent research work for the Honours thesis.

Honours Units of Study, 2007
ANTH 4011 Social Anthropology Honours A
ANTH 4012 Social Anthropology Honours B
ANTH 4013 Social Anthropology Honours C
ANTH 4014 Social Anthropology Honours D

In Semester 2, students are expected to focus fully on their thesis.

You are expected to complete an original research thesis of 15,000-20,000 words. Students may negotiate with individual staff about supervision and the thesis topic. Alternatively, students may consult with the Honours coordinator.

A thesis topic and supervisory arrangements should be in place no later than the end of March. A summary of the topic and confirmation of the supervisor's agreement to supervise the topic should be given to the coordinator in mid-April.

The marks received in the two courses are averaged to produce forty-five percent (45%) of the final mark. The thesis is worth fifty-five percent (55%) of the final mark.

The thesis will be marked by three examiners, one of whom will normally be the supervisor. In the event that there is a discrepancy of 5% or more between the average mark and an individual mark, the thesis will be marked by a fourth examiner.

It is expected that the larger part of students' time in Semester 1 will be spent on their coursework. Two units of study with two long essays is close to a full load. However, it is expected that you will also do some preliminary work on your thesis topic - initial reading, note-taking and discussion with your supervisor. At the end of first semester, the Honours coordinator organises an Epitomy Day. All students present oral reports on how their thesis is progressing. Preparing and presenting your epitomy helps you to assess where you are and also to obtain some feedback in a friendly atmosphere from fellow students and staff.

The deadline for thesis submission will be firm. A late thesis can be marked down by as much as one mark per day. Students who may have trouble meeting the deadline should inform their supervisor and the Honours coordinator as soon as possible before the submission date. Generally, only medical documentation will be accepted for lateness.

Remember that the final submission date is 31 October 2007.

Your thesis should be clearly typed or printed. Use one-and-a-half or double spacing on white A4 paper, single-sided. Use a consistent footnote, reference and bibliographic format. If you are in doubt about referencing, consult one of the major anthropological journals and keep to that style.

Four copies of your thesis are required. Three copies will be returned to the student and one will be retained by the department for the thesis library.

Final marks for the thesis and the year will be determined at an examiners' meeting held at the end of second semester. You will receive copies of the written comments on your thesis from each assessor and final results will be posted.

Students should be aware that a different marking and grading scheme applies in Honours programs and that a student who consistently scores '80' in his or her undergraduate work should not expect to achieve a similar mark in their Honours year by virtue of this fact alone.

Honours First Class
[90+] Medal quality. Exceptional quality; outstanding academic promise; demonstrating independent thought throughout, a flair for the subject and research achievement of a kind that produces at least some element(s) of PhD or potentially publishable standard in serious academic fora.
[87-89] Excellent First class quality, showing a command of the field both broad and deep; independent intellectual argument and the presentation of original thought to a significant degree.
[83-86] Good first class quality with some evidence of intellectual independence and some originality of thought
[80-82] Clear but bare first class quality, comprising general soundness in subject area, breadth of knowledge in discipline, clear familiarity with and ability to use central methodology and theory of discipline, clear evidence of some independence of thought.

Honours Second Class, Division I
[75-79] Sound in subject area; average ability to use methodology and theory of discipline, evidence of careful and thorough discovery and use of appropriate sources; ability to present material clearly and succinctly with a well-thought out argument and to meet normal professional requirements.

Honours Second Class, Division II
[70-74] Adequate understanding of subject area and methodology; honest and straightforward research into sources and presentation of material; may lack one or more of the qualities expected in a higher award.

Honours Third Class
[65-69] Adequate overall, but with significant defects in several of the qualities expected in a higher award.

Dr. Gaynor McDonald

Room 164, RC Mills Building A26
+612 9351 3351

School of Social and Political Sciences

Room 140 Level 1, RC Mills Building, A26
Telephone: +612 9036 9436
Fax: +612 9036 9380
http://www.arts.usyd.edu.au/departs/anthro/

Find your supervisor on this staff list.

University of Sydney Honours Scholarships: The University of Sydney is offering fifty Honours Scholarships in 2008, valued at $5,000. The Arts Faculty will be awarding some of its Honours Scholarships on the basis of academic merit, and some on the basis of equity and merit.

Students currently enrolled at the University of Sydney or other universities intending to undertake an additional Honours year at the University of Sydney in 2008 are eligible to apply.

Application forms can be downloaded from August to December each year at the Honours Scholarships website or obtained from the Scholarships Unit, Mackie Building K01, University of Sydney NSW 2006.