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, one of which must be GCST2601 Introducing Media and Popular Culture.

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 two research seminars chosen from a list that changes from semester to semester.

You apply to undertake Honours at the Faculty of Arts office and your Honours program must also be approved by the Honours co-ordinator. Download registration form here

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

2010 Seminars

In 2010, Students choose from the following seminar options:

Semester 1

Philosophy in the Feminine (To be confirmed)
Coordinator: TBA
Wed 10am-12 noon

Natures and Cultures of Bodies
Coordinator: Dr Kane Race
Tue 2-4pm

Semester 2

Identity, Place and Culture
Coordinator: Professor Meaghan Morris
Lecture: Wed 3-5pm, Seminar: Wed 5-6pm

Modernism, Modernity and Modern Culture
Coordinator: Dr Catherine Driscoll
Lecture: Tue 3-4pm, Seminar: 4-5pm (plus online work, half an hour per week)

Winter School

Honours students may elect to take the following winter school unit in place of one of the above seminar choices:

Youth: Idea, Image, Culture (Winter)
Coordinator: Carina Garland
check Winter School for dates, times and locations

Mid-year entry and joint Honours

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

Students may also apply to take joint Honours in Gender and Cultural Studies. Joint Honours students must take a specific set of seminar options – one in Gender Studies and one in Cultural Studies – but may do a thesis in one or both disciplines. For more information please contact the Honours coordinator.

Other joint Honours programs are also possible. In recent years, for example, Honours students in GCS have combined our Honours program with English, Media and Communications, Linguistics and disciplines from the School of Languages and Cultures.

Pre-enrolment with the Faculty of Arts

Students need to pre-enrol for Honours in person at the Faculty of Arts office. Current University of Sydney students moving on to fourth-year Honours will have their eligibility for Honours checked by the Faculty of Arts. All the applications that fulfil the published requirements for Honours entry are forwarded to the department’s Honours co-ordinator. The faculty will also refer to the department applications from students who haven’t completed all the prerequisites. In these cases, the department’s Honours co-ordinator has some discretion to allow those students into the Honours year. Students who want to do Honours but have not fulfilled all the prerequisites should contact the Honours co-ordinator as soon as possible.

If you are transferring from another university, or returning to studying at the University of Sydney after more than a semester away, the procedure is different. Students in this situation need to lodge an Honours Conversion form with the faculty office. PDF copies of this form are available from the Honours co-ordinator or from the Faculty office. Before going to the faculty office, transfer students need to get the Honours co-ordinator to approve and sign the form.

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 handed to the co-ordinator by Friday 27 November 2009. It’s possible to change your seminar choices before semester begins, but we do need an indication of what your program will be.