Honours in Arts

‘Honours’ is a one-year addition to your degree in the Faculty of Arts. It is a research-based year of study, usually in the subject area of your major, and includes coursework and a written thesis which is due towards the end of the year. When you undertake honours, a member of the Faculty’s academic staff with expertise in the topic you are researching will be assigned as your supervisor. The supervisor will provide you with guidance and support throughout the year, not only on the content, but also on the research and writing skills necessary for your thesis.

There are two ways of enrolling in Honours. If you enrol directly after you complete your pass degree it is just called Honours. If you take some time off after you finish your degree or you come from another university, it is called Honours Conversion. While most students complete honours full-time over two consecutive semesters, permission may be granted for part-time candidature over four semesters.

An Honours year can be a very satisfying addition to your degree, an opening to a world of further academic study, such as a PhD and a career in academia, or it can help you develop an area of expertise that could lead to a chosen career path. An Honours year can give your Arts degree an edge, demonstrating to potential employers that you have the discipline to thoroughly research, write and manage a project of your own through to completion.

In general, a student must gain at least Credit results (65%) in 8 Senior Units of Study in the Honours subject area (48 credit points). Some departments have specific units of study that must be completed before applying for Honours. For example, to do Honours in Performance Studies in 2008, you must obtain Credit results in PRFM 3961 and PRFM 3962, and a minimum of a Credit average in a further 6 units of study in Performance Studies.

Most importantly, as soon as you decide you may want to do Honours in a subject area of your choice, you should confirm with the Honours Coordinator of the department in which you wish to study exactly what the specific requirements will be for that subject area and plan your degree structure accordingly. This information is detailed in the Faculty of Arts Handbook and on the departmental websites.

Even if you decide later not to enrol in the Honours year, those second and third year pre-honours units still count towards your major and degree total, so you lose nothing by completing them.

1. In the first instance you should discuss your intention to apply for Honours with the relevant department's Honours Coordinator. Click here for a list of Faculty of Arts Honours coordinators.

2. Apply for Honours.

2a If you are not currently enrolled at this university in semester 2 2008, you must apply using the Honours Conversion form. Obtain an application form here or from the Faculty of Arts Office, located in the Western Tower end of the Main Quadrangle.

2b If you are currently enrolled in your degree at this university in semester 2 2008, you may apply for Honours via pre-enrolment. Obtain a pre-enrolment form here. Contact the Faculty ( or phone 9351 7449/3129) for more information.

Make sure you submit all of the information requested on the application form so your application can be processed.

Applications for Honours close on October 31st

Each year the University of Sydney offers around 50 Honours Scholarships, each worth $5000. These scholarships are awarded in degrees that require an extra year of study for Honours and all local students are eligible, including those students who completed their undergraduate degree at a university other than Sydney. Further information about these scholarships will be available on the Scholarships website each year from late August.

The Scholarships Unit
Room 147 Ground Floor
Mackie Building (K01)
University of Sydney NSW 2006
P: +61 2 9351 2717
F: +61 2 9351 5134
E: scholarships@careers.usyd.edu.au

Honours Information Week

Honours Information Week is an information event held in September each year for prospective Honours students. Each Faculty holds their own information sessions throughout the week. Ask at the Faculty of Arts Office for more information and keep an eye on the Faculty of Arts website for the full schedule of events. This is an opportunity for you to meet the Honours Coordinators and find out more about what to expect in an Honours year.

If you missed Honours Information Week in 2008, please direct your enquiry to the Faculty of Arts Office () or to the Honours Coordinator for the relevant discipline (Honours Coordinators).