Overview
This course may be suitable for undergraduate students with one major.
Honours can also be the first step on a path to a career as an academic or professional researcher. The honours year comprises seminar classes and work toward a short thesis on an independent research project under the supervision of an academic staff member who is an expert in the field of your research.
Please note: This course is only available to returning and current students who commenced a Bachelor of Arts (Languages) degree in 2017 or prior.
Please note: The units of study listed below are subject to change and are to be used as a guide only. This course is open to external applicants.
Subject areas:
Subject areas
Shared pool
Admission, fees and how to apply
Depends on your qualification, citizenship status
The details on this page based on your selections are a guide only, and are subject to change.
English language proficiency
Find out if you need to prove English language proficiency (depends on your country of origin and educational background).
Your fee
Your scholarships
Explore the full list scholarships offered by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
How to apply
For standalone honours degrees, apply directly to the University via the online application portal before the closing date. Before you apply, visit the How to Apply information for honours (and the faculty page for specific information). When you are ready to apply, select the `Apply' button on the right-hand side of this page. University of Sydney currently enrolled students:
Standard closing dates:
Semester 1 - 15 January of the commencing year.
Semester 2 - 25 June of the commencing year.
We strongly encourage applicants to apply as early as possible, offers are made on a rolling basis and places are limited. Separate scholarship deadlines apply - check the scholarships website for details.
Starting date
Semester 1 (February) and Semester 2 (August)
For standalone honours degrees, apply directly to the University via the online application portal before the closing date. Before you apply, visit the How to Apply information for honours (and the faculty page for specific information). When you are ready to apply, select the `Apply' button on the right-hand side of this page. University of Sydney currently enrolled students:
Standard closing dates:
Semester 1 - 15 January of the commencing year.
Semester 2 - 25 June of the commencing year.
We strongly encourage international applicants to apply as early as possible to allow time for visa and travel arrangements. Separate scholarship deadlines apply - visit the scholarships webpage for details.
Starting date
Semester 1 (February) and Semester 2 (August)
Course information
Typical workload and assessment
Each honours year involves a mix of seminars and a thesis. Some honours years require three seminars and a shorter thesis (12,000-15,000 words). Others involve two seminars and a longer thesis, up to 20,000 words. Seminar work is marked by the academic staff member leading the class. In some departments, a second academic staff member will mark work written for seminars. A thesis is read by at least two academics in the field other than the student's supervisor. Examiners write detailed reports on each thesis, which the student receives, and assign a tentative grade.
The final grades for each thesis are decided by the department or program staff collectively. Each department or program ranks all honours candidates based on their thesis and seminar results. These departmental results and nominations for the University Medals are then considered by the Faculty Honours Board, which includes the Honours Coordinators from every department in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Honours awards and classes
The Bachelor of Arts (Languages) (Honours) is awarded as either Pass or Honours. The honours degree is awarded in classes ranging from First Class to Third Class according to the rules specified in the Coursework Policy and the Resolutions of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Joint and double honours
It is possible to complete either double honours or joint honours in some Arts subjects. Double honours involves completing all the honours requirements in one subject area and then in another and thus normally takes an additional year. In joint honours the two units of study are more generally closely related and a special program of study is designed for the honours year. This will usually entail doing approximately half the final honours requirements for two subject areas.
Sample study plan
Applying for honours
All students who plan to undertake honours in Arts must submit an application to the University. As soon as you decide you may want to do Honours in a subject area of your choice, you should read the relevant department information from the Honours page to understand exactly what the specific requirements will be for that subject area and plan your degree structure accordingly.
Further information about honours in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Admission requirement
Please note: This course is only available to returning and current students who commenced a Bachelor of Arts (Languages) degree in 2017 or prior.
To qualify for admission to honours students need to have completed a major in the intended subject area with an average of 70% or above. Some departments and programs have additional criteria, including advanced senior units of study designed to prepare students for the challenges of fourth year study.
The academic requirements that are displayed are applicable to currently available courses only, and are updated annually in October and may be changed without notice. The Handbooks Online and the University of Sydney Calendar are the official legal source of information relating to study at the University of Sydney, and you are referred to those documents.
Domestic students
International students
