About honours

An honours year in Geography represents the bridge between undergraduate studies (which are content-driven) and postgraduate studies (which are research-driven).

Honours in one of our School of Geoscience majors (Geography, Geology & Geophysics, Environmental Studies and Marine Science) is available to students with a major in these areas and who meet the University’s admission requirements for Honours (which include a minimum SCIWAM of 65 and approval by the School of Geosciences). It involves an advanced coursework program of seminars and reports (accounting for 25% of the program’s assessment) and an individually written Honours thesis of 20,000 words addressing a specific research question (accounting for 75% of the program’s assessment). The process of working with your supervisor in developing your topic and then generating new knowledge about it through original research, represents an additional dimension to your future employability and long-term career prospects.

The research problem that forms the basis for your Honours thesis will be developed in consultation with a supervisor. The academics in the Geosciences units you have taken during your undergraduate degree are able to act as supervisors, subject to their availability. In the first instance, you should contact an academic and discuss your interest in Honours. It is possible for your Honours thesis to be developed either as part of a wider research project being undertaken by the supervisor, or as a stand-alone project guided by your own interests and passions.

Honours within our majors in the School of Geosciences provides the opportunity to develop real-world research skills and apply them to a specific problem. You will work closely with a supervisor, be part of a small group of committed, high-achieving Honours students, and be part of the wider community of staff and students in the School of Geosciences. 

Applying for Honours in Geography, Geology & Geophysics, Environmental Studies and Marine Sciences:

The application for Honours in the School of Geosciences is a two-step process. First, students should email prospective supervisors and arrange a meeting to discuss Honours. The Honours coordinator in Geosciences Associate Professor Jo Gillespie should be copied into emails. You should do this in the semester prior to your proposed entry into Honours, and our strong advice is to contact prospective supervisors  earlier rather than later. Don’t delay the discussion.

For queries about Honours in Geography, please contact Associate Professor Jo Gillespie.