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Applying for honours
Arts and social sciences
If you are currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Economics and commenced your studies in 2018 or later (or transferred to the new curriculum version of your degree in 2018), how you commence honours will depend on how much of your degree you have completed.
- If you’ve completed 96 credit points or less, you will need to change to the combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies. You will then be able to undertake honours as an additional fourth year.
- If you’ve completed 97-120 credit points, we recommend you change to the combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies to complete honours. However, if you are on track to complete two majors, you do have the choice to complete your Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Economics then apply for the stand-alone Bachelor of Advanced Studies to undertake honours.
- If you’ve completed 121 credit points or more, you will need to complete your Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Economics and apply for the stand-alone Bachelor of Advanced Studies to undertake honours.
You may be able to complete your honours program part time over up to four consecutive semesters. You’ll need to discuss this with your supervisor first. If allowed, you can then change your mode of attendance.
Honours programs
The Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Advanced Studies is a combined degree that offers an embedded honours program in your final year of study.
You can find information about honours in the handbook from the year you commenced your degree. Refer to the subject areas in the handbook for:
- honours specialisations
- eligibility requirements.
If you are enrolled in one of the below degrees, you will be able to complete honours within your existing stream. Check the handbook from the year you commenced your degree for eligibility requirements.
- Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Dalyell Scholars including Languages)
- Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Advanced Studies (International and Global Studies)
- Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications)
- Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Politics and International Relations)
When to apply
Commencing Semester 1 2021
Applications open: 17 September 2020 to 31 January 2021
How to apply
You can apply for Advanced Studies honours through Sydney Student (go to ‘Course details’, Apply for Advanced Studies honours’).
As part of your application, you will need to select two honours preferences and a related major for each preference. You will then need to upload a written letter of approval from your coordinator with your application.
If you have already re-enrolled and selected advanced coursework units, you will need to remove these units before you can apply for honours.
What happens next
You can view the status of your application or cancel your request under ‘My requests’. We will email you with an outcome of your application once your semester results have been published.
If your application is successful, you will need to select honours units through Sydney Student. Contact your honours coordinator if you have any questions.
The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) is a stand-alone honours program requiring an additional year of study, after the completion of your pass degree. It is only available to current students who commenced their undergraduate degree before 2018 and did not choose to transfer to the new curriculum version of their degree in 2018.
Information on the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and how to apply can be found in Find a course.
The Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Advanced Studies is a combined degree that offers an embedded honours program in your final year of study.
You can find information about honours, including eligibility, in the handbook from the year you commenced your degree.
When to apply
Commencing Semester 1 2021
Applications open: 17 September 2020 to 31 January 2021
How to apply
You can apply for Advanced Studies honours through Sydney Student (go to ‘Course details’, Apply for Advanced Studies honours’).
As part of your application, you will need to select two honours preferences and a related major for each preference. You will then need to upload a written letter of approval from your coordinator with your application.
If you have already re-enrolled and selected advanced coursework units, you will need to remove these units before you can apply for honours.
What happens next
You can view the status of your application or cancel your request under ‘My requests’. We will email you with an outcome of your application once your semester results have been published.
If your application is successful, you will need to select honours units through Sydney Student. Contact your honours coordinator if you have any questions.
The Bachelor of Economics (Honours) is a stand-alone honours program requiring an additional year of study, after the completion of your pass degree. It is only available to current students who commenced their undergraduate degree, with a major in Economics, before 2018 and did not choose to transfer to the new curriculum version of their degree in 2018.
Information on the Bachelor of Economics (Honours) and how to apply can be found in Find a course.
The Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours) is a stand-alone honours program requiring an additional year of study, after the completion of your pass degree. It is only available to current students who commenced their undergraduate degree before 2018 and did not choose to transfer to the new curriculum version of their degree in 2018.
Information on the Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours) and how to apply can be found in Find a course.
The Bachelor of Visual Arts and Bachelor of Advanced Studies is a combined degree that offers an embedded honours program in your final year of study.
You can find the information about honours in the handbook from the year you commenced your degree.
How to apply
You can apply for Advanced Studies honours through Sydney Student (go to ‘Course details’, Apply for Advanced Studies honours’).
As part of your application, you will need to select two honours preferences and a related major for each preference. You will then need to upload a written letter of approval from your coordinator with your application.
If you have already re-enrolled and selected advanced coursework units, you will need to remove these units before you can apply for honours.
What happens next
You can view the status of your application or cancel your request under ‘My requests’. We will email you with an outcome of your application once your semester results have been published.
If your application is successful, you will need to select honours units through Sydney Student. Contact your honours coordinator if you have any questions.
Commencing honours in Semester 2
Only some departments allow you to commence your honours program in Semester 2. This includes:
- American Studies
- Ancient Greek
- Ancient History
- Arabic Language and Cultures
- Art History
- Asian Studies
- Biblical Studies
- Chinese Studies
- Classics
- Cultural Studies
- Economics
- Econometrics
- English
- European Studies
- Film Studies
- French Studies
- Gender Studies
- Germanic Studies
- Hebrew Classical and Modern
- Indonesian Studies
- Italian Studies
- International and Comparative Literary Studies (ICLS)
- Japanese Studies
- Jewish Civilisation, Thought and Culture
- Korean Studies
- Latin
- Modern Greek
- Philosophy
- Spanish and Latin American Studies
- Studies in Religion
Joint honours
If you'd like to apply for joint honours, you need to negotiate this with the relevant honours coordinator for each department. You'll then need to complete a plan of study form, and have this signed by the two honours coordinators. This will also outline which seminars you will undertake and how your thesis will be supervised. You'll find a copy of the form in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences - Honours Provisions 2014 (pp 9-14).
Last updated: 15 February 2021
