Study honours

Gain a competitive edge, undertake a research project

There has never been a more important time for research with impact. If you’re passionate about research or looking to improve your career prospects, an honours year is your next step.

Honours is one year of additional study following an undergraduate degree and can be completed as part of a combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies degree or via the one-year standalone, Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours).

Why study honours?

Independent research can be a life-changing opportunity to become a subject matter expert in a niche area. You’ll have the chance to develop significant insights, and make your own meaningful contribution to a field of knowledge.

An honours year can open the door for further research study, equipping you with the prerequisite research skills to undertake a research degree such as the PhD.

Alternatively, if you decide to only complete an honours year you will graduate with a robust set of transferrable skills including:

time management and research skills
project management and delivery
showing future employers you can investigate independently and achieve more complex goals.

How does honours work?

Honours is an optional, additional one-year full-time course. It is also available part-time in some disciplines. Generally, your honours year consists of:

an independent research program, mentored by your academic supervisor
additional courses in research design/technical training
some coursework study (classes).

Under the guidance of an academic supervisor, you’ll select a thesis topic, create a reading list, and identify your method of research.

During the year you’ll be mentored by scholars in your faculty as you write a thesis to document your research journey from proposal to conclusion.

Types of honours programs

About to start your undergraduate degree and want to undertake honours?

If you’re about to apply for your undergraduate degree and already know you want to do honours, you can apply for one of our combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies degrees.

Currently studying an undergraduate degree?

You can apply for the standalone Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours) if you:

are a current University of Sydney student or
an undergraduate student from another university or
finished your undergraduate studies a while ago.

Some study areas offer different pathways for honours. These include:

Current University of Sydney undergraduates can learn more about honours pathways here.

Alternatively, visit your School/Department page and contact your honours coordinator for further clarification.

Started your undergraduate degree prior to 2017?

As a general guide, if you started your undergraduate degree prior to 2017 at the University of Sydney, you may need to enrol in one of our traditional honours programs instead.

Traditional honours programs: