Courses_
Bachelor of Advanced Studies and Honours degrees
Extend your knowledge and develop advanced skills
If you’re looking to improve your career prospects, open the door to further academic study, or indulge a passion, an additional year of study is your next step.
Please select an option that best suits your study status:
- I am a recent high school leaver
- I am part way through my degree at the University of Sydney and wish to add advanced coursework or honours to my study
- I have completed a bachelor’s degree at the University of Sydney or another institution and wish to undertake an advanced coursework
- I am a transferring or returning University of Sydney student and wish to complete honours in 2020
- I am interested in studying honours in engineering
Combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies
The combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies is for students commencing an undergraduate study, including recent high school leavers, non-recent school leavers and mature-age entry. It is also for current University of Sydney students who decide to continue to a fourth year by transferring from the single bachelor’s degree into the combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies.
This degree can be taken in combination with a three-year liberal studies, and some professional or specialist bachelor's degrees. Find out about combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies courses.
This degree enables you to:
- Design your own degree by combining majors from a range of disciplines.
- Complete a second major* from either your primary study area or the shared pool of majors and minors.
- Deepen your critical thinking skills through advanced coursework and real-world industry, entrepreneurial, community and research challenges across disciplines, or complete an honours project.
Indicative course structure: Combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies**
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major 1 | Major 1 | Major 1 | Major 2 |
| Core/elective | Open Learning Environment unit | Major 1 | Major 2 |
| Core/elective | Elective | Elective | Advanced coursework |
| Minor/Major 2 | Minor/Major 2 | Minor/Major 2 | Advanced coursework |
| Major 1 | Major 1 | Major 1 | Advanced coursework |
| Core/elective | Open Learning Environment unit | Major 1 | Advanced coursework |
| Core/elective | Elective/ Major 2 |
Elective/ Major 2 |
Project |
| Minor/Major 2 | Minor/Major 2 | Minor/Major 2 | Project |
** Please note this course structure is indicative only and subject to change.
Bachelor of Advanced Studies
If you have completed a qualifying bachelor’s degree at the University of Sydney or another institution, taken a break, and wish to return to study to complete honours or advanced coursework, including a 4000-level project in your chosen field, you can apply to enter the Bachelor of Advanced Studies.
The Bachelor of Advanced Studies is an additional year of intensive study that complements your prior studies and deepens your expertise in your chosen field. It can increase your employment prospects or enable you to pursue further research.
The Bachelor of Advanced Studies can be completed in one of two ways:
If you choose the advanced coursework pathway, you will extend your knowledge and critical thinking skills through challenging coursework and an advanced project. This is an opportunity to experience work outside the classroom by collaborating on a substantial real-world project in a professional, community or entrepreneurial setting.
In 2020, students will need to select one discipline area when applying for the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Coursework). Options will include: Business, Humanities, Science and Social Sciences.
The Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours) is an additional year of intensive study that high achieving students may undertake after completing an undergraduate degree.
If you choose to pursue the honours component, you will undertake:
- honours units of study (4000-level or above)
- supervised but independent research honours project.
It will vary depending on the discipline you choose.
Through an honours component you will learn vital research skils and open the pathway to a higher degree by research, such as a master's by research or a PhD and equip you with attributes for a range of careers.
Under the guidance and mentorship of an academic supervisor, you'll select a thesis topic and identify your method of research. This prepares you to write your thesis so that it makes an argument based on rigorous study and empirical assessment.
Am I eligible?
The Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours) is available to students who have completed an eligible bachelor's degree from the University of Sydney or another institution and are returning to study.
What if I don't meet the above eligibility requirements?
The below information applies to current University of Sydney students.
- If you started your liberal bachelor degree in 2017 and did not transfer to the new resolutions in 2018 and want to do honours in 2020, you will need to apply for an appended honours degree.
- If you started your liberal bachelor degree in 2018 and want to do honours in 2021, you will need to transfer into the combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies.
If the above does not apply to you, check the other honours degrees that we offer.
Degree comparisons
| Bachelor's degree | Combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies | Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Coursework) | Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours) | |
| Duration | 3 years | 4 years | 1 year | 1 year |
Major |
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 Second major* |
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| Minor (or for some courses, a second major) | |
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| Open Learning Environment | |
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| Electives | |
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| Exchange (available) | |
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| Advanced coursework | |
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| Substantial project | |
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| Honours (available) | |
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The above table applies to the courses listed above. *A second/double major is not available in Design Computing.
Honours
Honours enables you to build on the foundations of your undergraduate degree by choosing a research project that could be a life-changing opportunity to become a subject matter expert in a specialised area. Under the supervision of internationally recognised research staff, you’ll have the chance to develop significant insights and make your own meaningful contribution to a field of knowledge.
The type of honours you undertake depends on your individual study circumstances.
Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours)
Please refer to the information above about Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours) or the FAQ's below.
Combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours)
Available to students who meet the Honours admission criteria who are undertaking a combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies degree with an eligible bachelor's degree (e.g. Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Economics), Bachelor of Design Computing, Bachelor of Visual Arts or Bachelor of Applied Science (Exercise and Science.)
Embedded honours
Certain bachelor's degrees offer you the opportunity to complete an Honours program embedded within the duration of the degree by selecting appropriate units of study and/or achieving the specified average mark. Find out more. All engineering undergraduate degrees from 2015 include an embedded honours year in your chosen discipline. You do not need to apply for the honours program.
Appended honours
Stand-alone or appended honours is an additional program that you complete after you have finished your undergraduate degree. Find out more.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours) and combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours) will replace the traditional appended honours degrees in those degrees that can be combined with the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (eg. liberal degrees, Bachelor of Design Computing etc). The appended honours degrees will be gradually phased out.
Who does this apply to?
- Transferring and returning students wishing to complete Honours from 2020 and onwards will need to enrol in the new Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours)
- If a student who started their liberal bachelor degree (eg. BSc) in 2017 would like to do Honours but did not transfer to the new resolutions in 2018, then they will enrol in the appended Honours degree.
- A student who started their liberal bachelor degree in 2018 who wants to do Honours (in 2021) will need to complete their Honours through the combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies.
You can still achieve an Honours award:
- by completing an extra year on top of your bachelor’s degree, if ‘appended Honours’ is available in that degree.
- by completing a degree which has an embedded or integrated Honours component
Interested in getting a feel for research? Offered during your semester break, summer research programs are a great way to gain research experience and an insight into research process while working alongside our leading scientific researchers.
Charles Perkins Centre
The Charles Perkins Centre is committed to delivering real world solutions to some of humanity’s greatest health challenges: obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and related conditions. Our summer scholarships provide students an exclusive opportunity to join the Centre’s mission and undertake paid research with leading academics in world-class facilities. We offer a number of high-achieving students enrolled in any undergraduate or postgraduate coursework program the opportunity to learn valuable research skills and learn from senior researchers.
Sydney Nursing School
Each year, Sydney Nursing School offers up to 10 summer scholarships to provide currently enrolled students an opportunity to learn about nursing and midwifery research, to develop research skills and to encourage exploration into further research studies. Summer Scholars will work on a project under the supervision of one of our leading researchers for a four-week full-time period over summer (140 hours between January and February).
Faculty of Science
Science research projects are available in most disciplines for a duration of between 4-6 weeks over the Summer holiday period (November-February). The program is open to both current University of Sydney students as well as students from other Australian universities.
