Bachelor of Advanced Studies and Honours degrees

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.

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.