Honours

Why choose an Honours degree?

The Honours program in the School of HPI offers you an opportunity to develop advanced research skills and make an original contribution to knowledge in your chosen discipline. It provides a significant competitive advantage for graduates. Honours is also an essential prerequisite for Higher Degree Research (MPhil or PhD).

We offer an Honours year in three programs:

This stimulating and challenging program will:

enable you to pursue advanced study in a discipline area in more depth than is possible in an undergraduate degree
allow you to pursue a research question of your choosing with guidance from your individual supervisor
enhance your skills and capacity for independent research
encourage you to thrive in small classes in which staff facilitate vigorous, student-led discussion
provide you with an excellent basis for entry into Research Higher Degree programs.

Entry requirements

BA Pass degree or equivalent, with a minimum GPA of 5.5 in a major or an extended major in the relevant discipline (Classical Languages, Ancient History, Religious Studies, Philosophy and History).
To study Honours in Philosophy, you must also have a pass grade in Introduction to Logic (formerly PHIL1020, now PHIL2110).
Please note: The combined Ancient History/History Major does not provide entry into Honours in either Ancient History or History. If you are currently enrolled in the combined Major and interested in undertaking Honours, please contact admin-hapi@uq.edu.au regarding your options as you may have to pick up extra courses to meet the entry requirements for History or Ancient History Honours program.

Program

The Honours program combines advanced coursework study with independent research and writing of an Honours thesis. You will complete:

Honours thesis(12 units): HUMN6012(full time, semester 1 commencement) OR HUMN6022(full time, semester 2 commencement) OR HUMN6014 (part time, semester 1 commencement only)
Coursework(4 units): HHSS6030 Research Design in Humanities (OR HHSS6020 Research Design in Social Sciences OR HHSS6040 Research Design in Arts and Culture)*

*NB. Students may enrol in HHSS6020 Research Design in the Social Sciences or HHSS6040 Research Design in Arts and Culture instead of HHSS6030 Research Design in Humanities, following approval of their Supervisor.

Duration

The Honours program must be completed in one-year of full-time study or two-years of part-time study. Full-time study option is avaiable for commencement in semester 1 or 2.
Part-time study option is only available for commencement in semester 1.

Preparing your application

To prepare your application, please follow the steps outlined below.

Applications are due on 31 January for semester one commencement or 30 June for semester two commencement in the year of study.

Discipline Honours Advisors 2024

Classics & Ancient History: Dr Kit Morrell k.morrell@uq.edu.au

History: Assoc. Prof. Martin Crotty m.crotty@uq.edu.au

Religious Studies: Dr Ryan Williams ryan.williams1@uq.edu.au

Philosophy: Dr Julian Lamont j.lamont@uq.edu.au

Preparing your application

Make an appointment with the Discipline Honours Advisor for your discipline (contact details below) to discuss your interests, proposed topic and a potential Honours supervisor.
Make an appointment to meet with a potential Honours Supervisor(s) to discuss your research topic.
Complete the HPI HONOURS ENROLMENT FORM. You will be asked to provide:

A study plan (see below);
A concise paragraph outlining your proposed thesis topic. (Note: applicants for Honours in Philosophy do not complete the thesis proposal section.)

Your proposed supervisor and the discipline advisor will need to sign this form. You will upload this form as part of your online application (see below).
It is recommended that you develop your proposal in conversation with your prospective Supervisor and/or the Discipline Honours Advisor. If you are having difficulty identifying an appropriate supervisor or topic, please contact your Discipline Honours Advisor for assistance.
Please note: Prospective Honours candidates should make contact with their Discipline Honours Advisors and Supervisors in good time to decide on a topic and develop a thesis proposal. For many students, this process begins during their last semester of undergraduate study.

Submitting your application

Once you have prepared the necessary documentation (including the completed and signed HPI HONOURS ENROLMENT FORM), complete the online application form here: APPLY NOW
Please ensure you have uploaded all required documentation, as failing to do so may delay the processing of your application.
Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Advanced Humanities (Honours) should contact the Centre Manager, Western Civilisation, HASS Faculty for Honours enrolment procedure at managerwesternciv@uq.edu.au
Once your application is received, it is initially checked and processed by the HPI Administration team, before being evaluated by the Honours Advisor and the School’s Director of Teaching and Learning. You'll be notified of the outcome of your application.
Any changes to Study Plan must be communicated to the HPI Office and your supervisor. The HPI Honours Administrator will be able to advise you regarding changes to program like moving from full time to part time study, withdrawal, deferral and return to study options. Further information can be found here.

Honours program structure

The Honours program is made up of three courses:

1. RESEARCH THESIS (8 units; 50% of overall Honours result) – HUMN6900 PART A and B (semester one commencement) or HUMN6901 PART A and B (semester two commencement). Students are required to enrol in both PART A and PART B of the thesis code via SI-net.

The requirements for the Honours thesis vary by discipline. Basic information is included below. Your supervisor and Discipline Honours Advisor will provide more detailed information and guidance.

Students in Ancient History write one thesis of 20,000 words.
Students in Greek or Latin write one thesis of 16,000 words plus original translations.
Students in History write one thesis of 16,000–20,000 words.
Students in Philosophy write two theses of between 8,000–10,000 words each.
Students in Religious Studies write one thesis of 16,000–20,000 words.

2. COURSEWORK 1: RESEARCH METHODS (HUMN6600) (4 units; 25% of overall Honours result), offered in Semester 1. This is a team-taught course involving staff from across the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry. Student enquiries about discipline-specific content should be addressed to the relevant discipline contact person:

Classics and Ancient History: Dr Janette McWilliam (j.mcwilliam@uq.edu.au)
History: Assoc. Prof. Martin Crotty (m.crotty@uq.edu.au)
Philosophy: Dr Julian Lamont (j.lamont@uq.edu.au)
Religious Studies: Dr Ryan Williams (ryan.williams1@uq.edu.au)

Enquiries about the course overall or the common weeks should be directed to the course coordinator, Dr Kit Morrell (k.morrell@uq.edu.au).

3. COURSEWORK 2: ADVANCED READINGS (HUMN6601) (4 units; 25% of overall Honours result), offered in Semester 2. This course involves study of advanced readings appropriate to Honours-level study in the various disciplines. It is a team-taught course delivered by staff from across the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry. Student enquiries about discipline-specific content should be addressed to the relevant discipline contact person.

Classics and Ancient History: Dr Amelia Brown (a.brown9@uq.edu.au)
History: Assoc. Prof. Martin Crotty (m.crotty@uq.edu.au)
Philosophy: Dr Julian Lamont (j.lamont@uq.edu.au)
Religious Studies: Dr Ryan Williams (ryan.williams1@uq.edu.au)

Study plans

Depending on your enrolment status and date of commencement, your study plan will take one of the following forms:

Full-Time (commencing in Semester 1)

SEMESTER 1	SEMESTER 2
HUMN6600 Coursework 1: Research Methods #4	HUMN6601 Coursework 2: Advanced Readings #4
HUMN6900 Thesis PART A #8	HUMN6900 Thesis PART B #8

Full-Time (commencing in Semester 2)

SEMESTER 2	SEMESTER 1 (next year)
HUMN6601 Coursework 2: Advanced Readings #4	HUMN6600 Coursework 1: Research Methods #4
HUMN6901 Thesis PART A #8	HUMN6901 Thesis PART B #8

Part-Time (commencing in Semester 1)

SEMESTER 1	SEMESTER 2
HUMN6600 Coursework 1: Research Methods #4	HUMN6601 Coursework 2: Advanced Readings #4
SEMESTER 1 (next year)	SEMESTER 2 (next year)
HUMN6900 Thesis PART A #8	HUMN6900 Thesis PART B #8

Part-Time (commencing in Semester 2)

SEMESTER 2	SEMESTER 1 (next year)
HUMN6601 Coursework 2: Advanced Readings #4	HUMN6600 Coursework 1: Research Methods #4
SEMESTER 2 (next year)	SEMESTER 1 (second year from commencement)
HUMN6901 Thesis PART A #8	HUMN6901 Thesis PART B #8

**Any changes to Study Plan must be communicated to the HPI Office and your supervisor.

Honours Theses

As part of the program, you will write a research thesis (for Philosophy, two shorter theses) with one-on-one guidance from your supervisor.

Once you’re enrolled, your supervisor and Discipline Honours Advisor will provide you with more information regarding the expectations for an Honours thesis in your discipline, including the template to use in preparing your thesis. Marking criteria for the thesis can be found in the Electronic Course Profile (ECP). You should be familiar with these before you commence work on your thesis. HUMN6600 also includes two seminars on thesis-writing.

Honours theses are due on the first Monday after the study break in your last semester of enrolment. Theses must be submitted through Turnitin using the Honours thesis template for your discipline. Your thesis must include a completed copyright declaration as a page within the thesis.

Your thesis will be marked by two markers, typically staff members from your discipline. You will receive two reports on your thesis and a single mark/grade.

You can find further information about marking and policies regarding extensions, etc. in the Electronic Course Profile for HUMN6900/HUMN6901.

Once your thesis is marked and results released, you will be invited to submit your thesis for upload to UQ’s eSpace repository, so your work is available to other researchers. You can choose to make your thesis available as open access (freely available on the internet) or closed access (logged in UQ users only). Please note: if your thesis includes third-party copyright material, such as images, you will only be able to make your thesis available as closed access.

Support for Honours students

Fees and Financial Support

For information on fees, see https://study.uq.edu.au/admissions/honours/review-fees-and-financial-support

Scholarships

Some of the links below will not be available until the next round of scholarships.

Prizes

The following prizes are awarded to Honours students each year.

Further details can be found at the HPI Awards and Prizes webpage.

The Adrian Heyworth Smith Memorial Latin Prize (established 2010)
The J.L. Michie Memorial Prize (established 1948)
The J.L. Michie Memorial Prize for Ancient History (established 1980)
The Theosophical Society Perennial Philosophy Prize
The Don Mannison Prize (established 1992)
The Douglas Price Memorial Prize (established 1940)
Joan Allsop Prize (established 1960)
The Paul Crook Honours Thesis Prize (established 2000)
The Devahuti Prize in History (established 1974)
The Lions of Queensland John Francis O'Grady Memorial Prize (established 1960)
Margaret Julia Ross Prize in Australian History (established 2015)

Forms and additional resources

For queries regarding the Honours program, please contact the School Office or the Discipline Honours Advisors.

Change Study Plan from full time to part time or Withdraw/Defer/Interruption of studies

Please conatct admin-hapi@uq.edu.au as soon as it becomes evident that you may need to to change you study plan.

Further information can be found here.