Honours

Honours is the final year of an undergraduate degree. It is a year in which you can specialise in either History or Politics, or combine either discipline with another in a joint Honours program. An honours degree taken in the School of History and Politics keeps your options open , and strengthens your opportunities in a range of fields. An Honours degree is a necessary qualification for anyone wishing to undertake postgraduate studies by research

Honours is a specialist qualification that rounds off your course of studies, opening up new career and employment opportunities. In fact, it is a qualification that is increasingly in demand by current employers in both the public and private sectors. In the future the possession of an advanced qualification of this kind is likely to become ever more necessary.

Honours graduates have a well-recognised edge over students with a pass degree: employers appreciate the advanced training in research and analysis that an Honours degree provides. Honours graduates have moved into satisfying jobs in a variety of fields including:

• Local government
• Print and broadcast journalism
• Publishing, advertising, marketing
• Heritage and conservation
• Research, administration and policy advising at all levels of government and business
• Educational administration, education and business, as well as research careers in both the community and the academy

Whatever the anticipated outcome, an Honours year is an immensely rewarding experience. It offers an opportunity of working closely with teachers and fellow students in small group settings quite unlike those that you will normally have encountered in your earlier years at university.

Assessment

The Honours year in the School of History & Politics normally consists of a thesis and completion of two seminars. The thesis is weighted at 50% of the final result and each seminar at 25%.

Students are able to choose seminar from a range of electives (though in Politics a Core Course is compulsory). The thesis topic is decided in consultation with a supervisor allocated by the Honours convenor following discussions with students. Students are encouraged to speak to staff about their prospective thesis topic before applying for admission.

Students usually apply for entry to Honours towards the end of their Bachelors degree and will be told whether their application is successful well before the start of their Honours study. Most students will begin research for their thesis through the summer, before concentrating on the seminars during first semester. Seminar papers are due at the end of semester 1 and the thesis is due at the end of semester 2.  

Courseguides - Politics & International Studies Honours Courses

• International Politics of the Post Cold War
• Politics and History of Contemporary Europe
• Sex and Equality in the Liberal Democratic State
• The State of the Situation
• Regionalism and Multilateralism
• American Empire
• Approaches to Strategic Cultures and Unconventional Conflict
• How Much is Society Worth
• Political Economy of Contemporary China
• Nuclear Issues in the Asia Pacific
• Intelligence Analysis

Further Information

History
Mr Frank McGregor
8303 5608

Politics & International Studies
Dr Juanita Elias
8303 3446

Please note that Dr Elias will be on leave from early January until the end of September 2009. The acting honours convenor will be Dr Clement Macintyre

• History
• Politics
• International Studies

• History
• Politics
• International Studies

• Politics Thesis Topics
• History Thesis Topic