Bachelor of Arts (Honours)

Each honours year involves a mix of seminars and a thesis. Some honours years require three seminars and a shorter thesis (12,000–15,000 words), while others involve two seminars and a longer thesis of up to 20,000 words.

A thesis is read by at least two academics in the field other than the student's supervisor. Examiners write detailed reports on each thesis, which the student receives, and assign a tentative grade. The final grades for each thesis are decided by the department or program staff collectively.

The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) is awarded as either Pass or Honours. The honours degree is awarded in classes ranging from First Class to Third Class according to the rules specified in the Coursework Policy and the Resolutions of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Double honours involves completing all the honours requirements in one subject area and then in another, and thus normally takes an additional year. In joint honours, the two units of study are more generally closely related and a special program of study is designed for the honours year, which will usually entail doing approximately half the final honours requirements for two subject areas.

Students are encouraged to commence the application process in their final year of the Bachelor of Arts, or equivalent degree at another institution. The standard closing dates are 15 January of the commencing year for Semester 1, and 25 June of the commencing year for Semester 2. The University strongly encourages applicants to apply as early as possible, as offers are made on a rolling basis and places are limited.