Bachelor of Arts (Honours)

This is a one-year honours degree for students who have already completed a bachelor degree in social sciences, psychology or a related field. It's the standard Australian honours year, a fourth year on top of a three-year bachelor, and it's built around a research project you design and carry out yourself, supervised by an academic in your area. You'll also take coursework in research methods and theory, but the thesis is the centre of the degree. Most students treat it as the step between undergraduate study and either a PhD or a research role.

What you study

You'll complete units in advanced research design, qualitative and quantitative methods, and critical theory, then apply them to your own project. Topics depend on your supervisor's expertise and your interests, social policy, community wellbeing, psychology, Indigenous studies, gender and cultural studies are all possibilities. The honours thesis is usually 15,000–20,000 words, and you'll work with a supervisor across both semesters. Some students do their research with a community organisation, government agency or health service on the Sunshine Coast or in Brisbane, which gives the project a real-world setting.

How it's structured

The degree runs over two semesters full-time. You'll enrol in a set of units of study, typically research methods, a reading or theory unit, and the thesis units, each carrying credit points that add up to a full year of study. Assessment is mostly written work, seminar presentations and the final thesis. There's no exam-heavy load; you're judged on your research and your ability to argue it. The honours classification you receive (First Class, Second Class Division A or B, Third Class) matters if you're applying for a PhD or a competitive graduate role.

Who it suits

You should apply if you finished a bachelor degree with a credit average or better in a relevant discipline and you want to do research, not just more coursework. It suits people aiming at a PhD, a research assistant role, policy work in government, or a psychology pathway, though check with the university about whether this honours year is accredited for the psychology registration sequence, because not all honours programmes are. International students can apply; you'll need to meet the English requirement and the university will confirm your eligibility. The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available after graduation, and while you study your visa allows 48 hours of work per fortnight. Confirm the current tuition, intake dates and English equivalencies on the official page and the CRICOS register.

• Research assistant, universities, medical research institutes, social policy centres
• Policy officer, state and federal government departments, local councils
• Programme coordinator, community services, NGOs, mental health organisations
• Data and evaluation analyst, social research firms, health services, education providers
• Case manager or support worker, family services, youth justice, disability and aged care
• PhD candidate, honours is the usual entry point to a doctorate in Australia
• Human resources or organisational development officer, public and private sector
• Market and social research consultant, insights agencies, government panels