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The Honours degree offered in the School of Social Sciences and Asian Languages (SSAL) at Curtin University is intended for students who wish to deepen their understanding of these areas of study, and to open significant career options – either as a final degree or as the first stage of entry into a Higher Degree by Research. It is a one-year program that commences after completing the requirements for a Bachelor’s degree, and essentially ‘adds value’ to a pass degree. It is a program that allows you to study in more depth one or more of the topics you have completed for your Bachelor’s degree, thereby developing your research, analytical and communication skills.

Honours is a 200-credit point research degree to which you can apply for entry when you have completed your three-year Bachelor’s degree. Unlike the classroom-based undergraduate degrees, in Honours most of your work is individual research and writing, guided by a supervisor (or often co-supervisors) whom you meet most weeks for a 30-60 minute consultation session. Entry is by application only. (For external entry, conditions apply. Applicants for external studies must discuss entry with the Honours coordinator, Dr Hiroshi Hasegawa.) You can also do Honours as a part-time student.

Bachelor degree graduates from other recognised tertiary institutions may be accepted into an Honours degree course provided their undergraduate performance is deemed equivalent to those entering the course with a Curtin degree.

Entry to the Honours program is very competitive, and successful entrants will be chosen on the basis of merit. Entry is decided by the Head of Department on the basis of the recommendation of the Honours Selection Committee, which meets at the end of each semester. Recommendations take account of:

• the applicant’s academic record - applicants who graduated from other tertiary institutions should provide a certified copy of their academic record.
• the statement of the intended research project provided by the applicant.
• the availability within the Department of a supervisor for the project.
• the recommendations of two academic referees who have previously taught or supervised the applicant.
  

The Structure of the Honours Degree
(Full-Time Mode)

Semester 1 (100 credit points):

• Theories and Methods for Honours Research 411 (50 credit points): methodologies paper, literature review and ethics presentation.
• Honours Preparation 412 (25 credit points): Journals based on 2 hour weekly workshop, revised thesis proposal and work plan.
• Honours Seminar 413 (25 credit points): Critical essay based on various conference and seminar presentations, and presentation of individual research.  

Seminar 2 (100 credit points):

• Honours Dissertation 492 (50 credit points) & Honours Dissertation 493 (50 credit points): 15,000 word dissertation due 30 September.

In order to apply you need:

• in Social Sciences: course weighted average (CWA) of at least 65% over the three years of your undergraduate degree. The Honours Board will look particularly at your trajectory over the latter part of your degree.
  
• in Asian Languages: course weighted average (CWA) of at least 70% with at least 70% semester weighted average (SWA) in the last two semesters of full-time study.
• for ESL (English as a Second Language) speakers, an IELTS score of at least 6.5 is required.

Beyond that minimum requirement, you need:

• a research proposal (Dissertation Intention Document); and
• a potential supervisor(s) who has agreed to take on your supervision.

The crucial step to entry into the program is the production of a Dissertation Intention Document. This document of at least 500 words outlines the topic, research question and methods to be used in preparing, researching and writing the dissertation (see ‘Guidelines for Preparation of Dissertation Intention Document, below). This document will be used by the Honours Board to assess your suitability for study at the Honours level.

Applications are due by 30 November and you will usually be notified (via Oasis) by early December.

Start thinking about your proposed topic very early, and discuss the topic and a draft of your proposal with a potential supervisor/s early in the semester in which you propose to apply. If you are unsure about whom to approach, don’t hesitate to ask the SSAL Honours Coordinator (Dr Hiroshi Hasegawa, h.hasegawa@curtin.edu.au) for advice. It is quite legitimate to approach more than one potential supervisor and talk to them to find out whether you feel comfortable working with them.

When to begin Honours?

Most students choose to go straight into Honours after completing their undergraduate degree, but some choose to take time off from study and then return later.

Is fieldwork involved?

Fieldwork is often a component of Honours research, but fieldwork is not usually permitted overseas or in remote areas because this is a first research degree and new researchers usually need constant guidance from their supervisors.

How do I define a research topic?

This is a set of steps which you should first work through with a possible supervisor before preparing your Dissertation Intention Statement.

1. What is your proposed topic, or area of investigation?
2. What academic background do you need to tackle this topic? Name relevant units or courses you have taken, or relevant secondary literature that you have read.
3. What theoretical perspectives will you need to consider? Name the relevant theoretical sources.
4. What specific skills will you need? e.g. computing, interviewing, statistics, linguistic skills, specific cultural knowledge, etc.
5. What methodology will you be using? e.g. archival research, analysis of written materials, analysis of visual materials, survey, questionnaire, interview, etc.
6. Do you anticipate any problems in locating archival materials or other information? Is there enough information available to tackle this topic?
7. If you will be carrying out interviews, do you anticipate any problems in locating suitable subjects for interviews?
8. Have you considered the ethical implications of your research? Do you anticipate any problems?
9. Can the topic be tackled in the required time limit and within the word limit? If not, how do you propose to narrow the focus of your topic?
10. Does the topic reflect your own interests and preferred method of research?

What are the roles of supervisor and student?

It is crucial that you establish a good professional relationship with your supervisor, a member of your academic staff who will assist you prepare you original proposal, provide comment on your ideas and writing, and ask questions about your progress.
The responsibility for the dissertation ultimately rests with you: the supervisor provides guidance. The thesis is your own piece of work, and you should use feedback from supervisor to refine your argument. You should be prepared and ask questions and seek comments on all issues relating to the topic. You will normally meet your supervisor at least fortnightly to discuss progress and problems with the preparation of the Literature Review, the Seminar Presentation, and the dissertation itself. You may sometimes need to meet more often, perhaps weekly.

What are the examination criteria?

Two examiners are asked to evaluate the thesis according to its conceptualisation (i.e., how well the research project is formulated), the depth of the research itself (i.e., whether the methods used accurately address the research problem), the analysis (i.e., whether the thesis demonstrates a capacity to draw theoretical conclusions from the data), and its presentation (i.e., whether it conforms to accepted norms of academic scholarship).

How are the final results determined?

Once you have submitted your final piece of work, your job is finished. However, you might like to know of the process that follows.

The dissertation is examined by one internal examiner and one external examiner. Your final Honours mark and grade will be determined on the basis of your dissertation result. You must pass your coursework units in order to be able to submit your dissertation for examination.

The Board of Examiners (BoE) will meet after the end of each semester to ratify your marks and make a recommendation on the level of Honours to the Head of School. The BoE has some discretion to adjust the Honours grade (for example, by looking at your grades for your coursework units), but only if it has a compelling reason for doing so.

If there are strong discrepancies between the marks your examiners give you, the BoE may decide to send the dissertation to a third examiner. After the third examiner has reported, the BoE will determine the final grade of Honours.

What are the classes of Honours?

Honours results are expressed as classes:

First Class (I): 80% and higher: the student has produced work of a high quality (often publishable) that could not reasonably be improved within the expectations of an Honours dissertation. By convention, students with a first-class Honours degree are eligible to apply for entry into a PhD program.

Upper Second Class (IIA): 70%-79%: this is the grade of honours most appropriate for the good student who has produced work of a high quality.

Lower Second Class (IIB): 60%-69%: a dissertation/project placed in lower second class will have good aspects, but may have discernible flaws in either research or presentation. It will nevertheless show a good understanding and commitment to the project.

Third Class (III): 50%-59%: this class is reserved for projects which have considerable flaws in more than one area, but which display some level of understanding of the purpose of the research and its outcomes.

Fail: below 50%: a dissertation may be failed if it does not reach the level of a third class.

Note: You are only permitted to submit your dissertation for examination once. Resubmission of a revised dissertation for examination is not permitted.

Am I allowed to do the SSAL Honours on part-time basis?

Yes, you are. (Please contact Dr Hiroshi Hasegawa for further information.)

Am I allowed to do the SSAL Honours if I am unable to be present on Curtin Bentley campus?

Yes, you are. (Please contact Dr Hiroshi Hasegawa for further information.)

1. Higher degree by research

A good Honours degree is an essential prerequisite for enrolment in a Higher Degree by Research (Masters or Doctorate). If you are intending to apply for an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) or an equivalent University post-graduate scholarship for higher degrees (eg. MA, MCA, DCA, PhD) at Curtin or elsewhere, you must submit your dissertation on time – earlier if possible – for the scholarship selection process occurs within a very tight timeframe. In addition, your chances of securing a scholarship depend upon achieving an excellent Honours result. Final honours grades are essential to the way scholarship applications are ranked, and you are likely to miss out if you have not submitted your dissertation in time for prompt examination.

2. Higher degree by coursework

A solid Honours also can lead to Masters by Coursework programs (such as the SSAL postgraduate programs in International Relations, in National Security, or in Translation).

3. Other careers

Amongst the careers that are open to you are research, analysis and communication positions in a wide range of private and public arenas, from doing environmental or social impact studies for a mining company, a local shire, a union or a remote area Land Council. Careers are also open in journalism, research for private or public entities or for NGOs, politics as a researcher/advisor, working in government (federal, state and local). Traditional destinations for Social Sciences and Asian Languages graduates include Foreign Affairs, Immigration or Defence, but many other departments (Health, Customs, Education) are interested in our Honours graduates because the skills needed by these departments are those possessed by SSAL Honours graduates: clear thinking, conceptualisation and problematisation, advanced research skills, critical analysis, communication both verbally and in written and visual text, the capacity to handle large quantities of evidence/data, to work both as self-starting individuals and as members of groups and teams, technologically literate (research and communication).