Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

If you have enjoyed your Arts degree and wish to excel in your chosen field of study, consider applying for Honours in Arts at UWA.

You will build your oral and analytical skills by completing seminar-based coursework, and develop your individual research skills by writing a dessertation.

Honours is available to current UWA Arts students, as well as students who completed their undergraduate degree at another university.

What is honours?

• Honours is a one-year course that allows students to specialise in a subject they studied under their Bachelor of Arts.
• Honours normally consists of seminar-based coursework and a dissertation, each worth the same number of points.
• Honours can be studied full-time for one year, or part-time for up to two years.
• Honours students generally specialise in one field, such as Politics or Communication Studies. Some choose joint or cognate honours, combining two fields of study.
• Honours gives you the opportunity to complete a dissertation, which is a large-scale, year-long research project written under the guidance of a supervisor.
• You may apply to study honours any time within seven years of completing your BA pass degree.
  

Why do honours?

Undertaking an honours program will provide you:

• Personal satisfaction: indulge your academic interests while gaining a higher qualification. Seminar and dissertation subjects cover a wide range of intellectually stimulating subjects.
  
  
• Better employment prospects: completing honours demonstrates high-level analytical skills and the ability to work independently. Employers look for these qualities when recruiting.
  
  
• Higher studies: honours is the usual prerequisite for admission to a Masters or PhD programme.
  

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What type of honours are there?

There are three types of honours available in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

1. End-on honours for UWA students

End-on honours is one additional year of study. UWA students must complete a major in a subject area before they can continue into honours. For example, you can't study Politics and History in your Bachelor of Arts and then do honours in Communication Studies.

2. End-on honours for external students

End-on honours is also available to students who completed their undergraduate degree at another university. These students must also have a major or equivalent in their intended honours area.

3. Concurrent honours

Some subjects at UWA permit students to complete honours while they are completing the requirements for their undergraduate degree. This is known as concurrent honours.

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What marks do I need to get into honours?

To apply for honours, you need a major in the particular subject area, with an average of about 65%. Technically, at least half of the pass degree points (usually 72 points) must be 65% or above. Note that some disciplines have additional requirements.

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How do I apply?

Current UWA Arts Students

1. Talk to the honours co-ordinator of the discipline you are interested in shortly before you expect to complete your degree. Approval of both the discipline group and the Faculty is required for honours entry.
   
2. Applications are submitted online through your studentConnect account.
   

Students who completed undergraduate degrees at other universities

1. Talk to the honours co-ordinator of the discipline you are interested in. Honours co-ordinators can advise you on supervision and entry requirements.
   
2. Complete an honours application form for external students. You will need to submit original or properly certified copies of academic transcripts.
3. Submit your application to the UWA Admissions Centre.

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Joint and cognate honours

If your interests span two differnt subject areas, consider doing joint honours. For example, if you want to write a disseration on politics in Europe, you may apply for joint honours in Politics and European Studies.

Read the Faculty's honours policy for further information.

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