The higher education systems in Australia may be different than in other countries. One aspect that often confuses international students in Australia is the Honours Degree. You may wonder whether you should study an extra year after your Bachelor’s degree. Well, the answer is that it really depends.
This blog post aims to provide a detailed understanding of Honours Degree. AAS will also analyse and provide advice on whether an Honours degree or a Masters degree is more suitable in different situations at the end of this article.
1. What is an Honours degree?
An Honours degree is commonly found in the British education system, particularly in the UK and Australia, where undergraduate degrees typically last three years.
The Honours degree is a qualification that is higher in level than a Bachelor’s degree and is equivalent in level to a Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma. In the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), a Bachelor’s degree is classified as AQF level 7, an Honours degree as AQF level 8, and a Master’s degree as AQF level 9.
Honours Degree vs Honorary Degree
An Honours degree is different from an Honorary degree. An Honours degree requires academic achievement and completion of an additional year of study, whereas an Honorary degree is a title conferred by universities or societies upon individuals who have made significant social contributions or achievements. An Honorary degree does not require enrollment or coursework.
2. When and why pursue an Honours Degree?
You might get an Honours degree in the following situations:
- Your undergraduate degree program comes with an Honours year.
In Australia, most of the 4-year Bachelor’s degree consist of a 1-year Honours degree. Bachelor of Engineering is one of the examples that is a 4-year degree with Honours, which is also a requirement of the Engineers Australia, the industrial authority.
- You are invited by the university to undertake an Honours year after completing a three-year undergraduate degree.
Students who achieve excellent academic results in commerce or business degree programs are often invited to take an Honours year at the Group of Eight universities in Australia. Generally, universities or faculties invite students who have a GPA of 5.5 or above, equivalent to 70% or higher.
- You are planning to apply for certain postgraduate courses.
An Honours degree is often a requirement for some of the postgraduate courses, such as the Master of Clinical Psychology. Additionally, some Master’s degree programs offer credit exemptions and a shorter duration of study to those who hold an Honours degree. Contact us to learn more.
3. Curriculum of an Honours degree
The one-year Honours Bachelor’s degree program mainly revolves around two topics: ‘learning to do research’ and ‘writing a thesis.’
For instance, the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) program at the University of Queensland requires students to complete three courses during the Honours year. Check the screenshot below for more details. Two of the courses focus on research methods and advanced reading, while the third course involves completing an Honours thesis based on the student’s chosen research area and topic. The thesis carries a credit weighting equivalent to half of the entire program and is supervised and guided by a faculty advisor.
Talk to us today and get admitted to an Honours degree program in Australia.
4. Advantages of getting an Honours Degree
4.1. You can apply for a PhD with an Honours degree
One of the most significant advantages of obtaining an Honours degree, particularly achieving a First Class Honours, is that it enables students to bypass the Master’s degree program and apply directly to a PhD program. An Honours degree is often a minimum entry requirement for a PhD, students could potentially save a year of time and tuition fees from a Masters degree pathway.
Masters degree or Honours degree pathway to PhD?
In Australia, there are two main types of master’s degree programs: Masters by coursework and Masters by research. While the former usually have insufficient research component, the latter is heavily focused on research.
Therefore, having an Honours degree with Class I could be more advantageous than having a Masters by coursework when it comes to applying for a research-focused PhD program. Talk to us now for free tailored advice.
4.2. Honours degrees are highly recognised worldwide
Honours degrees are highly regarded by universities in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia. Many postgraduate programs offered by top universities in these countries only consider applicants who hold an Honours degree. Based on the case handled by AAS, it is clear that Honours degree holders generally have a higher acceptance rate at prestigious universities in the UK, US, and Canada.
4.3. Honours degrees are highly regarded in the Australian job market
Honours degree is widely considered as a valuable asset in one’s career path and highly favoured by the employers. Honours degree is a common standard qualification in many different fields including positions on the board of directors in large corporations and even the Prime Ministers in Australia.
However, it’s important to know that in certain non-British education systems, a Bachelor’s degree holds the same value as an Honours degree. Most people are also not familiar with what an Honours degree entails.
5. Honours Degree or Masters Degree?
Here is a summary and some advice for you in different situations.
a. If you are planning to pursue a PhD:
You are advised to consider getting an Honours degree as you may be able to skip the Masters degree and enter a PhD program directly with an Honours degree, saving you a year of time and tuition fees of a Masters degree.
b. If you are planning to pursue higher education at top universities in the UK, US, or Canada:
You should consider acquiring an Honours degree as these universities highly regard an Honours degree and it increases your chances of getting admission to these prestigious universities.
c. If you are planning to work in Australia:
You can consider getting either an Honours degree or a Masters degree. Both qualifications are highly recognised by Australian employers and more valuable than a general Bachelor’s degree. It really depends on your academic goal and career goal in the long run.
d. If your occupation requires you to get a licence:
Obtaining an Honours degree may be a minimum requirement for getting a licence or registration in certain fields, such as engineering. Additionally, pursuing a Master’s degree can also help advance your career path.
e. If you are planning to return to your home country and start working:
You are recommended to obtain a Masters degree to distinguish yourself in the job market. In certain countries, an Honours degree may not hold much additional value compared to a Bachelor’s degree, or an Honours degree may already be included as part of the Bachelor’s degree in the local university’s program. In such cases, pursuing a Master’s degree would be more advantageous for your career development in your hometown.
6. How to apply for an Honours Degree
1. Built-in Honours degree
Some Honours degrees are included in a Bachelor’s degree program when you are admitted to the university. The admission requirements are usually higher than regular undergraduate programs. Contact AAS to learn more.
2. High-achieving students
Students who achieve excellent academic results and rank in the top 3% of their Bachelor’s degree program may receive an invitation from their university or faculty to pursue an Honours degree via email during their final semester. If you have received such an invitation, we can assist you in accepting the offer and handling your student visas. Click here to contact us.
3. Submit an application
If your Bachelor’s degree does not come with an Honours degree, or you did not receive an invitation from your institution upon graduation, you can contact AAS. We can try to submit an application for an Honours year program. We can assist you in submitting an application for an Honours year program.
7. Honours degree entry requirements
If you are interested in applying for an Honours degree program at another Australian university, you will need to fulfil the admission requirements set by the institution. It generally requires you to meet the following criteria:
1. English language proficiency
You may be exempted from the English language requirement if you have an Australian undergraduate degree. But you may still need to provide an IELTS or other recognised English test for certain faculties or majors.
2. Qualifications
You must hold a Bachelor’s degree that is highly relevant to the Honours degree that you are applying. Please note that some requirements may vary for some specific Honours programs.
3. Academic results
Academic performance requirements for Honours degree programs vary among universities and disciplines. Based on AAS experience, students who score 70% or above in their academic results are more likely to receive offers of popular Honours degrees. However, requirements for less popular programs, such as biotechnology, may be lower.
4. Supervisor approval
The application process of some Honours degree programs is similar to a PhD program. It requires students to gain approval from a supervisor at the university in advance. Please note that this is only an additional requirement for particular Honours programs.
5. Faculty approval
In addition to the conditions above, approval by the relevant faculty dean at the university is also required for Honours degree admission.
Free Consultation & Application Services for International Students
Interested in getting an Honours degree or Masters degree? Please don’t hesitate to contact AAS for help. We offer free consultation and university application services for international students.
At AAS, we are dedicated to helping our clients make informed decisions about studying in Australia.
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