Honours Study @ MWAC

What is Honours?

Honours is a fourth year of study following completion of the normal three-year undergraduate degree (e.g. BSc, BA, BEnvSc), and is available to students in double degrees (e.g. BA/BSc. BA/Llb). It allows for more in-depth, advanced learning in your chosen field, and particularly the chance to develop research skills.

Why do Honours?

For the intellectual challenge and personal achievement of continuing your education beyond a normal undergraduate degree. Honours allows you to develop a range of high-level skills, access specialist equipment, deepen and broaden your knowledge. During the Honours year, you can engage critically with your discipline, conduct detailed research on a topic that you are particularly fascinated by, and contribute to intellectual debate, community involvement, policy, etc. Through an Honours degree you can develop a capacity for critical thinking and evaluation of information while acquiring the skills to conduct original research in a scientific and technical field.

More practically, Honours is the key to entry of many kinds of postgraduate studies, including research masters and PhD degrees. An Honours degree also allows you to compete for more specialised careers, whether in management, research, consultancies, policy or planning, and often with greater responsibility and financial reward. Some employers, including government agencies (e.g., the Bureau of Meteorology), consider Honours a key qualification to access their graduate job programs.

Finally, the Honours year allows you to become an active member of a friendly, supportive, specialist learning community, and to work intensively with an expert supervisor in your area of research interest.

Who should apply?

You should strongly consider an Honours year if you are interested in developing research skills and are passionate about learning more in your field, you have a major in Science or Geography and Environmental Science, and you are maintaining a 70% average or better in your major. An Honours degree requires considerable time, effort and commitment.

Entry is available through Arts (BA Hons), Science (BSc Hons), Environmental Science (BEnvSc Hons), or double degrees. You should check the status of your degree before applying – if in doubt check with a Faculty Coursework Advisor or with the Faculty Honours Administrator

Full-time or part-time honours enrolment are available. Note that part-time enrolment will affect your HECs status, so plan your financial situation carefully.

What options are available within Monash Weather & Climate?

Honours can be taken in Atmospheric Science or Climatology. Through the Honours program you will be affiliated with the research group of your supervisor. You will be afforded most of the privileges of staff and postgraduate students, such as keys for after hours access, office and laboratory space, etc. Facilities for your research will usually be provided through your supervisor's research group (field work, laboratory expenses, access to computers, software, computer models and data, etc).

Students normally enrol in first semester (late February) and present their thesis for examination at the end of semester two (October). However, it is possible to start mid-year, or to do Honours on a part-time basis.

It is strongly recommended that students intending to do Honours investigate possible thesis topics and supervisors in their third year, so they can have a well-formulated thesis topic by the start of the program. Sometimes, potential supervisors have specific on-going projects into which they can slot Honours students; others expect student to develop their own, independent projects. We can cater for your preference, although remember that each supervisor has a quota of Honours (and other research students) and that ‘off-the–shelf’ topics where students work for outside clients or as part of a university-based research program are highly competitive and sought-after. Therefore, you need to find potential supervisors and topics early. In all cases, the supervisor will help you to develop and refine your research topic although ultimately your progress is your responsibility.

Investigate research interests of MWAC staff members as far ahead of time as possible.

You might also browse through a list of past thesis topics to see the range and scope of typical Honours theses.

Combined Honours degrees (with other Schools at Monash), are subject to approval by the Honours Coordinators of both schools. Normally this involves completing one 12 point unit in each school and a thesis which bridges both disciplines and is co-supervised by one staff member from each school. Clear lines of communication between both supervisors and the student are essential to maximise the potential of joint supervision, and students need to carefully clarify both schools’ expectations, requirements, and assessment criteria for the thesis.

Is funding available while studying?

A variety of scholarships and grants are available (from the University, the Faculties, the School, individual supervisors, as well as outside organizations) to support students during their Honours year or help pay for their projects.

Contact your Faculty for more information on Faculty and University scholarships; you do not have to apply – students are automatically considered upon entry based on merit.

Outside scholarship sources include:

• for female students: Australian Federation of University Women Victoria Scholarship Program (www.vicnet.net.au/~afuwvic)
• see also www.adm.monash.edu/scholarships/external.html

Occasionally, supervisors have research funds available to support student projects. Ask around while you are seeking a supervisor.

Please see the individual honours pages for specific information relating to Atmospheric Science Honours and Climatology Honours.