Bachelors Degree with Honours

A bachelor's honours degree recognises distinguished study at an advanced level and may be either a 480-credit degree that requires a particular level of achievement, or a discrete 120-credit degree following a bachelor's degree.

The award of honours recognises outstanding achievement, meritorious achievement or a pass in papers which include the highest 120 credits of the degree. These may be termed first class honours, second class honours: first and second divisions, and third class honours

Entry requirements

Entry to honours study is normally based on achievement of above average performance in the credits that are relevant to the proposed honours study.

Outcomes

A graduate of a bachelor's honours degree programme is able to:

engage in self-directed learning and advanced study
demonstrate intellectual independence, analytic rigour, and the ability to understand and evaluate new knowledge and ideas
demonstrate the ability to identify topics for original research, plan and conduct research, analyse results and communicate the findings to the satisfaction of subject experts.

Credit requirements

A minimum of 120 credits at level 8, with a research component that represents at least 30 credits at that level.

Relationship with other qualifications

Achieved to an appropriate standard, a bachelor's honours degree will prepare graduates for consideration for entry to doctoral studies.

Note

Where the honours degree is a 480-credit (or more) programme, it must provide an exit point at the end of the study that meets the requirements for a bachelor's degree

Footnote

Some bachelor's honours degree (for example Bachelor of Laws with Honours), approved prior to 1 January 2006, have a minimum of 60 credits at level 8. These qualifications will be grandparented under previous rules.

Research in the context of a bachelor's honours degree develops a student's ability to design and undertake a project under supervision, and to report on this in an appropriate form. It sharpens the student's analytical and communication skills and provides a supported introduction to planning, conducting and reporting on the type of independent research that may be undertaken at higher levels.