Students in Laboratory
Students in Laboratory
Honours is a fourth-year program which gives you the opportunity to draw together your previous science or health science studies and focus your knowledge, skills and intellect on an exciting piece of original research.
Honours programs are generally split into two components:
Investing in the additional year at University required to complete Honours gives you the opportunity to draw together your early years of study and add significant value to your resume. Honours is very different from earlier undergraduate years, allowing and requiring a greater degree of independence and flexibility that will help you develop the maturity and skills for transition to employment in a range of occupations and industries or a research higher degree.
Analysis of the Graduate Destination Survey for students completing Honours compared with a three-year science degree has shown that students are significantly more likely to gain employment that is related to their field of study if they have completed the additional Honours year.
In particular, if you are interested in becoming a professional scientist then it is a general expectation that you will have undertaken the additional year. The greater exposure to the research process, additional knowledge and wider experiences of Honours graduates are all attractive to employers.
In recognition of the professional skills that students' gain in Honours, many
non-science employers - including state and federal government - also now expect graduates to have undertaken an Honours year.
The Honours year is your first chance to engage in significant research; the process itself will help you develop a variety of transferable skills that go beyond those learnt earlier in your university career.
Managing a research project over two semesters develops time- and project-management skills, while the need to work with staff or other students develops negotiation and communication skills.
Interaction with your supervisor, writing your project thesis and delivering your end-of-year presentation will all hone your skills in communicating complex scientific or technological concepts. These activities will also increase your understanding of how scientific or technical arguments are constructed.
Most importantly, the whole research project is about advanced problem-solving. This is a critical skill that can be used in any industry, government or scientific setting.
Many of Melbourne’s academic staff are internationally recognised leaders in their fields of research. You may have been taught by them in your earlier years, now you will have an opportunity to learn from them directly and become part of the research group. You will gain insight into the research process through observing leading researchers and senior postgraduate students up close, and gain from their advice as you pursue your own novel research.
The advanced research project components of all Honours programs are designed to integrate and expand on the techniques and scientific processes learnt during your earlier undergraduate studies. You will develop the ability to work independently and start to develop an understanding of how to guide an extended program of research. In the process you will develop teamwork skills which are important in reaching larger, long-term research objectives.
The advanced coursework components of each program focus on taking you towards the edges of your discipline and broadening or deepening your knowledge base. You will be able to pursue your specific areas of interest as well as being exposed to cutting-edge developments in your field.