Honours

This School welcomes and enthusiastically encourages both its own students, other UWA students with an appropriate background, and students from other recognised institutions, also with an appropriate background, who qualify under this University's regulations to enrol for our Honours programme.

General information for prospective honours students is available at the Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences website

UWA STUDENTS
The School's Honours format is followed by BMedSc and Higher Degree by Research (Preliminary) students who are also warmly welcomed to the School.

During your years undertaking a BSc programme (or 2-3 years MB BS for BMedSc students), you would have received comprehensive instruction in many aspects/facets of concepts/disciplines of Anatomy and Human Biology. In this Honours year, much of the learning emphasis is on completing an original research project under the supervision of School staff who are internationally recognised in their specific field/s of research. Although you will receive many benefits during your year with us, you will specifically be:

• introduced into the challenging world of full-time research.
• Investigate a biological problem at a professional level.
• introduced to the vast information related to your topic stored in scientific journals, the Internet, and in the minds of your colleagues.
• exposed to challenges, frustration, routine and inspirational times of research.
• stimulated by contributing to the knowledge/technical background of the problem area you have selected.
• appreciating the value and cooperation of working with academic and technical colleagues.
• developing the technical, writing and verbal skills required in successful research.
• maturing as a person by close contact with the like-minded peer group and professional university staff.
• testing your abilities and resolve about your future directions.

Eligibility

The minimum qualification for entry to Honours programmes in the Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences is an average of at least 65% in third year in the major discipline. Students who meet this requirement and have the support of the Head of School to undertake Honours will normally be routinely nodded through. Students who have an average of 65% in a major sequence, not necessarily the one in which they wish to pursue Honours, will be allowed to proceed to Honours as long as the Head of School has made a case to the Faculty as to the relevance and adequacy of the student's background.

Procedures to enrol in Honours in this School.

External Students
Students external to UWA who wish to enrol for Honours with us should complete the appropriate application form. It would be advisable to contact the Honours Convenor in advance to ensure the School is happy to accept and supervise you. A letter from the School to this effect may be provided which, attached to the application form, may facilitate the enrolment process.

The Faculty of Life & Physical Sciences monitors and administers the admission of students to the Honours programme.  Once approved by Faculty, student applications are forwarded to Student Administration who issues a letter of offer.   Enrolments are required to be full time, however mid-year enrolments are possible.

For mid-year commencement in Honours, students from other universities must contact the School Honours Convenor in advance of applying.   Upon acceptance by the School, formal application must be lodged with the Admissions Centre, Hackett Hall, by the last Friday in May (this date should be checked each year with the Admissions Centre).    Please note that if applicants from other universities do not complete their degree until mid-year at their own institution, mid-year commencement in Honours at UWA is very difficult to process due to time constraints.

UWA students may also commence Honours mid-year and they should contact the School Honours Convenor as early in the year as possible regarding their interest.  An End-On Honours Application should be lodged with the School.  Once accepted by the School, this End-On Honours Application form is forwarded to Faculty for assessment. 

Every academic member of our staff is available to supervise Honours and BMedSc projects. Each year some suggested projects are circulated and advertised to third year students, however if students wish to nominate and pursue topics of their own devising, the School is very happy to consider this option.

A booklet containing outlines of some suggested Honours projects is available for download or in hard copy from the School office.