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Honours Study in Psychology

Honours programs at the ANU take one academic year (full time). Honours aims to build on the knowledge and skills that you have learned in your undergraduate career. In doing so, Honours continues and rounds out a process begun in the study of psychology at an undergraduate level. However, Honours is much more than this. It is a time of social, professional and intellectual development in which students become better acquainted with some of the central features of academic life: seminars, workshops, presentation of work to colleagues, research design and communication of scientific findings.

Accordingly, students are generally given much more autonomy and responsibility for their own intellectual development during this year than previously. Our Honours degree aims to develop your skills, under supervision, as an independent researcher and innovative thinker. Honours will also test your organisational skills; in particular, your ability to prepare, define, plan, carry out and report on research. As an Honours student in Psychology, you will undertake your own empirical research on a topic you choose to study and your research should involve the creation of new information and knowledge in your chosen field.

An Honours qualification may also enable you to join an international Psychological society. See information about overseas recognition of qualifications for further details.

Your year as an Honours student will probably be the most testing, but also the most rewarding, of your undergraduate career.

Program Components

The honours program is made up of three coursework components and an empirical research project. The coursework components together contribute 50 per cent (16.7 per cent each) to the final assessment :

A) Honours Methodology (compulsory)

B) Psychological testing and assessment - Covers basic counselling skills, as well as a detailed coverage of tests of intellectual functioning and personality

and

C) One course of a choice of 3 including :

1. Special Topics in Developmental and Abnormal Psychology - Psychological disorders across the lifespan
2. Special Topics in Cognitive and Biological Psychology - The relationship between brain and behaviour
3. Special Topics in Social Psychology - e.g. Prejudice and intergroup relations

D) Research

The thesis consists of a write-up of an empirical research project conducted by the student and constitutes 50 percent of the final assessment. This component provides students with the opportunity to conduct a major research project selected from a wide range of areas. Honours groups are kept to a reasonable size in any one year, allowing for one-on-one supervision that is tailored to the needs and circumstances of individual students (the departmental policy is that each staff member typically supervises two Honours students per year).

Before you start the Honours program, it is a good idea for you to think about a range of topics you would like to study in your research project. In your third year, you may consult potential supervisors about your ideas for a research project. When talking about your research interests with potential supervisors, you might like to discuss :

• their research interests and research plans for the coming year
• your own interests and ideas
• their preferred supervisory style (How often do they like to meet? Exactly how independent do they expect a student to be? Do they already have a specific project in mind?)
• what they expect of an Honours student

Expectations of Students and Supervisors

As an Honours student, you are at a stage intermediate between undergraduate and graduate work. Formally, the university classifies you as an undergraduate. However, your work is more like that of a graduate student. During Honours you will experience some of the independence and self-direction required of graduate research students, but you also have close contact and direction from your supervisor(s).

All Honours students have a supervisor. The relationship between supervisor and student involves obligations on the part of both parties. Your supervisor will assist you with advice, guidance and criticism and help you to achieve your personal academic goals. The supervisor is there to help you choose and design the research project, guide the research in a practical and productive way, and advise you on writing the best thesis of which you are capable. At the same time, your supervisor can only guide your efforts, and then only if you are receptive to advice. You must take the responsibility for the final results of your work.

We expect that you will :

• maintain a close dialogue and constructive working relationship with your supervisor(s);
• plan your research program and budget with your supervisor(s);
• consider advice seriously. If advice is not taken, the supervisor should be informed and given the reasons for the decision;
• consult regularly with your supervisor. Students should prepare in advance for consultations, by determining the help they require and the areas in which advice would be useful;
• interact with other students and staff in accordance with the relevant University policies (e.g. Equity and Diversity Policies). Contribute to the academic life of the School and Graduate program, by attending all relevant seminars;
• treat School and University facilities and resources with respect and care, and follow Occupational Health and Safety requirements;
• observe the relevant University and School rules and regulations (see Graduate program and School Handbooks);
• complete the formal requirements for Honours;
• complete, to the best of your ability, a well written, thorough and competent bound thesis of the highest standard.

Your supervisor also has responsibilities. These are to :

• assist you in selecting and defining the scope of a suitable thesis topic or problem;
• assist you in devising a schedule for the year's thesis work;
• guide you in the selection and application of appropriate data collection and analysis procedures and advise on the solution of any difficulties that arise;
• advise on matters of thesis content, organisation and writing, including the timely provision of comments, written and oral, on drafts or portions of the thesis;
• meet frequently with you to discuss and evaluate each stage of the thesis project;
• monitor your progress and advise you when progress is unsatisfactory;
• assist you in gaining clearance from the ethics committee.

Support for Students

Honours in Psychology students have access to their own meeting area, which has computer access, work areas and a small kitchen. Students are also entitled to financial assistance for printing theses and questionnaires, and for purchasing equipment needed to complete your research project.

Early each year, we take our Honours students on a weekend trip to the NSW south coast, where the ANU has a large property facing the beach. The purpose of this weekend is largely social, but we also run a workshop on thesis writing and hear talks from invited speakers. The trip is paid for by the School of Psychology, although students are responsible for organising their own transport.

Entry Requirements

The basic requirements for honours in Psychology/Science/Arts are set out in the appropriate sections of the ANU Undergraduate Handbook and the ANU Rules. It is the responsibility of applicants to familiarise themselves with such requirements. Special requirements relating to psychology are detailed in the psychology section of the Undergraduate Handbook. In general, they are as follows :

(a) Completion of the requirements for the award of a pass Bachelor degree.

From 2006, the normal requirement for admission to the honours program is completion of courses to the value of 144 units, including a minimum of 72 units in psychology as follows:

PSYC1001A

PSYC1001B

PSYC2001

PSYC2002

PSYC2007

PSYC2008

PSYC2009 (or equivalent)

PSYC3026 or PSYC2004

PSYC3018, plus at least three other Group C psychology courses. These restrictions are imposed to ensure that all fourth year students have been exposed to a suitably wide range of areas of psychology in line with the requirements for accreditation of the courses by the Australian Psychological Society.

It may be possible to substitute a later-year course in a cognate discipline (e.g., anthropology, sociology, philosophy, linguistics, computer science, biology, neuroscience) for a psychology course, but any such substitution may be made only with the prior approval of the Head of School. BA students wishing to substitute a cognate course for a psychology course require additional approval from the Faculty of Arts.

Applicants from other institutions need a similarly broad coverage of psychology courses. (PSYC3018 covers one- and two-way analysis of variance for between- and within-subject designs as well as multiple regression. Both courses involve computer-based data analysis using SPSS and aspects of research methodology.)

(b) Achievement of an appropriate level of academic performance. For consideration for admission to the Honours Program applicants should have achieved an average grade of Credit (or equivalent) across all psychology courses, as well as in any approved substitute course. A Credit average is regarded as the minimum standard for eligibility to apply for admission to Honours. In practice, selection is generally contingent on a higher level of academic performance.

(c) Students who have not completed an accredited three year sequence in Psychology, may gain entry to Honours by completing the Graduate Diploma in Psychological studies or its equivalent.

Application Procedures

The standards for admission to honours of applicants from institutions other than the ANU are the same as those that apply to internal applicants (as set out above). Programs with degree structures different from the ANU's are translated into ANU terms.

1. Assessment of eligibility for admission to the psychology honours year is based on information forwarded by applicants. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all relevant information is provided. For external (non-ANU) applicants, this includes a transcript of the academic record attached to the formal application form; if the Bachelor's Degree program has not been completed when the application is lodged, proof of completion should be forwarded to the Admissions Office as soon as possible after it becomes available. If you are a non-ANU applicant, please also provide information about the structure of the your degree, and the grading system (the percentage ranges for the various grades awarded).
2. Honours applications are considered at a meeting of the academic staff in late November. Successful applicants are notified by the beginning of December though some late offers may be made in January.
3. As a general rule, full-time enrolments are preferred. Where overriding considerations result in an applicant's request to undertake the honours program on a part-time basis, it is necessary for that applicant to demonstrate the need for the request to the Honours Convener. Where a part-time enrolment is permitted, the program will extend across two academic years. The coursework will be completed in the first year and the research project in the second year.
4. All interested students are welcome to discuss their prospects, and their possible areas of interest, with staff who might provide supervision. Specific questions regarding the Honours program should be directed to Mark Edwards, the Honours Convenor (email Mark.Edwards@anu.edu.au)
5. All applicants for Honours in Psychology must use the Registration of Interest Form. a) ANU students should submit to the School of Psychology by 31 October, the Registration of Interest Form, plus the Application for Current ANU Students for Admission to Honours Program, plus a copy of their academic results from ISIS to the end of Semester 1. b) Non-ANU applicants and/or applicants who have completed a degree from ANU prior to Semester 2 should submit to the School of Psychology by 31 October, the Registration of Interest Form, plus a copy of their academic transcript. You must also complete an application for Undergraduate Admission and send it to Admissions Office. For more information about the application process, please contact Jenny Sutton ( ).

Early Offer of Entry to the Honours Program

See above on this page for information about entry requirements for Honours in Psychology.

Any student may apply in July for provisional entry to the Honours program commencing in February of the following year. That is, applicants who have a sufficiently strong record (mostly strong Distinctions or High Distinctions) by the end of semester 1, may be offered entry to the Honours program on the basis of their results so far. This provisional offer is conditional upon an equivalent academic standard being maintained during Semester 2.

Both ANU and non-ANU applicants are eligible to apply for provisional entry using the standard Registration of Interest Form and submitting it to the School of Psychology by 30 July. All students must attach a copy of their academic transcript with results to the end of Semester 1, (ANU students may attach a print-out from ISIS).

Note :

1. Those students who are not offered provisional entry may still be granted entry when all applications, and Semester 2 grades, are considered in early December.
2. Current ANU students will not need to submit further documentation or an additional application if they submit a Registration of Interest Form and the Application for Current ANU Students for Admission to Honours Program (with supporting documentation) in July.
3. Applicants with a degree from another university or who have completed a degree from ANU prior to Semester 2 must also complete an Undergraduate Admission Form by 31 October.

Mid-Year Entry

You can also start honours mid year. The closing date for applications is the last Friday in May and the course starts the first week in Semester 2.

Honours Scholarships

The ANU offers a considerable number of Honours Scholarships (across all disciplines) each year, selection for which is based on academic merit. Students must apply for scholarships at the same time they apply for admission to the program. Students should refer to the Study@ANU pages for more information.

Program Timetable

The first day of the Honours program is an orientation session and is held in late January or the first week of February. Students arrange supervision and begin work on their research projects in the week after this. Coursework begins at the end of February. The program finishes at the end of October when theses are submitted.

Grade Requirements

Applicants are ranked according to the marks they have achieved in 1st, 2nd and 3rd year psychology courses. If you have passed a course but repeated it, we will count only the grade you got the first time you did it. We will not count any subsequent attempts at the same course. If you have failed a course and repeated it then passed, we will count the fail and the grade you got the second time you did the course. If you achieved a NCN Grade for a course we will count that as a mark of 45.

We rank ANU applicants on the basis of a weighted average percentage mark. By 'weighted average' we mean that courses with a higher unit weighting are worth more (i.e. PSYC1001 at 12 units is worth twice PSYC2009 at only 6 units).

Generally, successful ANU applicants achieve average marks of above 68, although this does vary from year to year. To calculate a weighted average mark, multiply the average you got for each course with the number of units associated with that course (e.g, if you got a 72 for a course worth 12 credit points, you would multiply 72 x 12 = 864). Add up the results of all these multiplications (we'll call this A). Now add up all your units (call this B). Divide A by B and you have a weighted average mark. Below is a worked example.

Sara is in second year and her academic record so far is as follows :

• PSYC1001   68   CR   12 units
• PSYC2001   74   D   6 units
• PSYC2002   77   D   6 units
• PSYC2004   69   CR   6 units
• PSYC2007   83   HD   6 units
• PSYC2008   65   CR   6 units
• PSYC2009   63   CR   6 units

Her weighted average is = A / B

=   (68 x 12) + (74 x 6) + (77 x 6) + (69 x 6) + (83 x 6) + (65 x 6) + (63 x 6) 12 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6

=   816 + 444 + 462 + 414 + 498 + 390 + 378 48

=   70.88

External applicants are ranked according to their Grade Point Averages (GPAs). The minimum required to get into Honours is a 6 on a 10 point scale. However, in practice, the minimum is closer to 8 for external applicants as preference is given to internal students (most universities follow this practice). These figures are intended as a guide only, as in any year, cutoffs are determined by the number of places available and the standard of applications.

To calculate your Psychology GPA : Award a score of 4 for a Pass, 6 for a Credit, 8 for a Distinction and 10 for a Higher Distinction. Multiply each of these scores with the number of units or credit points associated with that course (e.g, if you got a Distinction for a course worth 12 units or credit points, you would multiply 8 x 12 = 48. Add up the results of all these multiplications (we'll call this A). Now add up all your units or credit points (call this B). Divide A by B and you have a weighted GPA. Below is a worked example.

Sara is in second year and her academic record so far is as follows :

• PSYC1001   CR   12 units
• PSYC2001   D   6 units
• PSYC2002   D   6 units
• PSYC2004   CR   6 units
• PSYC2007   HD   6 units
• PSYC2008   CR   6 units
• PSYC2009   CR   6 units

Her weighted GPA is = A / B

=   (6 x 12) + (8 x 6) + (8 x 6) + (6 x 6) + (10 x 6) + (6 x 6) + (6 x 6) 12 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6

=   72 + 48+ 48 + 36 + 60 + 36 + 36 48

=   7

What if I have had a difficult semester that has pulled my results down?

The School recognises that some applicants for Honours may have failed to achieve at a level required for Honours entry due to past health problems or personal difficulties. Provided students have satisfied certain criteria, they may apply to the School's Honours committee to be considered for an alternative route to Honours. This route would involve the completion of an approved course of study including further courses in psychology, to an approved standard. Students are only eligible to apply to be considered for this route provided they have :

• achieved a Credit average (Grade Point Average) in all undergraduate Psychology courses
• completed a major in Psychology including PSYC2009and PSYC3018
• already unsuccessfully applied for Honours in Psychology within the School

Request More Information

Further Enquiries should be directed to the Honours Program Assistant:

Jenny Sutton

• School of Psychology (Building 39)
• The Australian National University
• Canberra ACT 0200
• Australia
• phone : (02) 6125 2796
• fax : (02) 6125 0499
• email :