Dean of Students
Information Sheet
How do I enter an Honours Program at Macquarie University?
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Macquarie University offers three kinds of Honours degrees.
Those which are a separate one year program following on from a corresponding Bachelor degree
Those which are an integrated part of a Bachelor degree program Honours degrees of Bachelor of Education Early Childhood Education, Bachelor of Arts with the Diploma of Education and Bachelor of Psychology
Those which are awarded on the basis of outstanding merit that is, Honours Degree of the Bachelor of Laws
Those which are a separate one year program following on from a corresponding Bachelor degree.
The Honours degrees which are currently available as separate one year full time or two year part time programs are as follows:
Honours Degree of the
Bachelor of Applied Finance, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts - Psychology,
Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Computer Science,
Bachelor of Economics, Bachelor of Environmental Science, Bachelor of Media,
Bachelor of Medical Sciences, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science- Psychology,
Bachelor of Social Science, Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences,
Bachelor of Technology (Atmospheric Science),
Bachelor of Technology (Biotechnology),
Bachelor of Technology (Environmental Geochemistry),
Bachelor of Technology (Exploration Geosciences),
Bachelor of Technology (Information and Communication Systems),
Bachelor of Technology (Optoelectronics).
The above Honours degrees are available in a wide range of subject areas.
To be eligible for admission to a place in one of the above Honours degree programs an applicant must have
- Qualified for the award of the corresponding Bachelors degree;
- Have completed a program of study prescribed by the Head of Division in which they wish to undertake the Honours program;
- Attained in such units completed for the degree a standard of achievement approved by the Head of Division.
For Macquarie University graduates the following grade point average (GPA) attainment is required
- An overall GPA of 2.5; and
- The 300 level GPA average determined by the Academic Senate for the relevant discipline. In the case of interdisciplinary programs an applicant is required to meet the 300 level GPA of both disciplines.
Academic Senate has approved the following minimum 300 level GPA requirements for admission to the following disciplines.
| Aboriginal Studies | Geography (Human or Physical) | 2.5 | |
| Accounting and Finance | 3.0 | Geographic Information Science | 2.5 |
| Actuarial Studies | 3.25 | Geology and Geophysics | 2.5 |
| Anthropology | 3.0 | History (Ancient or Modern) | 3.0 |
| Applied Finance | 3.0 | Linguistics | 2.7 |
| Asian Languages | 3.0 | Mathematics | 2.5 |
| Biological Sciences | 2.5 | Media | 3.0? |
| Business Administration | 3.0 | Medical Sciences (except Psychomedical) | 3.25 |
| Chemistry | 2.5 | Music | 2.5 |
| Computing | 2.5 | Philosophy | 3.0 |
| Critical and Cultural Studies | 3.0 | Physics | 2.5 |
| Early Childhood Education | 3.0 | Politics | 3.0 |
| Earth Sciences | 2.5 | Psychology | 3.25 |
| Economics | 3.0 | Social Sciences | (according to the discipline selected) |
| Education | 3.0 | Sociology | 3.0 |
| Electronics | 2.5 | Speech and Hearing Sciences | 3.25 |
| English | 3.0 | Statistics | 3.0 |
| Environmental Science | 2.5 | Technology | 2.5 |
| European Languages | 3.0 | Womens Studies | 3.0 |
Those which are an integrated part of a Bachelor degree program Honours degrees of Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education), Bachelor of Arts with the Diploma of Education and Bachelor of Psychology
The Honours degree of Bachelor of Education(Early Childhood Education)
Admission to this degree is at the end of a student's second year of full time study (or part time equivalent). Entry is based on the performance in the first two years of the degree. A grade point average of 2.75 is required for admission into the preliminary Honours year (third year of study). A grade point average of 3.0 is required to enter the fourth and final year of the Honours program.
Bachelor of Arts with the Diploma of Education A student who has completed a program of study for the combined degree of Bachelor of Arts with a Diploma of Education with a high proportion of studies in Education including some prescribed units, and with outstanding merit may be awarded the BADipEd with Honours.
The Honours Degree of Bachelor of Psychology
The Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) Degree is a four year degree. Admission to the degree is possible either by selection within the number of students through the Universities Admission Centre (UAC) or at the end of a student's third year of full time study (or part time equivalent). Entry through UAC will be based on academic merit in competition with other applicants. In 2001 the required UAI was 94.20. Competitive entry at the end of third year of study is available for students enrolled in the BA or BSc and will based on the standard achieved in psychology units above 100 level including certain prescribed units and the completion of at least 72 credit points. Currently students need to achieve a GPA of 3.25 in 300 level psychology units and an overall GPA of 2.5 in at least 72 credit points.
Students who enter the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) through UAC will need to achieve the same prescribed level of academic achievement to maintain their place in the Honours program and to enter the honours or fourth year of the program.
Those which are awarded on the basis of outstanding merit that is, Honours Degree of the Bachelor of Laws
A student who has completed a program of study for the degree of Bachelor of Laws with outstanding merit may be awarded that degree with first or second class Honours.
The information provided in this Information Sheet was correct as of May 2001. Intending Honours students should consult the most recent Macquarie University Handbook of Undergraduate Studies.