Asian Studies Honours Program
- Overview of Honours in Asian Studies
- Eligibility
- Structure of the program
- Why do Honours in Asian Studies?
- Further Information
Overview of Honours in Asian Studies
The Honours program in Asian Studies is a one-year full-time course or a part-time program over two years. It is of particular interest to students with an interest in a particular area of Asian studies who may not have completed a major in an Asian Language and thus do not qualify for Honours in a specific language program (for example, heritage/background Asian language speakers, or those with a minor in a language, or those who have concentrated solely on Asian Studies units in their degree).
Eligibility
Honours is a competitive and challenging program and only students who have an adequate research proposal and demonstrated ability in previous studies will be accepted. Students must have a major in Asian Studies and an average of 70 or higher in that major to be considered for inclusion in the program.
The Honours program in Asian Studies is open to students from other universities. For students who do their third year at Monash, it is recommended that students complete ATS3747 - Theory and Research in Asian Studies or a similar unit in research methodology in their third year of study in order to be able to work constructively over the summer period on a literature review and to prepare for any empirically - based research they might wish to undertake during the Honours year.
Upon entry, students should consult with the Program Convenor about the coursework they should undertake during their Honours year.
The Structure of the Program
See the Asian Studies - Honours Area of Study handbook entry for information about the Asian Studies course structure when undertaking an Honours degree of Bachelor of Arts.
The Research-Thesis Component
The thesis should present original research which examines issues relevant to understanding a specific aspect of an Asian society or culture. The Faculty of Arts employs a number of specialists in Asian Studies in a variety of disciplines and areas of research, and one or two of these staff members will be appointed to supervise the Honours research. Prospective students should discuss supervising possibilities with the Convenor of Honours in Asian Studies.
Students are advised to select an area for research and to discuss their vision for the research with a potential supervisor before the summer break, so that background reading can be started before the first semester begins.
Why do Honours in Asian Studies?
- to extend further one's knowledge and skills relevant to working in Asia or in contact with persons having an Asian background;
- to acquire a four-year degree, with advanced skills in research and report writing, skills which are highly valued in a variety of employment situations;
- to gain a greater appreciation for Asian studies and a fuller understanding of the issues present in the field;
- to expand expertise in the discipline area in which research is conducted;
- to gain entry into various postgraduate programs.
Further information:
Further information about Honours is available from the School's Honours page.
If you would like more information on Honours in Asian Studies, contact the Honours Coordinator for the Section of Asian Languages and Studies:
Dr Shani Tobias
Japanese studies, room W429
School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics
Email: Shani.Tobias@monash.edu
For general information on Honours in the Faculty of Arts:
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/honours/