Why Do Honours in Politics?
An Honours degree in Politics is intended to train students to think in general terms, to rise above the level of the particular, the personal, or the obvious and to develop and strengthen research and analytical skills. There is a qualitative difference between (most) pass degrees and an Honours graduate. An Honours degree qualifies you for a more interesting range of jobs in research, communication or the administrative spheres, in either the public or the private sector.
Eligibility Requirements
Students with a completed degree with a major in Politics are eligible to apply to enter the fourth year Honours program. Candidates must also have obtained an average of 70% (or better) in their Politics subjects to the value of 24 points at second and third year levels, 18 points of which must be at third year level.
Application forms are available from the Arts Undergraduate Office, Faculty of Arts or can be downloaded from the from the Faculty of Arts website at: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/future/honours/apply.php
Applicants are required to make an appointment to see the Politics Honours Coordinator who must certify your application. It is important to bring the following documents to your meeting with the Honours Coordinator:
- A copy of the application form;
- A copy of your academic results. Monash students can download a copy of their academic transcript from WES. External candidates (students who completed their undergraduate degree at an institution other than Monash University) are required to produce a certified copy of their academic transcript.
- A 200-300 word abstract of your proposed thesis topic.
The Structure of the Politics Honours Program
- Two 12 point seminar-based units chosen from the attached list of unit options
- An Honours thesis, 18,000 words in length, researched and written over the course of the year. The thesis carries 24 points of the overall 48 points of credit for the honours year.
Candidates have the option of completing their Honours program in any of the following modes:
- Full-time Honours enrolment comprises the above components completed in two consecutive academic semesters. Students will normally take one unit in each semester. The thesis is researched and written throughout the year.
- Part-time Honours enrolment comprises of study over four academic semesters. Part-time candidates take two 12 point units in the first year and write the Honours thesis in the second year of their enrolment.
- Mid year Entry: It is possible for candidates to commence their Honours degree mid semester.
- Combined Honours: It is possible for students to combine Politics with another discipline at fourth year level and so take a combined honours degree. To be eligible for a combined honours degree, a student must have completed a major sequence in each discipline and have satisfied the particular requirements laid down by the department involved for third year work.
Thesis Supervision
It is the responsibility of candidates to identify and to make contact with possible thesis supervisors. Candidates are strongly encouraged to make contact with potential thesis supervisor(s) as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. If you are struggling to find a staff member to supervise your thesis topic it is important to inform the Honours Politics Coordinator.
Prizes
The Rufus Davis Memorial Politics Award is a prize of $500 which is awarded annually to the student whose thesis achieves the highest mark (in percentage terms).