Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science in International and Global Studies (Honours)

The honours year after the Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science is a widely recognised and highly regarded additional year of undergraduate study available to you after you complete your undergraduate course. Extend your knowledge of your undergraduate degree with a stand-alone Honours year in your subject area expertise. This course is available to students who have already completed their studies in this study area. It's a unique opportunity for you to explore your research potential and put the theory from your undergraduate studies into practice. An honours qualification in science or arts is not only well regarded in academia, but also in industry where laboratory experience andor a command of complex thought processes are highly sought after. Honours can be undertaken in any area of science or arts, usually in the subject area in which you completed most of your studies. It involves designing a research program in your chosen area of interest in consultation with one or more supervisors. Your research program may include components in more than one area of science or arts (eg. physiology and biology) and depending on the nature of your project you may also have to undertake some courses in experimental design or complete technical training to use a particular piece of equipment.

The International and Global Studies Honours program provides a capstone year of study for students with research ambitions in International and Global Studies. It is an intensive program of advanced coursework and individual research focused on your research project. An Honours year prepares you to undertake a research higher degree or enter the workforce with higher-level skills, and is thus the first step to careers as professional researchers and academics. In addition to a fourth-year unit taken by all INGS students, you enroll in one specialist Honours seminar plus write a 18,000–20,000-word thesis on a topic of your choice. The thesis is a substantial piece of writing that allows you to engage in independent research under the supervision of a FASS staff member, who provides feedback and guidance. The thesis refines your research, analytical and writing skills; it extends your intellectual range, and develops personal and professional attributes needed to complete a major project. These skills and attributes in research, analysis, argumentation and writing will benefit you in your career path. The Honours seminar will prepare you in research methods and thesis writing.

Admission requirements will vary, depending on whether you intend to undertake honours in the Faculty of Science, or in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

To qualify for admission to the Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science (Honours), you must

Have qualified for or be a graduate with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science from the University of Sydney or equivalent qualification from another tertiary institution,
Have completed a relevant major relating to the intended Honours discipline,
For Science Honours

Have achieved a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of at least 65.00 or have a credit average (65.00) in 48 credit points of relevant 2000-level and 3000-level units of study, or (for Honours in the Arts Area) Have achieved an average of 70 or higher across the major, and
Satisfy any additional criteria set by the relevant Head of School or Discipline or Department.
For Arts and Social Sciences Honours:

Have achieved an average of 70 or higher across the major, and
completed the prerequisites, including advanced senior units of study
IELTS - A minimum result of 6.5 overall and a minimum result of 6.0 in each band
TOEFL IBT - A minimum result of 85 overall including a minimum result of 17 in Reading, Listening and Speaking and 19 in Writing
Pearsons Test of English- A minimum result of 61 overall and a minimum result of 54 in each band