Honours is a widely recognised and highly regarded additional year of undergraduate study available to you after you complete your undergraduate course. 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 is not only well regarded in academia, but also in industry where further, concentrated studies in a specialised area is highly sought after. 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. Depending on your interests and the availability of honours projects, you might wish to undertake honours in anatomy, biochemistry, biology (genetics), cell pathology, histology and embryology, immunology, infectious diseases, microbiology, pharmacology or physiology. This course is also offered at the Westmead precinct. The Faculty of Science has an outstanding reputation for the quality of its postgraduate research programs across a wide range of science disciplines. With significant levels of funding from various research councils and bodies, and the provision of major research facilities, the Faculty is committed to providing leading education and research training to its students. There are a range of research programs available, depending on which stage you are at in your academic career. Whether at the doctoral or masters level, you undertake self-directed, supervised research in your specialised area of science, and produce a thesis considered to be a substantially original contribution to the subject concerned. The Honours year in Science provides a research training pathway to our higher research degrees, the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Master of Science (MSc). The postgraduate research programs offered by the Faculty attract a large number of domestic and international students each year.
Physiology is the study of how the various tissues and organs of the body work to support life and grow. Undertaking studies in physiology will advance your understanding of how the body works, which is often of practical relevance in clinical medicine. If you are considering a career as a research scientist in the area of physiology, then the honours year in physiology is an essential first step in exploring your research potential. In the honours year, you undertake an independent research project under the guidance of a supervisor from the Discipline of Physiology and a number of coursework units. Your research project will normally be part of a larger academic project within the discipline, and focus on a specialised aspect of physiology. There are a number of projects and labs that cater for a wide range of interests. You may become part of one of the following labs: auditory neuroscience, blood cell development, cardiovascular neuroscience, human reproduction, muscle cell function, vision, among others. Unit of study requirements for Honours in the area of Physiology: completion of 36 credit points of project work and 12 credit points of coursework.