Degree Structure

The Honours Year can be taken full or part-time, beginning at the start of the first semester of each year. You will be required to complete two or three special assessed courses, take part in a work-in-progress seminar, and produce an independent research dissertation on an Asian Studies topic, of 15,000-20,000 words.

Preparation for the Honours Year

Although ANU students normally undertake their Honours Year after the final year in a pass degree, preparation for Honours begins long beforehand. At the end of the first year in the Faculty, all eligible students normally receive a letter from the Dean, informing them about details of the Honours Program. Students interested in preparing for the program should make an appointment with the Sub-Dean of the Faculty, who will check the students' program plans and will put prospective students in contact with the Honours Convener. There is usually an Honours Information Evening later in each year where students can access all the information they require when contemplating the Honours program.

As well as courses to prepare Honours students in the required theory, methodology, area studies and Asian language, the Faculty offers pre-honours year course that is specifically designed for Faculty of Asian Studies Honours students before they enter the Honours Year. This course is designed to challenge potential students in the way they think about the study areas of Asia and also to help them to develop the ability to objectively evaluate arguments; to assess what can and cannot be learned from evidence; and to write explicitly and effectively about complex issues to which there are not usually clear and simple answers. These Pre-Honours courses can be taken as part of the pass degree.

The Research Project and the Thesis

The two main tasks of the Honours course are the research for and writing of the dissertation. The dissertation usually represents 70 percent of the overall Honours grade; the remaining corresponds to coursework grades. The student decides on the topic that they will pursue a topic that interests them, strikes them as important, and lends itself to developing a thesis, that is, a proposition or view for which you can provide supporting evidence. Another genre of thesis is a critical study, perhaps including a translation, of a text. Faculty academic staff will be available to help students identify an interesting and challenging research topic on which they will be able to achieve a thesis in the limited time allocated to the Honours Year. The Honours thesis develops the ability to locate and extract information efficiently; to analyse complex social and other issues from a range of viewpoints; to provide precise and sustained argumentation; and to communicate effectively, orally as well as in writing. These are skills that will be invaluable in any career.

Supervisors and Supervision

All students in the Honours Year have at least one supervisor. The supervisor's role is to guide the student in the research design and proposal, direct the research in a practical and productive way, and advise them on their writing skills to help the student produce the highest achievement to which they are capable. The student will use and develop the intellectual skills gained in their undergraduate studies of Asia to do more advanced study at the Honours level. They will carry out a serious independent research project on an Asian Studies topic that draws on Asian-language material and they will write up this research to construct a thesis of academic quality. The thesis indicates your potential as a researcher, critical thinker and academic writer. It can signify your research ability as a candidate for doctorate, or be shown to a prospective employer to display your abilities.

The information published on the Study at ANU 2011 website applies to the 2011 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2010 website.