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Home > Faculty of Science > School of Earth & Envi... > Honours Information > Honours Info 2010

School of Earth & Environmental Sciences

Information for Honours Year 2010

Applying for Honours

Please submit applications for entry into the Honours year for 2010 in late October to November 2009. Note that you need to have a suitable project and supervisor arranged prior to submission of your application (see below). Applications should be submitted no later than 30^th November 2009; late applications will be accepted although this will result in delays to enrolment. Application forms are available from Uniadvice in the administration building (36). Applications are submitted to Uniadvice and will take probably at least one month to be processed. Note that honours projects can also begin mid-year and that applications should be submitted no later than 1 June. Application forms can be downloaded from: http://www.uow.edu.au/student/honours/applicationinformation/index.html

Advice regarding Honours

For all enquiries regarding your enrolment please contact Uniadvice (Building 36). See also the UOW Honours web site: http://www.uow.edu.au/student/honours/index.html

If you have satisfied your degree requirements (please check with the Associate Dean of Science) and have 3 or more credits in an earth and environmental science area of specialisation at 300 level (major, e.g. physical geography, human geography, geology) then you will meet the entry requirements for Honours. You can submit an application prior to the determination of your 2009 Spring Session results. BSc Adv (Hons) students need to enrol in EESC401 on SOLS. See the following web site regarding Honours enrolment: http://www.uow.edu.au/student/enrolment/UOW008285.html

Deciding on Honours Project Options

As soon as possible students should approach academic staff members to discuss possible options for projects. It is a good idea to decide on the general area of research that appeals to you. The Honours program requires a rigorous period of sustained hard work that will result in your BSc(Hons) or BA(Hons) thesis that will hopefully be a source of pride for the rest of your life.

Timeframe for the Honours Year

Students need to find a suitable project in October to November 2009. The Head of School will not approve entry into Honours unless a suitable project and supervisor are nominated in the Honours application (attach a page with title of project, brief summary of project (< 200 words) and name(s) of supervisor(s)). The summary of the project must be signed off by the supervisor and added to your application.

The start date for Honours Students is 8 February 2010 and the finish date is 13 October 2010. (For students operating in a mid-2010 to mid-2011 cycle, the start date is 19 July 2010 and the finish date is 6 April). The Faculty of Science has determined that the maximum length of a full-time honours project is 35.5 weeks (37.5 weeks for the mid-year cycle) with an official start date that can only be changed in exceptional circumstances by prior arrangement. Required materials such as aerial photographs can be ordered well before the start date. (Aerial photographs can take over six weeks to arrive after ordering). Requests for extensions as a result of failure to order essential materials in time will not be considered.

School of Earth and Environmental Sciences Honours Program Components

The Honours program in 2010 contains five components, namely, two seminars presented by the candidate; the production of a thesis; submission of an outline of the honours project including a literature review; and attendance at School and Research Centre seminars designated as benefiting Honours students.

1) Seminar 1

Length up to 10 minutes plus 5 minutes question time.

Presented by the candidate in weeks 8/15 March (16 August for

students starting in Spring Session).

The subject is an outline of the candidate's honours project.

No marks are given for this seminar.

2) Seminar 2

Length 20 minutes plus 10 minutes question time.

Presented by the candidate on or near the 9/16 August (31 January for students starting in Spring Session).

The subject to be based on thesis work, its progress to date, future work anticipated, and problems encountered. A scientific rather than logistical talk is required but also with the intent of receiving feedback and advice from staff and your peers.

No marks are given for this seminar.

3) Outline of Honours Project including a review of relevant literature

To be completed in the Outline of Honours Project template.

Due at 12.00 noon 22 March to School Administrative Assistant (30 August for students starting in Spring Session).

The Outline will be read by two markers (two academics in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences in addition to the student’s Supervisor). It will be assessed as either Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.

4) Thesis and associated materials

Topic to be approved by the subject coordinator(s) in consultation with the Head of School.

Thesis to be submitted by 12 noon Wednesday 13 October 2010, to the School Administration Assistant. [The submission date for students operating in a mid-2010 to mid-2011 cycle is 12 noon Wednesday, 6 April 2011.]

Three copies containing all material to be assessed (e.g. maps, appendices, specimen lists), each bound in a spring-back folder (available from the School Administrative Assistant), and a single electronic copy of the thesis (PC Word format with figures included on a CD-ROM) are to be submitted. This material constitutes the “assessable thesis”. These three thesis copies and the electronic copy are the property of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong.

The thesis should not exceed 25,000 words and may well be less than this.

100% of final mark.

5) Attendance at Seminars

Honours students are encouraged to attend a wide range of School and GeoQuEST seminars.