Honours

One year. One extraordinary research experience.

Studying Honours equips you with comprehensive research skills that allow you to develop expertise in a topic of your choice. You will have the opportunity to work closely with internationally renowned academic supervisors to create an original piece of work that will make you stand out from the crowd.

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Enhance your employability

Completing the Honours program is highly valued by potential employers. Our students have secured employment with organisations like:

  • Australian Government
  • Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
  • Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • Department of Education
  • IP Australia
  • KPMG

 

 

Prepare for your PhD

The Honours program is also an excellent basis for entry into a higher degree by research program. High results in Honours can lead to an Australian Government Scholarship to fund PhD research in Australian Universities. Our graduates have gone onto complete PhDs at leading Universities including:

  • Australian National University
  • Harvard University
  • Oxford University
  • University of California
  • Yale University

Types of Honours

 

Stand-alone Honours

There are two ways to do Honours. If your Honours program isn't embedded with your program then you can take the option of adding an Honours degree to your undergraduate program at the end of your Bachelors degree.

Please see the admission process for your School at the bottom of this webpage.

 

 

Embedded Honours

We also offer Honours programs that are embedded within your degree, this means you enrol with Honours within your program through QTAC at the start of your enrolment process. 

Please check with your program or with your School (see bottom of this webpage) to see if this is your pathway to doing Honours. 

See what our graduates say about their program

"After my job interview, I received feedback that my Honours degree was what set me apart from other applicants"
"There are open doors all around you, being unafraid to share your ideas and goals is a great way to connect yourself to a wider community of like-minded people"
"The skills I gained through my Honours year, I believe made me a competitive applicant for the DFAT program"
"Through my study in the Honours program I was able to move into my current position"
"Honours is one of my greatest personal achievements."
“If someone told me they had more to give approaching graduation, I’d recommend applying to the Honours”
"Completing the year developed my confidence in my abilities"
“My advice would be to keep an open mind and eye on opportunities that you can create for yourself”

Engage with our research community

Become part of a positive research community and feel connected with your lecturers, peers and researchers

  • Build genuine, long-lasting friendships
  • Grow your professional network
  • Gain a strong sense of enjoyment and motivation to study
  • Have relevant and meaningful learning experiences

Benefits of an Honours year

  • Develop your discipline-specific research skills
  • Expose yourself to cutting-edge research and develop relationships with academics and supervisors to give you an edge in the job market 
  • Foster your own pathway to a PhD at another prestigious Australian or international university

Find out more about the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

 


  • PR, media and communication
  • Government and public sector
  • Community development and voluntary sector
  • Non-government organisations
  • Arts administration, music and performance
  •  Education
  • International and corporate organisations
  • PhD scholarships

Domestic places for commencing Honours students are 100% HECS supported.

 

There are GPA Requirements for Honours, please check with your School to find out what yours is. 

 

My Honours experience was at the University of Alberta where I pursued a BA (Honours) in English. My fellow Honours students and I loved having small intensive Honours seminars: it gave us a real sense of belonging and companionship.

The Honours program also gave us important research skills. My Honours program gave me the opportunity to explore a discipline and carve out my own research area. On the strength of my Honours degree I was accepted directly into a PhD at Stanford.

Honours graduates may tell you it is an intense period of your life but they’ll probably also say it’s the most rewarding degree you will ever complete. Knowing what my Honours gave me, and what my colleagues have achieved, I encourage all HASS undergraduate students to consider completing an Honours year at UQ.

 
Professor Heather Zwicker
Executive Dean, Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences