Getting started

Getting started – the why, who, what, where & when about honours

There's a lot to consider when deciding whether to enrol in Honours. This page will help you get started. There are also Honours information sessions scheduled for each Department or, for those not able to attend an information session, the Biomedical Science Honours in 2020 video below will also give you an overview of the course structure and what you need to consider before enrolling.

Why do Honours?

Who can enrol in Honours?

We’ve heard a lot of students ask “Am I really good enough to do Honours?”

Our answer to this: if you’re good enough to meet the entry requirements, then yes, you’re capable of having an exceptional Honours year. Remember – the emphasis will be on your research, so your drive and determination will be a key factor in your success.

And what are these entry requirements? Anyone who has completed all of the requirements for the award of a pass degree of a recognised and relevant Bachelor degree with the required marks is eligible to apply.

If you are a double degree student, then you must have completed all of the Biomedical Science or Science degree requirements with the required marks.

NOTE: Achieving the required marks does not guarantee admission. You also need to find a suitable project and supervisor, and certain projects may be in high demand.

Monash students

Typically, if you are an existing Monash student, you will have completed a Bachelor of Biomedical Science, or a Bachelor of Science with biomedical science electives, with an average of 70% in at least half of your third year units (12cp of electives, 12cp of core subjects).

Non Monash students

If you completed your degree somewhere other than Monash University, comparable qualifications and academic standards will be required and these are assessed on a case-by-case basis, with an emphasis on the third year unit outcomes. As a guide, you would need an average of at least 70% in your third year subjects. You will be required to provide certified documentation of your results and course completion. When submitting your application, please submit the academic results achieved to date.

To read the precise eligibility requirements for each of the Honours programs which can be undertaken in a biomedical sciences field, visit the links below:

*Domestic students**	International students
Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Honours)	Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Honours)
Bachelor of Science (Honours)	Bachelor of Science (Honours)

^{*Australian and New Zealand citizens, or holders of permanent resident or permanent humanitarian visas}

What’s the Honours program all about? What is involved?

Honours is not like your previous undergraduate experience. It is not about lectures and assignments with an intense end-of-year exam. Embedded in a research group and working on a real problem makes it a richer, more personal experience than your undergraduate degree.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, it’s an intense program, but one that has the potential to transform your life (and you can have fun too)!

The Honours program – one year in length if done full-time - consists of a significant research project (75%) and a compulsory coursework component (25%). As part of your Honours program, you will receive training in presentation skills, data analysis and specific techniques, and acquire advanced discipline-related knowledge.

We have deliberately kept coursework and exams to a minimum so your major focus is on your chosen research project.

The independent research project is individual – each student’s experience of Honours will therefore be unique. If you choose a project offered by the Monash BDI*, this will be done in one of our labs, within one of our five Departments, and under the supervision of academic and research staff. The choice of research project and supervisor will be left largely to you. Your supervisor(s) will have experience in supervising Honours students. As part of the Honours program, you will prepare a literature review, and present your research project findings by giving an oral presentation (or two) and writing a research thesis.

What does an Honours thesis look like? You’ll be writing 10,000 – 15,000 words,** and this will account for 80% of your marks in the research component. We advise our students that this equates to roughly four weeks of full-time writing – and it has to be both concise and precise.

The advanced coursework component comprises a common core component, and a discipline-specific component. In the core component, you will complete a statistics module and be required to prepare a written critique of a journal article (usually done under exam conditions, and we take away the title and the abstract so you can really show us your analytical skills). The requirements of the discipline-specific component vary between Departments, but may involve participating in a journal club, attending some advanced lectures or workshops, critically analysing a discipline-specific journal article and an exam (or two).

For those really wanting to know all the details, consult the M3702 Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Honours) and S3701 Bachelor of Science (Honours) Unit Guides.

^{*There are also a range of projects offered at Monash affiliated Hospitals, Schools, Centres, Institutes and Departments}

^{** This might sound daunting, but help is at hand}

When do students usually do Honours?

Where – and how - can I do Honours in biomedical sciences at Monash?

How do I choose a supervisor and research project?

If you are interested in Honours, then finding a supervisor and a project is YOUR responsibility. This takes time, so start early.

Choosing a ‘good fit’ project and supervisor is really the key to an enjoyable and successful Honours year. You should choose a research project that really interests and excites you. You also need to be able to get along with your supervisor and research group. Finding a project and supervisor requires you to do your ‘due diligence’ – review the project listings available, talk to potential supervisors, talk to current Honours students (and/or current Doctoral students), visit the various Departments and talk with staff about Honours projects.

What should I consider when choosing?

Your research project: is it feasible and ‘ready to go’? Does the lab have all of the equipment, resources, ethics approvals, and necessary materials to get started as soon as your Honours program commences? What is it you want to do after your Honours year? (This might steer you towards one Department or discipline rather than another.) What methods are you interested in?
Your supervisor: will you be able to get on with them when the pressure is on? Who will be your co-supervisor (the person who will be your ‘rock’ when your supervisor is away)? Who else will be involved? Be aware that many supervisors may not be doing much benchside research anymore: they are often preparing grants, writing papers, teaching, or performing research management duties - but they will have a team of post-docs, PhD students and a co-supervisor to help you.
Your lab/research group: what is the environment? What is the culture? Work-ethic and responsibilities? Values? Will this suit you?

So, how do I find a project and supervisor?

So – let’s talk practical and tactical - where do you start with finding a supervisor and research project?

Each of our Departments have prepared Honours Projects booklets that give details of all the available projects. You can download them here:
Some of our supervisors have put their particular project details into a fully searchable, online database called Supervisor Connect. You can filter the results based on the Institute, School, Centre; and then by Department; by supervisor name, or by keyword. This is a good place to get started in identifying projects of interest. This is a new tool for biomedical students, so be aware that not all of our supervisors have entered their projects yet.
The Honours co-ordinators are a good source of information, feel free to make contact with them. Visit the various Departments and talk with staff about Honours projects.
You can get a feel for which supervisors are based in particular Departments and Programs within the Monash BDI by using the Our People search tool or consulting the “Your Future in Research ” brochure.

Once you have identified particular projects of interest, feel free to approach the nominated researchers/supervisors associated with that project. Talk directly to potential supervisors, current Honours and Doctoral students, and try to organise a visit to several labs. By doing so, you will really get to know the culture of the research groups you might be joining.

Are there any scholarships?

What are the key differences between the two Honours programs?

Looking for more information?

For those not able to attend an information session, the Biomedical Science Honours in 2020 information session video will give you a great overview of the course structure and things you need to think about before enrolling.

Get in touch

Need more help with applying for Honours in biomedical science? Please get in touch.

Bachelor of Biomedical Science Honours co-ordinators

A/Prof Tim Cole
T: +61 3 990 29118
E: tim.cole@monash.edu

Dr Shae-Lee Cox
T: +61 3 990 55673
E: shae.cox@monash.edu

Or make contact with one of our dedicated Monash BDI Academic Department Honours co-ordinators.

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