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The coursework component of your Honours year are the units PHS4200 for Physics, or ASP4200 for Astrophysics. The coursework involves the following activities:
You must complete a Literature Review for your research project. It is important you start becoming familiar with the existing research in the area you have chosen for your research project.
The coursework topics are taken in semester 1 (semester 2 being reserved for work on the research project). The coursework is broken up into two six week blocks. Teaching starts in O-week at the end of February and ends at the end of Semester 1, allowing for a 2-week break in between the six-week teaching blocks. The available options are given in the "Coursework topic options" section below.
You must discuss your topic selections with your potential research project supervisors because your topic choices must support your research project. Your supervisor, and the School's Honours Coordinator, must approve your final topic selection.
If you are studying Physics most of your topic choices must come from the Physics options, and if you are studying Astrophysics most must come from the Astrophysics area. However, as described in the options, you may choose a limited number of topics from the other list.
In some circumstances topics may be chosen from those offered by another School (such as the School of Mathematics) - for details, refer to the information provided by those Schools. Permission to take topics outside of the School of Physics and Astronomy must be sought from the School's Honours Coordinator.
Weeks 1-6
Students undertake studies in three selected topics in Physics or related fields, which provide the foundational basis for contemporary Physics.
These develop expertise in theoretical and computational physics, data analysis and the skills required to effectively communicate their findings using contemporary communication tools. The three topics are chosen from:
NB: Subject to approval by the School's Honours Coordinator, one of the topics may be replaced by a topic from Week 1-6 for Astrophysics.
Weeks 7-12
Students undertake studies in three selected topics in Physics and related fields, which provide fundamental instruction in key aspects of contemporary physics. These develop expertise in theoretical and computational physics, data analysis and the skills required to effectively communicate their findings using contemporary communication tools. The three topics are chosen from:
NB: Subject to approval by the School's Honours Coordinator, one of the topics may be replaced by a topic from Week 7-12 for Astrophysics.
Weeks 1-6
Students undertake studies in three selected topics in Astrophysics and related fields, which provide the foundational basis for modern astrophysics and cosmology. These develop expertise in computational astrophysics, observational astronomy, data analysis and the skills required to effectively communicate their findings using contemporary communication tools. The three topics comprise:
NB: Subject to approval by the School's Honours Coordinator, one of the topics may be replaced by a topic from Week 1-6 for Physics.
Weeks 7-12
Students undertake studies in three selected topics in Astrophysics and related fields, which provide fundamental instruction in key aspects of modern astrophysics. These develop expertise in computational modelling, data analysis and the skills required to effectively communicate their findings using contemporary communication tools. The three topics are chosen from:
NB: Subject to approval by the School's Honours Coordinator, one of the topics may be replaced by a topic from Week 7-12 for Physics.
For further details on the Honours level Physics & Astronomy coursework topics, please read this summary (pdf).
If you are interested in studying Honours with the School of Physics & Astronomy, please first read the relevant pages on the School's website. After that, if you have any questions, please contact either:
Honours Coordinator for the School of Physics & Astronomy
Associate Professor Paul Lasky
OR
Staff and Student Services Officer for the School of Physics & Astronomy