Honours Policy 2008
Note: The following are general guidelines to help students and staff with information on how Honours is conducted in our Department. The information needs to be read in conjunction with the University Calendar. The conduct of Honours is collectively determined by the Sociology Department and its shared practices and culture.
1 ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
Normally, the minimum requirement for entry to the Honours program in Sociology is a grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 at 300-level and at least 2.50 overall. Those wishing to do Honours in Sociology are also advised to have completed the following units:
- SOC175 AUSTRALIAN AND GLOBALSOCIETIES
- SOC180 SOCIOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE
- SOC232 SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF MODERNITY
- SOC234 METHODS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH
- SOC364 KEY CONTEMPORARY THEORISTS
- SOC375 UNDERSTANDING CONTEMPORARY SOCIETIES
Students who do not meet the above requirements may still be admitted into the Honours program. Such admissions are made by the Department on the basis of a full consideration of the academic record of individual cases and have to be approved by the Dean of the Division. It is the Department's policy to be as inclusive in its selection procedures as is possible.
All inquiries should first be made to :
Dr Alison Leitch
Honours Convenor
Phone: 9850 8102
Email: aleitch@scmp.mq.edu.au
or contact the department administrator Vicki Worthington Ph: 9850 8078
2 FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME CANDIDATURE
Students normally do Honours on a full-time basis. Nevertheless, the Department recognises that there are students for whom full-time study is not possible. To qualify for part-time candidature, the intending student should be in at least 22 hours of paid employment per week or the equivalent in unpaid, domestic labour. Where approval is given for part-time candidature, the program is completed within two years. The course of study is determined by the Honours convenor in consultation with the student and relevant staff.
3 ADMINISTRATION OF THE HONOURS PROGRAM
The administration of the Honours program is the responsibility of the Honours convenor. The Honours convenor represents the Department as a whole. The content and structure of the Honours year is a matter for the Department. The Honours convenor is hence bound by the decisions, policies and practices of the Department concerning the conduct of Honours.
In the case of joint Honours, it is the policy of the Department that the student should complete 50% of their coursework and 50% of their thesis in Sociology. This means that each Department is equally responsible for the administration of the student's enrolment, class attendance and final result.
4 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM
The aims and objective of the Honours program are:
i) to facilitate sociological research at Honours level of the best possible quality;
ii) to ensure the student engages with advanced sociological theory, analysis and method;
iii) to acquaint the student with the principles of effective sociological research design; and
iv) to prepare the student for postgraduate research in sociology.
5 COURSE REQUIREMENTS
a) Seminars
Each student is normally required to complete two seminars. These are: Theoretical Foundations in Sociology and Research Design Practicum. These seminars are designed with the objective of making the Honours year an integrated advanced study of the theory and practice of sociology.
Each of these units counts as 20% of the final mark.
b) Thesis
Students are also required to complete, under supervision, a 15,000 word (maximum) thesis on a topic of their own choice. Guidance on thesis writing will be primarily provided by the supervisor. NB.Theses which exceed the maximum word limit by more than 2000 words will not be accepted.
The thesis is worth 60% of the final grade.
6 SUBMISSION DATES
The submission dates for first semester work are set out in the course guides for the two seminars.
The submission date for the thesis is Monday 27th of October, 2008. This date set to take into consideration the requirement that we have grades and marks ready for scholarship ranking and entry into postgraduate programs at this and other universities.
Students who are prevented by unavoidable disruption from completing any of their work on time should report the circumstances in writing (supported by an original medical certificate or other proper evidence) to the Student Centre and immediately provide the Honours Convenor with a copy.
7 ASPECTS OF AN HONOURS THESIS IN SOCIOLOGY
The following are aspects of writing an honours thesis in Sociology that students should take into account .
1) Presentation, Referencing, Expression:
The presentation, layout, and general legibility of the thesis should be taken into consideration. Referencing should conform to the style set out in the Sociology Department Referencing Guide. Students should seek to be as meticulous as possible in their referencing. A thesis will normally be divided into chapters, have a table of contents and include a Bibliography and any relevant Appendices.
A thesis should also be clearly expressed. Such clarity is often best enhanced by an explicit statement of topic, aims, and research question at the beginning of the dissertation, by consistent signposting of the stages of the argument throughout, and a conclusion which summarises the argument and draws out its implications.
Grammar, syntax and spelling should be of the highest standard. Those students whose first language is not English, or students who have a history of difficulty in writing, should have their work read by a native English speaker before submission. Adequate time should be allowed for this. Work that is not of satisfactory literary presentation will be penalised.
NB: You are expected to submit 4 copies of your thesis to the Honours convenor by the due date. The thesis can be submitted soft-bound.
2) General Academic Aspects:
An Honours student should state, develop and defend a sustained argument throughout the thesis. A part of the defence of the argument is to recognise the relevant literature in the chosen topic, to survey and review it, and to be able to show how the theoretical discussion, methods and/or empirical results support the argument.
Another important aspect of an Honours thesis is evidence of independent thought and the capacity for critical judgment. 'Independent thought' means that knowledge is something which is argued for and justified on the basis of providing good reasons for accepting it. Generally, the authority of tradition or common opinion or of great minds is not a good reason. Rather, sustained argument made in light of relevant and available evidence and literature forms such good reasons. Originality might also be an aspect of the thesis, although this is less central at Honours level than when doing postgraduate research.
3) Sociological Aspects:
Here, you should consider your work as a piece of sociology. This is not meant in a dogmatic way. Sociology is a pluralistic enterprise. It borrows from other disciplines and often forms part of an interdisciplinary project. Nevertheless, an Honours thesis in sociology should demonstrate an awareness of the distinctiveness of a sociological approach to the topic chosen. For empirically oriented theses, students should display knowledge of the methods used and a demonstration of the principles of research design within a sociological framework.
8 MARKING
Each piece of seminar work will be marked by at least two markers, one of whom can be the convenor of the seminar for which the work is submitted.
Each thesis will be marked by two markers, neither of whom shall be the candidate's supervisor. Markers will be appointed by the Honours convenor in consultation with staff.
When there is a significant discrepancy (10 percent or more) between the two examiners' marks for an Honours essay, thesis, research design protocol or book review, the two examiners be asked to negotiate a common grade. If this cannot be achieved, the Honours Convenor, under guidance from the Department Staff Meeting, will appoint an independent third examiner (not excluding the Honours Convenor) to decide the value of this piece of work in relation to but not as determined by the marks and evaluations provided by the first two examiners. The final grade will then be arrived at by averaging the three marks.
9 AWARDING OF GRADES
The final grade will be awarded by the Honours Examination Committee examining the student. The Committee will consist of the Honours Convenor, the two examiners, the external examiner and the thesis supervisor.
Judgement about the student's final grade will be based on his or her final mark. However, particularly where that mark is at the borderline between Honours grades, the Committee may see fit to make a judgment on the basis of the overall performance of the student within a developmental framework.
Grading is based on the following schema:
- Honours Class 1: 85% or more
- Honours Class 2 (Division 1): 75-84%
- Honours Class 2 (Division 2): 65-74%
- Honours Class 3: 50-64%
10 ORAL EXAMINATION
Thesis written reports will be returned to the student two weeks after submission, i.e. around mid- November. There will then be an oral examination in which the student has the opportunity to respond to the two examiners' reports. The examiners may also ask for clarification on certain points. As a result of this examination, one or both of the examiners may be persuaded to improve her/his mark. The Honours Examination Committee, including the Convenor and supervisor, will be present at the oral exam and may participate in the discussion.
Note that the student's mark cannot be reduced as a result of the oral examination.
11 HONOURS APPEALS
Any issues regarding Honours that a student may have should be first directed to the Honours Convenor. A student may make an appeal to the Department in relation to a particular piece of work or any other matter pertinent to the teaching, administration and assessment of the program. This should be made in writing to the Head of Department. The Head of Department, in consultation with staff members, will then decide whether the appeal has some merit. If so, the Head of Department will establish an Honours Appeals Committee, comprising three members of the department not involved in the individual case, and ask it to resolve the appeal.
12 FACILITIES AND RESOURCES
The Department of Sociology will provide computer facilities for Honours students in the Sociology Lab on the 3rd floor of C3B. Please see Robyn Bull, Sociology Office room 519, for details on how to access this room. Students doing empirical work and requiring technical equipment such as tape recorders for interviews should also see the Sociology Office.
13 ETHICS
It is the responsibility of students and their supervisors to ensure that they have obtained clearance for thesis research from the University’s Human Ethics Committee. The Guidelines refer not only to the physical and mental well-being of participants/subjects, but also to matters of confidentiality, privacy and consent. These matters will be discussed in an early Research Design Practicum. However, you should note that it is the policy of the Department of Sociology that honours students should seek ethics clearance well before they submit their proposal in early June.
14 POSTGRADUATE STUDIES
A good performance in Honours is required in order to enter postgraduate by research degrees such as the PhD and the MPhil. Students intending to go on to postgraduate studies should note that applications for both candidature and scholarships close on the 31 st of October of each year. As this is only two days after the submission of the thesis, students should ensure that they give themselves enough time to meet this deadline.
Revised by Dr. Eduardo de la Fuente
February, 2007