Welcome to Honours in Biology
We in the School of Biological Sciences are proud of the exciting projects and rich program we offer our Honours students. The Honours program in the School of Biological Sciences gives you the chance to do real research under the guidance of some of the most highly respected scientists in Australia. It provides technical training in research techniques and instrumentation as well as invaluable skills in communication, project management and critical analysis. Honours graduates are keenly sought after by a variety of employers.
An Honours year is one of the most rewarding and challenging of one’s life, and we are here to help. This website will provide the basic information about Honours in Biology, and everything you’ll need to get started enrolling. We welcome you to check out the research areas in our School, where you can browse through the diverse range of potential supervisors and projects that await you.
Click here to meet some of our previous Honours students and read about their experience and life after Honours in the School of Biological Sciences.
Want to know more about what Honours students do? Check out one of our student's blogs.
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Today's job market for scientific positions is very competitive. In fact, many entry level positions now require an honours degree. If you have an honours degree it indicates that you probably have the following characteristics:
- Ability to conduct a through review on a subject matter completely new to you.
- Highly motivated and a self starter.
- Able to complete tasks in a timely manner.
- An understanding of how scientific research is carried out.
Ultimately, all of these characteristics combine to suggest that you are most likely a reliable worker, who may be allowed to work independently on complex tasks, which is really where most fun in working is and what employers are looking for.
Honours is a challenging year, but all students look back on it as a very rewarding period in their life.
Our honours year differs fundamentally from other Biology departments in Sydney in that the main component is research. This means that an honours year in our school is the perfect way to find out whether you have the aptitude and ability for research in the biological sciences. You will design and conduct an original research project in consultation with one or more of our academic staff members. We strongly encourage our honours students to publish their work in national and international peer reviewed journals. And indeed many of them do. Having one or more publications will greatly increase your chances of obtaining an APA or UPA.
The School of Biological Sciences awards a number of prizes to our honours students. Such a prize will be an important addition to your CV.
This scholarship is to facilitate students from interstate enrolling in an
Honours degree in the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney by assisting
to defray costs incurred in moving interstate in order to enrol in the Honours
year.
- Students must be new commencing students
- Students must have completed their undergraduate degrees at an Australian
University in a State or Territory other than New South Wales.
- Students must enrol as Honours candidates in one of the Schools in the
Faculty of Science
- Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit. Students must
have a minimum SCIWAM (or equivalent) of 80
- Students must be enrolled full-time
- Students may be domestic or international students
- This scholarship may be held in addition to other scholarships, where their
conditions permit
- The scholarship will be paid in two equal instalments, after 1st April
and 1st September provided all conditions are met
- The scholarship is not transferable to Honours projects in other Schools
in the Faculty of Science. The scholarship is not transferable to other Faculties.
- The scholarship may not be deferred
- The scholarship is tenable for one year only and is valued at $6000 per
annum
- A separate application is not required. Students are ranked on the basis
of their applications for admission.
- Scholarships may be available for mid-year entry.
- Up to ten scholarships will be awarded in any year.
- Scholarships are awarded in mid-February and late July each year.
What is an Honours or Graduate Diploma?
Objectives:
- Train students to carry out independent research.
- Enable students to develop a specialist understanding of one area of biology.
- Integrate specialist knowledge into a broad appreciation of biology.
- Enable students to research biology using skills in research methodology and philosopy.
- Continue to engender and encourage enthusiasm and curiosity in biology.
Honours: Biology Honours is run as a one year full-time course.
Graduate Diploma: (full-time or part-time)
The Graduate Diploma in Science is offerred as a full-time course with the same content, structure and assessment as Biology Hounours. In addition, the Graduate Diploma is offerred as a two-year part-time course. The Graduate Diploma attracts fees.
Honours is a very intensive 2 semester (9 month) program that
includes coursework and research. The School of Biological Sciences
accepts students in both semesters. Many projects that have
a large field component start in July so that field work may
be conducted over the summer. The coursework component is the
smallest component, comprising only 20% of the final mark.
A majority of your final mark, 80%, comes from your thesis.
Your thesis is comprised of original research which through
the guidance of your supervisor you have developed, carried
out, and written up. Your thesis will be assessed by three academics,
usually within the School of Biological Sciences.
| Assessment |
Component |
Weight of total honours mark |
| 1. Research & Development Proposal |
CWU |
6.25% |
| 2. Experimental Design Assessment |
CWU |
6.25% |
| 3. Literature Review |
Research |
7.5% |
| 4. Thesis |
Research |
80% |
The Faculty of Science
requires that to enrol in an Honours unit of study you must
have satisfied all the requirements for a pass degree and be
considered by the Head of School to have the required aptitude
and knowledge for Honours. In the School of Biological Sciences,
the Head's decision is based on advice given by the Honours
Executive Committee. A prospective student should have:
- a major in one of the Life
Sciences (not necessarily Biology).
- an average grade of at least a Credit in 12 or more credit points of Senior Life Sciences
subjects.
- a minimum WAM (weighted average
mark) of 65 for all Intermediate and Senior
units of study attempted.
- you must have a provisional acceptance of project supervision
by at least one academic (School enrolment form).
Entry into the full-time Graduate
Diploma program in the School
of Biological Sciences will require academic
qualification similar to those for entry into Honours, with
the exception that students may have a
WAM below 65. The research element can then commence
with the agreement of the supervisor and the Executive Committee.
Part-time students will be expected to present their "final
seminar" and submit their thesis for examination by the
same deadlines as the full-time students in the 2nd year of
study. Students successfully completing the Graduate Diploma
in Science are eligible for consideration in the MSc. and PhD.
programs. The permission of the Head of School is required,
however, for entry.
Biology Honours
is run as a one year full-time course.
Graduate Diploma
(full-time or part-time)
The Graduate Diploma in Science is offered as a full-time course
with the same content, structure and assessment as Biology Honours.
In addition, the Graduate Diploma is offered as a two-year part-time
course. The Graduate Diploma attracts fees.
The Honours/Graduate Diploma course comprises the following
components:
- A supervised but independent research program, which may
consist of more than one element.
- A course in experimental design and other technical instruction.
- A program of course work
ASSESSMENT
Introductory seminar
(formative assessment only)
Final seminar
(formative assessment only)
Thesis (75%)
COURSEWORK UNITS
- BIOL4010:
Experimental Design and Analysis for Biologists (12.5%)
- BIOL4009: Commumicating
Research in Biology (12.5%)
Students can begin honours in either semester, but you need
to be aware that honours starts before
the regular semester start. The starting date-attendence is
mandatory and there are compulsory workshops every day for 4
weeks-are:
Semester 1: 28 January 2010
Semester 2: 22 July 2010
You should discuss the semester that you start honours with
your supervisor as many projects have field work that can only
be done during certain times of the year.
The application process has three components. First you must
find a project and supervisor. After securing a project and
supervisor you must apply to both the School of Biological Sciences
and Faculty of Science.
All students are responsible for securing their own supervisors.
And, it’s important that this be a good match at both
the project and supervisor level. You should have a deep commitment
to your project, in fact you should feel passionate about it.
But, you need to consider more than just the project, don’t
forget to consider the mentoring of the academic supervisor.
You need to invest some time in meeting with potential supervisors,
as you try to determine which honours project/supervisor is
right for you. Critical questions you may wish to ask potential
supervisors are:
• How will the project be funded?
• Have all the appropriate permits and ethics clearances
been obtained to do the project?
• What is your mentoring style?
• Can I contact some of your current and former students
to have a chat about your lab?
See http://www.usyd.edu.au/scholarships/current/scholarships/honours.shtml for information on honours scholarships.
The University of Sydney also offers a limited number of scholarships to students relocating from a university outside NSW. Eligible students require a SCIWAM of 80. Payment is made as two instalments of $3000 for a total of $6000 for the year. Click here for more information.
The Centre for Mathematical Biology also offers scholarships to students working on a project that combines Biology and Mathematics. Click here for more information.
Prizes awarded to honours students:
John H. Elliott Memorial Prize
Established in 1980- in memory of John H. Elliott, Deputy Registrar
(Staffing), who died suddenly in October 1978.
Awarded annually to the honours student in the School of Biological
Sciences who submits the best thesis on any aspect of animal
biology, provided that the student’s thesis is of sufficient
merit.
William John Dakin Memorial Prize in Zoology
Established in 1977 by a bequest of $2000 from Catherine Mary
Gladys Dakin in memory of William John Dakin, Professor Zoology
at the University from 1929-47.
Awarded annually on the recommendation of the Head of School
of Biological Sciences for excellence in the subject of Zoology
to a student gaining first class honours in biology.
Professor Spencer Smith-White Prize
Established in 1987 from donations to a fund set up by the academic
staff of the School of Biological Sciences working in the field
of genetics to commemorate the work of Professor Smith-White,
for many years Professor of biology with particular interest
in the cytogenetics of Australian flora and widely remembered
for his encouragement of and participation in undergraduate
and graduate research training.
Awarded annually on the recommendation of the Head of the School
of Biological Sciences, for greatest proficiency in the field
of genetics in undergraduate biology honours, provided the student’s
work is of sufficient merit.
Ilma Brewer Prize
Established in 1987 by a gift from Ilma M. Brewer and
Richard H. Brewer.
Awarded annually on the recommendation of the Head of School
of Biological Sciences for excellence in any aspect of the subject
of botany of plant sciences, to a student gaining first class
honours in biology.
UNIVERSITY MEDAL
In order to qualify for the award of a university medal, it
is necessary but not sufficient for a candidate to achieve a
WAM of 80 or greater and an honours mark of 90 or greater. Students
with an honours mark of 90 or greater and a WAM of 77 to 79
inclusive may be considered for the award of a university medal
only if it can be demonstrated that their WAM was affected by
sickness, misadventure, unusual workload or choice of units
of study.
Click here to check out honours projects offered by supervisors.
MEET OUR HONOURS STUDENTS
WARRICK ANGUS
Warrick studied Honours in Biology and now works at Taronga Conservation Society as the Manager of the Australian Fauna Precinct. Since completing his degree, Warrick has worked on several documentaries and claims a highlight of his career “was a month in the field with Sir David Attenborough, when I assisted with the making of the series, Life in Cold Blood"
“The Honours year allowed me to focus on one particular aspect of interest to me, redback spiders. My thesis was able to show previously unknown redback spider behaviours and habitat information. The support of my mentors, lecturers and peers was hugely important to the success of my project.”
Photo: Warrick with Sir David Attenborough and Warrick's pet Australian Tarantula
KATYNNA GILL
For Katynna, Honours in Biology has led her to an exciting and international career in science media and communication.
Since completing her degree, Katynna has worked on science documentaries at the BBC in London and the ABC in Sydney. She has also used her science for education, winning a state and a national Public Relations Institute of Australia award for the science education programs - 'Nuclear matters for education' - she worked on during her role as Communications Adviser at ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation).
Katynna now works at the University of Sydney, partly for the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology as science communicator and partly for the Faculty of Science marketing team as media officer.
"My Honours year was really useful in giving me an insight into how real scientists work. I interview scientists all the time, so understanding the process of research is key.
My Honours year also developed skills I now use all the time, such as writing skills and presenting talks. Those Honours talks were the first speeches that I gave where I genuinely spoke (without speech cards) about something I really knew about with authority. That's the only way I present now - no notes and no reading!"
Photo: Katynna accepting her award for the science education programs she worked on during her role as Communications Adviser at ANSTO
NADINE CHAPMAN
Nadine has studied at the University of Sydney from her undergraduate years through to Honours and finishing with a PhD. Her Honours project focused on European honeybees - looking at genetic effects on the likelihood of a bee becoming a forager or a nurse. Her Honours project led her straight on to a PhD on worker reproductive parasitism in bees.
"My Honours work opened the doors to the fascinating world of behavioural genetics, which is now my chosen area of research for my PhD and beyond.
My PhD project has taken me to Thailand and India. I've had local communities become involved in my research, offering to cut down hives from the top of trees. I've been caught out in monsoonal rains that quickly changed woodland into lakes. Every day in the field is an adventure.
After my PhD I'm going on to University College London to study mate choice in stalk-eyed flies. This time I will investigate what features stalk-eyed flies find attractive in their mates, how this interacts with the environment and the genetics behind this behaviour. These flies are native to Africa so I'll have to wait and see if I'll be packing my bags and off to explore another continent."
Photo: Nadine using a Genetic Analyser for her research
ALEX JORDAN
For his Honours project Alex worked in South Africa on Killer Bees and is now completing a PhD on tropical fish, which sends him to work in exotic locations like the Great Barrier Reef and the African Rift Lakes.
"Having the opportunity to live and work in South Africa for my Honours year was amazing, and was excellent preparation for the field work I have done in Zambia for my PhD. Working with Killer Bees was also (forgive me) a buzz!
The blend of behavioural field work and molecular/genetic lab techniques was an excellent asset to have taken away from my Honours year, as was a strong publication record. It lead directly to me realising my dream of doing research in Lake Tangayika"
Photo: Alex being swarmed by African Killer Bees during his field work in South Africa during his Honours year
HOLLY FELLOWES
Holly conducted Honours research on Guillain-Barré Syndrome (the peripheral form of Multiple Sclerosis) and is now working in Medical Education.
After Honours, Holly moved to the UK to do a Masters in Science Communication at Imperial College in London, which led to her current role. She claims a highlight of her carreer is winning Best UK Medical Education Programme 2008 at the Communiqué industry awards for an educational programme her team put together for Pfizer Ophthalmology.
"I love my job because I get to do such a variety of things, from working on the pre-launch strategy for a new cardiology drug that requires me to use my science background to understand the safety and tolerability of the new drug, to a consumer campaign in women's health where I'll be co-ordinating radio advertising, photo shoots and a funky website design.
Producing my Honours thesis helped me discover a passion for writing, which led me to a career in communications where I can still use a bit of the nerdy scientist in me!"
Photo: Holly posing in a London bus following her graduation from Masters in Science Communication at Imperial College in London.
CHRIS WATSON
Chris's Honours project on the root demographics of the herbaceous plant Trachymene incisa led him to a career in environmental science that has sent him to work in remote places around Australia and abroad.
Canada is his current home, where he is lead scientist for a long-term forest monitoring network that investigates air pollution and climate change impacts in Ontario.
"I had an absolute riot during honours year. The most important part was making great friends and contacts that will last a lifetime.
It also taught me how to practically design experiments, write scientifically, and most importantly how to develop, organize and stand behind your own projects. For the work that I'm doing now, it was invaluable."
Photo: Chris conducting a winter tree mapping survey at one of his forest monitoring plots in Canada.
