• Section 1 - Purpose of Policy
• Section 2 - Application and Scope
• Section 3 - Policy Principles
• Section 4 - Characteristics of Honours Degree Courses
• Section 5 - Admission to Honours Degree Courses
• Section 6 - Characteristics of Honours Project
• End-On Honours Courses
• Embedded Honours Courses
• Bachelor of Research
• General Provisions
• Section 7 - Grades of Honours
• Methods for Determining Honours Grades
• Section 8 - Honours Project Grade Descriptors
• Section 9 - University and Academic Unit Responsibilities
• University
• Academic Unit
• Section 10 - Supervision of Honours Projects
• Part A - Supervisory Responsibilities
• Student Responsibilities
• Section 11 - Reviews and Appeals Regarding the Honours Project
• Section 12 - Assessment of Honours Projects
• Section 13 - Honours Information to Students
• Section 14 - Appendices
• Appendix 1 – AQF Requirements for the Bachelor Honours Degree
• Appendix 2 – Honours Guide Checklist
• Appendix 3 – Honours Grade Calculation Methods
• Appendix 4 – Honours Project Grade Descriptors
• Section 15 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose of Policy

(1) The purpose of this Policy is to:

1. set out a framework for designing and undertaking Honours Degrees and Honours Projects; and
2. describe roles and responsibilities of staff and students in completing the requirements for Honours Degrees and in undertaking Honours Projects.

(2) This Policy replaces the Code of Practice – Honours.

Section 2 - Application and Scope

(3) This Policy applies to all Honours Degrees at the University of Wollongong whether delivered onshore, offshore and regardless of mode of delivery, including:

1. Embedded Honours (including Professional Honours); and
2. End-On Honours.

(4) This Policy applies to the Bachelor of Research.

(5) The assessment requirements for an Honours Project and the processes for examination of the Honours Project are set out in the Teaching and Assessment: Assessment and Feedback Policy.

(6) The specific responsibilities of Supervisors to students undertaking an Honours Degree arise and must be met during the session(s) during which the student is designing and undertaking the Honours Project.

Section 3 - Policy Principles

(7) The University has established a framework to design, deliver and assure a range of high standard Honours Degree courses to students in order to:

1. enable them to achieve the learning outcomes at AQF Level 8;
2. clarify and confirm the roles and responsibilities of the University, the relevant academic unit, the honours Supervisor and students; and
3. provide pathways for students into professional practice and/or further study as a higher degree research student.

(8) The University will maintain a consistent and transparent framework for the design and delivery of different forms of Honours Degree courses, and within these courses, the design, completion and examination of an Honours Project in order to assure learning at Level 8 and against the relevant course learning outcomes.

Section 4 - Characteristics of Honours Degree Courses

(9) The Course Design Procedures detail the University’s requirements with regard to the naming, duration and credit point values for Honours Degree courses.

(10) Honours Degree courses are to be designed and delivered consistent with the AQF requirements for Level 8 Bachelor Honours Courses (as detailed in Appendix 1), to ensure that graduates will have advanced knowledge and skills for professional or highly skilled work and/or further learning.

1. research, or
2. advancing the knowledge, skills and application gained in a Bachelor Degree, or
3. for professional practice for which higher level of learning outcomes are required for entry.

(11) Each Honours Degree course is to include the completion of an Honours Project.

Section 5 - Admission to Honours Degree Courses

(12) The requirements for admission to an Honours Degree course are determined in accordance with the Coursework Rules and the Admissions Procedures (Coursework) and specified in the information provided to prospective students.

(13) The Credit for Prior Learning Policy provides that no external credit is given towards the Honours Project component within a one year stand-alone honours degree.

Section 6 - Characteristics of Honours Project

(14) The Honours Project is to be designed to assist in assuring learning at Level 8 of the AQF for students undertaking an Honours Degree.

(15) The Honours Project is to be designed, undertaken and assessed so as to operate as a capstone in the Honours Degree for the purposes of the UOW Curriculum Model.

(16) For any subject in which an Honours Project is an assessment task, the Honours Project must have a weighting of at least 70%.

End-On Honours Courses

(17) For an End-On Honours Degree, the subject in which the Honours Project forms all or part of the assessment task(s) shall be not less than 24 credit points and not more than 48 credit points.

Embedded Honours Courses

(18) For an Embedded Honours Degree other than a Professional Honours Degree, the subject in which the Honours Project forms all or part of the assessment task(s) shall be not less than 24 credit points and not more than 48 credit points.

(19) For a Professional Honours Degree, the subject in which the Honours Project forms all or part of the assessment task(s) shall be not less than 12 credit points.

Bachelor of Research

(20) For the Bachelor of Research, the subject in which the Honours Project forms all or part of the assessment task(s) shall be not less than 12 credit points.

General Provisions

(21) To support the successful completion of an Honours Project, and in order to assist in assuring learning at Level 8 of the AQF, each student enrolled in an Honours Degree course will be provided with knowledge and skills in research methods in order to support the successful design and completion of an Honours Project.

(22) An Honours Project may be designed and approved on the basis of collaboration among students in the design and collection of research data, provided that each student shall be individually responsible for the analysis, evaluation and transformation of information, the generation and transmission of solutions to complex problems and the transmission of knowledge, skills and ideas to others in an Honours Project.

(23) The Honours Degree course must also incorporate an assessment task requirement (weighted or non-weighted) to make a written and oral presentation of the Honours Project proposal and/or findings, including one or more of the following:

1. Seminar presentation;
2. Poster display; and/ or
3. Oral defence.

Section 7 - Grades of Honours

(24) The following grades of Honours Degrees may be awarded:

1. Honours Class I
2. Honours Class II, Division 1
3. Honours Class II, Division 2
4. Honours Class III (where specified)

Methods for Determining Honours Grades

(25) For each Honours Degree course other than the Bachelor of Research, one of the methods specified in Appendix 3 must be adopted to determine the Honours grade. The method used for determining honours grades depends on the specific program a student has completed. The Honours Method is detailed in the Course Handbook entry for each Honours Degree course. Students graduating with the Bachelor of Research do not have an Honours Grade declared. 

(26) In addition to the provisions relating to the Bachelor of Research, an Honours Degree may be awarded with no grade of Honours where the relevant course rules as specified in the Course Handbook so provide.

(27) Where a student has completed an Honours Degree course which applies Methods 2, 3 or 4 but has not achieved a mark entitling the student to an award of Honours, the student will be eligible for a suitable cognate pass degree if they meet the requirements for that degree and subject to completion of a course transfer with academic approval from the Delegated Authority.

(28) Where the method for determining the grade of Honours applied for a particular Honours Degree is changed after a student has commenced that course, the Faculty must ensure that the student is not disadvantaged by the change. This may require the application of a previous method of determining Honours grades to that student.

Section 8 - Honours Project Grade Descriptors

(29) The Honours Project Grade Descriptors describe student performance in an Honours Project and must be communicated to students in the Honours Guide or the Subject Outline.

(30) Staff should refer to the UOW Honours Project Grade Descriptors:

1. prospectively when designing the Honours Project and marking criteria and when marking the Honours Project, including using them as a basis for crafting marking rubrics, and
2. retrospectively when undertaking benchmarking and review of marking and grading of Honours Projects.

(31) The Honours Project Grade Descriptors also provide a frame of reference for moderation of the Honours Project, to ensure that assessment practice across the University is appropriate, consistent and fair.

(32) The Honours Project Grade Descriptors are set out in Appendix 4.

Section 9 - University and Academic Unit Responsibilities

University

(33) It is the responsibility of the University to:

1. take measures to protect the intellectual property (IP) arising from the work of its students in accordance with the IP Intellectual Property Policy; and
2. where possible, ensure each student enrolling full time in an End-On Honours Degree and who submits their Honours Project within the required timeframes, specified by the Faculty, is given the opportunity to complete all subjects in time for them to graduate with their cohort at the next possible graduation ceremony.

Academic Unit

(34) It is the responsibility of the Academic Unit to:

1. appoint an Honours Coordinator to oversee the progress of students enrolled in the Honours Degree or, in the case of Embedded Honours, all students undertaking Honours Projects within the Academic Unit;
2. ensure that each Honours Student meets the minimum requirements for admission to the Honours Degree and is capable of undertaking the proposed Honours Project and other requirements of the Honours Degree;
3. ensure that the curriculum for each Honours Degree satisfies the requirements for the Bachelor Honours Degree within the AQF;
4. ensure that each proposed Honours Project is of an appropriate standard for the award having regard to relevant discipline standards and that meets the requirements for a Bachelor Honours Degree within the AQF;
5. provide to each Honours Degree student (in the case of Embedded Honours, no later than the beginning of the session in which the student undertakes an Honours Project) an Honours Guide or, where permitted, a Subject Outline that sets out all procedures and requirements pertaining to assessment including those listed in the checklist set out in Section A of Appendix 2 to this Policy, in either physical or electronic form;
6. foster a supportive environment for Honours Degree students;
7. ensure that reasonable resources are made available to Honours Degree students to support them in undertaking their Honours Project;
8. ensure that appropriate provision is made in academic workloads for supervision of Honours Projects;
9. ensure that each Honours Degree student undertaking an Honours Project has a Supervisor, and, where necessary, a co-supervisor;
10. ensure that procedures are in place to select the most appropriate Supervisors for assisting the Honours Degree student to complete their Honours Project;
11. ensure that Supervisors of Honours Degree students are appropriate to undertake those responsibilities (refer to section 11);
12. where an Honours Project is undertaken across two disciplines (inter-disciplinary or joint honours), approve the program of study with the head of the other Academic Unit and negotiate the appointment of co-supervisors and subject requirements prior to enrolment;
13. ensure that there is no conflict of interest between the Supervisors and Honours Degree student;
14. ensure that quality supervision is provided throughout the student’s candidature or, in the case of Embedded Honours, throughout the period during which the student is undertaking their Honours Project;
15. ensure that arrangements are made to provide for alternative supervision if a Supervisor is absent for more than two weeks; and
16. ensure that honours examiners have adequate time (generally three weeks) to report before the meeting of the relevant Assessment Committee.
17. The responsibilities of an Academic Unit are assumed by the Head of Academic Unit but may be delegated by the Head of Academic Unit to the Honours Coordinator where appropriate.

Section 10 - Supervision of Honours Projects

(35) To be eligible to exercise the responsibilities of a Supervisor, the academic staff member must:

1. hold a qualification at Level 9 of the AQF (Masters Degree) or higher (or a lesser qualification combined with experience equivalent to a Level 9 AQF qualification) and
2. hold a continuing or fixed term academic position with the relevant Honours Degree course-owning Faculty and,
3. either,
   1. be a currently active researcher, or
   2. have a proven research records, or
   3. have previous successful experience in supervising Honours Degree students.

(36) The role of co-supervisor may be held by an academic staff member, visiting or honorary academic provided that the principal Supervisor meets the requirements of section clause 35.

(37) The overriding responsibility of a Supervisor is to provide continuing support to Honours Degree students under their supervision in researching and producing an Honours Project to the best of the student’s ability.

Part A - Supervisory Responsibilities

(38) Specific other responsibilities of the Supervisor are to:

1. advise the head of the Academic Unit of any situation which might lead to a conflict of interest which could unduly advantage or disadvantage a student, e.g. if there is or has been a close personal relationship between a Supervisor and an actual or potential Honours Degree student;
2. advise Honours Degree students about their procedural and substantive rights and responsibilities contained in this Policy (directly or through the Honours Guide or Subject Outline);
3. advise and assist Honours Degree students to comply with occupational health and safety and ethics requirements where relevant;
4. in consultation with the Honours Coordinator, support Honours Degree students in developing a suitable proposal for the Honours Project (including, where applicable, a joint proposal involving working with other students on the design and collection of research data) within a negotiated time frame and with negotiated access to resources and support;
5. assist Honours Degree students to develop a plan for completing the Honours Project within an appropriate time frame;
6. maintain regular contact with Honours Degree students in order to monitor their progress;
7. inform Honours Degree students about any expected period(s) during which the Supervisor will be absent and unable to communicate during the period during which they are completing an Honours Project, and arrangements for alternative supervision during that or those periods;
8. provide timely and helpful written feedback to Honours Degree students on any submissions and to assist them to develop solutions as problems in undertaking the Honours Project are identified;
9. advise Honours Degree students of inadequate progress or work below the standard generally required for an Honours Project and to suggest appropriate corrective action;
10. submit marks and grades for Honours Projects for review, acceptance and publication in a timely manner
11. be available to attend meetings of the Academic Unit Assessment Committee where Honours Degree students’ grades are determined; and
12. ensure the following policies and the consequences for the candidate’s Honours Project of breaching these Policies, are explained carefully to the student:
    1. Academic Integrity Policy;
    2. the Code of Practice - Responsible Conduct of Research;
    3. the Managing and Investigating Potential Breaches of the Research Code Policy;
    4. the IP Intellectual Property Policy;
    5. the IP Student Assignment of Intellectual Property Policy; and
    6. the Authorship Policy.

Student Responsibilities

(39) Honours Degree students have the primary responsibility for the timely completion of the Honours Project and other assessment tasks required in order to meet the requirements for the award of the Honours Degree.

(40) Specific responsibilities are to:

1. develop an Honours Project proposal and a plan for completing the project within a timeframe and, where applicable, with access to resources and other support agreed to by the Supervisors and, where possible, the Honours Coordinator;
2. complete the Honours Project in accordance with the approved proposal and within the approved timeframes;
3. maintain regular contact with the Supervisors;
4. discuss any proposed variation of enrolment or leave of absence with their Supervisors, the Honours Coordinator or the Head of Academic Unit;
5. present required written material to the Supervisors in sufficient time to allow for comments and discussions before scheduled meetings;
6. undertake any additional work towards their Honours Project identified as necessary by the Supervisors or, where appropriate, the Honours Coordinator;
7. accept responsibility for the quality and originality of all submitted work;
8. ensure all research is carried out in accordance with all statutory and other requirements relating to ethical, safe and responsible conduct of research; and
9. ensure they read and understand relevant University policy documents including:
   1. Academic Integrity Policy;
   2. Code of Practice - Responsible Conduct of Research;
   3. IP Intellectual Property Policy;
   4. Managing and Investigating Potential Breaches of the Research Code Policy ; and
   5. Authorship Policy.

Section 11 - Reviews and Appeals Regarding the Honours Project

(41) Provisions relating to the review of the marking and grading of an Honours Project are set out in the Teaching and Assessment: Assessment and Feedback Policy.

(42) An Honours Degree student with concerns regarding their candidacy may raise these concerns with their Supervisors or the responsible Honours Coordinator.

(43) Any unresolved issues between an Honours Degree student and their Supervisors during the student’s candidature or, in the case of Embedded Honours, during the period where the student is undertaking the Honours Project, may be raised by the student as provided in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Policy.

Section 12 - Assessment of Honours Projects

(44) Provisions regarding the Assessment of Honours Projects are outlined in the Teaching and Assessment: Assessment and Feedback Policy.

Section 13 - Honours Information to Students

(45) Every Faculty, Academic Unit or Honours Degree course must have an Honours Guide common for students, staff and honours examiners that includes the information set out in Appendix 2 to this Policy.

(46) The Honours Guide, and other information for students available via the University website or in Course Handbook entries, must be consistent with this Policy.

(47) All commitments and requirements stipulated in an Honours Guide shall be adhered to.

(48) For Professional Honours Degrees where the Honours Project is less than 24 credit points, information relevant to the Honours Project in the an Honours Guide may alternatively be incorporated as an annexure to the Subject Outline for the relevant subject in respect of which the Honours Project is an assessment task that meets the requirements set out in the Subject Delivery Policy.

Section 14 - Appendices

Appendix 1 – AQF Requirements for the Bachelor Honours Degree

Appendix 2 – Honours Guide Checklist

Section A – General

(49) Name of Academic Unit and details of key contact people within that unit, including the Honours Coordinators where appropriate.

(50) Course code.

(51) In the case of End On Honours Degrees, mechanisms for applying for admission.

(52) Where relevant, details regarding and arrangements for part-time Honours enrolment.

(53) Honours Degree course learning outcomes.

(54) Roles and responsibilities of  the University, Academic Unit, Supervisor, Honours Coordinator and Honours Degree student.

(55) Key dates, e.g.:

1. deadline for applications for admission (where applicable);
2. finalisation and, if applicable, presentation of the honours project proposal;
3. submission of ethics application (where applicable);
4. progress reports;
5. oral and or written presentations; and
6. submission of final written project and any other final presentation requirements,

(56) For End-On Honours Degrees, required coursework making up the Honours Degree course requirements, including subject codes and titles in full, with brief outline and credit points. If coursework is not organised by subject code and credit points a description of the structure of the Honours Degree program coursework with a brief outline and explanation of the weighted value of each component of the coursework program.

(57) Ethics application requirements (where relevant).

(58) Occupational health and safety requirements.

(59) Support services and facilities available to students, including contact details of the Student Support Advisors and the Faculty Librarian (within the library).

(60) Equipment, study space and computer/software available to Honours Degree students.

(61) Grades of Honours applying to the course and the Honours Method applicable for the course.

(62) Where relevant, University supplied materials that students should purchase and estimated costs.

(63) Financial or material assistance (where available).

(64) Prizes, scholarships and grants applicable to the course.

Section B – Assessment of Honours Project

(65) Types of assessment to be used to assess Honours Project.

(66) Weight given to Honours Project and other components of assessment in determining final result.

(67) Honours Grade Descriptors.

(68) Dates for submission of any written Honours Project(s) and other material for assessment.

(69) Policy regarding and penalties for late submission.

(70) Clear criteria for assessing the Honours Project.

(71) Guidelines for honours examiners.

(72) Quality assurance process specific to the Faculty or Academic Unit to ensure the independent, transparent and impartial assessment of all Honours Project(s).

(73) Whether marks in any components will be modified or scaled.

(74) Method for determining class of Honours.

(75) Minimum attendance requirements where appropriate.

(76) Length, style and format of any written Honours Project(s), where relevant.

(77) System of referencing to be used in written Honours Project(s), noting the University policy on plagiarism.

(78) Method for choosing honours examiners.

(79) Procedure for dealing with discrepancies between marks awarded by different honours examiners.

(80) Procedures, criteria and possible outcomes in the handling of requests for Student Academic Consideration.

(81) Method for submitting written materials for assessment.

(82) Required number of copies of written materials.

(83) Arrangements for acknowledging submission of written materials.

(84) Procedures for returning assessed materials.

(85) Details of other matters relevant to the assessment of the Honours Project.

Appendix 3 – Honours Grade Calculation Methods

Calculation of Weighted Average Mark

(86) Honours grades will be determined using a weighted average mark calculated as follows:

1. Weighted Average Mark = Sum mlc/Sum lc

(87) Where:

1. “m” is the actual mark obtained in each attempt at each subject;
2. “c” is the credit point value of the subject;
3. “l” is the weight reflecting the level of the subject (as per each Honours Method set out below).
4. Summation in the numerator and denominator is over all subjects attempted (and including each attempt by the student at that or those subjects) in the Honours Degree course, other than any subject with a grade of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.

Method 1:

(88) Weightings for different subject levels (i.e. the “l” factor set out in Appendix 3, section 1(c) above):

1. 1 for 400 level and Honours level subjects
2. 0 for 300 level
3. 0 for 200 level
4. 0 for 100 level

(89) Ranges for grades of Honours:

1. Class I - 85% to 100%
2. Class II, Division 1 - 75% to less than 85%
3. Class II, Division 2 - 65% to less than 75%
4. Class III (where awarded) - 50% to less than 65%
5. Honours not awarded - 0% to less than 50%

Method 2:

(90) Weightings for different subject levels (i.e. the “l” factor set out in Appendix 3, section 1(c) above):

1. 4 for 400 level
2. 3 for 300 level”
3. 2 for 200 level
4. 1 for 100 level

(91) Ranges for grades of Honours:

1. Class I - 77.5% to 100%
2. Class II, Division 1 - 72.5% to less than 77.5%
3. Class II, Division 2 - 67.5% to less than 72.5%
4. Class III (where awarded) - 62.5% to less than 67.5%
5. Honours not awarded - 0% to less than 62.5%

Method 3:

(92) Weightings for different subject levels (i.e. the “l” factor set out in Appendix 3, section 1(c) above):

1. 4 for 400 level”
2. 1 for 300 level
3. 0 for 200 level
4. 0 for 100 level

(93) Ranges for grades of Honours:

1. Class I - 80% to 100%
2. Class II, Division 1 - 72.5% to less than 80%
3. Class II, Division 2 - 65% to less than 72.5%
4. Honours not awarded - 0 to less than 65%

Method 4:

(94) Weightings for different subject levels (i.e. the “l” factor set out in Appendix 3, section 1(c) above):

1. 1 for 400 level
2. 1 for 300 level
3. 1 for 200 level
4. 1 for 100 level

(95) Ranges for grades of Honours:

1. Class I - 75% to 100%
2. Class II - Division 1 72.5% to less than 75%
3. Class II, Division 2 - 70% to less than 72.5%
4. Honours not awarded 0 to less than 70%

Appendix 4 – Honours Project Grade Descriptors

Section 15 - Definitions