Science Honours Guide

HONOURS INFORMATION SESSION 2027 Honours information session Watch the 2027 presentation

Honours will give you a competitive advantage in your career. Most importantly, honours will give you the first big chance to 'stretch your legs' on your very own project. It will also give you an excellent preparation for a higher degree by research (research master's, or the PhD) to further consolidate your communication and research skills, hone your project management and problem-solving ability, and make you stand out from the crowd as a future leader in your field.

As an honours student you will work one-on-one with an academic on a research project. Academics are excited about their research and take great pride in mentoring the next generation of scientists.

This page provides information on the honours program as a standalone course S3701 Bachelor of Science (Honours) as well as fourth year programs in science courses with an embedded honours year.

Applications for semester one 2027 are now being accepted and will close at 4pm on Friday 13 November, 2026.

Discipline and projects

Minimum entry requirements

How to apply

Fees and scholarships

FAQ

Contact us

The honours program is available in most of the science areas of study listed in the undergraduate handbook. In special circumstances you may receive approval to complete a cross-disciplinary honours year.

Please refer to the tables below for full details and links to projects offered under each specialisation. Clicking on the discipline will take you to the Honours page for the relevant school.

Clayton honours specialisations

Research projects at Monash Medical Centre

Malaysia students

Please refer to the School of Science in Malaysia for details of how to apply.

Malaysian honours specialisations

S3701 Bachelor of Science (Honours)

Single degree students

• Successful completion of a Bachelor of Science (or equivalent)
• At least distinction average (70 percent) in 24 points of level three units (or equivalent) in the intended honours discipline. Refer to the honours prerequisites table for more information on the level three unit requirement. Note that as SCI3930 is not discipline-specific, it cannot be used to meet eligibility requirements.
• The level three units upon which admission to the honours program is based must have been completed no more than five years prior to commencement of the course.

Double degree students

• Completion of 144 points of study, including all requirements for the Bachelor of Science component.
• At least distinction average (70 percent) in 24 points of level three units (or equivalent) in the intended honours discipline. Refer to the honours prerequisites table for more information on the level three unit requirement. Note that as SCI3930 is not discipline-specific, it cannot be used to meet eligibility requirements.
• The level three units upon which admission to the honours program is based must have been completed no more than five years prior to commencement of the course.

Courses with an embedded honours year

• Completion of 144 credit points and all stage 1-3 requirements. Please refer to the handbook entry for your course for further information.

• At least distinction average (70 percent) in 24 points of level three units (or equivalent) in the intended honours discipline. Refer to the honours prerequisites table for more information on the level three unit requirement. Note that as SCI3930 is not discipline-specific, it cannot be used to meet eligibility requirements.

Offers are made by the Faculty of Science and are subject to eligibility and the availability of suitable supervision and resources.

Achievement of the 70% average does not guarantee admission to honours as in some disciplines there are limited projects available and/or competition for certain projects.

Courses with an embedded honours year

• You will receive an email from the Faculty inviting you to complete an ‘Expression of Interest’ for honours.
• If you don’t meet the requirements for admission to your embedded fourth year you will be given an alternative exit with the Bachelor of Science. In this case you may still be eligible to apply for honours under S3701 Bachelor of Science (Honours).
• S3001 Bachelor of Science Advanced – Global Challenges (Honours) and S3003 Bachelor of Applied Data Science Advanced (Honours)
• S3002 Bachelor of Science Advanced – Research (Honours)

• Semester 1 start date only. If you complete stages 1-3 of your course mid-year you will need to take an intermission for one semester before commencing honours.
• Your honours coordinator is your course coordinator.

• S3001 Bachelor of Science Advanced – Global Challenges (Honours) - Associate Professor Djuke Veldhuis
• S3003 Bachelor of Applied Data Science Advanced (Honours) - Dr Simon Clarke

• Students can commence honours in semester 1 or 2. You must follow steps 1 and 2 for S3701 below.

S3701 Bachelor of Science (Honours)

1. Check your level three requirements for the discipline.
2. Find a supervisor and project
3. Apply online. After you have successfully applied, refer to our How to Enrol page.

• Check the honours prerequisites table for level three requirements for your discipline. If you’re unsure about whether your background meets the requirements seek advice from the relevant Honours coordinator and Science Student Services.

• Contact the relevant supervisor and/or school/department Honours coordinator regarding project availability and internal processes for allocating projects.
• You may be required to complete an internal school/department project preference form in addition to the online application. Check with the relevant school/department.
• If you are applying for a research project at Monash Medical Centre with either the Hudson Institute of Medical Research (HIMR) or the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health (SCS) then you must contact Dr Simon Chu for project approval. This is in addition to contacting the discipline Honours co-ordinator for approval.

Domestic students will be offered a Commonwealth Supported Place.

International student fees are subject to change annually. Please refer to the course entry in Find a course for more information.

For information on other study costs and fees, see other study costs.

Monash offers over 360 types of scholarships, valued at up to $280,000. Some scholarships offer one-off payments while others continue for the length of your course. Learn more about Monash Scholarships.

Entry requirements

How long is my bachelor degree valid for before applying for honours?

You can apply for admission to honours as long as it’s within five years of completing any level 3 units that you’re using as the basis for admission.

If your units were completed more than five years ago we may be able to consider your application with the support of the relevant honours coordinator. You’ll need to be able to show how you have kept up to date in the area of study e.g. work experience or further study.

All requests to include units completed more than five years before commencement are sent to the Associate Dean (Undergraduate) for consideration.

Does a higher WAM equate to a better chance of being accepted for honours?

If the minimum entry requirements are met all students have an equal chance of acceptance. However, your WAM might impact your choice of project/supervisor as some projects are more competitive than others. Please contact the relevant discipline honours coordinator for more information.

What happens if I have more than 24 points of level 3 units in the discipline?

We will look at the average of the best four units.

What happens if I have less than 24 points of level 3 units in the discipline?

Students must have 24 points of relevant level 3 study.

If your major is structured with 18 points of level 3 units, you need to use one of your elective spaces to complete an additional relevant level 3 unit.

If you don’t have 24 points of level 3 units in the discipline we may consider a unit from another discipline that is relevant to your specific project. This will need a letter of support from the relevant honours discipline coordinator explaining how the unit is relevant in your case.

All requests to include units outside the honours discipline are sent to the Associate Dean (Undergraduate) for consideration.

Do you offer special entry consideration for people whose third year was severely impacted by personal circumstances?

No. You must meet the published minimum entry requirements including the minimum average.

I’m doing a summer/winter unit. Can I still apply for honours in the next semester?

This depends on your circumstances.

It’s very common for students completing a summer unit to apply for honours for the next semester. Students who are likely to meet the minimum entry requirements after summer semester results are released will usually receive a conditional offer.

Students doing a winter unit will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. This is because the release of results for winter is roughly four weeks after the start of semester two. If you’re in a double degree and your winter unit isn’t required for you to meet the minimum entry requirements for admission you may be able to receive an offer to start in semester two. If you’re in a single degree you will usually need to wait and start honours in semester one the following year.

Can I study honours part-time?

In most disciplines you have the option to apply to study part-time. Full-time and part-time options are listed under Study mode available in the Clayton honours specialisations table. You should consider if part-time studies will better suit your current situation while applying. If your circumstances change while you are studying, it may be possible to switch your enrolment to a different mode. If you need to do so you must contact the Faculty of Science no later than the end of week 4 of semester. Whether you study part-time or full-time (and have an approved intermission), you must finish honours within two years.

Can I use a science internship unit, SCI3930 - Career skills for scientists, or SCI3990 - Science in action research project, to meet eligibility?

The science internship units SCI3920 or SCI3925 (or similar non-Monash unit) may be used with the discipline coordinator’s support, providing the placement directly relates to your proposed honours research. Because SCI3930 is not discipline-specific, it cannot be used as one of your relevant level 3 units. The SCI3990 - Science in action research project may be used with the discipline coordinator’s support, providing your research topic is relevant to your proposed honours research.

Application dates

When do I need to apply for honours?

You usually apply for honours in your final semester, however you can begin the process of contacting potential supervisors in your second-last semester.

Applications for semester one commencement are open from July to November each year.

Applications for semester two commencement are open from March to June each year.

Offers and enrolment

When will I hear about my application outcome?

Outcomes for semester one applications will be sent within one week of Monash University’s release of results date for semester two.

Outcomes for semester two applications will be sent within one week of Monash University’s release of results date for semester one.

How long do I have to accept my offer?

Your offer letter will tell you when you need to accept your offer by. The timelines will differ depending on whether you’re a domestic or international student.

If you are made a conditional offer you will have two dates to be aware of: the date by which you must accept your conditional offer, and the date by which you must demonstrate that you’ve met the conditions of your offer.

What is a conditional offer?

A conditional offer is an offer made where we think you are likely to meet the minimum entry requirements but you haven’t met them yet. For example we may issue a conditional offer to a Monash student enrolled in a summer elective unit to complete their Bachelor of Science, or to a non-Monash student who needs to provide their final semester results and proof of completion.

If you’re given a conditional offer you need to accept or reject the offer by the offer response date. If you don’t respond to the offer we will assume you have rejected it.

You must meet all conditions before you can receive a full offer, and you must receive a full offer in order to enrol into the honours course.

Can I defer honours?

Yes, you can defer your honours offer for up to 12 months.

Can I accept honours then withdraw?

Yes. Make sure you let us know before the census date for your first semester of study that you are withdrawing, otherwise you will need to pay the fees for your units.

If you’re an international student please review the terms of your ISCA for your eligibility for a fee refund.

I'm in an Advanced (Honours) course. How does honours work for me?

You will receive an email from the Faculty inviting you to complete an ‘Expression of Interest’ for Honours. You must complete this form to let us know that you are intending to move on to year four of your degree.

The fourth year for S3001 Bachelor of Science Advanced – Global Challenges (Honours) and S3003 Bachelor of Applied Data Science Advanced (Honours) is only available to commence in semester one. If you complete stages 1-3 of your course mid-year you will need to take an intermission for one semester before commencing honours.

S3002 Bachelor of Science Advanced – Research (Honours) can be commenced in semester 1 or semester 2. You must follow the same steps 1 and 2 that are listed under How to Apply for students in S3701 Bachelor of Science (Honours).

If you don’t meet the requirements for admission to your embedded fourth year you will be given an alternative exit with the Bachelor of Science. In this case you may still be eligible to apply for honours under S3701 Bachelor of Science (Honours).

I’ve been made an offer. What next?

Refer to our How to Enrol page for details on when you need to accept your offer and how to accept it, including enrolling for the first time.

Double degree students

Do I need to complete my double degree before applying for honours?

You can apply for honours as long as you meet the minimum entry requirements for S3701 Bachelor of Science (Honours). This includes completion of 144 points and all the requirements of the Bachelor of Science component of your degree.

What happens if I don’t want to complete the other part of my degree?

If you’ve completed the same requirements as the single degree Bachelor of Science you can choose to take an alternative exit and graduate with just Bachelor of Science. Taking an alternative exit will discontinue your double degree.

If you change your mind about completing the other component after taking an alternative exit you need to contact our Future Students team and ask about your options to re-apply for admission.

What happens if I want to complete honours and my double degree?

After you accept your honours offer we will place you on intermission from your double degree. You will be given an alternative exit from the science component but keep your place in the double degree while on intermission from it. You can then finish the other degree after completing science honours.

If your honours discipline is offered part-time, it may be possible to finish your other degree while starting honours part-time. However overall you cannot be enrolled in more than 24 points per semester. You should first discuss if this is a viable plan with your discipline coordinator.

Can I complete more than one honours year?

You can only complete honours once under any given course code. This means that once you’ve completed S3701 Bachelor of Science (Honours) you can’t re-do honours under the same course code.

If you’re in a double degree you can do two honours years – one in science and one in your partner degree. You will need to contact the partner faculty for information on honours in their component degree.

Can I complete an honours year which covers both components of my degree?

It may be possible for you to do a project which covers more than one discipline, but you need to enrol under one course code and complete the requirements of that course. Cross-disciplinary projects will usually have a main supervisor from one discipline and a co-supervisor from the other discipline. Please contact the relevant honours discipline coordinator for information on your options.

Supervision and projects

Are research projects offered or assigned?

You’ll need to refer to the information provided by the relevant department that your honours project is through.

Where can we find a list of projects available?

Can you do honours in a different area to what your major is?

Yes, as long as you meet the entry requirements for the discipline that you want to do honours in.

What do I do if my honours topic fits into more than one discipline?

It may be possible for you to do a project which covers more than one discipline, but you need to enrol under one area of study and complete the requirements of that area. Cross-disciplinary projects will usually have a main supervisor from one discipline and a co-supervisor from the other discipline. Please contact the relevant honours discipline coordinator for information on your options.

How exactly is the research project assessed?

This will depend on your honours discipline. Please contact the relevant department that your honours project is through.

Fees and scholarships

How much does honours cost?

Please see the tab titled Fees and scholarships.

Does my scholarship from by bachelor degree continue into honours?

Please contact scholarships for information on your specific situation.

Are there are school-based scholarships?

Please contact the relevant honours discipline coordinator for information.

Post-honours options

Can I use honours as a pathway into a PhD?

Yes, but there are likely to be additional requirements.

For graduate research at Monash, please contact the Monash graduate research team for more information on eligibility and pathways.

For graduate research at other institutions and overseas, you’ll need to contact those institutions directly for further information.

My.app application help

Application steps

• Step 1: Select your study location. Select Undergraduate.
• Step 2: Complete the privacy declaration.
• Step 3: Enter your personal details
• Step 4: Search for S3701 and click Show Start Dates. The next available intake will be shown.
• Select your course preferences as relevant.
• Step 5: Enter your qualifications, English language proficiency, and work experience. International students should refer to the course entry in Find A Course for more information on English language requirements.
• Step 6: Provide details of sponsorship/proxy if relevant
• Step 7: Supporting documents
• Step 8: Review your application
• Step 9: Domestic students do not need to pay an application fee. International students need to pay an application fee and attach proof of payment.

• You can choose up to five preferences. You can change the order of your preferences using the blue arrows up to the point of submitting your application. If you want to change your preferences after submitting your application please contact our Future Students team.
• Domestic students can apply for full time or part time study. International students must apply for full time study.

• Current or recent Monash students do not need to provide any documents.
• Non-Monash students will need to upload their academic transcript, proof of citizenship, and, if it has been more than five years since your undergraduate study, a curriculum vitae.
• Your documents must include proof of completion of your relevant undergraduate degree. If you are in your final semester of study you must provide this as soon as it is available and no less than one week before the start of the semester in which you intend to commence honours.
• All documents provided must be in English. If the original documents are in a language other than English the documents must be official translations by a recognised translation service.

Read our admission application FAQs for more information.

Faculty administration contacts

For general science honours application and enrolment enquiries:

Clayton campus Contact us via Monash Connect

Monash University Malaysia Monash Malaysia Connect - AskMira

Do you need help help finding a supervisor or project? If so please complete our Expression of Interest for Research Project form and the relevant honours discipline coordinator will be in touch.