Invitation to Apply for Honours
The School of Economics and Finance in the Faculty of Business at QUT invites you to enroll in the Honours program in either Economics or Finance. The School of Economics and Finance is a dynamic one which is seeking to establish a national reputation of excellence in its undergraduate and postgraduate programs. It has a strong record of research in economics, finance and econometrics.
If you want to expand your breadth and depth of knowledge in the disciplines of economics and finance, over and above your degree, completing a fourth specialist year of Honours will enhance your proficiency substantially in your chosen discipline.
The emphasis of the year is on depth of knowledge and small class teaching. In addition, honours students are expected to attend, and actively participate in, the strong seminar series run by the School.
From a purely practical perspective there are number of good reasons to invest in an honours year.
- An honours degree is normally considered by employers as the minimum qualification required for a professional economist (this is true for both Federal and State Treasuries, the Reserve Bank and many public enterprises)
- Financial institutions such as the major trading banks and merchant banks employ honours graduates in finance
- Initial salary rates for honours graduates are higher than those for ordinary degree graduates and job tasks tend to be more varied, interesting and research orientated
- Career advancement is more rapid for honours graduates
- A number of employers provide honours year cadetships and scholarships which offer benefits such as assistance with fees, stipends and employment upon graduation
- Possession of a good honours degree is necessary for entrance to and assists in obtaining scholarships and other forms of financial support to undertake higher research degrees (such as the PhD)
Admission to Honours
The honours year is normally taken on a full-time basis immediately after finishing the requirements for the three-year pass degree. Provision exists, however, for deferred entry for no more than 18 months and also for part-time enrolment in very special cases (although part-time enrolment is not encouraged by the School, given the demands made by the program).
Students who have completed the Bachelor of Business at QUT with a major in Economics or Banking and Finance and have attained a grade point average of 5.5 or better are encouraged to apply. Students who have an undergraduate major in economics or finance at other universities are able (if their grades are good enough) to undertake the QUT honours year.
In addition to the above academic entry requirements, international students must meet the following English language proficiency levels for entry into the Faculty's postgraduate coursework courses. For details see the International Office.
Potential applicants who do not meet these requirements should not feel discouraged from applying. Their applications will be judged on the basis of their entire academic record, with particular attention being given to their performance in the final semesters of the undergraduate degree.
It is policy to discourage part-time enrolment in the Honours course. The course is designed for ‘total immersion’ in academic study for the year. Mid-year entry is also not permitted. The structure of the course is set up so that the coursework in the first semester logically precedes the research thesis that is mainly completed in the second semester.
Domestic Students can download an application form for admission to enter the honours program.
International students should download the international application form for admission.
Financing Honours
The School of Economics and Finance currently offers Honours Scholarships of $8000 per annum to outstanding students who enroll full-time in the honours year. There are currently 6 scholarships offered each year, although both the number of scholarships and the amount of the award are reviewed annually.
Honours Scholarship Application Form (PDF, 22kb)
The Faculty of Business provides financial support ($600) for honours students through the Research Student Funding Scheme.
In addition, honours students are encouraged to become involved in teaching undergraduates by conducting tutorials. Note, however, that most honours students find they cannot cope with more than a few hours outside work per week, such as 2 tutorial classes (6 hours work).
Outline of the Honours Program
Students must complete three prescribed units (36 credit points), one elective (12 credit points), and a dissertation (48 credit points) as per the programs of study described below for their area of honours study.
Prerequisite requirements for the following units are deemed to have been satisfied upon admission to the course. Where elective units may be undertaken, students should check prerequisite requirements in the unit synopsis section of the QUT Handbook and obtain approval from the honours co-ordinator prior to enrolment.
Study Program for Bachelor of Business Honours (BS63)
Grades are awarded for each of the individual coursework units. The thesis, which is currently given the weight of four units, is also graded. The degree is awarded at a certain level which ranges from first class honours to third class honours.
Please note - Although not compulsory at present, all QUT Bachelor of Business students who are seriously considering an honours year, are strongly recommended to do EFB200 Applied Regression Analysis as part of their undergraduate degree. This unit wil not be offered after 2008. It will be replaced by EFB333 Introductory Econometrics.
Contacts
Honours Co-ordinator:
Associate Professor Adam Clements
Email: a.clements@qut.edu.au
The Honours Co-ordinator is responsible for the administration of the course, including admissions, scholarships and determining the result for the year as a whole. If you have If you have any questions at all about the course or any comments, the honours co-ordinator is your primary contact.
Administration Officer:
Michelle Smith
Email: michelle.smith@qut.edu.au
If you have any queries or difficulties at any time you should contact the coordinator or Administration Officer to the Honours program.
Honours Handbook
Detailed information (PDF, 72KB) for students undertaking the Honours program in 2008.
The 2009 Honours Handbook (PDF, 70KB) is now available for students considering taking Honours in 2009.
Past Honours Thesis
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