Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc(Hons))
Overview
Students may be invited to participate in the Honours degree programme based on their academic performance at the end of their first, second or third year of study for the Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree.
The BSc(Hons) is a four-year degree in which the student is required to take a full Honours research project in the fourth year. Those who obtain a First Class or Second Class (Division One) Honours degree have direct entry into the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree.
A specific aim of the BSc(Hons) degree is to develop advanced theoretical and research skills and in so doing to provide a platform for an advanced professional or academic career.
Regulations for the Degree of Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc(Hons))
1 Admission to the Programme
(a) Admission to the programme shall be subject to the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences).
(b) To be admitted to a second stage Honours course, an applicant must normally have passed, with a grade average of at least B-, papers worth at least 126 points for the degree of Bachelor of Science, of which at least 72 points shall be for 100-level papers in Science Schedule C, and have a grade average of at least B+ over papers worth 36 points in the subject, or in each of the subjects, in which the Honours programme is to be taken. There is no second stage Honours course for Anatomy, Biochemistry, Botany, Clothing and Textile Sciences, Ecology, Food Science, Genetics, Human Nutrition, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Physics, Physiology, Plant Biotechnology or Zoology.
(c) To be admitted to a third stage Honours course without having passed the second stage, or to be admitted to the third stage Honours course where there is no second stage, an applicant must normally have passed, with a grade average of at least B-, papers worth at least 252 points, of which at least 72 points should be for 100-level papers in Science Schedule C, and including 200-level papers worth at least 108 points, and have a grade average of at least B+ over papers worth 54 points at 200-level in the subject, or in each of the subjects, in which the Honours programme is to be taken.
(d) To be admitted to a fourth stage Honours course without having passed the corresponding second and third stages, an applicant must normally have passed papers worth 378 points, have fulfilled at least one of the major subject requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science, have not been admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Science, and have achieved a grade average of at least B+ for the equivalent of the third stage Honours course in the subject or subjects in which the Honours programme is to be taken.
(e) A student who holds the degree of Bachelor of Science shall not be admitted to an Honours programme nor may a student graduate in the degree of Bachelor of Science while enrolled for a fourth stage Honours course.
(f) The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences) may admit an applicant who before entering the University has attained a sufficiently high standard in one or more of the subjects, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics and Physics to the second stage of an Honours programme. Such a candidate shall normally be required to take the final Honours examinations three years after admission to the programme.
2 Subjects of Study
(a) The degree of Bachelor of Science with Honours may be awarded in any one of the subjects listed below (for Single Honours), or in any approved combination of the subjects listed below (for Combined or Double Honours).
(b) With the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences) the degree may be awarded in a subject not listed below, or in a combination (for Combined or Double Honours) of a subject listed below and a subject in which an Honours course is available for another degree.
3 Structure of the Programme
(a) For a candidate admitted to a second stage Honours course the degree shall
(i) for Single Honours: satisfy the requirements for one of the subjects listed below.
(ii) for Combined Honours: contain some of the 200-, 300- and 400-level papers set down in the programme requirements for each of the two subjects, the number of papers from each subject to be determined by the Heads of Departments concerned, provided that at least 144 points are taken in each of the second and third stages.
(iii) for Double Honours: in the second and third stage Honours courses include at least 144 points as for Combined Honours, followed by two fourth stage Honours courses as for Single Honours taken in consecutive years.
(b) A candidate admitted directly to a third stage Honours course shall be exempted from the second stage Honours course, but shall complete the third and fourth stage courses specified above. A candidate admitted directly to a fourth stage Honours course shall complete the fourth stage course specified above.
(c) Every second, third and fourth stage Honours course must be completed in a single year, and the fourth stage course must be completed in a time not more than one year in excess of the minimum time for completing the degree after admission to the Honours programme.
(d) A Single Honours candidate in a subject may, with the permission of the Heads of Departments concerned, substitute for some of the required papers in that subject papers of other subjects. When such permission is granted, prerequisite and corequisite requirements laid down in the Prescriptions may be waived.
(e) Any practical work report or dissertation prescribed for a fourth stage Honours course must be submitted no later than 1 November of that year as determined by the Head of Department concerned.
4 Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions
Every programme of study shall satisfy the requirements for prerequisites, corequisites and restrictions set out in the Prescriptions.
5 Withdrawal from the Programme
(a) A candidate whose results are not satisfactory shall be required to withdraw from the Honours programme.
(b) When a candidate withdraws from the Honours programme, voluntarily or otherwise, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences) may recommend that the ordinary degree of Bachelor of Science be awarded or determine the papers which shall be credited towards that degree.
6 Standard of Award of the Degree
(a) The degree may be awarded with First Class Honours, with Second Class Honours (Division I), with Second Class Honours (Division II), or with Third Class Honours. The class of Honours awarded shall be determined by the examiners primarily on the performance of the candidate in the fourth stage of the programme.
(b) A candidate who fails to obtain Honours may, on the recommendation of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences), be awarded the degree of Bachelor of Science.
(c) A candidate who fails to obtain Honours may not resit all or part of the fourth stage of the Honours programme in a subsequent year unless the Senate has determined that his or her performance in those examinations has been seriously impaired.
7 Variations
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences) may in exceptional circumstances approve a course of study which does not comply with these regulations.
Note: An application for admission to the programme is required; this is separate from the enrolment process. Applications should normally reach the Division of Sciences by 10 December.
8 Transitional Arrangements
Transitional arrangements for the new BA(Hons), BAppSc(Hons), BCom(Hons), BSc(Hons), BTheol(Hons) and MusB(Hons) will be offered for the first time in 2013.
