What is an honours degree?
By Ralph BrownPublished on
An honours degree adds a year of independent, research-focused study to a bachelor degree, either as a built-in final year or a separate year afterwards. Here is what it involves and where it leads.
What is an honours degree?
An honours degree is a nationally recognised qualification that builds on a bachelor degree with a year of independent research, usually written up as a thesis. It sits between undergraduate and postgraduate study, and you divide your time between advanced coursework, writing your thesis, and regular meetings with the academic supervisor who mentors your project.
When you see '(Hons)' after a degree, as in BA (Hons) or BSc (Hons), that is the shorthand for honours, and 'hons' means the same thing. Honours suits people who want to go deeper into their field, or who are considering research later on.
If you already know honours is on your radar, you can talk it through with a student advisor at no cost.
What level is an honours degree?
An honours degree sits at Level 8 of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), the national system that ranks qualifications from certificate I up to a doctorate. That puts it one level above a standard bachelor degree, which sits at Level 7.
Level 8 also covers graduate certificates and graduate diplomas, and it sits just below a masters degree at Level 9. This is why people are often unsure whether honours is undergraduate or postgraduate. It bridges the two: you usually need a bachelor degree to start, and it can lead into postgraduate research, but it is a qualification in its own right.
Because honours sits at Level 8, universities must meet the standards for that level, overseen by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). A degree can no longer be awarded with honours purely for high marks; there has to be genuine honours-level study behind it, which is what makes it a recognised qualification rather than a grade.
The two ways to do honours
There are two ways to do honours: embedded in a four-year degree, or as a standalone year after you finish a bachelor degree.
Embedded honours is built into the degree from the start. You enrol in a four-year program, such as a Bachelor of Science (Honours), with the honours component in the final year. Often you need to maintain a certain standard through the earlier years to carry on into honours, so entry is decided as you go.
A standalone honours year works differently. You finish a three-year bachelor degree first, then apply separately for a one-year honours program in the same or a related field. Entry usually depends on your results in the later part of your degree, and places can be limited, so a strong finish matters.
Both paths lead to the same qualification and both centre on an independent research project, usually a thesis of somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 words depending on the field. Which one is open to you comes down to how your degree was structured and how you did in it.
Honours at a glance
Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
Level | AQF Level 8 (above a bachelor degree at Level 7) |
Typical duration | One year full time, as a final or additional year |
Two models | Embedded in a four-year degree, or a standalone year after a bachelor degree |
Focus | An independent research project, usually written up as a thesis |
Honours classes | First Class, Second Class Division A, Second Class Division B, and Third Class |
Where it can lead | Entry to a masters or PhD, or roles that value research skills |
What do honours classes mean?
Honours classes are the bands your final result is sorted into, and they signal how strongly you performed across your research and coursework.
Most Australian universities use four:
- First Class (often written H1)
- Second Class Division A (H2A)
- Second Class Division B (H2B)
- Third Class (H3)
First Class is the top band and usually matters most if you want to move into research, while the lower bands recognise solid completion without reaching those upper results.
The exact mark you need for each class varies from one university to the next, and often from one faculty to another, so there is no single national cut-off. Your class is recorded on your testamur and academic transcript, which is what makes it visible to employers and admissions teams when you apply for further study.
What is the difference between a bachelor degree and an honours degree?
The main difference is focus. A bachelor degree gives you a broad foundation in your field, while an honours degree adds a year of advanced, research-led study on top of it. A standard bachelor degree is built mostly from coursework across three years, whereas honours takes you into a narrower area and asks you to produce original research.
That matters most when you look at what comes next, because honours can strengthen an application for postgraduate research in a way a standard degree may not. For a fuller picture of the differences between the two, see our guide to what a bachelor degree is.
Where can an honours degree take you?
An honours degree can open the door to postgraduate research and to roles that value the ability to investigate a problem and set out findings clearly. Because the year is built around independent research, you tend to finish with stronger analytical and writing skills than a standard bachelor degree develops on its own.
For many students the main draw is further study. A strong result, often First Class or Second Class Division A, can be enough to apply directly for a PhD in some fields, though that pathway is competitive and depends on your area and on finding a supervisor, so treat it as a possibility rather than a guarantee.
In other cases honours is a natural bridge into a masters degree, and our guide to what a masters degree is explains where that leads.
In some professions honours is expected rather than optional; parts of psychology, for instance, may treat it as a step towards registration, and those requirements shift over time, so check the current rules for your field first.
Can you study honours online or at a different university?
You can often do honours at a different university from the one where you finished your bachelor degree, and some honours study is available online, though this depends on the field and the university. Moving is common if another institution has a supervisor or research strength that suits your project. You apply as an incoming honours student, and the university assesses your earlier results.
Online availability is more variable. Research honours needs supervision and, in some fields, lab or fieldwork, so not every program runs fully online. It’s worth confirming directly with the university, or with us, before you plan around it.
Cost varies by university and course. Eligible students can defer their fees through a government HELP loan, with the specific loan depending on the course. Our guide on how to pay for university sets out how this works, and Study Assist has the current government detail.
Is an honours degree right for you?
Deciding whether to take on an extra year depends on where you want to end up. If you’re heading towards postgraduate research, or you’re in a field where honours is expected, the year tends to pay off. If you’re keen to start working and your field doesn't ask for it, a standard bachelor degree may serve you just as well for now.
What I tell students:
The question I hear most is whether missing out on embedded honours closes the door. It doesn’t. A standalone honours year after your bachelor degree leads to exactly the same qualification, and universities assess you on your later-year results, not on whether you planned honours from day one.
If you’re weighing it up, our Help Me Choose tool can narrow things down. You can also talk things through with a student advisor like myself at no cost.
Compare honours degrees through us
Universities deliver and award honours degrees, and set their own entry requirements. We help you compare your options across universities, identify possible pathways towards honours, and enrol once you’re ready.
The easiest first step is a free chat with a student advisor, who can talk through whether honours fits your plans and what’s available.
If you’d prefer to explore by yourself, try our Help Me Choose tool to shortlist options, or browse the honours degrees available through us to compare them side by side.
About the author
Ralph Brown
Student advisor specialising in qualification advice
Ralph Brown is an experienced student advisor at Open Universities Australia. Over nine years, he has helped thousands of students compare courses, understand their options and take their next step with confidence. Ralph believes there is often more than one path forward. He gives clear, practical advice without pressure, helping students make decisions that suit their goals, circumstances and readiness to study.
Frequently asked questions
What is an honours degree in Australia?
In Australia, an honours degree is a Level 8 qualification on the AQF that adds a year of research-focused study to a bachelor degree. You can do it as a fourth year built into a longer degree, or as a separate year after a three-year bachelor. It is a recognised qualification in its own right, not simply high marks on your existing degree.
Is an Australian honours degree the same as American ‘honors’?
No. In the United States, ‘honors’ usually describes consistently high marks across a course, closer to graduating with distinction here. In Australia, honours is a separate qualification with its own research requirement and its own place on the qualifications framework, not a label for good grades.
Is honours better than a bachelor degree?
Neither is automatically better; they serve different purposes. Honours sits one AQF level higher and adds advanced research skills, which helps for postgraduate study or research roles. For someone heading straight into work in a field that does not require it, a bachelor degree may be all they need.
Is honours worth it in Australia?
Honours is usually worth it if you’re aiming at postgraduate study or research, or working in a field that expects it. The extra year builds skills a standard bachelor degree doesn’t always develop, and it can strengthen a masters or PhD application. If neither applies, the time and cost may be better spent elsewhere.
Do you need honours to do a masters?
Not always. Many programs, especially coursework masters, accept a standard bachelor degree, sometimes with relevant work experience. Honours helps for a research-focused masters and can shorten the path to a PhD, so check the entry requirements for the course you want.
Can you do honours after graduation?
Yes. A standalone honours year is designed for exactly this, and you apply separately once your bachelor degree is done. Entry usually depends on your results in the later years of that degree, and some universities limit how long after graduating you can apply, so ask early.
What marks do you need to get into honours?
Entry marks vary by university and field, so there is no single national cut-off. Universities generally look at your results in the later part of your bachelor degree, particularly in related subjects. Some set a minimum grade average while others weigh key subjects more heavily, so check the requirements for the university and field you have in mind.
