BVSc Honours Program

1. BVSc Honours Program 2010

2. Agenda • Why choose honours? • What is required? • Who will be my supervisor? • How do I complete an honours project? • What help is available? • Questions

3. Why choose honours? • Future qualifications and research • Post graduate research funding • Definite or possible interest • Because you can • Y1-4 WAM ≥ 70 • Australian residency • Because you are the finest of Australia’s finest

4. What is required? • Year 4 • Choose an area of veterinary science that interests you • Determine a suitable research problem that you can address through research during Y5 • Consult academic staff • Write a draft research proposal and submit an honours application form

5. What is required? • Year 5 • Submit final research proposal • Honours learning agreement form • Research progress report form • Submit dissertation and reflective statement • Research supervisor report form • Oral defence • Satisfactory completion of all standard elective forms and non-written assessment during Year 5

6. Research proposal form • Introduction • Research question, problem or issue and value • Statement of aim and objectives • Statement of methods • Methods used to answer the research question and achieve the aim and objectives of your research • Statement of ethical considerations • Ethical implications and how these will be addressed • Statement of timescale

7. Research proposal form • Statement of timescale • Linked to Y5 rotations • Including milestones • Gantt chart format

8. Honours application form • Proposed title • Your details • Proposed supervisor details • Include 2 potential supervisors • Projects and supervisors are approved by the Honours Committee • Provisional approval before Y4 results • Final approval after WAM

9. Who will be my supervisor? • Student nominations provided through the honours application form • Discuss your project with potential supervisors • Honours committee will review project proposals, check with supervisors and allocate • Limit of 2 honours students per academic staff member • At least one supervisor must be a member of Faculty

10. How do I complete an honours project? • Early in 2010 change your standard electives to an honours elective • You still complete two elective placements but there is no written assignment • Work on your project throughout the year • Try to do your oral defence during a relevant intramural rotation – negotiate this with your supervisor • If you need to develop a specific skill (e.g. laboratory skills) you can negotiate a non-database placement with your supervisor as one of your elective placements

11. What help is available? • Year 4 • Year 5 coordinator • Honours unit of study coordinator • Academic staff • Faculty office staff • Library staff

12. What help is available? • Year 5 • Supervisor and co-supervisor • Year 5 WebCT site • Virtual Veterinary Campus • Library staff • Faculty office staff • Year 5 coordinator • Honours unit of study coordinator • Academic staff

13. Timelines • Y4 • Draft research proposal and honours application form are due Monday 5th October • Submit by email to unit of study coordinator • Y5 • Final research proposal and honours learning agreement form by end rotation 3 • Research progress report form by end rotation 6 • Dissertation and reflective statement by end rotation 10 • Oral defence by end rotation of year • Submissions by Y5 WebCT site

14. Questions