Honours degree of Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience

Course code: 3514 ~ Course abbreviation: BBNSc(Hons) ~ Total credit points required: 48 ~ 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time ~ Managing faculty: Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Study mode and course location

On-campus (Clayton)

Course description

The fourth-year level of study in the Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience aims to extend research training in specialised areas and help students acquire sophisticated research skills. Students may undertake this fourth year of study in the discipline of their course major (ie behavioural neuroscience) or, should they undertake a second major, they may undertake such study in that discipline.

Course objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will have: acquired scientific principles, concepts and skills in an area of behavioural neuroscience; gained a research oriented approach to behavioural neuroscience preparing them for a professional career in a related field and/or further studies (Masters or PhD); formulated, carried out and reported independent research; acquired experience with research design, statistical analysis, critical review of literature, report writing and oral presentation of findings.

Entry requirements

To be eligible for entry to the fourth-year honours program, students will be required to achieve a distinction average or better in the four core third-year behavioural neuroscience (BNS) units.

If a student takes their second course major in the discipline of psychology, they may be eligible to enter the psychology honours program, which is mandatory for students intending to gain registration as a practicing psychologist. To be eligible for entry, students must have successfully completed the appropriate undergraduate accredited sequence in psychology (PSY1011 and PSY1022, in first year; PSY2031, PSY2051 and PSY2042 in second year; PSY3041, PSY3051, PSY3032 and PSY3062 in third year), with a 70 per cent minimum average in psychology at the third-year level.

Students who do not wish to undertake honours in either advanced behavioural neuroscience or psychology may be eligible to obtain an honours degree in the Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience by successfully undertaking honours in one of the following disciplines: anatomy, immunology, biochemistry, genetics, pharmacology or physiology. In order to be considered for entry into these units, students must meet the prescribed selection criteria for the respective honours program. In addition, students need to undertake a research project on a topic that is relevant to behavioural neuroscience.

Course structure

Students are required to complete a research design and analysis unit and a unit comprising two research projects and a literature review. They will conduct their research projects under the supervision or co-supervision of academic staff within the School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine.

Course requirements

Students must complete the following units:

BNS4100 Behavioural neuroscience honours: research project (42 points)
BNS4200 Behavioural neuroscience honours: research design and analysis (6 points)

Contact details

Telephone: +61 3 9905 3968, email: 4thyearpsych.enquiries@med.monash.edu.au or visit http://www.med.monash.edu.au/spppm/4thyear