Monash University Handbook 2010 Undergraduate - Course

This honours program is an additional year built upon the knowledge and experience gained in course 2341 Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience to cover research training in specialised areas and help students acquire sophisticated research skills. Students may undertake this honours course in the discipline of behavioural neuroscience or a second approved discipline.

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.

To be eligible for entry to the honours program, students are required to achieve a distinction average or better in the four core third-year behavioural neuroscience (BNS) units in the Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience. Special consideration will be taken into account if it was granted for study in these units.

If a student takes a 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 units 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:

• biochemistry
• genetics
• immunology
• pharmacology
• physiology.

In order to be considered for entry into these disciplines, 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.

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 and write a thesis (one combined or two separate projects) under the supervision or co-supervision of academic staff within the School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine.

Students must complete the following units:

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

The honours degree of Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience