units

BNS4100

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Monash University

Undergraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2013 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

print version

42 points, SCA Band 2, 0.875 EFTSL

To find units available for enrolment in the current year, you must make sure you use the indexes and browse unit tool in the current edition of the Handbook.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational UnitSchool of Psychology and Psychiatry
OfferedClayton Full year 2013 (Day)
Coordinator(s)Dr Jillian Broadbear

Synopsis

The aims of the Honours year in behavioural neuroscience are to increase students understanding of theoretical and methodological aspects of research, develop their analytic, research and communication skills, as well as provide students with advanced knowledge in specific areas of the discipline including laboratory techniques and other research-related skills. The unit is also designed to prepare students for higher degree studies. The relatively high weighting of this unit reflects the intensity of taking on a major research project in this field. In this unit students may undertake one major project or two separate, though typically closely-related, research projects in an area within behavioural neuroscience. The project(s) will provide training in both discipline specific and generic research skills and form the basis of a literature review, research paper(s) and oral poster presentation.

Outcomes

On completion of BNS4100 Behavioural Neuroscience Honours Research Project students will:

  1. be able to critically review the scientific literature in their domain of behavioural neuroscience research,

  1. have acquired sound knowledge of the processes involved in research design, development and implementation through the completion of a research project,

  1. be able to execute and analyse the outcomes of a laboratory-based and/or field-based study,

  1. be proficient in the use of computer-based analysis, data-base, presentation, word processing and data-base/internet search engine software,

  1. be able to prepare a report of a research project in a potentially publishable way,

  1. show communication skills in both oral and written presentations to both audiences who are specialists in the student's field of study of research and non-specialist scientific audience,

  1. have acquired a range of technical skills appropriate to their research area,

  1. have the capability to perform a variety of scientific procedures and techniques that are essential to the satisfactory completion and reporting of a research project.

Assessment

Oral presentation of research (hurdle)
Literature review (4000 - 5000 words): 20%
Oral poster presentation: 10%
Two separate research papers (5000 - 7000 words each) or one combined research paper (8000-10000 words): 70%

Chief examiner(s)

Contact hours

42 hours/week on their research project. Six 2-3 hour seminars/workshops

Prerequisites

BNS4200 - Must be enrolled in the Honours degree of Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience.

Co-requisites

BNS4200

Must be enrolled in the Honours degree of Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at: