Frequently Asked Questions

What are the eligibility requirements to be accepted into the Honours program?

1. Students must have successfully passed 180 Law subject credit points, and no more than 210 credit points, at the time of applying for the honours program;
2. If you have completed 160 credit points of your law program and have reasons to believe that you should be considered for the 2024 Honours program, you may seek advice on your eligibility to apply from the coordinator (lawhonours@westernsydney.edu.au);
3. You must demonstrate the likelihood of graduating with an Honours Weighted Average Mark (HWAM) of at least 70 at the time of graduation; and
4. You must submit a Nomination of Topic Statement which outlines the topic you would like to study;
5. You must demonstrate satisfactory academic writing skills; and
6. A principal supervisor must be appointed.

SATISFACTION OF THE ABOVE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA DOES NOT GUARNATTEE A PLACE IN THE HONOURS PROGRAM. SATISFACTION OF ELIGIBLITY CRITERIA ONLY ENSURES THAT A STUDENT WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR ADMISSION.

Requirement 2 (HWAM) can be fulfilled by demonstrating an Admission Average Mark (AAM) of at least 70 at the time of admission to the Honours program.

You can speak directly with Law School academic staff about the possibility of supervision or you can ask the Law School Honours Program Coordinator for advice and assistance

When do I need to apply by?

The final date for submitting an application to enrol in the Honours Program is 15 January 2024. However, you are strongly encouraged to apply before this date, if possible.

How do I apply?

The only way to apply is via the online application form, which is found on the Honours in Law page.

What happens after I apply?

The School of Law will notify you via an email to your student e-mail account whether your application has been successful or not.

How is my ‘Honours Level’ determined when I graduate?

The calculation of your Honours Award Level (or ‘class of Honours’) is based on your Honours Average Weighted Mark (HWAM) at the time of graduation.

If your HWAM is below 70, then an Honours level is not awarded. Third Class Honours is not awarded in the Bachelor of Laws.

Note:

*If you commenced your LLB degree in 2007 or earlier then you may elect to take the benefit of the new rules by applying to be accepted into the School of Law's honours program. Please contact Unit Coordinator to discuss.

**If you commenced a combined degree in 2006 but changed to the non-graduate entry LLB degree program in 2008 only the new rules apply. Please contact Unit Coordinator to discuss

What is my HWAM?

HWAM (Honours Weighted Average Mark) is the way the School of Law determines your level of achievement in the Honours program and we use it as a guide to admission.

The HWAM is calculated according to the following principles:

• The HWAM is calculated using all Bachelor of Laws subjects completed by the student;
• The student’s two subjects, other than LAWS4011 Law Honours Dissertation, with the lowest result are excluded from the calculation;
• The average mark of all non-Honours subjects are given a weighting of 0.66 (66%) when calculating the HWAM;
• The mark for LAWS4011 Law Honours Dissertation is given a weighting of 0.34 (34%) when calculating the HWAM;
• Once calculated, the HWAM is rounded to two decimal places.

The HWAM is calculated in accordance with the following formula:

HWAM =

(((Sum of marks in all non-Honours law subjects)

-

(sum of marks in two lowest non-Honours law subjects))

/

((Number of non-Honours law subjects)-2)

*0.66)

+

((Mark in LAWS4011)

*0.34)

Note: ‘non-Honours law subject’ does not include any subjects obtained by Advanced Standing (unless the ‘original’ or ‘underlying’ subject was delivered by the Law School as part of a Bachelor of Law course in which case the subject is included) or on a

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis; it does include Fails and Compulsory Fails (which are included at the nominal value of 42).

What is my AAM?

Your AAM (Admission Average Mark) is one way of demonstrating your level of academic achievement and is sufficient to enter the Honours program.

In the calculation of the Admission Average Mark:

• Only Bachelor of Law subjects are included;
• Compulsory Fail (CF) grades are assigned a numeric mark of 42%;
• In the case of subjects you have failed, the Fail result and the results in any re-attempts are included, subject to the exclusion rules below;
• Any subjects obtained by Advanced Standing or on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis are not included;
• Your subjects with the two lowest results are excluded.

The AAM is calculated at the time of determining your admission to the Honours program and in accordance with the following formula:

AAM = ((Sum of marks in all completed law subjects) - (sum of marks in the two lowest completed law subjects))/((Number of completed law subjects)-2)

AAM=

((Sum of marks in all completed law subjects)

-

(sum of marks in two lowest completed law subjects))

/

((Number of completed law subjects) - 2)

You can calculate your AAM using the HWAM/AAM Ready Reckoner on the Honours in Law website.

What is the Nomination of Topic Statement?

The Nomination of Topic Statement allows you to nominate a topic for study.

You are encouraged to consult with your intended supervisor(s) when completing the Nomination of Topic Statement. The Nomination of Topic Statement is less detailed than a formal Research Proposal.

As a guide, the Nomination of Topic Statement should be around 500 words (excluding headings and footnotes) and should address the following aspects:

• Area of research or research topic (or research question, if developed);
• Significance of proposed research (why is this research important to do now?); and
• Brief literature review (discuss and explain at least five relevant legal sources).

What is an example of satisfactory academic writing skills?

You need to prove you can write an extended argument (not just answer a problem question in an exam) so we ask you to submit an assignment that demonstrates your writing and research skills as part of the online application form. Choose perhaps the assignment for which you received a high rating on a writing-related assessment criterion or maybe one you were really proud of.

How is the Honours dissertation marked?

Unlike other assessments, the Honours dissertation is marked by two examiners who are not your supervisor. Each examiner submits a formal report, which is provided to the supervisor and the student, although the examiner’s identity remains confidential unless that confidentiality is waived by the examiner. The final mark for the dissertation is determined in accordance with the University’s Honours in Bachelor Awards Policy and the School of Law Honours Award Guidelines.

How does enrolling in Honours effect my other alternate subjects?

This subject is worth 30 credit points (10 credit points in Autumn, 20 credit points in Spring) and it takes the place of three law alternate subjects.

How do I choose a supervisor?

Selecting the right supervisor is very important. You should start with a consideration of who you think you might get on well with and who is an expert in an area you might want to research. You can find more information about the expertise and background of Law academic staff via the Law School webpage and the University staff directory. You should then meet with your prospective supervisor to discuss both their availability and their interest in your topic, and to assess whether you think you might be able to work with them.

If you are unsure where to start, email the Honours Program Coordinator, who can make suggestions (lawhonours@westernsydney.edu.au).  Ultimately, decisions about supervision are made by the Dean of the Law School, on the recommendation of the Honours Program Coordinator.

How do I choose a topic?

Think about what you have a passion for. Think about what interested or intrigued you most when studying a subject or topic. If you are doing a combined degree, think about how you might marry knowledge from that degree with research in law. Think about what you might want to do after graduation. Then start writing. If you can put down 200-300 words on a topic and it sounds interesting to you, it might be a good direction to head in.

You do not need to finalise your student-defined dissertation topic before submitting an application – you just need to demonstrate that you have begun the process of identifying and, possibly, narrowing the field of interest.