Bachelor of Nursing (Honours)

Students who have completed a Bachelor of Nursing are invited to apply for the honours program. This involves studying two units relating to research methods and the preparation of a thesis. Students undertake research work independently under the guidance of a supervisor.

People undertake a BN (Hons) degree for many reasons, although they usually do so for professional advancement and/or personal fulfillment.

An honours degree provides students with opportunities for:

• learning the intellectual background, ethical principles and content areas of nursing as a research and practice discipline
• undertaking intensive research training in an area of their interest, including research methods
• learning independence and taking responsibility for a project
• improving their tenacity, logical thought and analytical abilities
• engaging with a genuine passion for research in a particular area
• additional qualifications for your career progression and new career opportunities

Applications to the Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) are open to students who are considered by the Faculty to have the requisite knowledge and aptitude to undertake the course. Applicants are expected to have completed their Bachelor of Nursing at credit level or above from the University of Sydney or equivalent university.

Students intending to apply for candidature must include a one page research proposal of their proposed project. This needs to include:

• Name of the topic
• A brief overview of the relevant literature, including 3-4 key references. This should be an integrated statement that explains why these studies or theories are important for your research, and where your research fits in relation to the literature (maximum half a page).
• A description of the proposed research. This can include:
  
• A brief description of the theoretical or conceptual framework


• Sources of evidence


• A broad description of the research design, including some indication of how it is proposed that the data will be collected and analysed
• Potential supervisor.

The research proposal needs to be discussed with an academic member of the Faculty and/or your preferred research supervisor prior to submitting an application.

The Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) combines a research project – devised by the student and completed over one year full-time two years part-time – with some coursework. The coursework involves two units of study relating to research methods and the preparation of the thesis. The thesis is expected to be approximately 20,000 words.

The Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) can be studied on a full-time or part-time basis.
Full-time – one year
Part-time – two years.

Students who successfully gain First Class or Second Class, Division 1, Honours are eligible for entry into a PhD within the Faculty. Students are also eligible to apply for an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) or University Postgraduate Award (UPA) Scholarships to assist with the costs of undertaking a PhD full-time.

General enquiries
Mr David Hopkinson
Administrative Officer
Phone: 61 2 9351 0778
Email: d.hopkinson@usyd.edu.au

Academic enquiries
Ms Jo Patching
Senior Lecturer
Research Development Support Unit
Phone: 61 2 9351 0648
Email: