Honours

Introduction To graduate with a BA (Hons) or BSocSci (Hons) degree, FASS students must have accumulated 160 MCs and attained a minimum Cumulative Average Point (CAP) of 3.20 and above. Students, from Cohort 2007 onwards, must complete a minimum of 40 MCs of major modules at level-4000. Departments may specify further requirements relevant to their majors. Please check the respective Department’s website for more details.   The Honours Thesis (HT) is not a compulsory requirement to be awarded an honours degree except in the case of first class honours. In order to attain a first class honours degree, students must pass the HT with at least A- and attain an overall CAP of 4.50 or higher.   Senior students who do not wish to do the HT, but who wish to do some independent critical reading or reseach work can do an Independent Study Module (ISM) at level-4000.   Honours Declaration (from Cohort 2007 onwards) There is no need for students to declare their honours track in the Graduation Academic Planning System (or GAPS).  Students will move on to the Honours track directly upon fulfilling ALL of the following criteria: 1. Complete at least 110 MCs including 60 MCs of major requirements 2. Obtain a minimum CAP of 3.5 Hence, students who have met the honours track criteria but do not wish to pursue the honours programme, should file for graduation for the B.A degree.   Students who have started on their Honours programme, but their CAP subsequently fall to below 3.50, are still allowed to complete their Honours requirements.   This is because we do not remove the Honours track status from students even if they subsequently fail to sustain a minimum CAP of 3.50.

Honours Thesis(HT) Prerequisite The prospective HT student must: For Cohort 2006 and Before 1. Complete at least 100 MCs and 2. Obtain one of the following minimum standards at the point of registration minimum CAP of 4.0 or minimum SJAP* of 4.0 and CAP of 3.5 (based on a minimum of 56 MCs of major requirements) 3. Major-specific pre requisites. Please refer to the websites of the respective departments for the pre-requisites of the Honours Thesis.  *SJAP refers to the average grade point of all major modules read. For this purpose, it will be computed based on all major modules read at the point of registration for HT, subject to obtaining a minimum of 56 MC.   For Cohort 2007 and After 1. Complete at least 110 MCs including 60 MCs of major requirements. 2. Obtain a minimum CAP of 3.5 3. Major-specific pre requisites. Please refer to the websites of the respective departments for the pre-requisites of Honours Thesis. Advanced Registration for HT To help students lock in their CAP or SJAP (the minimum CAP or SJAP requirements), students are allowed to register for the HT one semester in advance. Instructions will be issued for the advanced registration exercise at the appropriate time. Registration for HT can last only a maximum of two semesters. Students may withdraw without penalty in the first semester

Independent Study Module (ISM) What is ISM? For students who do not wish to do the HT, the Independent Study Module (ISM) at level-4000 gives senior students a chance to do some independent critical reading or research work. The ISM will be offered subject to the agreement of the Supervisor and Department.   Pre-requisite The prospective ISM student must have: For Cohort 2006 and Before 1. Completed at least 100 MCs, including 56 MCs of major requirements and 2. Obtained a minimum CAP of 3.2 at point of registration. For Cohort 2007 and After 1. Complete at least 100 MCs, including 60 MCs of major requirements and 2. Obtain a minimum CAP of 3.5 at point of registration. FAQ Q1: What are the requirements to be on the Honours track for students of Cohort 2007 and after? A1:  Students, of Cohort 2007 and after, are required to fulfil all of the following criteria to be placed on the Honours track: Complete at least 110 MCs including 60 MCs of major requirements; and Obtain a minimum CAP of 3.5   Q2: Do students need to indicate their intention to be on the Honours track? A2:  There is no need for students to declare their Honours track in the Graduation Academic Planning System (or GAPS).  Students will move on to the Honours track directly upon fulfilling ALL criteria mentioned in Q1.     Hence, students who have met the honours track criteria but do not wish to pursue the honours programme, should file for graduation for the B.A degree, using GAPS.  There are two opportunities for students to file in a semester.  The first - at the beginning of their graduating semester and the second – within 3 calendar days from the release of the examination results.    Q3: What are the requirements to do the Honours thesis?  I heard that some departments have additional pre-requisites.  A3: For students to be eligible to do the Honours thesis, they must have completed 110MCs including 60MCs of major requirements, with a minimum CAP of 3.5.  However, departments may set more stringent pre-requisites.  Therefore, please check your major department’s website for the details.    Q4: What are the requirements to read a level-4000 ISM (Independent Studies Module)? A4: Students are eligible to read a level-4000 ISM in their major if they meet the following criteria: Complete at least 100 MCs including 60 MCs of major requirements; and Obtain a minimum CAP of 3.5   Q5: What are the requirements to read level-4000 modules in my major? A5: The general requirements are: Passed 80MC, including 28MC in the major, with a minimum CAP of 3.50; or Placed on Honours track.   Q6: I have completed my BA degree requirements and my current CAP is 3.49.  Can I appeal to be placed on the Honours track to pursue the Honours programme? A6: No, we regret to inform you that there will not be avenues for appeals. You should file for graduation for a BA degree (merit pass). Q7: I am now on the Honours track.  My CAP is 3.55.  Should I continue with the Honours programme? A7:  You should consult the academic advisor of your major. You may also wish to use the average grade simulator to simulate the average grade you will need to achieve in order for you to graduate with your desired class of honours.   This will tell you if it is possible to graduate with the class of honours you are aiming at. If you do not think you will be able to achieve the average grade necessary to qualify for that class, simulate the average grade for a lower class of honours and decide if you would be comfortable graduating with the lower class of honours, or if you would prefer to graduate with a BA or BA merit. We also wish to caution you on the following points: (a) If you decide to stay on to pursue the Honours Programme, but eventually change your mind and decide to withdraw from the Honours Programme, you are not allowed to do so in the middle of the semester. You have to still complete all the modules registered for that semester. The grade of all these excess modules will still be factored into your CAP. (b) In the event that your CAP is between 3.20 and 3.49 after completing the Honours degree, you will be awarded the Third class Honours degree.  You are not allowed to change your degree to a BA degree (pass with merit).   Q8: I am already placed on the Honours track and have completed part of my Honours requirements this semester.  Unfortunately, my CAP has dropped to below 3.50.  Can I continue with the Honours programme? A8: Yes, you are still eligible to complete the Honours programme.  This is because your Honours track status will remain unchanged even if you subsequently fail to sustain a minimum CAP of 3.50.  It just means that you will likely be graduating with a Third class Honours degree upon completing your Honours requirements.