Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Department of Management
HONOURS & POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA HANDBOOK
Bachelor of Business with Honours, Bachelor of Business [Sport Management]
with Honours, Bachelor of Business [Human Resource Management] with
Honours, Bachelor of Business [Marketing] with Honours.
Dr Nicola McNeil
Honours Coordinator
Ms LiYan
Honours Administration Officer
1. INTRODUCTION
A degree with Honours demonstrates a superior level of academic achievement in your
undergraduate studies, and signifies that you possess some specialised research skills as a result of
completing a minor thesis. These factors may provide you with a considerable advantage in the job
market, as it sets you apart from the majority of undergraduate students who do not have the
opportunity to develop advanced analytical, communication and research skills and an intimate
knowledge of a topic in your chosen field.
The Honours program requires a year of full-time study following completion of the Bachelor degree.
The program consists of 120 credit points, which is the equivalent of eight subjects.
2. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HONOURS?
The Honours program in the Department of Management allows students to pursue an
academically demanding topic or question of professional relevance at a depth significantly greater
than possible in the Pass Degree program.
The focus of the Honours program is to provide students with the opportunity to develop high level
research skills. The majority of coursework in first semester focuses on examining the core
principles of high quality research and methodologies. In second semester, students work
independently, under the guidance of an academic supervisor, to complete a minor thesis.
3. ELIGIBILITY INTO HONOURS
The entry requirements are:


The successful completion of a Bachelor degree with a major sequence of subjects in
Management, Human Resource Management, Marketing or Sport Management
An average of 70%or better average result in at least six second and third year core subjects
in this major sequence.
Students must complete all requirements of their undergraduate degree before being eligible for the
Honours program. There are a limited number of places available in the Honours program.
However, the number of places available differs each year, depending on the availability of academic
staff to act as supervisors.
4. HOW DO I APPLY FOR HONOURS?
Applications must be submitted to the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law to be considered for a
school scholarship.
You can download the Information Sheet: Application for Admission to an Undergraduate Coursework
Program from here: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/study
International Students can apply directly through La Trobe International.
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/international/apply
5.
HONOURS YEAR STRUCTURE
Students will be required to complete four coursework subjects in first semester, and a minor thesis
of 20,000 words in second semester. The thesis will be completed under the direct supervision of an
academic staff member. Students will begin work on their thesis in first semester – in particular,
defining a topic, planning the methodology and obtaining ethics approval from the University will be
key issues to address in first semester.
For students enrolling in a Bachelor of Business [Honours] with a major in Management or Human
Resource Management, or the Bachelor of Business [HRM] [Honours], the structure of the program
is:
Semester One
MGT4AMT: Advanced Management Theory
MGT4RDP: Research Design Principles
MGT4QNT: Quantitative Data Analysis Techniques
MKT4QAL: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis
Semester Two
BUS4HTC: Minor Thesis [20,000 words]
For students enrolling in a Bachelor of Business [Honours] with a major in Marketing, or the
Bachelor of Business [Marketing] [Honours], the structure of the program is:
Semester One
MKT4TIM: Theory in Marketing
MGT4RDP: Research Design Principles
MGT4QNT: Quantitative Data Analysis Techniques
MKT4QAL: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis
Semester Two
BUS4HTC: Minor Thesis [20,000 words]
For students enrolling in a Bachelor of Business [Sport Management] [Honours] the structure of the
Honours program is:
Semester One
MGT4CIS: Contemporary issues in Sport
MGT4RDP: Research Design Principles
MGT4QNT: Quantitative Data Analysis Techniques
MKT4QAL: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis
Semester Two
BUS4HTC: Minor Thesis [20,000 words]
6. TUITION FEE STRUCTURE
For information relating to the domestic course fees, please see:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/students/fees/course/
For information relating to international student course fees, please see:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/international/fees/tuition
7. HONOURS WORKLOAD
Students will find the demands placed upon them in the Honours program will increase markedly
compared to third year. Therefore, we strongly recommend that students review their working and
other commitments, to ensure they devote sufficient time to their 4th year studies.
Attendance at all classes in first semester is mandatory.
Good time management, adherence to project timelines and meticulous planning will greatly assist
the smooth progression and timely completion of both the coursework and the minor thesis. It
cannot be emphasised too strongly that a full-time Honours workload requires a substantial time
commitment from students, and must take precedence over your commitment to other activities.
8.
CASUAL TUTORING
Honours students may seek employment as a casual tutor during their Honours year. In addition to
useful monetary compensation, tutoring offers students the opportunity of acquiring valuable
experience which is highly sought after by employers. It is also an important academic activity that
generally enhances the whole Honours year experience.
Tutoring work is not guaranteed. Students should contact the relevant undergraduate subject coordinator before the commencement of semester to ascertain the availability of tutor positions.
9.
YOUR SUPERVISOR
Choosing a supervisor
We will provide you with a list of staff members and their areas of research interest at the
commencement of the Semester, as well as a Supervisor Agreement Form. Honours students should
identify a broad area of research interest, and approach academic staff with a stated research interest
in this area.
Before confirming a supervisor, it is advisable to meet with the potential supervisor, identify a
possible research topic and discuss each other’s expectations.
The role and responsibility of your supervisor
Your supervisor should assist you in defining your topic and locating relevant sources, recommend
appropriate methodological and theoretical readings and provide constructive criticism on your
manuscript. It is important to remember that different people work in different ways and a set of
‘ground rules’ should be established early on to avoid any problems.
Your responsibilities as an Honours student
Students are expected to attend scheduled meetings. It may also be a good idea for you to find out
what your supervisor’s expectations are: what do they expect from you and how often to meet. It is
also your responsibility to meet target dates and hand in your finished thesis on time, and in the
correct format.
10. HOW TO CHOOSE A RESEARCH TOPIC
Students should identify a broad topic of interest and identify potential supervisors who share this
interest. Thesis topics should be discussed and negotiated with the student’s academic supervisor. A
supervisor may suggest or recommend a research topic, or the supervisor and student may devise a
topic after meeting.
Browsing journal articles or texts may give your some ideas on specific research topics. Research
topics should be realistic in terms of scope and sophistication.
11. ETHICS GUIDELINES
All researchers require ethics approval before they are able to commence research involving human
participants or the use of their personal data. Approval may be sought from either the University
Human Ethics Committee (UHEC) or the Faculty Human Ethics Committee (FHEC), depending on the
type of your project. For further information visit the FLM website
(http://www.latrobe.edu.au/lawman/research/research-student/faculty-human-ethics-commitee).
12. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY [PLAGIARISM] INFORMATION
Students are responsible for ensuring the academic integrity of their work. All research shall be
properly documented, with consistent citations in an acceptable form. A failure to acknowledge the
ideas of others can incur a charge of plagiarism.
Students should avail themselves of the University’s policies and procedures relating to academic
integrity, and in particular, plagiarism at:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/students/learning/academic-integrity
Students may be asked to submit assessable work to plagiarism detection software, such as Turnitin.
Each discipline group has a preferred referencing style. Information will be forthcoming in the
introductory Honours sessions in February 2012.
13. PROVISIONS FOR HONOURS STUDENTS
Library Privileges
All La Trobe students, providing they have a valid student card, are entitled to use the University’s
library service. For more detailed information, please refer to the library web page and select the
link for your campus: http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/
Honours students are also entitled to a CAVAL card, which enables them to borrow books from
another university library in Melbourne, including the University of Melbourne (Parkville), Deakin
(Burwood), Monash (Clayton) and so on. This card is available from the Library loans desk. Student
may find that books on reserve at La Trobe are available for borrowing from other libraries.
Thesis Library
Selected theses from past years are available for borrowing throughout the year from the Honours
Administration Officer. These are intended as an aid to style format and presentation only. Up to
two theses may be borrowed at any one time for a period of one week.
Computing facilities
Honours students have access to Donald Whitehead Building level 2 Computer Laboratories after
normal working hours in addition to normal daytime availability. The laboratories will be available
for use 5.00 – 8.30 pm, Monday to Friday.
The University's Computer Study Hall Bundoora
The La Trobe University Computer Study hall is situated between Glenn and Menzies College on Moat
Drive, diagonally opposite Simpson Place and is available to all students, 7 days per week. The Study
hall web page provides information on opening hours and facilities:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/studyhall/
La Trobe University staff and students are expected to comply with the University's Computing
Regulations and the Internet Code of Practice http://www.latrobe.edu.au/ict/policies
On campus support
The La Trobe student diary is a great source of information regarding on campus facilities and
support. The Student Services webpage also has current information:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/student-services/
LASU
The Language and Academic Skills Unit (Faculty of Business, Economics and Law) is available to assist
Honours students to help develop general writing skills including planning and structuring individual
chapters, referencing conventions and editing skills. Further information will be available at the
beginning of the semester.
14. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES
Problems arising in relation to supervision should be discussed with your supervisor. If this is not
possible, you should seek more formal advice from the Honours Co-ordinator, Dr Nicola McNeil.
15. HOW IS HONOURS WORK ASSESSED?
Students will receive a mark for each of the five subjects undertaken in the Honours program. The
overall Honours class will consist of 50% of the coursework mark [undertaken in first semester], and
50% of the thesis mark. The Honours classes are listed in the table below:
Mark
Grade Honours Class
100-80
A
H1
79-70
B
H2A
69-60
C
H2B
59-50
D
H3
49-0
N
Fail
Marking Guide Criteria
In assessing your thesis, examiners will look for the following attributes:

Selection of an appropriate research topic that is well-conceived and justifiable

Thorough review of the existing literature; identification of the ‘research gap’

Clarity of statement of research topic; clearly stated, appropriate research questions

A research design that produced valid and reliable data, appropriate to address the stated
research questions [including conceptualisation, measurement, sampling and data collection
and analysis strategies]

Appropriate interpretation of results; identification of limitations of the study; links back to
literature review and/or hypotheses to be examined.

A thesis that is logical, well-structured and presented [including appropriate punctuation
and grammar]

Compliance with standard academic conventions, such as referencing and provision of
bibliography.
Mark
Grade Honours Class
100-80
A
H1
79-70
B
H2A
69-60
C
H2B
59-50
D
H3
49-0
N
Fail
16. CAN I STUDY HONOURS PART-TIME?
The Department of Management Honours program is designed to be undertaken as a full-time year
of study. Students may undertake the program on a part-time basis, with the express approval of
the Honours co-ordinator. Requests for part-time enrolment will be considered on a case-by-case
basis only. It will not normally be possible for students to convert from full-time to part-time (or vice
versa) during the course of the academic year.
17. EXTENSION OF THESIS SUBMISSION
Extensions to the thesis submission date can only be granted by the Honours Coordinator. The
University’s policies and procedures governing Special Consideration apply. Students seeking an
extension to the thesis submission date should lodge a Special Consideration Application, together
with supporting documentation. The Honours Coordinator should be informed, in writing, of the
lodgement of this application by the student in question.
18. KEY DATES
Honours introductory meeting
Friday 24 February, 2012
Supervisor Agreement Form – to be completed and returned
28 March, 2012
Thesis Agreement Form – to be completed and returned
28 March, 2012
Honours topic presentations
Friday June 8, 2012
Final draft submission of Thesis to the Supervisor
TBA
[mutual agreement of student and supervisor]
Thesis submission
22 October 2012, before noon
Note : penalties will be applied for theses that are submitted late or not in the correct
format
19. THESIS FORMAT
Specific advice regarding the formatting of the thesis will be provided to students at an
appropriate time. However, the standard format for a minor thesis is:
1. Title page (as attached)
2. Contents Pages
3. Table list (with table numbers, titles and page numbers)
4. Figure list (with table numbers, titles and page numbers)
5. Declaration of Authorship (as attached)
6. Acknowledgments page
7. Abstract (between 50 – 100 words)
8. Body of thesis
9. Reference list
10. Appendices