PHYSICS HONOURS 2009

1.1 Why do Honours in Physics?

If you are interested in a research career in physics, an Honours degree is realistically the minimum requirement, although a Pass degree will prepare you for many careers in physics and related areas. It is also necessary to have an Honours degree before proceeding to postgraduate study. By doing Honours you gain not only the benefit of studying physics to a higher level (with a wide choice of courses to be taken), but you also gain invaluable experience in undertaking a research project supervised by one or more members of staff, and producing a Report. Many students also end up publishing one or more scientific papers based on their Honours research.

The School offers a lively academic environment, with roughly 28 academic staff, 6 Federation Fellows, more than 80 Research Fellows and Associates, and over 100 Postgraduate Research Students. Honours classes have recently had more than 25 students enrolled, enabling stimulating interaction between students. There is also a diverse range of postgraduate opportunities for those who wish to continue their studies.

During the Honours year you will be welcomed as a member of the active research group in which you undertake your project. You will be provided with office accommodation and access to the School’s extensive computer facilities plus sophisticated software and (where relevant) laboratory and astronomical equipment. Employment for 1st Year teaching of a few hours per week may be available (information from the Student Support Office in the School of Physics).

1.2 Requirements for Entry to Honours Year

To be eligible to enrol in Physics Honours students shall satisfy all of the following:

(a)

have qualified for the award of a pass degree; or be a pass graduate of the Faculty of Science; or be a pass graduate holding a Bachelor of Science degree (or equivalent) from another institution;

(b)

have a grade average of at least 65, averaged across at least 48 credit points of undergraduate units of study. These 48 credit points should not include Junior Units where the degree is available on a full time basis to high school graduates;

(c)

have met the Science Weighted Average Mark (SCIWAM) requirement of at least 65;

(d)

have a pass average in 24 units of Senior Physics (or equivalent at another institution).

In special circumstances, students not satisfying these requirements may be permitted to enrol, including those who have obtained good results in related disciplines (e.g., Mathematics, Chemistry) in 3rd Year. Students not satisfying these requirements may also be eligible to undertake the Physics Honours course as a candidate for the Graduate Diploma in Science (Physics). Students from other universities are eligible to enrol in Honours if their results are of equivalent standard.

Students intending to undertake a primarily theoretical project in Physics Honours are advised to take a substantial number of Mathematics options in their Senior Year. Suggested options can be found in the Senior Physics Handbook & webpage. All students are urged to take 36–48 credit points of Senior level courses (including at least 24 of Physics) prior to starting Honours. Such courses, in whatever subject area, provide far better preparation for Honours study than equivalent credit points at more junior levels.

1.3 Syllabus for Physics Honours 2009

• Six lecture courses (or equivalent) chosen from the list given in the section “Lecture Courses.”
• A research project in physics. These projects involve computational, experimental, observational, and/or theoretical research, and your work is assessed by a 30-minute talk and a 40-page (approximately 9000words) report. The projects are supervised within the research groups of the School of Physics, although these groupings are flexible and students may often have projects will span interests in more than one research area. A more detailed listing of research areas and specific topics is given in the section “Research Projects”.
• With approval from the Honours Coordinator, projects may be jointly supervised by researchers from groups outside the School of Physics, including other University Departments, the CSIRO, the Electron Microscope Unit, the Centre for Ultrahigh bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems (CUDOS) or a teaching hospital such as Westmead or Royal Prince Alfred.
• At the beginning of the March Semester there is a program to introduce students to their Honours year, including a compulsory instructional course on Safety and Rescuscitation and a library information session on database management and bibliography tools. All Honours students are expected to attend School of Physics Colloquia which are usually held on Mondays, at 3:15 pm. The colloquium noticeboard is outside the Physics Tea Room.

1.4 Assessment

Half of the total marks available are allocated to coursework and half to the research project. The mark for the research project is obtained by combining the mark given by the student’s own research group (weighting 60% for the project work and 10% for a talk on the project) and a mark based on the report only (weighting 30%) assessed by examiners from other research areas in the School of Physics. A more detailed description of the project requirements is given in the section “Assessment for Research Projects”.

The method of assessment for lecture courses is at the lecturer’s discretion.

On average, students’ Honours grades in the Faculty of Science are about 10 marks higher than their WAMs. Therefore, on average, a student with a WAM of 70+ will achieve First Class Honours. For a WAM in the range 65–70, a grade of Honours H2.1 is likely, and for a WAM in the range 60–65 a likely grade is H2.2. However, these grades should not be seen as guarantees, strict predictors or a limitation for any individual student. Your Honours mark is entirely determined by your performance according to the assessment criteria outlined in this handbook.

Honours students graduating with an exceptionally high mark (typically > 95%) may receive a University Medal. The award of University Medals is subject to the following Faculty rule: awardees must have a WAM for 2nd and 3rd Year (weighted in the ratio 2:3) of at least 80, although students with WAMs of 77–79 may be eligible for a Medal if it can be demonstrated that their results have been adversely affected by circumstances beyond their control (e.g., sickness, accident).

1.5 Enrolment, Scholarships, and Financial Assistance

Please contact prospective supervisors as early as possible to discuss the project. Students are free to choose their projects and supervisors, subject to availability. Outlines are given in the Research Projects section of the Honours Handbook.

However, you must still enrol via the University’s formal enrolment channels. Further information on enrolment procedures can be obtained by contacting the Faculty of Science office.

The Units of Study for Physics Honours are PHYS 4011, PHYS 4012, PHYS 4013 and PHYS 4014. Each are for 12 Credit Points and you need to enrol in two per Semester if you are a full-time student or one if you are enrolled part-time. It is not critically important in which order you choose these units as long as you complete all four by the end of your Honours degree. Our Honours Program of courses and project cannot be mapped exactly onto these Units. In addition, if you choose a Senior Physics option or a course from another Department, you do not need to enrol separately for that subject. The assessments are handled internally. Enrolment in Honours Units of Study satisfies the Faculty and University requirements.

The School of Physics and the University of Sydney offers a number of scholarships and other forms of financial assistance for students undertaking Honours. Details specific to Honours Physics can be found on the ‘Honours Scholarships’ webpage, accessible through the Honours webpage. Further details can be obtained by consulting the Faculty of Science Handbook, the office of the Faculty of Science, the Research and Scholarships office, or the Student Centre.

1.6 What if you have a Problem?

If any problems arise that impede your progress, the University has procedures to ensure that you are not disadvantaged. You should see the Honours Coordinator and/or one of the University student assistance services as soon as difficulties arise. Please don’t try to “tough it out” or just drop out — issues can usually be resolved to allow you to complete Honours without harming your results.

For medical conditions that cause your performance to be impaired, or force you to miss time, you should obtain a medical certificate immediately (legally, they can’t be given retroactively) to be submitted with a Special Consideration form to the Student Support Office in the School of Physics. Personal/family difficulties that affect your performance are also grounds for Special Consideration and you may wish to consult the Student Counselling Service to determine the best course of action. Student Services (in the Education Building) can also assist you with financial, accommodation, learning, disability, international-student, and other issues that might arise.

4.1 General Information

Progress and outcomes in your project will be assessed by a variety of means, some of which are designed to ensure that your work proceeds smoothly, others which carry a mark value. The research component of the Physics Honours program counts 50% of the final mark. The sub-division of this assessment is given below.

• At the start of the project you and your supervisor will write a one-page maximum Research Plan, including a list of equipment/data/programs needed, a proposed plan of expected progress, and a statement certifying the supervisor’s availability and the feasibility of the project. This will be submitted to the Honours Coordinator.
• A draft Introduction and Literature Review (see below) will be due two weeks after the start of the 2nd Semester of your project, with a copy going to the Honours Coordinator, along with a revised Research Plan (if appropriate).
• A 20–30 minute talk on your project will be given to your research group near the end of your project work. ASSESSMENT: 10%.
• A draft Report should be submitted to your supervisor approximately one month before the final version is due.
• The finished Report will be submitted at the end of week 12 of the second semester of your Project. ASSESSMENT: 60% from research group, 30% from external examiners in the School of Physics.

4.2 Report Requirements

Students write an Honours research project Report. It should be written so that it can be understood by a physicist who is not a specialist in the subject. Such a person should be able to acquire a good understanding of the subject from your Report. As the ability to write clearly is an important skill for a scientist, it is desirable that you devote considerable effort to the clarity of your expression and to the organization of your Report. Hence, you must not wait until the second half of your second semester to start thinking about it.

Guidelines for preparation are provided below. Reports that do not comply with these Guidelines will be returned for re-writing.