Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

 

The Honours program in Earth and Planetary Sciences gives you a valuable additional qualification which may help you find employment and which opens the way for postgraduate research in the future.  The program is a fourth undergraduate year. There is also useful information about honours degrees on the University web site at: http://www.reg.mq.edu.au/Undergrad/current/honours/index.htm

The 3 year Bachelor degree at most Australian universities does not meet the requirements of many potential employers for specialist training and/or the demonstration of independent working and research ability.  Our Honours program is one way of achieving such objectives; all students should be aware that 4 year training gives them a distinct advantage in job applications over graduates in the same field who have only the 3 year degree.

At Macquarie (unlike some other universities) entry to the Honours program does not require compulsory specialist units available exclusively to enrolled Honours students at 2nd and 3rd year levels.  Entry to the Honours program is nevertheless selective and you need to have demonstrated considerable academic achievement to be admitted.

Students considering applying for admission to the Honours program in Earth and Planetary Sciences are encouraged to contact a member of the Earth and Planetary Sciences staff, or a member from the ARC National Centre for Geochemical Evolution and Metallogeny of Continents (GEMOC) to discuss a possible program of study, as well as to ascertain what units and research topics are available.

If you are starting in first semester, it is a good idea to undertake preparatory work during the summer vacation.  The sooner you can establish a working relationship with a potential supervisor, the better.

 

Eligibility Criteria for Honours Entry

You must have qualified for a Bachelors degree and have completed at least 18 credit points in relevant units at 300 and/or 400 level to be eligible for admission to an Honours program.  In addition, you must normally have gained an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 and a specific 300-level GPA of at least 2.5.

If you are not a Macquarie student, the University will convert your results to the GPA system, but, as a rough guide, you should have a fairly large number of results at better than Pass level and few or no failures. Contact the Department for further guidance.  The Geophysics area has additional requirements.

The Undergraduate Studies Committee of Academic Senate will, however, consider recommendations from Heads of Department that particular candidates be admitted to Honours programs even if their results do not meet these stipulated minimum criteria.  In other words, if you are really interested in doing Honours, but do not have the required GPAs, it may be possible for us to make a special case on your behalf, usually on the basis that you have a strong record in the particular area in which you wish to work in your Honours program.  If this applies to you, talk to the Head of Department.

Entry procedures are straightforward, but a start should be made well before the semester in which you wish to enrol begins.  It is never too early to start planning.

Prerequisites for entry to Honours

Before entry to Honours in Geophysics, you should complete a recognised coherency in Geophysics or Geology and Geophysics. Your coherency must include the following units (or their equivalents): GEOS315 Environmental and Groundwater Geophysics, and GEOS316 Exploration Geophysics.

Before entry to Honours in Geology you should have completed a recognised coherency in Geology (or equivalent) as outlined in the calendar.

Entry Procedures

The following section is written for Macquarie students: if you are at another university and wishing to enrol in the Macquarie Honours program, you will need to carry out basically the same steps, but using telephones, facsimiles and the mail. Your first points of contact should be the Student Centre ((02)9850 7314/6314), or the Head of Department's office ((02)9850 8373).

1. You should discuss potential research topics with staff in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences before making a formal application for admission to Honours. This will help you decide on a topic in the knowledge that a suitable supervisor and appropriate facilities will be available.  It will also save valuable time later and allows an earlier start on the research program if you so wish.
   
   
2. You should then lodge an application form (available from the Student Centre) no later than 31 October (for a first half year start) or by 30 June (for a mid-year start).  Later applications are only possible under certain circumstances, so make at least a provisional application by the appropriate date above: details can be changed later and acceptance is obviously dependent on satisfactory resolution of any still unknown results.  Note, though, that it may not always be possible to begin at mid-year as it might not then be possible to complete all components of your program in the time allowed.
   
   
3. Shortly after the examination period ends, the Department considers the list of Honours applicants and forwards its recommendations to the Undergraduate Studies Committee.  The Committee's decision will normally be posted to you by the Registrar.  If you are accepted, it is possible for you to defer commencement of your Honours program for up to a year.
   
   
4. Your enrolment status for the Honours program can be either full-time (you take two semesters to complete the program) or part-time (you take four semesters).  Entry to a part-time program is permitted only if you can demonstrate that you have regular employment or domestic duties commitments of at least 20 hours per week, and the University strictly applies this rule.  You should consult the Student Centre if you have any doubts regarding your eligibility for part-time status.
   
   
5. Your Honours program will formally commence on the first day of the relevant undergraduate semester, but you are strongly urged to begin preliminary work on firming up your proposal before then.

Areas of Specialisation

You may choose your thesis or dissertation topic from a wide range of options dependent on your interests and those of the staff members available for supervision. 

The research may be field or laboratory based, or combine field and laboratory techniques. SUCOGG may also provide additional avenues for assistance through access to equipment, joint supervision arrangements, or the provision of Honours units.

Current areas of research within Geophysics  include electrical and electromagnetic exploration methods, gravity and magnetic exploration, the application of geophysical techniques to regolith studies, rock magnetism and palaeomagnetism, seismology, marine geophysics and exploration, and environmental seismics.

Current areas of research within Geology and GEMOC include the driving role of the mantle in Earth processes and its control of element and commodity distribution in the accessible crust, structural geology and rock mechanics including the use of GIS and computer aided structural analysis, volcanic geology and the relationship of volcanism and plutonism to tectonics.

Current areas of research within Organic Geochemistry include evolutionary biology, microbial palaeobiology, sedimentary and ore deposit geology, environmental geochemistry and petroleum geochemistry.

Structure of the Honours program

The normal structure of an Honours program is a 16 credit point thesis and 8 credit points of individual units.  You should also be aware that there are elective units from Honours Courses of the Sydney Universities' Consortium of Geology and Geophysics (SUCOGG).  See http://www.sucogg.org for further information.

Depending on the units or programs you have completed before entry to Honours in Geophysics, you may undertake a program of 16 credit points of individual units and an 8 credit point dissertation.
Elective units during the Honours program can be selected from a wide range offered by the Division of Environmental and Life Sciences and the Division of Information and Communication Sciences, but should be supportive of the thesis work.

Selection and Role of your Supervisor

If you are anticipating applying for acceptance in an Honours program, you should contact the Head of Department and, if necessary, she/he will arrange for you to meet staff in order to discuss possible research topics and appropriate coursework.  If you have not done this before being accepted as an Honours student, then you must do so as a matter of urgency on receiving notification of acceptance.  The choice of a supervisor will usually evolve from a combination of the research area you wish to pursue and suggestions from staff members.  The aim is always to find the best fit between student, research topic and supervisor, bearing in mind the other commitments of various staff members.

The role of your supervisor is to help you formulate your research topic and plan your research program.  He/she is someone off whom you can bounce ideas.  Continuing guidance and advice from your supervisor should be a critical part of the learning process of your Honours program.  It is important that you and your supervisor strike a balance between originality and independence on your part, and guidance on their part.  You should both clearly understand and, if need be, document what that balance is to be.

If you have any doubts about your ability to establish a productive working relationship with your supervisor, or if difficulties arise later on, you should discuss your concerns with the appropriate Head of Department.  It is far better to change supervisors than to attempt to persevere despite difficulties.  

Formal Requirements During Your Honours Program

1. You are required to meet the Honours Committee in the first two or three weeks of your first semester to discuss the coursework part of your program and the viability and logistics of your research topic; these meetings may be slightly later for part-time students.  A one-page outline of your research proposal must be provided for the Honours Committee at the time of your meeting. If your research proposal involves starting field work before the beginning of a semester due to logistical reasons (eg access to a mine site) then you and your supervisor must arrange to meet with the Honours Committee before your fieldwork commences.
   
   
2. You are required to take part in a small-scale, informal workshop to discuss your research topic, including concepts and methods, six to eight weeks into your candidature (possibly later for part-time students).  The aim of this workshop is to provide you with constructive suggestions and advice from a small number of staff members and more established Honours or Postgraduate students who have an interest in the area of your particular research topic.  They may suggest other people you can talk to, helpful references you should read, variations in approach you might consider, or potential problems you might face.  The aim is to provide you with assistance while there is still time to modify your research topic and avoid major pitfalls. One member of the Honours Committee or the Department Head will also attend the workshop.
   
   
3. Prior to finally writing your thesis or dissertation for submission, you are required to present a more formal, but non-assessable, seminar on your nearly completed research project.  This seminar should be about six weeks before the submission date for full-time students, and about twelve weeks before that date for part-time students.  The objective of this seminar is to provide you with feedback after your basic research work and data collection are completed, but before you finally write up results and conclusions.  It is also a small recognition of the need for researchers to be able to communicate their work to others.  If you are having major problems at an earlier stage, however, it may be possible to schedule your seminar for an earlier date.

Special requirements

1. If the collection of fossils, rocks and other non-perishable material is an integral part of your thesis work, you are required to catalogue and lodge type and figured specimens and specimens referred to in your thesis in an acknowledged repository, before submission of your thesis.
   
   
2. All field photographs or sketches are to be accompanied by accurate locality details so that the exact locality of the photograph or sketch can be readily identified.
   
   
3. All primary data collected for your thesis project is to be incorporated either within the main body of the thesis, or within an appendix and summarised in the main body of the thesis.
   
   
4. All electronic data (spreadsheets, databases, thesis, images, etc) must be submitted on CD. No grade will be awarded until this requirment is met. The CD can be completed up to two weeks after the thesis has been submitted.
   
   
5. You must provide in your thesis a clear and unambiguous statement concerning the amount and type of assistance you have received in the performance of your research and in the preparation of your thesis.  This specifically includes field assistance, assistance with laboratory studies, and assistance with the final writing of the thesis.  In addition, your supervisor must provide a statement that indicates either (i) that your acknowledgments are, to the best of your supervisor's knowledge, accurate in detail or (ii) that, as your supervisor sees it, the assistance given to you differs from that acknowledged.
   
   
6. It is desirable for the layout and style of your thesis to follow a standard publication format, such as that of the Australian Journal of Earth Sciences or the ASEG journal, Exploration Geophysics.  Depending on your thesis topic, some sections may need to be amplified in comparison with material normally submitted for publication.  Such amplification should be placed within a preface and/or appendices.  Amplification means inclusion of supporting material that is customarily not considered essential for final publication.  It is not a licence to ramble or be verbose.  Areas of potential amplification might include, for example:
   • breadth and depth of the introduction;
   • synthesis of previous work;
   • discussion of techniques employed;
   • quantity of illustrative and/or descriptive material;
   • constraints arising from bounding conditions; and
   • identification of areas of student follow-up initiative.

Students should discuss thesis format with their supervisors.

Financial Support

You and your supervisor together are allowed an allowance (amount to be determined) for expenses related to your total Honours program (more precise figures will be notified early each semester). Any expenditure exceeding these amounts must be met by the individuals concerned unless other arrangements can be made through the Convenor of the Honours Committee or your supervisor. Hence it is very important to consider the financial logistics of your research topic, particularly if extensive field work is involved, before embarking on it.

Your supervisor should be aware of the expenses you are incurring and is responsible for keeping a running tally. Remember that such expenses as vehicle use, cartography materials and telephone calls must be taken into account at the time the expense is incurred to ensure that the total allowed is not surpassed.

A requisition/claim form must be completed before you can claim for materials/services/equipment which you need.  Any claim which exceeds $50 requires prior permission from the Head of Department.  All expenses incurred by Honours students are computer recorded and you can find out how much you have spent by inquiring at the Departmental Financial Office.  Receipts must be provided to substantiate all claims.

Scholarships

There is the possibility of obtaining a Macquarie University Honours Scholarship from the Alumni Office http://www.alumni.mq.edu.au/html/SAP.html . As well, the University offers some Honours Scholarships which are based on student GPA's, these being awarded to the top applicants for Honours across the University and thus there is no formal application. Application for admission to Honours should be made through the University undergraduate section.

Photocopying

Photocopying within the Department or in the Library can be paid for within the allowance to which you are entitled. Within the Department, a photocopier islocated in room E7A 512; photocopying is done on a "do-your-own" basis. A photocopying PIN-number for use by Honours students can be obtained from E7A 507. Photocopying cards for Library use are available from the Department Executive Officer.

Stationery

You are responsible for the purchase of your own stationery but costs can be claimed against your allowance.

Submission and Assessment

Submission of your thesis or dissertation

Three copies of the thesis are required to be submitted to the Head of Earth and Planetary Sciences by 4.00 pm on the Wednesday of the last week of classes of the relevant semester.  This is a very strict deadline and will be extended only if there are substantiated medical reasons or other serious misadventure.  You should communicate with your supervisor as soon as any serious problems become apparent.  Any request for variation of the deadline must be made in advance: for extensions within the University examination period the request must be submitted to the Head of Department; while for extensions beyond that period, requests must be made to the Registrar.

However, if during the Honours program you reach a stage where medical, employment (if part-time) or other 'crisis' reasons prevent you from fulfilling the commitments of the Honours program, then you should discuss your problems with your supervisor, or, if necessary, write to the Registrar requesting a suspension of your studies for a period of time (minimum of 4-6 weeks and maximum of one semester).  This request is considered very carefully by the Undergraduate Studies Committee and thus needs strong substantiating evidence.

The thesis must be bound with at least a strong temporary binding such as a spiral or ring binding or temporary fabric and glue binding.  The left-hand margin must be at least 2.5 cm wide (3.0 cm if ring or spiral bound) to allow for final binding.

In cases where corrections are made following examination, at least two copies of the final version of the thesis must be submitted to the Head of Earth and Planetary Sciences prior to the next graduation.
The Department will be responsible for binding two copies of the thesis and will cover the costs.  The student is responsible for binding any additional copies.

The thesis must be no more than 15 000 words (10 000 for a minor dissertation), excluding references, essential appendices and notes.  Over length material may not be examined.  The thesis must include the following pages at the front:

• title page
• statement of originality
• acknowledgements
  

Assessment

Your final Honours grade is based on both the standard of your thesis or dissertation and your results for the units taken as part of your Honours program.  It is therefore most important that you take your coursework seriously.  Theses are assessed by three examiners; at least one of these is normally external to this University.

Appeals against your final result should be directed, in the first instance, to the Head of Department.  If problems have arisen, your case will be assisted greatly if you have kept copies of all drafts and supervisor's comments, plus any other relevant documentation.  But remember, it is much better to reach some resolution of any personal or supervision problems as early as possible, and preferably well before the submission date.  A full statement of appeals procedure is available from the Head of Department's office.

University Medals

All candidates deemed eligible for Honours Class I in an academic year (first and second half-year) are also eligible for the possible award of a University Medal.  While award of a medal is based primarily but not exclusively on work in the Honours program, candidates must have also shown exceptional academic merit through their complete undergraduate program.

Honours candidates supervised by members of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences have been exceptionally successful in terms of University Medals.

Safety and Insurance

Working hours, use of buildings and security

The University is normally open from 8 am to 9 pm on week-days.  However, the Library has its own opening times, displayed in the Library.

Most buildings in the University are normally closed at weekends and on public holidays, but access to your own workspace should be possible even if the buildings are locked. Special permission must be obtained to enter the buildings outside working hours and at weekends: an authorisation and swipe card can be arranged.  If you have to be on the premises throughout the night for purposes connected with experiments, or other reasons connected with your research, you should inform your supervisor and the University Security Officers (7112), in advance, so that your intentions can be recorded.  Security also needs to know about any equipment that is to remain operating overnight or at weekends.

Sensible precautions should be taken when working late at night: security officers will also escort students to their cars or college if it is late at night.

You need to complete a form and obtain permission if you wish to use equipment off the campus.

Safety rules MUST always be observed strictly, especially in high risk areas of E5A and E5B.

Insurance

Note that personal belongings are your responsibility and are not covered by University insurance.  Thefts have occurred quite frequently over the years.  The University can, however, provide personal accident cover under certain circumstances and this type of cover is required by some organisations before you are given permission to enter their property.  If you have any insurance queries, see you supervisor for further details.