3. When can I start talking to faculty members about my honours research? Students can begin approaching faculty members about honours once they have successfully completed HKR 4600 with a grade of 80% or higher. Some supervisors may have an application process so please be sure to follow up with all faculty members you are interested in working with.  

4. When do I do the honours project? BHKRC students will register for HKR 4605 in the spring academic term in year 3 of the degree program. They will register for HKR 4610 in the winter academic term in year 4. All other students will complete HKR 4605 in the fall academic term in year 4 and HKR 4610 in the winter academic term in year 4.    

5. Can honours be done in groups? No, honours projects are done independently under the immediate supervision of the faculty supervisor.   

6. How do I choose a research project?  Can I choose any research project I want to? You select a research project in consultation with your faculty supervisor.  The supervisor may suggest a specific project or may develop a research project based on your interests.  

7. What is the workload like for honours? The research is deemed to be the equivalent of two course credits. Students will write a research proposal for evaluation in HKR 4605 and they will conduct the proposed research and submit a final research manuscript for credit in HKR 4610. The work is manageable for a student who is committed to the research process. 

8. Am I guaranteed to be able to do honours if I want to? No, only students with a confirmed research supervisor will be permitted to register in HKR 4605 and HKR 4610. Individual faculty members determine how many students they can supervise in any given year. No faculty member is obligated to supervise honours projects. Faculty members will determine which student projects they can supervise in any given year.  

9. Is it true that I have to have ethics clearance to do my research? Yes, all students collecting data will be required to have appropriate ethics clearance before starting the research project (i.e. HKR 4610). It is the student’s responsibility to submit the ethics application and respond to all queries from the Research Ethics Boards (REB). Supervisors are required to review the ethics application as part of the submission process but students are responsible for following protocol approved by the REB.  

10. Why would I want to do honours? This is a very common question. An honours degree at the undergraduate level typically suggests that a student has completed an independent research project as part of the degree requirements. For students considering research based graduate programs having this kind of research experience can improve your application. Further, students graduating from honours programs develop more extensive research skills than students graduating without honours. While honours will not guarantee admission to another program; if two students are otherwise comparable, honours may be the distinguishing factor. Further, Students will develop a very strong mentor relationship with their supervisor and students get to have one-on-one learning experience. 
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences