Mapping honours programs in Australia : The rationale for, and approach to, an investigation of the nature, current
and future role of honours programs in Australia

The growing literature on postgraduate education in the past decade has heightened the focus on research training. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of research on the pathways from undergraduate to postgraduate study. Honours programs were originally intended to provide the link between undergraduate and postgraduate research work, but this situation has changed rapidly and honours programs have evolved into a variety of forms to meet new needs. These needs differ across faculties depending on the structure of undergraduate programs, especially since the introduction of professional doctorates. The visibility of honours programs may also be a factor in whether students stay at an institution to complete honours work, or seek out alternate programs according to their research interests. This paper provides the rationale for an investigation of the nature and role of honours programs in Australia, demonstrates the mapping methodology used in the study and speculates on the future of honours programs.