BPhEd Honours
This page gives prospective students greater insight into the opportunity that an BPhEd honours degree represents. Below are the answers to frequently asked questions about the programme.
Additionally, there is information about previous graduates and previous research projects
What is an Honours degree?
The degree of Bachelor of Physical Education with Honours (BPhEd(Hons)) is a more prestigious degree than the normal BPhEd degree. Alike the regular bachelors degree it is completed in four years.
How is it different?
Honours programme students undertake a higher workload from the normal BPhEd degree. It also includes a research element that culminates in the completion of a dissertation in the student's final year. The structure of the Honours course reflects the topic area of admission (e.g. sociology, physiology, biomechanics, psychology etc). In the third year courses normally require study that supports the students chosen area of research. The fourth year of the Honours programme is a prescribed year, in which students complete a research dissertation in addition to the prescribed papers.
Why complete an honours degree?
A BPhEd honours degree is an opportunity to be taken by those who are seeking a prestigious qualification that will distinguish them from other graduates. It is also an opportunity to pursue your own interests and passions by generating your own knowledge – researching – in your chosen area.
How will your research be undertaken?
Honours students work alongside a member of staff – a research supervisor - throughout their two years in the programme. The supervisor is there to guide and aid the students work on their research project.
What is an Honours dissertation?
An honours dissertation is a research report of around 20,000 which represents a substantive component of an honours degree. It documents the research rationale, methods and analysis and findings.
A Selection of Previous Honours student work:
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Luiz Uehara
Alan West
Sian Barris
Geoff Kohe
Mariah Meagher
Did you know... why Honours’ graduates wear hoods without fur?
When honours students graduate, the hoods worn with their academic gowns differ from those for standard bachelor’s degrees. Why is this? There are several frequently offered myths as to why this is the case – the most often cited is that honours students have higher status so they don’t need the warmth of fur as they get to sit ‘nearer to the fire’!
The types of academic hoods used at the University of Otago were probably inspired by those used at the University of Edinburgh. Traditionally, bachelor’s degrees had fur-trimmed hoods whilst Master’s hoods featured no fur. That is, hoods became simpler as degrees became higher. The emergence of honours degrees at Otago in the 1960s saw a need to distinguish further, hence the addition of a white ribbon to hoods marked a mid-point on the scale between either fur (bachelors) or no fur (masters’ degrees). That then, is why honours graduates’ hoods have no fur.
Links
Bachelor of Physical Education with Honours (BPhEd Hons) prospectus on University of Otago website
Application Form
Download the application form for entry to the restricted BPhEd Honours degree here.
For specific information on the undergraduate course contact School course adviser Margie Lazar as listed above.
Honours Supervisors
For those students who are either considering undertaking Honours study or have already been admitted to the Honours program, here is a list of potential supervisors, their areas of research focus, and Honours theses recently completed under their supervision.
