Surgery (Austin Health)

Informal specialisationYear: 2023

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Overview

The Honours program is an advanced level of study which aims to provide students with an understanding in the practice of biomedical research. It is designed to extend the student’s education and intellectual development in Biomedicine, Physiology and Surgery through attendance and participation in Workshops, Research Seminars and Journal Club presentations. The students will be exposed to experimental design and development of a hypothesis as an approach to research, covering the main research areas within the department; Cancer, Transplantation, Liver regeneration, Immunobiology and Spinal Biology. Students are required to complete a research project within the Department of Surgery and/or affiliated institution under the guidance of at least one supervisor. The Honours year provides a strong foundation for the future direction of graduates, whether as a means of progressing to research higher degrees at the Masters or PhD level, or improving the scope of employment options and professional advancement.

The course year starts in February and ends in November and is only available full time.

Admission requirements

In addition to satisfying the Bachelor of Science (Degree with Honours) entry requirements, students are required to have completed stream specific prerequisites. Details of stream specific prerequisites can be found at the Bachelor of Science (Degree with Honours) entry and participation requirements page.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this Honours program, students should be able to:

  • Locate, utilise and synthesise information available in scientific and medical literature and ensure an understanding of experimental data in order to construct a rational scientific argument
  • Understand the principles in designing a scientific project in biological research
  • Design and conduct research, including selection and implementation of experimental models and methods, data collection methods, and statistical analysis methods
  • Problem solve through undertaking relevant methodological approaches to research (technical and statistical based)
  • Perform research techniques and apply these techniques to a specific project
  • Communicate the findings of a research project in both written and oral form, including organising knowledge and identifying the potential scope of the research project
  • Apply principles of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship, including identifying and following the principles of ethical conduct of research with animals and humans
  • Show proficiency in time management for completion of scientific tasks against set deadlines
  • Work effectively independently, and collaboratively under supervision within a research team from diverse backgrounds.

Last updated: 4 March 2025

Structure

100 credit points

The Honours program consists of 100 credit points completed over 12 months full time (or part time equivalent) comprising of two (2) Advanced Coursework subjects and a Research Project.

To be awarded Honours with a specialisation in Surgery (Austin Health), students must successfully complete the following:

  • BIOM40001 Introduction to Biomedical Research (12.5 points)
  • SURG40002 Advanced Studies in Biomedicine (12.5 points)
  • SURG40005 and SURG40001 - Surgery Research Project (75 points)

There are no elective subjects in this Honours program.

Subject Options

Coursework Component

Students must complete 25 credit points of advanced coursework subjects. This is achieved by enrolling in the following subjects in the appropriate semesters.

Code Name Study period Credit Points
BIOM40001 Introduction To Biomedical Research
February (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
SURG40002 Advanced Studies in Biomedicine: Surgery
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5

Research Component

Students must complete a total of 75 credit points of research across the duration of the Honours program. This is achieved by enrolling in a combination of the following subjects in the appropriate semesters.

Code Name Study period Credit Points
SURG40005 Surgery Research Project Part 1
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 25
SURG40001 Surgery Research Project Part 2
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 50

Links

http://www.austinsurgery.unimelb.edu.au/

Last updated: 4 March 2025