Undergraduate Research Thesis
If you are a student who commenced in 2015 or after, and you wish to undertake 76040 Research Thesis, you must have completed the subject 76090 Research Methodology as well as 71116 Remedies. 76040 Research Thesis and 76090 Research Methodology are taken as Law electives within your degree. An additional year of study is NOT required to study these subjects as they form part of the credit points required for the completion of your course. If you intend to undertake Honours within your Law degree you must ensure you have sufficient capacity within your Law elective choice block to enrol into these subjects.
You must also comply with the Honours Regulations.
What does a Research Thesis involve?
- Undertaking independent research under the guidance and supervision of a supervisor.
- Writing a 10 000 word thesis.
- Defining a research question on an approved topic of your choice (In most cases, the research thesis extends and develops research done in one or more of the elective subjects already undertaken, but in appropriate circumstances a candidate may undertake a new topic).
- Producing an original piece of work.
- Attending the coursework research workshop at the beginning of the session and a writing workshop held mid-way through session.
- Meeting with your supervisor throughout the session on a mutually agreed basis to discuss thesis progress. This gives students the opportunity to check they are on the right track and to ask for advice or feedback.
Eligibility & Rules
Students wishing to undertake 76040 Research Thesis must:
- Be on track to obtain a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of at least 70 in their law subjects (excluding their worst three Law subjects).
- Not have failed any Law subject after the first session of study.
Students are required to calculate their provisional WAM using the formulae 'sum of all' (UTS Law subject credit points multiplied by mark) divisible by the 'sum of all law subject credit points'. Students will be required to indicate their calculation on their application form.
Undergraduate students who are not on track to receive their law degree with Honours are not normally approved to enrol into Research Thesis.
See also, the subject access conditions.
To graduate with honours LLB students must:
• Successfully complete the subjects 76090 Research Methodology (only for students who commenced their LLB in 2015 or later) and 76040 Research Thesis as one of your law electives.
• Not fail any law subject after the first session of study.
• Successfully complete no less than 96 credit points of law subjects.
• Subject to requirements below, obtain an Honours mark, calculated in accordance with the formula ‘sum of all’ (UTS law subject credit points x mark) and divisible by the ‘sum of all law subject credit points’ that equals to:
- No less than 75.00 for First Class Honours.
- In the range of 70.00 and 74.99 for Second Class Honours (note that in calculating the Honours mark, rounding occurs to two decimal places).
NOTE: A student’s worst three Law subjects are excluded from the WAM calculation provided that at least twelve (12) UTS Bachelor of Laws subjects are included. However, a student’s Honours mark must include the mark obtained by the student in 'Research Methodology' and ‘Research Thesis’ even if such a mark might be one of their three worst.
Students are required to calculate their provisional WAM and indicate their calculation on their research thesis applications. Students should consult the Honours rules below for information about requirements for the award of Honours at graduation.
Honours rules and procedures
It is possible for students to gain an award with honours in the Bachelor of Laws degree or the law component of combined degrees.
Students who meet the criteria for honours are eligible for transfer into the appropriate undergraduate honours exit course on completion of all coursework. This transfer into an honours exit course is managed by the Student Centre and occurs just prior to graduation.
An additional year of study is not required. To qualify for honours, a student must complete subjects 76090 Research Methodology in their penultimate session and 76040 Research Thesis in their final session, as option subjects within the degree. These subjects form part of the credit points required for degree completion.
Honours Regulations apply to students based on when they commenced their degree. Please refer to the relevant section below.
Honours Regulations for students who commenced their degree in 2024 or after:
76090 Research Methodology and 76040 Research Thesis have requirements that students must comply with in addition to the following Honours Regulations:
1. Awards
1.1 Awards of the Law (Honours) degree or the Law (Honours) component of a combined degree shall be classified as follows:
a. degree (with first class honours), and
b. degree (with second class honours).
1.2 Award of the degree with second class honours shall not be graded.
2. Requirements of honours
2.1 To qualify for an award of the degree with honours a student shall:
a. successfully complete 76090 Research Methodology and 76040 Research Thesis
b. subject to requirements below, obtain an Honours WAM
i. for first class honours: no less than 80.00
ii. for second class honours: in the range of 75.00 and 79.99 (note that in calculating the honours mark, rounding occurs to two decimal places)
c. not fail any law subject after the first session of study (or part time equivalent), and
d. successfully complete not less than 96 credit points of law subjects within UTS Law.
2.2 A student’s Honours WAM will be calculated according to the following formula:
a. 25% of the Honours WAM: Student’s final mark in 76040 Research Thesis, and
b. 75% of the Honours WAM: Sum of all (UTS Law subject credit points multiplied by mark) divisible by the ‘sum of all UTS Law subject credit points’.
2.3 For the purpose of the calculation in 2.2(b):
a. students may discount up to three of their worst subjects provided that at least 12 UTS Law subjects are included in the calculation,
b. students must include the mark obtained by the student in 76090 Research Methodology notwithstanding that such a mark might be one of their worst subjects,
c. students must not include their mark in 76040 Research Thesis.
2.4 In exceptional circumstances the director (students) may modify or dispense with the requirements of regulations 2.1-2.3, subject to appeal to the Faculty Board in Law.
Honours Regulations for students who commenced their degree in 2023 or earlier:
76090 Research Methodology and 76040 Research Thesis have requirements that students must comply with in addition to the following Honours Regulations:
1. Awards
1.1 Awards of the Law (Honours) degree or the Law (Honours) component of a combined degree shall be classified as follows:
a. degree (with first class honours), and
b. degree (with second class honours).
1.2 Award of the degree with second class honours shall not be graded.
2. Requirements of honours
2.1 To qualify for an award of the degree with honours a student shall:
a. successfully complete 76090 Research Methodology and 76040 Research Thesis
b. subject to requirements below, obtain an honours mark, calculated in accordance with the formula 'sum of all' (UTS law subject credit points multiplied by mark) divisible by the 'sum of all law subject credit points' such that:
i. for first class honours: no less than 75.00
ii. for second class honours: in the range of 70.00 and 74.99 (note that in calculating the honours mark, rounding occurs to two decimal places)
c. not fail any law subject after the first session of study
d. successfully complete not less than 96 credit points of law subjects within UTS Law
e. for the purpose of the calculation in 2.1(b), students may discount up to three of their worst subjects provided that at least 12 UTS Bachelor of Laws subjects are included in the calculation, and
f. a student's honours mark shall include the mark obtained by the student in 76040 Research Thesis and 76090 Research Methodology notwithstanding that such a mark might be one of their worst subjects.
2.2 In exceptional circumstances the director (students) may modify or dispense with the requirements of regulation 2.1, subject to appeal to the Faculty Board in Law.
Further details are available in the online subject descriptions.
To be eligible for a University medal, an undergraduate student must have achieved the highest first class honours mark in the graduating cohort.