The Honours program in English Literature enables students to consolidate and develop the knowledge of the discipline and the analytic skills already acquired during three years of undergraduate study. The main benefits to students of the program: The development of a deeper knowledge of the discipline than it is possible to attain in the course of a pass degree; The development of such employable skills as research and project management; The opportunity to work one-on-one with a specialist supervisor in the production of a piece of in-depth research (the thesis), and to study in small intensively run seminars; An honours degree is necessary for entry into a postgraduate research program in Australia. Achievement of Honours I or Honours IIA allows direct entry into a PhD program.

The honours cohort works together in small directed seminars, further honing spoken and written skills, and each student works closely with a supervisor to plan, research, and produce a sustained piece of original research in an area of their choosing. The Honours qualification is recognised by employers as evidence of the ability to create and complete a complex project, and to work under pressure to meet strict deadlines. The skills are readily transferable since someone who has successfully completed a thesis is ably qualified to analyse as well as to undertake complex research, and to compose well-structured clear reports.