Why Study Honours?
An Honours program provides you with a platform toward clinical pathways, further research or a higher degree including the Doctor of Medicine.
2026 project information is now available now in SONIA and on department websites.
Hear what students have to say about Honours in the Faculty:
Who can apply?
Applications are open to:
- Internal applicants who have successfully completed or are about to complete the Bachelor of Biomedicine or the Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne; and
- External applicants who have successfully completed or are about to complete an equivalent undergraduate degree.
More information on eligibility, the application process and scholarship can be found on the Bachelor of Biomedicine (degree with Honours) and the Bachelor of Science (degree with Honours) study pages.
Honours research in the Melbourne Medical School
The Melbourne Medical School is made up of 13 academic departments. Research projects can be found in information booklets, links provided by Melbourne Medical School Departments or from the MDHS Research Project Database. Department specific contacts and links can be found below.
For assistance with the online enrolment process contact the MDHS Honours Admissions Team via mdhs-honours@unimelb.edu.au.
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The Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health is an exciting new collaboration between the Melbourne Medical School and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. This initiative will leverage both organisations’ strengths in cardiometabolic capabilities.
Visit the Baker Postgraduate Research page to find out more about research opportunities.
Departmental contact:
Leonie Cullen
E: leonie.cullen@unimelb.edu.au
Ph: +61 3 8532 1161 -
The Department of Clinical Pathology Honours and Masters programs offer pathology-focused coursework and a range of ground-breaking research projects focused on improving outcomes for cancer patients.
Visit the Honours and Graduate Research page to find out more about our projects and funding opportunities.
Departmental contact:
Frederic Hollande
E: frederic.hollande@unimelb.edu.au -
The Department of Critical Care Honours Program is designed to offer research projects directly relevant to acute human disease and treatment of the high-risk, deteriorating and critical ill patient.
Visit the Critical Care Honours Program page to find out more about our projects and funding opportunities.
Departmental contact:
A/Prof Adam Deane
E: adam.deane@unimelb.edu.au -
If you are interested in working with people and you would like to make a difference to the way primary care is delivered in the community, then this is the place for you!
Visit the General Practice Honours page to find out more about our projects and funding opportunities.
Departmental Contacts:
Professor Meredith Temple-Smith
E: m.temple-smith@unimelb.edu.au -
The Department of Medicine offers Honours program opportunities across four main health precincts:
- Austin Health
- Eastern Hill (St Vincent’s Hospital)
- Parkville (Royal Melbourne Hospital)
- Western Health.
Each precinct offers different specialisations and a tailored Honours program linked to their research focus areas.
Find out more information on the Precincts page.
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The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Honours program is administered through the Parkville Precinct, based at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Visit the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Honours page to find out more about our projects and funding opportunities.
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Our research-project based courses take advantage of the extensive scientific research done in the Department of Paediatrics and by our partners, the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH), enabling us to provide a unique opportunity for students to join multi-disciplinary research teams conducting laboratory, clinical and public health research.
Visit the Paediatrics Honours and Masters page to find out more about our projects and funding opportunities.
Departmental Contacts:
Belinda McClaren
E: belinda.mcclaren@unimelb.edu.auHelen D’Cruz
E:GR-MC@unimelb.edu.au -
The Department of Psychiatry Honours program is administered through the Parkville Precinct, based at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Visit the Parkville Precinct Honours page to find out more about our projects and funding opportunities.
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The Department of Surgery offers Honours program opportunities across their four main health precincts:
- Austin Health
- Eastern Hill (St Vincent’s Hospital, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, the Centre for Eye Research Australia and St Vincent’s Institute)
- Parkville (Royal Melbourne Hospital)
- Western Health
Each precinct offers different specialisations and a tailored Honours program linked to their research focus areas.
Find out more information on the Precincts page.
Honours research by precinct
This tab gives you a view of how Honours courses are organised by precinct. Different precincts offer different specialisations and departments for Honours courses. If you want to find out more information on a particular precinct please contact the relevant coordinator listed below.
| Precinct | Course departments | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Health | Medicine (Austin Health) spans diverse areas of biomedical research covering cancer, cardiovascular disease, endocrinology, genetics, neurosciences and pharmacology. Find out more about Honours in Medicine (Austin Health). Surgery (Austin Health) includes hepatobiliary and pancreatic Surgery, and liver transplantation. This is the largest General Surgery training hub and delivering Masters programs in Surgical Education and Surgical Sciences. There are no 2024 Honours projects available at Austin Health. | Jo Mayall Email: j.mayall@unimelb.edu.au |
| Royal Children's Hospital and Murdoch Children's Research Institute | Our research-project based courses take advantage of the extensive scientific research done in the Department of Paediatrics and by our partners, the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH), enabling us to provide a unique opportunity for students to join multi-disciplinary research teams conducting laboratory, clinical and public health research. Visit the Paediatrics Honours and Masters page to find out more about our projects and funding opportunities. Discover available projects | Belinda McClaren Email: belinda.mcclaren@unimelb.edu.au Helen D'Cruz Email: GR-MC@unimelb.edu.au Carmen Van Tiggel carmen.van@unimelb.edu.au |
| Eastern Hill | Medicine (St Vincent's) undertakes basic, clinical and applied research in a range of areas including basic mechanisms of biology and physiology, clinical and community-based epidemiology, clinical neurosciences, infection and immunity, as well as clinical trials of new therapies and devices. | Eastern Hill Administrators Email: easternhill-gr@unimelb.edu.au Dr Amanda Edgley (Honours Coordinator) Email: aedgley@unimelb.edu.au |
| Parkville - Royal Melbourne Hospital | Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital) has a diverse range of medical disciplines across basic science and clinical medicine including cancer research, healthy aging, inflammation and pain, neuroscience and stroke, renal and vascular disease. Find more about Honours in Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital). For updates on Honours projects and activities, see the Parkville Precinct Honours page Surgery (Royal Melbourne Hospital) involves oncology, cardiovascular, anaesthesia, clinical ultrasound, urology, general surgery, trauma and neurosurgery. Discover available projects | Dr Adrian Achuthan Academic Coordinator Email: aaa@unimelb.edu.au Simone Stahli Quinn Administrative Coordinator Email: sstahli@unimelb.edu.au |
| Western Health | Medicine (Western Health) conducts high quality research into acute and chronic diseases common in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Find out more about Honours in Medicine (Western Health). Surgery (Western Health) plays a pivotal role in researching diseases that affect local communities, positioning Western Health as a leader in related academic and research fields. Please contact the Department for a full list of available projects. | Dr Nicole Stupka (Honours Coordinator) Email: nicole.stupka@unimelb.edu.au Aloka Bandara (Academic Programs Officer) Email: aloka.bandara@unimelb.edu.au |
Welcome
St Vincent's Hospital campus (known as Eastern Hill) offers Honours and Master of Biomedical Sciences projects in collaboration with the University of Melbourne’s Departments of Medicine, Surgery, Otolaryngology and Ophthalmology and Medical Bionics as well as our leading affiliated research institute partners - St Vincents Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Bionics Institute.
Opening in 2025, Eastern Hill is also home of the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery (ACMD) - a collaborative biomedical engineering centre accelerating the translation and commercialisation of research.
Our campus undertakes translational research in basic and clinical disciplines with the goal to improve the treatment of human disease. Our projects span laboratory science and clinical research, and include aspects of basic biology, physiology and pathophysiology, robotics and biomedical engineering, clinical and community-based epidemiology, and clinical trials of new therapies and devices.
Why should you choose Eastern Hill for your Honours or Master of Biomedical Science journey?
Real world learning environment: Undertake your research training degree in a real-world clinical environment.
Connected cohort experience: Join a close and connected cohort of Honours and Master of Biomedical Science students and become part of a diverse research community.
Research and supervision excellence: Learn from research leaders who are committed to mentoring early career researchers.
Applications are now open for commencement in 2026
Please note that we do not offer mid-year enrolments.
View the current projects available for 2026 enrolment
Medicine St Vincent's Information Night for Honours and Masters
Missed our recent Honours and Masters information night? Catch up on what you missed!
View the slides for the information session
View our affiliated partner institute student sites
St Vincents Institute of Medical Research
What next?
Once you have attended the Information Session and contacted the supervisors of the projects you are interested in, visit the MDHS Honours or Master of Biomedical Sciences overview to access the Sonia database and submit your project preferences.
