Bachelor of Philosophy (Science) (Honours)

Entry	98 ATAR + application form with statement and 2 referees

The Bachelor of Philosophy, affectionately called the PhB, is a science degree like the Bachelor of Science with lots of research project courses (Advanced Studies Courses), more flexibility, a high GPA requirement and a mandatory honours year. As a generic science degree, you can focus on many areas like computer science, maths and chemistry among many others. You do not have to complete a major (except for honours eligibility).

The PhB is often compared against the Bachelor of Advanced Computing (Research & Development). Both are highly competitive degrees (high ATAR and GPA requirements) with research projects. However, the PhB is more flexible because it doesn't have any stringent course requirements and you don't have to complete a major. This makes it popular among high-achieving CS students who have lots of prior knowledge and may want to skip multiple courses required by the BAC R&D. However, it does have a funny name so it requires more work to explain to employers even if you have an equivalent coursework background.

The PhB has its own Hitchhiker's guide, made by the degree convener!

If you want advice from current students on doing a PhB in computer science, feel free to ask Oliver on the CSSA Discord.