The Bachelor of International Studies requires three years of full-time study (or the equivalent part-time) and the honours program an additional year (or the equivalent part-time).

The course is offered by the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences.

Enrolment in the honours program may be offered to a student who meets certain academic criteria and subject to the school/department being able to provide appropriate resources and staff to supervise the program of study.

Admission requirements

The minimum requirements for consideration for entry to all undergraduate courses are specified in detail in the University Entry Requirements.

Course aims

The Bachelor of International Studies aims to give students the intellectual and analytical tools to understand, research, evaluate and communicate key international issues and relationships through:

  • providing students with a substantial grounding in interdisciplinary approaches to International Studies as well as specialist knowledge and skills pertinent to at least one relevant intellectual discipline
  • facilitating appropriate international experience
  • developing practical and theoretical skills, competencies and knowledge that support preparation for a professional career
  • fostering an understanding of Australia's identity, role, and range of options in the world
  • cultivating students’ understanding of the variety of societies, cultures and systems of government throughout the world and their impact on/significance to Australia
  • providing students with an array of both disciplinary specific and transferrable research, analytical and communications skills

The course also aims to give students appropriate opportunities to develop the generic attributes relevant to university-level education. These generic attributes are articulated in the Flinders Graduate Qualities.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the Bachelor of International Studies, students will have developed a comprehensive and well-founded knowledge of contemporary International Studies and an awareness of the major cross-disciplinary approaches to International Studies. In addition, students will have developed specialist knowledge in at least one relevant discipline, familiarity with Social Sciences research methods, a range of transferrable personal and professional skills and competencies, a mature international awareness, and an appreciation of the value of continuing professional development.

International Studies Graduates are able to:

  • recognise and understand complex international perspectives and their implications
  • demonstrate a sound understanding of the central issues of International Studies, including their historical development, capacity for impact in the contemporary and future world and the relative advantages and disadvantages of the predominant approaches to these issues
  • employ specialist knowledge in analysing international issues and communicate the results effectively and efficiently
  • recognise and resolve issues involving values and ethical components
  • interact effectively as a member of a team in order to work towards agreed shared outcomes as well as take individual responsibility and adapt confidently to changes and challenges in different work environments
  • reason critically and logically and make independent, informed, evidence-based judgments
  • demonstrate research and analytical skills that are appropriate to both further study and employment in a variety of professional settings. These skills will include methods such as political and social analysis, normative evaluation, archival and historical research, document and other data interpretation, literature searching and various forms of professionally and culturally aware writing and oral presentation

Program of study

To qualify for The Bachelor of International Studies a student must complete 108 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic according to the following program:

a) 27 units of core topics, comprising:

INST1001 Introduction to International Studies 1a: Regions in Global Contexts (4.5 units)
INST1002 Introduction to International Studies 1b: Understanding the International (4.5 units)
INST2001 Global Mindset (4.5 units)
INST3004 Your International Career (4.5 units)
INST3002  Perspectives in International Studies  (4.5 units)
COMS1001 Academic and Professional Communication (4.5 units) *

* Under certain conditions the core topic COMS1001 may be replaced with an elective. See COMS1001 for further details.

b) a major (36 units) selected from:

        - Chinese
        - French
        - Indonesian
        - Italian
        - Modern Greek
        - Spanish
        - German (studied cross-institutionally at Adelaide University)
        - Japanese (studied cross-institutionally at Adelaide University)

c) a second major (36 units) or a minor (22.5) units in another discipline, or up to 36 units of unspecified credit might be granted in recognition of prior study.

Where the first major is either Political Studies, Environmental Studies or a language other than English, the second major or minor must be selected from:

d) A minimum of 4.5 units of international experience as described below #

e) international experience and/or Work-integrated-learning (WIL) and/or elective studies to complete the 108 units required in the Degree program. No more than 45 units of year 1 topics may be offered towards this degree.

# International experience in the Bachelor of International Studies may include:
approved study at an overseas university;

  • approved internship or practicum (either onshore or offshore);
  • participation in an approved international volunteer program (either offshore or onshore);
  • an approved program of reflection on prior international experience (international experience might include participation in suitable travel, migration, refugee experience, military service, work abroad or suitable other.)

OR

  • at least 4.5 units of study in a language other than English (this may be 4.5 units of a major or minor in a language other than English that has already been presented);

International experience may be recognised through successful completion of:

  • One of AMST3016 Internship Program: Washington DC (9 units); INST3003 International Experience and/or Practicum (4.5 units); INST3003A International Experience and/or Practicum (9 units), or
  • Credit arrangement for recognised study outside Flinders University, or
  • Other suitable topics by arrangement with the Course Director or nominee.

Honours

A student who has completed all the requirements of the Bachelor of International Studies, or another qualification which the Faculty Board agrees is equivalent, may be accepted as a candidate for the honours degree providing a sufficiently high standard has been achieved in fulfilling the requirements for the Bachelor level degree. Honours programs may be undertaken in the following disciplines with program details in the Bachelor of Arts entry: American Studies; French; History; Indonesian; International Relations; Italian; Latin American Studies; Modern Greek; Politics and Spanish.

Refer to Bachelor of International Studies (Honours)

Combined degrees

The Bachelor of International Studies may also be studied in a combined degrees program with a: