To be read in conjunction with the program of study requirements for the degree in which you are enrolled:

A student may complete a major sequence of 36 units in International Relations by completing two Year 1 topics (9 units), two Year 2 topics (9 units) and two Year 3 topics (9 units) plus two additional topics (9 units) from the Year 2 or Year 3 topics listed in the program of study below.

A student may complete a minor sequence of 22.5 units in International Relations by completing two Year 1 topics (9 units), two Year 2 topics (9 units) plus and additional topic (4.5 units) from the Year 2 or Year 3 Topics listed in the program of study below.

A student may complete an extended major sequence in International Relations by completing the prescribed major topics (36 units), plus an additional two topics (9 units) from the Year 2 or Year 3 topics listed below.

An extended major in International Relations is not available to students enrolled in the double Bachelor of Education/Bachelor of Arts degrees.

Course aims

The International Relations major aims to produce graduates who have acquired an understanding of:

  • the key political, social, economic, strategic, historical and cultural relationships within the modern world
  • foreign policy, diplomacy, war and other forms of military action, political economy and other modes of interaction between the countries, economies and peoples of the world and the theories that seek to explain them
  • Australia's place and the role within the Asian region and globally
  • an understanding of societies, cultures and alternative systems of governance throughout the world, especially those parts that are of particular significance to Australia
  • the impact of globalisation and environmental challenges on international transactions and perspectives.

Learning outcomes

Graduates with a major in International Relations should be able to:

  • communicate in a professional and culturally aware manner through high quality written and analytical and oral presentation skills
  • confidently adapt to challenges in different workplace environments
  • demonstrate a developed skill set that allows them to contribute effectively to specific specialist areas of International Relations, taken broadly to include foreign policy, theory, international political economy, studies of other countries, societies and governance structures
  • apply their professional knowledge to the formulation of policies, the provision of policy advice, the preparation of policy analyses, and the undertaking of policy research and evaluation in the field of International Relations
  • apply analytical and research skills suitable for higher study or employment in the field of International Relations, including the political, social and political economic analysis, normative evaluation, archival and historical research, documentary and data interpretation, and bibliographic compilation
  • be well-equipped for graduate-entry positions, especially within the public sector and in organisations with an international focus. 

Program of study

The following is the program of study for a 36 unit major sequence in International Relations and should be read in conjunction with the course rule for the degree in which you are enrolled.

Major - International Relations

Year 1 topics

INTR1006  International Relations: An Introduction  (4.5 units)

Plus 4.5 units from the year 1 topics listed below:

AMST1002  America and the World: The United States in a Global Context  (4.5 units)
HIST1803  The Lucky Country? Australia and the World since 1939  (4.5 units)
INTR1101  Discovering Asia  (4.5 units)
INTR1102  Modern Asia since 1945  (4.5 units)

Year 2 topics

Select 9 units from the year 2 topics listed below:

INTR2003  The Asia-Pacific in the 20th Century  (4.5 units)
INTR2006  Debating Human Rights  (4.5 units)
INTR2005  The Next Superpower? The Rise of China in the 21st Century  (4.5 units)
INTR2008  Africa on a Global Stage  (4.5 units)
INTR2012  Food Security  (4.5 units)
INTR2015  New Security Agenda  (4.5 units)
INTR2100  Reimagining the Global South  (4.5 units)

plus select an additional 4.5 units from the year 2 topics listed above or year 3 topics listed below.

Year 3 topics

Select 9 units from the year 3 topics listed below:

AMST3013  The Alliance and the Rise of China  (4.5 units)
AMST3016  Internship Program: Washington DC (9 units)
INTR3001  Australian Foreign Policy  (4.5 units)
INTR3003  Africa: International Interventions  (4.5 units)
INTR3006  The Rise of the Indo-Pacific  (4.5 units)
INTR3101  Global Inequality  (4.5 units)
INTR3102  Controversies in International Relations  (4.5 units)
INTR3103  International Practicum (4.5 units)
INTR3104  Global Workplace  (4.5 units)

plus select an additional 4.5 units from the year 2 or 3 topics listed above.

Honours

Refer to Honours - International Relations