Extended Major Overview

Description

UWA's Bachelor of International Relations is a professional and practice-oriented program that provides the crucial conceptual knowledge and real-world experience required by employers in government, business and non-profit organisations. Students will develop a rich and rigorous understanding of the interdisciplinary field of International Relations from a range of perspectives – political, legal, historical, and sociological — as well as a strong grasp of its methodologies and theoretical approaches. In line with UWA's expertise and Perth's geography, students will receive unique training focusing on the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions. Students will have the option of completing a language major and will also be offered multiple opportunities to develop practical skills and industry networks throughout their enrolment.

Outcomes

Students are able to:

  1. Demonstrate advanced knowledge about the field of International Relations, its history, and contemporary issues
  2. Critically evaluate competing approaches to, and positions, on International Relations issues
  3. Constructively and persuasively communicate International Relations analyses and arguments in different formats
  4. Competently apply basic International Relations methods and skills to designing and executing research
  5. Creatively apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to ethically address global problems and challenges.
Broadening guidelines
Students may want to consider completing a four-unit minor to complement their studies. Students may want to consider a language minor (Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish are available), either alongside the language major option that is available in the Bachelor of International Relations, or instead of the language major. Other relevant minors include Active Citizenship, Applied Ethics, Cross Cultural Communication, Digital Citizenship, Earth's Environmental Challenges, Environmental Humanities, Global Health, Mineral Resource Development, and Science and Policy.
Suggested Minors to broaden you study area, are:
(1) MNR-CHLAC Chinese Language and Culture
(2) MNR-FRENB French
(3) MNR-GRMNB German
(4) MNR-INLAC Indonesian Language and Culture
(5) MNR-ITALB Italian
(6) MNR-JALAC Japanese Language and Culture
(7) MNR-KOLAC Korean Language and Culture
(8) MNR-SPNHB Spanish
(9) MNR-CITZN Active Citizenship
(10) MNR-ETHIC Applied Ethics
(11) MNR-CCCOM Cross Cultural Communication
(12) MNR-DGCIT Digital Citizenship
(13) MNR-ETHFT Earth's Environmental Challenges
(14) MNR-MEHUM Environmental Humanities
(15) MNR-GLBHH Global Health
(16) MNR-MRSDV Mineral Resource Development
(17) MNR- Science and Policy
Suggested units to broaden your study area, are:
(1) COMM1002 Cultures, New Media and Communications
(2) PHIL1001 Ethics for the Digital Age: An Introduction to Moral Philosophy
(3) PUBH1102 Health and Globalisation
(4) POLS1101 Understanding Politics and Policy
Prerequisites

Enrolment in BP058 Bachelor of International Relations

Incompatibilities

MJD-POLSC Political Science and International Relations

Courses

International Relations can only be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

Example Study Plan

See study plans for more information.

Units

Key to availability of units:
S1
Semester 1
S2
Semester 2
SS
summer teaching period
N/A
not available in 2025 – may be available in 2026 or 2027
NS
non-standard teaching period

Students must take the core International Relations units, and choose between the “Global Histories and Futures” specialisation or a Language specialisation (choose from Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, Spanish, German, French, or Italian). Contact the Arts Student Office for an individualised study plan.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units

Core — International Relations—all students should take all units (18 points) of the below:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 ASIA1002 Asia from Colonial to Modern
Incompatibility
ASIA1102 Creating Asian Modernities
S1 IREL1001 The International Politics of Climate Change
Incompatibility
POLS3342 Global Environmental Politics in your chosen degree
S2 POLS1102 Understanding Global Politics None
Degree-specific major units

Specialisations- Choose a Language, OR Global Histories and Future.—students taking a Language specialisation should take the specified 2 level one units (12 points) from their chosen language major (Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, Spanish, German, French, or Italian).

Students taking the Global Histories and Futures specialisation should take 2 units (12 points) from the below.

Contact the Arts Student Office for an individualised study plan.

Contact the Arts Student Office for an individualised study plan.

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ASIA1001 Asian Societies and Cultures
Incompatibility
ASIA1101 Exploring Asian Identities
S2 CLAN1002 Glory and Grandeur: An Introduction to the Ancient World
Incompatibility
CLAH1103 Glory and Grandeur
S1 GEOG1107 Global Human Inequality
Incompatibility
GEOG3309 Global Inequalities and Population Change: Transformation and Crisis
S1 HIST1103 Europe to Hell and Back 1890-1945
Incompatibility
Hist1121 'Europe 1890-1945'
S2 HUMR1001 Human Rights in Global Perspective None
S1 INDG1150 Aboriginal Encounters: Strangers in our Backyard
Incompatibility
HIST1100 Aboriginal History
S1 LAWS1111 Law in Context None
S1, SS PHIL1002 Introduction to Critical Thinking
Incompatibility
PHIL1105 Introduction to Critical Thinking

Level 2

Degree-specific major units

Core — International Relations—all students should take all units (18 points) of the below:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 HUMR2001 Global and Environmental Justice
Incompatibility
Successful completion of
Unit(s) PHIL2009 Global and Environmental Justice
S1 IREL2001 Foundations of Foreign Policy
Prerequisites
12 points of Social Sciences and/or Humanities study at level 1
Incompatibility
POLS2214 Foundations of Foreign Policy
S2 POLS2220 Foundations of Global Political Economy
Prerequisites
12 points of Social Sciences and/or Humanities study at level 1
Incompatibility
POLS3320 International Political Economy
Degree-specific major units

Specialisations- Choose a Language, OR Global Histories and Future.—students taking a Language specialisation should take the specified 3 level two units (18 points) from their chosen language major (Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, Spanish, German, French, or Italian).

Students taking the Global Histories and Futures specialisation should take 3 units (18 points) from the below:

Contact the Arts Student Office for an individualised study plan.

Contact the Arts Student Office for an individualised study plan.

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 ASIA2001 Culture, Society and the State in Asia
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
any level 1
or level 2 ASIA, KORE, JAPN, CHIN, INDO, ENGL, HIST, PHIL, ARCY, COMM, LING, ANTH, LAW, VISA, MUSC, SOCS
or POLS unit
Incompatibility
ASIA2204 Culture, Society and the State in Asia
N/A ASIA2002 Australia and Asia
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
any level 1
or level 2 ASIA, KORE, JAPN, CHIN, INDO, ENGL, HIST, PHIL, ARCY, COMM, LING, ANTH, LAW, VISA, MUSC, SOCS
or POLS unit
Incompatibility
ASIA2206 Understanding Asia–Australia Issues
N/A HIST2917 Russia and the Soviet Union 1900-2000
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
two level 1 Unit(s) from the Bachelor of Arts
Incompatibility
Successful completion of
HIST3002 Russia and the Soviet Union in the Twentieth Century
S1 INDG2300 Indigenous Knowledge: Mind, Body and Spirit
Prerequisites
any Level 1 unit from the Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage major
or HIST1100 Aboriginal History
N/A LAWS2226 International Legal Institutions
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one level 1 6 points Unit(s)
S2 POLS2202 Foundations of Comparative Politics
Prerequisites
12 points of Social Sciences and/or Humanities study at level 1

Level 3

Degree-specific major units

Core- International Relations—all students should take two units (12 points) from the below::

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 ASIA3005 Autocracy and Democracy in Asia
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
any one level 2 Unit(s) from the School Social Sciences
or Humanities
Incompatibility
Successful completion of
ASIA3005 Democratisation in Asia
S1 POLS3302 South Asia and the Middle East: Foreign Relations and Politics
Prerequisites
12 points of Social Sciences and/or Humanities study at level 2
S1 POLS3308 Greater China: Politics and International Relations
Prerequisites
12 points of Social Sciences and/or Humanities study at level 2
Incompatibility
POLS2208 Politics in Greater China
N/A POLS3324 Islam and World Politics
Prerequisites
12 points of Social Sciences and/or Humanities study at level 2
Incompatibility
POLS2224 Islam and World Politics
Degree-specific major units

Core- International Relations Capstone—all students should take one unit (6 points) from the below::

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 IREL3002 The Politics of Human Rights
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
POLS1102 Understanding Global Politics
Incompatibility
POLS5686 International Norms, Ethics and Human Rights
Degree-specific major units

Core- Practicum—all students should take one unit (6 points) from the below::

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 HUMR3001 Human Rights: Research and Practice
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
HUMR2001 Global and Environmental Justice
S2 POLS3304 Policy and Diplomacy in Practice
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
any one level 1 Political Science (POLS) units and any three level 2 Political Science (POLS)
or Political Science, Philosophy, and Economics (PPHE) units
Incompatibility
PARL3339,
and WILG3001
N/A SOCS3888 Asia-Pacific Field Study
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
two level 1 Unit(s) and approval of the unit coordinator
NS, S1, S2 SVLG3003 McCusker Centre for Citizenship Internship
Incompatibility
SVLG1002 SVLG2002
Degree-specific major units

Specialisations- Choose a Language, OR Global Histories and Future.—students taking a Language specialisation should take the specified 3 level three units (18 points) from their chosen language major (Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, Spanish, German, French, or Italian).

Students taking the Global Histories and Futures specialisation should take 3 units (18 points) from the below.

Contact the Arts Student Office for an individualised study plan.

Contact the Arts Student Office for an individualised study plan.

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 GEOG3308 Climate Change: Policy and Practice
Prerequisites
72 points in your chosen degree
S2 INDG3400 Indigenous People and Global Issues
Prerequisites
INDG2300 Indigenous Knowledge: Mind, Body and Spirit
or INDG2400 Looking South: Noongar Voices
or INDG2500 Looking North: The Wild West
or INDG2600 Indigenous Representation
or INDG2700 Knowing Country: The Dreaming and Darwin
or LAWS2225 Indigenous Peoples and the Law
S1 PHIL3006 Philosophy East and West
Prerequisites
any Philosophy unit
or PPHE2211.
Incompatibility
PHIL2231 Philosophy East and West
N/A POLS3204 The Politics of Gender
Prerequisites
12 points of Social Science and/or Humanities study at level 2
S1 POLS3335 Social Movements and the Politics of Change
Prerequisites
12 points of Social Sciences and/or Humanities study at level 2