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:
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge about the field of International Relations, its history, and contemporary issues
- Critically evaluate competing approaches to, and positions, on International Relations issues
- Constructively and persuasively communicate International Relations analyses and arguments in different formats
- Competently apply basic International Relations methods and skills to designing and executing research
- 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:
No study plans found for this major. See study plans for more information.
Units
Key to availability of units:
- S1
- Semester 1
- S2
- Semester 2
- N/A
- not available in 2024 – may be available in 2025 or 2026
- 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 |
|
S1 | IREL1001 | The International Politics of Climate Change |
|
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.
Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
---|---|---|---|
S1 | ASIA1001 | Asian Societies and Cultures |
|
S2 | CLAN1002 | Glory and Grandeur: An Introduction to the Ancient World |
|
S1 | GEOG1107 | Human Inequality in the Anthropocene |
|
S1 | HIST1103 | Europe to Hell and Back 1890-1945 |
|
S2 | HUMR1001 | Human Rights in Global Perspective | None |
S1 | INDG1150 | Aboriginal Encounters: Strangers in our Backyard |
|
S1 | LAWS1111 | Law, Conflict and Change | None |
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 |
|
S1 | IREL2001 | Foundations of Foreign Policy |
|
S2 | POLS2220 | Foundations of Global 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.
Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
---|---|---|---|
N/A | ASIA2001 | Culture, Society and the State in Asia |
|
S2 | ASIA2002 | Australia and Asia |
|
N/A | HIST2016 | When Empire Strikes: Imperial Expansion, Resistance, and Rights from Europe to Australasia | |
N/A | HIST2917 | Russia and the Soviet Union 1900-2000 |
|
S1 | INDG2300 | Indigenous Knowledge: Mind, Body and Spirit |
|
N/A | LAWS2226 | International Legal Institutions |
|
S2 | POLS2202 | Foundations of Comparative Politics |
|
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 |
|
N/A | POLS3302 | South Asia and the Middle East: Foreign Relations and Politics |
|
S2 | POLS3308 | Greater China: Politics and International Relations |
|
S1 | POLS3324 | 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 |
Degree-specific major units
Core- Practicum—all students should take one unit (6 points) from the below::
Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
---|---|---|---|
N/A | HUMR3001 | Human Rights: Research and Practice |
|
S2 | POLS3304 | Policy and Diplomacy in Practice |
|
NS | SOCS3888 | Asia-Pacific Field Study |
|
NS, S1, S2 | SVLG3003 | McCusker Centre for Citizenship Internship |
|
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.
Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
---|---|---|---|
S2 | ASIA3005 | Autocracy and Democracy in Asia |
|
S1 | GEOG3308 | Climate Change: Policy and Practice |
|
S2 | INDG3400 | Indigenous People and Global Issues | |
S1 | PHIL3006 | Philosophy East and West |
|
N/A | POLS3204 | The Politics of Gender |
|
S1 | POLS3335 | Social Movements and the Politics of Change |
|