Political Science and International Relations major
Societies can only continue to exist if they solve the problem of internal order and are able to protect themselves from external threats. Political Science and International Relations studies how societies govern themselves and the collective decisions, or public policies, they need, or choose, to make. Attention is given to the different ways government is organised; values such as liberty, participation, majority rule and minority rights which inform political institutions and public policy; and ideologies such as conservatism, liberalism, socialism, feminism and environmentalism which have motivated much political action in modern societies. International relations focuses on the ways in which states and peoples interact with other states, regional or global political organisations, and social movements in an increasingly interdependent world.
Outcomes
Students are able to (1) demonstrate an appreciation of the nature and significance of politics as a human activity; (2) demonstrate knowledge of multiple political systems, both domestic and international; (3) demonstrate knowledge of influential normative ideas or ideologies which inform political activity; and (4) demonstrate an understanding of one or more major fields/sub-fields within political science and international relations.
Degree-specific major
Political Science and International Relations can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:
BP001 Bachelor of Arts
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)
Overview of unit sequence
Political Science and International Relations is a degree-specific single major comprising:
- two Level 1 units
- three Level 2 units
- three Level 3 units
| Key to availability of units: |
|---|
| S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2020; NS = non-standard teaching period |
Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2021 or 2022.
Level 1
Take all units (12 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | POLS1101 | The Liberal Democratic State | |
| S2 | POLS1102 | The Contemporary International System |
Level 2
Take unit(s) to the value of 18 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | POLS2201 | Foundations of Public Policy |
|
| N/A | POLS2202 | Australian Politics: Institutions, Campaigning and Spin |
|
| N/A | POLS2204 | The Politics of Gender |
|
| N/A | POLS2214 | Strategy, Diplomacy and Conflict |
|
| S2 | POLS2216 | Politics in the USA |
|
| S1 | POLS2220 | Foundations of Global Political Economy |
|
| NS | POLS2231 | Politics of the Mass Media |
|
| N/A | POLS2233 | International Relations in East Asia |
|
| S1 | PPHE2211 | History of Political Ideas |
|
Level 3
Group A—take up to 18 points from this group.
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2, NS | ASIA3005 | Democratisation in Asia |
|
| N/A | POLS3302 | South Asia and the Middle East: Foreign Relations and Politics |
|
| S1 | POLS3308 | Politics in Greater China |
|
| N/A | POLS3313 | Australian Foreign Policy |
|
| S1 | POLS3324 | Islam and World Politics |
|
| N/A | POLS3334 | The International Politics of Africa |
|
| S2 | POLS3335 | Social Movements and the Politics of Change |
|
| N/A | POLS3342 | Global Environmental Politics |
|
| N/A | PPHE3327 | Contemporary Political Theory |
|
Group B—take up to 6 points.
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | PARL3399 | WA Parliamentary Research Program |
|
| NS, S1, S2 | WILG3001 | Professional Experience Practicum |
|
Choosing your degree-specific major
You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.
To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .
To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.
The following example illustrates how the Political Science and International Relations degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Arts course.
There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .
Choosing a second major
You also have the option to choose a second major from those available in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students. or Bachelor of Science course, giving you the opportunity to pursue your interests no matter how different they are.
The following example illustrates how the Political Science and International Relations degree-specific major can be combined with a second major in the Bachelor of Arts course.
For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .
Political Science and International Relations can also be taken as a second major.
Second major
Political Science and International Relations can be taken as a second major in the following degree courses:
- BP001 Bachelor of Arts
- BP006 Bachelor of Biomedical Science
- BP002 Bachelor of Commerce
- BP003 Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students.
- BP004 Bachelor of Science
- BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)
Overview of unit sequence
The Political Science and International Relations second major is a single major comprising:
- two Level 1 units
- three Level 2 units
- three Level 3 units
| Key to availability of units: |
|---|
| S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2020; NS = non-standard teaching period |
Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2021 or 2022.
Level 1
Take all units (12 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | POLS1101 | The Liberal Democratic State | |
| S2 | POLS1102 | The Contemporary International System |
Level 2
Take unit(s) to the value of 18 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | POLS2201 | Foundations of Public Policy |
|
| N/A | POLS2202 | Australian Politics: Institutions, Campaigning and Spin |
|
| N/A | POLS2204 | The Politics of Gender |
|
| N/A | POLS2214 | Strategy, Diplomacy and Conflict |
|
| S2 | POLS2216 | Politics in the USA |
|
| S1 | POLS2220 | Foundations of Global Political Economy |
|
| NS | POLS2231 | Politics of the Mass Media |
|
| N/A | POLS2233 | International Relations in East Asia |
|
| S1 | PPHE2211 | History of Political Ideas |
|
Level 3
Group A—take up to 18 points from this group.
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2, NS | ASIA3005 | Democratisation in Asia |
|
| N/A | POLS3302 | South Asia and the Middle East: Foreign Relations and Politics |
|
| S1 | POLS3308 | Politics in Greater China |
|
| N/A | POLS3313 | Australian Foreign Policy |
|
| S1 | POLS3324 | Islam and World Politics |
|
| N/A | POLS3334 | The International Politics of Africa |
|
| S2 | POLS3335 | Social Movements and the Politics of Change |
|
| N/A | POLS3342 | Global Environmental Politics |
|
| N/A | PPHE3327 | Contemporary Political Theory |
|
Group B—take up to 6 points.
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | PARL3399 | WA Parliamentary Research Program |
|
| NS, S1, S2 | WILG3001 | Professional Experience Practicum |
|
Choosing a second major
The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you the option of including a second major. You have the choice to either nominate your second major when you first enrol in the course or delay it until your second year. For a major to be recorded on your academic record it must be nominated before the requirements of the course are completed.
To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.
The following example illustrates how Political Science and International Relations can be included as a second major in an undergraduate degree course.
For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .
Political Science and International Relations can also be taken as a degree-specific major.