Course Content
The Bachelor of International Relations requires completion of 144 units, of which:
- A maximum of 60 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses
The 144 units must include:
24 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:
- POLS1005 Introduction to International Relations: Foundations and Concepts
- POLS1006 Introduction to International Relations: Contemporary Global Issues
- POLS2094 Issues in International Political Economy
- POLS3001 Foreign Policy Analysis
A minimum of 6 units from the following theory courses:
- POLS2063 Contemporary Political Theory
- POLS2102 Political Belief and Deceit
- POLS2119 Ideas in Politics
- POLS3017 International Relations Theory
- POLS3032 The Politics of Empire
A minimum of 6 units from the following methods courses:
- POLS1009 Research and Writing in Political Science
- POLS2044 Contemporary Political Analysis
- POLS2125 Game Theory and Social Sciences
- POLS2137 Meaning in Politics: Interpretation, Method and Critique
- POLS3045 Qualitative Research Methods in Political Science Research
- SOCY2043 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods
A minimum of 12 units from the following area studies courses:
- ASIA1035 Introduction to Asian Politics
- ASIA1999 The Origins of Political Order in Asia
- EURO1004 Europe in the Modern Era
- EURO2012 Uniting Europe: History, Politics, Theory
- EURO3002 Comparative European Politics
- INTR2010 International Relations in the Asia-Pacific
- MEAS1001 Introduction to the Modern Middle East
- MEAS2001 New States of Eurasia: Emerging Issues in Politics and Security
- MEAS2004 Turkish Politics and Foreign Policy
- MEAS2105 The Political Economy of the Middle East
- MEAS3004 Iran in World Politics
- POLS2031 Politics in the Middle East
- POLS2055 Pacific Politics
- POLS2095 Politics in Latin America
- POLS3040 Conflict and Change in Sub-Saharan Africa
A minimum of 12 units from the following security courses:
- ASIA2111 Indonesian Foreign and Security Policy
- INTR2012 Chinese Foreign and Security Policy
- INTR2014 Indian Foreign and Security Policy
- INTR2016 US Foreign and Security Policy in Asia
- INTR2018 Japanese Foreign and Security Policy
- INTR2020 (In)Stability on the Korean Peninsula
- INTR2024 Nuclear Politics in Asia: Challenges and Opportunities
- POLS2123 Peace and Conflict Studies
- POLS2136 Power and Influence in World Politics
- POLS3033 Environment, Human Security and Conflict
- POLS3036 International Terrorism
- STST1001 Introduction to International Security Studies
- STST2001 Security Concepts in the Asia-Pacific
- STST2003 Australia and Security in the Pacific Islands
- STST2124 Politics of Nuclear Weapons
- STST3002 Australia's Security in the Asian Century
A minimum of 6 units from the following global politics courses:
- DEMO2003 Migration in the Modern World
- DIPL2000 Leadership and Diplomacy
- INTR3001 Humanitarianism: Principles, Politics and Practice
- PHIL2113 Global Justice
- POLS2011 Development and Change
- POLS2100 Genocide in the Modern World
- POLS2101 Refugee Politics: Displacement and Exclusion in the 20th and 21st Centuries
- POLS2113 Human Rights
- POLS2133 International Organisations in World Politics
- POLS2135 Race, Ethnicity and Representation
- POLS3004 Emotions in International Politics
- POLS3035 The Politics of International Law
- SOCY2030 Social Inequalities and Development
A minimum of 6 units and a maximum of 12 units from the following cognate list:
- DEMO1001 Global Population Challenges
- DEMO2003 Migration in the Modern World
- HIST1209 Terror to Terrorism: A History
- HIST1210 Environment and History from 1945
- HIST2136 World at War, 1939-1945
- HIST2141 The Cold War: 1945-1989*
- HIST2240 Democracy and Dissent: Europe Since 1945*
- HIST2226 Nazi Germany*
- HIST2228 The Enlightenment: Europe and the World 1660-1800
- HIST2242 The Soviet Union: From the Russian Revolution to the Collapse of Communism*
- HIST2238 Human Rights in History*
- MEAS3007 Syria in the Levant: State, Society and the Current Turmoil
- MEAS3008 Egypt: Social and Political Dynamics in a Changing Middle East
*Please note that courses with asterisks are usually offered every second year.
A maximum of 12 units from the following internships and Vice-Chancellor's courses:
- ANIP3003 Australian National Internships Program A
- ANIP3005 Australian National Internships Program B
- VCUG2002 Leadership and Influence in a Complex World
- VCUG3001 Unravelling Complexity
A maximum of 24 units from courses in the following language minors
48 units from completion of elective courses offered by ANU
Majors (Choose 1 for completion of 48 units)
- Advanced Intelligent Systems
- Computer Systems
- Cyber Security
- Data Science
- Human-Centred and Creative Computing
- Information Systems
- Intelligent Systems
- Software Development
Minors (Choose 1 for completion of 24 units)
- Advanced Chinese Language
- Advanced French Studies
- Advanced German Studies
- Advanced Italian Studies
- Advanced Japanese Language
- Advanced Korean Language
- Advanced Spanish Studies
- Arabic
- Burmese Language
- Chinese Language
- French Language and Culture
- German Language and Culture
- Hindi Language
- Indonesian Language
- Italian Language and Culture
- Japanese Language
- Japanese Linguistics
- Korean Language
- Mongolian Language
- Russian
- Persian
- Spanish
- Tetum Language
- Thai Language
- Vietnamese Language
Elective units
48 units from completion of elective courses offered by ANU
Once you have met the program requirements of your degree, you may have enough electives to complete an additional elective major, minor or specialisation.
