Bachelor of International Relations
Course code/s: ABIR Melbourne
The Bachelor of International Relations degree has been designed to allow students to gain an overview of international relations and provides the opportunity to specialise in a particular area (such as East Asia). The degree may be awarded either as a pass degree or as a degree with honours and can be studied on a full-time or part-time basis. The pass degree requires completion of 360 credit points and, if taken full-time, can be completed in three years with students completing 120 credit points at each year level. The Honours degree requires the completion of a further 120 credit points.
First year (120 credit points)
In first year, students must complete:
- POL1SNS and POL1EEH (15 credit points each),
- at least 60 credit points at first year level from List A below and
- up to 30 credit points of electives at first year level from the faculty or anywhere within the university (pre-requisites permitting).
| Teaching period | Subject title | Subject code |
|---|---|---|
| Core subjects | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | States, Security and International Relations | POL1SNS |
| TE-SEM-2 | International Relations and the Global Economy | POL1EEH |
| List A | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Culture and Globalisation: introduction to anthropology | ANT1CAG |
| TE-SEM-1 | Greece and the Balkans in the Twentieth Century | EST1GAB |
| TE-SEM-1 | History of Globalisation | ECO1HOG |
| TE-SEM-1 | Introduction to Asia: Japan and Indonesia | AST1IJI |
| TE-SEM-1 | Law and Legal Consciousness | LST1LAS |
| TE-SEM-1 | Making of Modern Europe | HIS1MME |
| TE-SEM-2 | Australia and Beyond: introduction to sociology | SOC1AAB |
| TE-SEM-2 | Democracies and Dictatorships: Introduction to Comparative Politics | POL1DEM |
| TE-SEM-2 | Introduction to Asia: China and India | AST1ICI |
| TE-SEM-2 | Introductory Macroeconomics | ECO1IMA |
| TE-SEM-2 | Our Global Village: introduction to anthropology | ANT1FET |
Second year (120 credit points)
In second year, students study:
- POL2IPP and POL2TWP (15 credit points each),
- at least 45 credit points at second year level from List B below and
- up to 45 credit points of electives at second year level from the faculty or anywhere within the university (pre-requisites permitting).
Second year Core subjects
| Teaching period | Subject title | Subject code |
|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | International Public Policy | POL2IPP |
| TE-SEM-2 | Theories of World Politics | POL2TWP |
Third year (120 credit points)
In third year, students must complete:
- POL3PCW (30 credit points)
- at least 45 credit points at third year level from List B below and
- up to 45 credit points at third year level from the faculty or anywhere within the university (pre-requisites permitting).
Third year Core subject
| Teaching period | Subject title | Subject code |
|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-2 | Professional Competence: transition to workplace (30 credit points) | POL3PCW |
List B
All subjects 15 credit points unless otherwise stated
| Teaching period | Subject title | Subject code |
|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | China in the World: A Re-emerging Global Power | POL2CIW |
| TE-SEM-1 | Contemporary Buddhism, Politics and Society | AST2CBS |
| TE-SEM-1 | Contemporary Politics of the Asia-Pacific Region | POL2CPA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Development, Globalisation and Culture | ANT2DGC |
| TE-SEM-1 | The European Union | HIS2EUU |
| TE-SEM-1 | Indonesian Politics and Society | POL2IPS |
| TE-SEM-1 | International Conflict, Religion and Culture | POL2CRC |
| TE-SEM-1 | International Relations: the Cold War and the great powers | POL2INR |
| TE-SEM-1 | Political Ideas and Ideologies | POL2PID |
| TE-SEM-1 | South-East Asian Politics: change and conflict | POL2SEA |
| TE-SEM-2 | American Politics | POL2IAP |
| TE-SEM-2 | Australian Foreign Policy | POL2AAW |
| TE-SEM-2 | Global Environmental Politics | POL2GEP |
| TE-SEM-2 | History of Modern Political Thought | POL2HMP |
| TE-SEM-2 | Human Rights Law | LAW2HRL |
| TE-SEM-2 | International Law and International Organisation | POL2ILO |
| TE-SEM-2 | The Making of Modern Asia | AST2MMA |
| TE-SEM-2 | Nations and States | POL2NAS |
| TE-SEM-2 | Political Change and Development in the Third World | POL2DDA |
| TE-SEM-2 | Sociology of the Environment | SOC2SOE |
| Third year subjects | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | China in the World: A Re-emerging Global Power | POL3CIW |
| TE-SEM-1 | Contemporary Buddhism, Politics and Society | AST3CBS |
| TE-SEM-1 | Contemporary Politics of the Asia-Pacific Region | POL3CPA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Development, Globalisation and Culture | ANT3DGC |
| TE-SEM-1 | The European Union | HIS3EUU |
| TE-SEM-1 | Indonesian Politics and Society | POL3IPS |
| TE-SEM-1 | International Conflict, Religion and Culture | POL3CRC |
| TE-SEM-1 | International Relations: the Cold War and the great powers | POL3INR |
| TE-SEM-1 | Political Ideas and Ideologies | POL3PID |
| TE-SEM-1 | South-East Asian Politics: change and conflict | POL3SEA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Twentieth Century Europe | HIS3TCE |
| TE-SEM-2 | American Politics | POL3IAP |
| TE-SEM-2 | Australian Foreign Policy | POL3AAW |
| TE-SEM-2 | History of Modern Political Thought | POL3HMP |
| TE-SEM-2 | International Law and International Organisation | POL3ILO |
| TE-SEM-2 | Nations and States | POL3NAS |
| TE-SEM-2 | Political Change and Development in the Third World | POL3DDA |
| TE-SEM-2 | Politics in the Twentieth Century (30 credit points) | POL3HON |
| TE-SEM-2 | Public International Law | LAW3PIL |
| TE-SEM-2 | Sociology of the Environment | SOC3SOE |
Please note: the course structure of the ABIR will be modified in 2012 and will affect second and third year choices for 2013 onwards. For details see the ABIR convenor, Dr Michael O'Keefe.
Subjects not available in 2012
| Teaching period | Subject title | Subject code |
|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Crises in South Asia: Weapons, Women and Well-Being | POL2CSA/POL3CSA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Indonesian Politics and Society | POL2IPS/POL3IPS |
| TE-SEM-1 | International Relations of the Middle East | POL2IME/POL3IME |
| TE-SEM-1 | Society and State in Japan and China | POL2EAS/POL3EAS |
| TE-SEM-2 | Displacement, Flight and Refuge | ANT2DFR/ANT3DFR |
| TE-SEM-2 | Liberalism and its Critics | POL2LAC/POL3LAC |
| TE-SEM-2 | Peace and Change | POL2PAC/POL3PAC |
| TE-SEM-2 | Politics of Non-violent Activism | POL2PNV/POL3PNV |
| TE-SEM-2 | Revolutions in Central Europe | POL2RCE/POL3RCE |
| TE-SEM-2 | ||
In addition to these subjects, students will be expected to participate in occasional workshops in first and second year, and a number of workshops in third year, which are part of the requirements for POL3PCW, six months prior to the semester that you wish to undertake it, to ensure that you can attend the required workshops and arrange a placement.
Honours
Entry into the honours year is by application at the end of the student’s third year of full-time study. Entry is normally contingent on the following requirements: 1) obtaining a strong B average in their second and third year subjects; and 2) completion of POL3HON is only available to students who achieve high results in their first two years of study.
In Honours student complete coursework subjects and a 12-15,000 word thesis on a topic within the field of international Relations. Either the Bachelor of International Relations Convenor, Dr Michael O’Keefe, or the Politics and International Relations Program convenor must approve choice of thesis topic.
For further information about International Relations, please contact the Politics and International Relations Program by email at politics@latrobe.edu.au or by telephone on (03) 9479 1287.