University of Tasmania, Australia

Introduction

The program offers a major in International Relations on both the Hobart and Launceston campuses.

Studying International Relations helps you understand issues concerned with conflict and cooperation at the highest level of political analysis. You can choose to study international security, international justice, international law and human rights, international organisations such as the United Nations, the foreign policies of major powers, the politics of terrorism, globalisation and international political economy, and many other topics. Your studies will provide you with critical perspectives on the forces shaping the world in which we live, and help will you understand how we in Australia can relate to others in our region, and to the international community in general. To find out more about the units and courses available go to the online courses and units entry.

Educational Objectives

The program will examine key themes in world politics and seek to understand them through an analysis of competing interpretations of international relations. The course addresses theories and concepts in the discipline by identifying the main strands of thought that have been applied to developments in international politics. It examines the growth of the international state system we live in today and traces how the nature of this system has led to the dominance of what has been called the Realist view of international relations. It also considers alternative views of international relations that claim to represent more appropriate explanations of current international behaviour, and increasingly challenge the traditional dominance of Realism.

The program also examines actors and processes in international relations. In particular the major seeks to integrate significant problems of international political economics, foreign policy analysis, international security studies, international relations theory, international organisations and international law and ethics into a more unified analytical framework. It therefore addresses issues of conflict and security (including traditional interstate threats and newer transnational challenges such as terrorism); human rights and international justice; processes of globalisation; the rise to prominence of non-state actors; and the challenges to development posed by an increasing gap between a wealthy West and an increasingly poor Third World. The overall theme of the course is that we may have entered a new era in international relations, but it is not clear what form this era is likely to take. At the very least, the interplay between economics and politics, the role of international organisations and non-state actors, the broadening of the idea of security and changing views on the use of military power will force us to consider international relations in a way different from that which prevailed for much of the last century.

The specific objectives of the program are as follows:

1. To introduce students to a variety of ways of analysing world politics through an examination of notable events and processes in recent world history and an understanding of key theoretical issues relevant to the discipline.
2. To encourage the interchange of varying perspectives on developments in international relations, especially through the application of theoretical concepts to specific issues.
3. To enhance students’ capabilities to apply their knowledge and analysis of international relations in both a verbal and written context.
4. To analyse and critically interpret texts, ideas and concepts related to the international relations and its history.
5. To demonstrate knowledge of the assumptions, methods of study, theories and different approaches employed within the discipline of International Relations and to demonstrate an understanding of the themes of the course as expressions of the conceptual, empirical and normative aspects of the subject material.
6. To demonstrate an understanding of the continuing interplay between local and global issues to the present and to the world outside the university.
7. To develop an understanding of the variety of cultures, regions, and countries that make up the international community and to analyse and contextualise cultural, historical and political dynamics relevant to the study of international relation.
8. To develop knowledge of the relationship between different regions of the world as expressed through political, economic, and cultural/philosophical contact.
9. To enhance cross-cultural approaches for analysing international relations in order to foster an understanding of the impact (e.g. historical, political, economic, cultural and philosophical) of nations, regions, and cultures upon other nations, regions, and cultures.
10. To deepen an understanding of the reciprocal interactions between individuals and global systems and to cultivate the ability to see different cultural groups from their own points of view.
11. To develop an ability to use the analytic tools of a specific discipline to engage in comparative analyses of nations, regions and key issues.
12. To foster the student’s knowledge and understanding of the diversity and pluralism of the international community with respect to race, ethnicity, and gender, as well as class, sexual orientation, and/or religion.
13. To enhance an understanding of the sources and manifestations of controversy or conflict arising from diversity.

Career Opportunities

Graduates with a major in International Relations will typically find work in public sector organisations (e.g. Foreign Affairs, Defence, Immigration); the security services (e.g. ASIO, Australian Federal Police); international organisations such as the United Nations, human rights organisations and non-government organisations; and in areas related to international law, risk assessment in industry, and strategic planning for business.

Honours

The fourth year (level 400) Political Science honours program offers an advanced exploration of selected issues in International Relations. The program is open to students who have majored in International Relations (or Political Science) with a Grade-Point Average of 6.5 or higher. The honours year consists of specialised coursework units and a thesis, and introduces students to the skills involved in independent research. The honours program also provides a stepping stone to Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees, as well as providing an additional qualification.

Postgraduate Courses

The School of Social Sciences has a strong reputation for research and welcomes applications from those seeking to undertake higher degree research (ie Master of Arts or Doctor of Philosophy) in Political Science, Public Policy, Public Administration or International Relations.

In addition, the School offers the following postgraduate coursework programs in International Politics at the Hobart Campus:

Graduate Certificate in International Politics
Graduate Diploma in International Politics
Master of International Politics