International Relations

International relations is a field of study that delves into complex global issues and the political approaches taken to address them. It aims to build critical understanding of the causes, impacts, and solutions for conflict and cooperation among and within nations and societies. The discipline explores relationships between global structures, processes, and political bodies, including states, non-governmental organizations, social movements, and international organizations like the UN and WTO. Key concepts such as power, sovereignty, and security are central to understanding international relations. This program encourages the development of critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, research, and analytical writing skills to comprehend current global changes and historical patterns. At Monash, this major provides insights into contemporary global politics, grounded in key disciplinary debates, historical events, and developments. The program focuses on four main areas: security, governance, international political economy, and foreign policy. This major is available as part of the Bachelor of Arts (A2000) at the Caulfield and Clayton campuses, and as a major within the Diploma of Liberal Arts (A0502) at Caulfield and Clayton.

Curriculum

The International Relations major requires 48 credit points. No more than 12 credit points can be at Level 1, with at least 18 credit points required at Level 3. A typical structure includes gateway units, cornerstone units, a capstone unit, and elective units.

1. 1
   • Geopolitical security in the Indo-PacificATS1056
   • Introduction to international relationsATS1873
2. 2
   • From terrorism to revolution: Understanding political violenceATS2298
   • International political economyATS2321
   • Global governanceATS2624
   • Politics of the Middle East and North AfricaATS2858
   • Comparative politicsATS2314
   • The personal is political: Examining gender politics in AustraliaATS2322
   • Global inequality and alternatives to developmentATS2378
   • Mobile worlds: Borders, displacement and belongingATS2625
   • The ethics of global conflictATS2640
   • De-democratisation and contentious politics in 21st century AmericaATS2836
   • Populism and the crisis of democracyATS2856
   • The politics of discriminationATS2951
   • The European Union: Challenges, crises and opportunitiesATS2275
3. 3
   • Foreign policy analysisATS3183
   • International security studiesATS3340
   • Knowledge and power in world politicsATS3705
   • Gender and international relationsATS3024
   • The rise of China in the Asia-Pacific regionATS3163
   • Developing research literacyATS3222
   • Right-wing terrorism, extremism and fringe politicsATS3380
   • The politics of identityATS3399
   • The modern Middle EastATS3580
   • Palestinians and Israelis: Entangled historiesATS3582
   • Global nuclear orderATS3660
   • Professional practiceATS3935
   • Activism for academic freedom: Applied workshop in research advocacyATS3950
   • Nationalism and populism in the European UnionATS3974
   • Field methods in anthropology and international developmentATS3248
   • The European Union: Challenges, crises and opportunitiesATS3275

Careers

The skills developed in this program are applicable to a wide range of careers in both the public and private sectors.

• Policy Advisor
• Diplomat
• International Aid Worker
• Intelligence Analyst
• Journalist
• Lobbyist
• Researcher
• United Nations Official
• Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Worker