Major - Politics - from 1 January 2021

To be read in conjunction with the program of study requirements for the degree in which you are enrolled:

A student may complete a major sequence of 36 units in Politics by completing two Year 1 topics (9 units), two Year 2 topics (9 units) and two Year 3 topics (9 units) plus two additional topics (9 units) from the Year 2 or Year 3 topics listed in the program of study below.

A student may complete a minor sequence of 18 units in Politics by completing two Year 1 topics (9 units), at least one Year 2 topic (4.5 units) plus an additional topic (4.5 units) from the Year 2 or Year 3 topics listed in the program of study below.

A minor in Politics is not available to students who commenced the Bachelor of Education (Primary), Bachelor of Arts from 1 January 2019.

The minor sequence is not available to students who commenced the Bachelor of Arts, Master of Teaching (Primary) from 1 January 2020.

Course aims
Learning outcomes
Program of study
Honours

Course aims

The aims of the Politics major are to produce graduates with the following key attributes:

skills, knowledge and conceptual understandings that make them suitable for employment in government and wider public sector, think tanks and lobbying organisations, community organisations and private enterprise
capacity and skills to contribute creatively as engaged citizens
knowledge of the political concepts and developments in the Australian, comparative and international/global contexts
a high standard of professionalism informed by strong ethical and moral standards
capacity to think and work effectively both independently and in team-based environments.

The Politics major aims to produce graduates who have acquired an understanding of:

Australian government and politics
concepts and ideas in political philosophy and political theory
political issues and structures in other countries
issues in international politics including foreign policy, political economy, and Australia's place in its region and on the international/global stage
issues in the theory and practice of public policy.

Learning outcomes

Graduates with a major in Politics should be able to:

think critically and constructively, and demonstrate an ability to place questions of political order, political values, and political decision-making at the centre of analysis
communicate in a professional and culturally aware manner through high quality written analytical and oral presentational skills;
undertake research, using both traditional and technological sources
distinguish among theoretical, conceptual and empirical lines of enquiry
confidently adapt to challenges in different workplace environments
apply their professional knowledge to the formulation of policies, the provision of policy advice, the preparation of policy analyses, and the undertaking of policy research and evaluation in the fields of politics and government
apply analytical and research skills suitable for higher study or employment in the fields of government, non-government and the private sector including political, social and political economic analysis, normative evaluation, documentary and data interpretation, and bibliographic compilation
be well-equipped for graduate-entry employment positions, especially within government and non-government sectors.

Program of study

The following is the program of study for a 36 unit major sequence in Politics and should be read in conjunction with the course rule for the degree in which you are enrolled.

Major - Politics

Year 1 topics

POLI1003 An Introduction to Democracy and Government (4.5 units)

plus 4.5 units from the Year 1 topics listed below

GOVT1001 Fundamentals of Public Policy (4.5 units)
GOVT1003 Revolutionary Ideas: Political & Economic (4.5 units)

Year 2 topics

Select 9 units, including at least 4.5 units from Group A

Group A topics

GOVT2001 Nationalism, Populism & Democracy (4.5 units)
POLI2002  Government Business and Society (4.5 units)
POLI2011  Australian Public Policy: Policy Design (4.5 units)
POLI2019  Parties, Voting Behaviour and Elections in Australia (4.5 units)
POLI2020  Australian Indigenous Politics (4.5 units)
POLI2026  Research Methods in Political Science (4.5 units)
WMST2027  Feminist Political Theory (4.5 units)

Group B topics

AMST2002  American Politics (4.5 units)
INTR2005  The Next Superpower? The Rise of China in the 21st Century (4.5 units)
INTR2006  Debating Human Rights (4.5 units)
POLI2005  Politics of the European Union (4.5 units)

plus select an additional 4.5 units from the year 2 topics listed above or year 3 topics listed below.

Year 3 topics

Select 9 units from the Year 3 topics listed below

AMST3013 The Alliance and the Re-Emergence of China (4.5 units)
AMST3016  Internship Program: Washington DC (9 units)
GOVT3002 Digital Governance, Cyber Security & the Future of Democracy (4.5 units)
GOVT3005 International Relations and Political Science Practicum (4.5 units)
INTR3001  Australian Foreign Policy (4.5 units)
POLI3007  South Australian Parliamentary Internship (9 units)
POLI3068 Environmental Politics (4.5 units)
POLI3069 The Politics of the Australian Welfare State (4.5 units)

plus select 4.5 units from the year 2 or 3 topics listed above to make a total of 36 units.

Honours

Refer to Honours- Government and International Relations

Every effort has been made to ensure the information published on the Course Rule pages is accurate at the time of publication. Flinders University reserves the right to amend its curriculum without prior notice, and will update the Course Rules to reflect any amendments at the earliest opportunity.