Overview | Summary of Courses

Offered By:	ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
Areas of Interest:	International Relations

This specialisation is available only to students undertaking the Bachelor of International Relations degree program.

What are the foundational ideas that drive the behaviour of people, nation-states, organisations and institutions in international relations?  Why is it that some people believe that war is an eternal feature of international life while others believe that perpetual peace is possible and worth striving for? This specialised minor looks at the theories and ideas that are behind policy-makers decisions in global politics.  It traces the history of these theories, the debates between competing theories, and the most recent challenges to many of the traditional ideas about how international politics should be conducted.

 

Learning outcomes

Students who complete this specialisation will have the skills and knowledge to:

• Explain the role that theory plays in shaping policy and behaviour in the international system
• Understand the history, evolution and details of major theoretical traditions in international relations, as well as their critiques
• Be capable of debating the strengths and weaknesses of different theoretical streams in IR
• Understand how international relations scholars, analysts and policy makers acquire knowledge about themselves and the world

Requirements

This specialisation may only be undertaken in conjunction with the International Relations major.

This specialisation requires the completion of 24 units, which must include:

24 units from completion of courses from the following list:

EURO2011 – Nationalism in Europe: History, Politics, Theory (6 units)

POLS2075 – Globalism and Politics of Identity (6 units)

POLS2099 – Cartographies of Security: Critical Security Studies and International Politics (6 units)

POLS2102 – The Political Philosophy of Deception (6 units)

POLS2109 – Politics of Empire (6 units)

POLSXXXX – Norms and Ideas in International Relations (6 units)

POLSXXXX – Security Communities (6 units)

POLSXXXX – The History of International Thought (6 units)

 

The information published on the Study at ANU 2011 website applies to the 2011 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2010 website.