This course provides a graduate level introduction to the main themes and issues in contemporary Australian foreign policy. It is divided into two parts. The first half focuses on the foundations of Australia’s foreign relations beginning with an historical perspective and moving into an examination of among other things, Australia as an international actor in a globalised world; the domestic and international forces that have shaped Australia’s international outlook; the way foreign policy is formulated and implemented and the extent to which Australia has a distinctive national style as a ‘middle power’.

The second half of the course looks at some of the key issues and challenges in Australian foreign policy.  The scope is both global and regional and includes an examination and assessment of: Australia’s participation in the global economy; defence and security; Australia as a multilateral actor; immigration and refugee policy; engaging with Asia and managing Australia's relationships with existing and aspiring regional powers. 

5,000 - 6,000 words of written assessment, comprising essays, seminar papers and an examination.