Bachelor of International and Global Studies*

*Subject to final approval

New in 2009

There’s an amount of freedom of choice in what to study in a Bachelor of International and Global Studies degree, but there are a few requirements that you will have to follow. These requirements are listed here and explained in detail below.

What are credit points?

• Students doing an International and Global Studies degree are able to choose to study in a wide range of subject areas - for example, Anthropology, Sociology, Government, Japanese etc. A semester-length component in a particular subject area is called a 'unit of study'. Each unit of study is worth a certain number of 'credit points', depending on the level at which it is taught and the amount of work required.

How do I get 144 credit points?

• Most people studying full-time will take three years to complete a Bachelor of International and Global Studies degree. Full-time students usually earn their 144 credit points by taking units of study worth a total of 48 credit points per year (usually 24 credit points per semester) over the three years of their degree, that is: 48 credit points x 3 years = 144 credit points!

What are junior credit points?

• You start your degree by taking 'junior' units of study. They form a foundation for more advanced 'senior' units of study. Junior units of study are worth 6 junior credit points each. They are sometimes called 1000 level units because their unit of study codes all have the form 1XXX, eg. CHNS1101, LNGS1005 etc

How would I get 48 junior credit points?

• Most full-time students take units of study worth 48 junior credit points in their first year (generally 24 credit points in each semester). It is important to remember that 24 credit points is also the maximum number allowed per semester in the first year.
• To make up 48 credit points in first year, you would need to take four 6 credit point junior units in each semester.
• Within the 48 junior credit points for your degree, you will need to complete 12 junior credit points in specialised International and Global Studies (INGS) units (see Requirement 4 below) that are only available to students in the Bachelor of International and Global Studies.
• When choosing your junior units you will need to consider what BIGS Core Major you want to do (see Requirement 5 below), as you will need to make sure that you satisfy the junior pre-requisites for your chosen BIGS major.

Could I do less than 48 junior credit points?

• Yes, but....for two reasons, it's not a good idea to skimp on them!
• Firstly, remember that junior units form a foundation for further study. In some cases, this is a necessary foundation for more advanced study in a particular subject area. In all cases, junior units provide an opportunity to work at developing the skills and ways of thinking that you will need for more advanced learning at the tertiary level.
• Secondly, junior units of study offer you the chance to sample a range of subject areas and gain a variety of learning experiences, even in subjects that you may not go on to specialise in.
• If you are studying part-time, it is usually recommended that you do a minimum of 18 junior credit points in your first year.

What are 'senior' credit points

• 'Senior' units of study build on the foundation of learning established by junior units. Senior units in Arts are sometimes called 2000 or 3000 level units because their study codes all have the form 2XXX or 3XXX, e.g. SPAN2601, JCTC2606.

How would I get 96 senior credit points?

• You can't start taking senior units of study until you have the appropriate foundation of junior units in place. In many (but not all) cases this means that you have to take junior units in the same subject area, as prerequisites for your senior units. You'll need to check the Faculty of Arts Handbook in print or online.
• So usually this means that you will be taking senior units in your second and third years to the value of 96 credit points. Within those 96 credit points, you will need to complete the requirements for your Bachelor of International and Global Studies (BIGS) Core Major (ie minimum of 36 senior credit points).
• Aside from the minimum 36 senior credit points required for your BIGS Core Major, you will have 60 senior credit points to complete. These 60 credit points will be comprised of core INGS units (see requirement 4 below), and either a second major or elective units to make up the 144 total credit points for your degree.

What is a major in the Faculty of Arts?

• To earn a major in a subject area in the Faculty of Arts, students will normally complete 36 credit points in THAT subject area. Of course, you may need to have appropriate junior (1XXX) prerequisites in place before you can do these senior units of study.

Could I do more than 24 credit points per semester?

• You might want to take more than 24 credit points in one semester - perhaps to make up for a unit of study that you have failed or to try to get through your degree more quickly.
• You will be permitted to do up to 30 credit points per semester in your second and third years. However, be aware that 30 credit points in a single semester is a very heavy load. It's unlikely that you'll be able to do your best in each unit you take (and very unlikely that you'll have a life while you do it!!)

• You will do two compulsory junior units in First Year – INGS1001 Power and Money in Global Society and INGS1002 Global Culture and Society.
• In Second Year you will do INGS2601 Perspectives on the Global and in Third Year you will do INGS3601 Current Global Issues.

You will need to complete at least one major from the list of BIGS Core Majors below:

• American Studies
• Anthropology
• Arab World, Islam and the Middle East
• Asian Studies
• Australian Studies
• European Studies
• Government and International Relations
• International Business*
• Political Economy
• Sociology

*Subject to final approval

• You can choose a second major or just some elective units to make up your degree from either Table A or B of the Table of Units of Study in the Faculty of Arts Handbook.
• It is a good idea to include some study of a language other than English to compliment your studies in international and global studies. Languages are listed in Table A of the Faculty of Arts Handbook and are offered in various streams, including complete beginners. Studying a language will help you to apply knowledge gained in the core units and will assist you if you wish to consider completing part of your degree as an Exchange student overseas.
• To meet the requirements for a Table B major, you must follow the regulations set by the relevant faculty (refer to the appropriate Faculty's handbook for more details).

Here is an example of how you might put all of this together:

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