Bachelor of International Studies

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

Let's go through what each of these requirements means in turn.

What are credit points?

• Students doing an International Studies degree are able to choose to study in a wide range of subject areas - for example, International Politics, International Political Economy, Economics, Government and International Relations, International Business, Management, Political Economy 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. Most units of study are worth 6 credit points each.

How do I get 144 credit points?

• Most people studying full-time take three years to complete a Bachelor of International 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!

Table 1 - Core units of study

• ECOP1001 Economics as a Social Science
• ECOP1003 International Economy and Finance
• GOVT1105 Geopolitics
• GOVT1202 World Politics
• GOVT2801 Applied International Studies (to be completed in Year 2)
• GOVT2802 International Studies Practicum (to be completed in Year 3 Semester 2)

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. ECOP1001, GOVT1105 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 48 credit points is also the maximum number allowed in the first year.
• To make up your 48 credit points in your first year, most students take four 6 credit point junior units in each semester, for example:

For the list of available units in Table 4 see the Course Rules for the Bachelor of International Studies in the Faculty of Arts Handbook.

Could I do less than 48 junior credit points?

• Yes, but....for two reasons, it's not a good idea to skimp on them! Remember you must do the four compulsory junior units as prescribed in Table 1.
• 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.

Table 2A consists of the following compulsory units in the International Politics stream:

• GOVT2116 Australian Foreign and Defence Policy
• GOVT2221 Politics of International Economic Relations
• GOVT2225 International Security for the 21st Century
• GOVT2226 International Organisations
• GOVT2440 Globalisation and National Governance

What are 'senior' credit points?

• 'Senior' units of study build on the foundation of learning established by junior units. Senior units of study in the Faculty of Arts are worth 6 senior credit points each. 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. GOVT2116, ECOP2012.

Table 2B consists of compulsory units in the International Political Economy stream as follows:

• ECOP2012 Social Foundations of Modern Capitalism
• ECOP3011 Economic Conflicts and the State
• ECOP3012 Global Political Economy
• ECOP3014 International Development and Trade
• ECOP3015 Political Economy of the Environment
• ECOP3016 Women in the Global Economy
• ECOP3017 Political Economy of Human Rights

Do I have to complete a major in my Bachelor of International Studies degree?

• Although it is not a requirement of the Bachelor of International Studies, students may decide to undertake a major from any of the subject areas listed in the International Studies Table of units in the Faculty of Arts Handbook.
• If you wish to undertake senior units from Table 4 (see Course Rules for Bachelor of International Studies in the Faculty of Arts Handbook) you must undertake the appropriate junior prerequisite units in your first year.

What is a major?

• A major is a minimum of 36 senior credit points (6 senior units of study) in that discipline. Students may complete up to two majors.

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 must complete GOV2801 Applied International Studies in Second Year before you complete GOVT2802 international Studies Practicum in Year 3 Semester 2.
• Although not compulsory, you are encouraged to study abroad in your third year. While abroad you will enrol in the senior core unit GOVT2802 International Studies Practicum which is studied online. As this unit of study is offered in Semester 2, it is only possible to go on exchange in Semester 2 of third year. If you do not study abroad you will complete GOVT2802 International Studies Practicum as an intern in a government or non-government organisation in Sydney, working on an internationally focussed project

An example of how you would put together your second and third years looks like this:

• Most students will complete 48 junior credit points (8 units of study) in their first year and then do only senior units in second and third year.
• After completing first year if you wish to take a senior unit for which you do not have the prerequisites, you may need to complete no more than a further 12 junior credit points to meet the necessary prerequisites.
• If you decide to take up the option of completing these further 12 junior credit points, it will mean that you have fewer credit points available to you for second and third year units, as you can still only complete 144 overall. So you need to carefully consider which majors, or how many, you would like to have the option to complete in your degree before you decide to enrol in any more than 48 junior credit points.