Bachelor of International Studies

The Bachelor of International Studies is a three year degree.

The degree comprises units with a global perspective from several disciplines.

Topical issues include global security, earth in crisis, Islamic studies, cross-cultural communication, trade, the European Union, and Australia's relations with the US, Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Course Aims

To prepare students for further studies and/or employment in fields relating to international policy and advocacy, which can include professions within government, inter-governmental and non-government organisations, and the business sector.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key themes in international studies in one or more of the following areas: diplomacy; economics; peace; development; security and the environment; and exhibit knowledge, undertake analysis and engage in critical thinking within a specialised area of international studies; demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key themes in international studies in one or more of the following areas: diverse societies; politics; religions and cross-cultural communication; communicate effectively and, in the case of those students undertaking a language major, read, write and speak another language with fluency and appreciate its cultural context; apply an independent scholarly approach to research presentation, writing and referencing in relation to concepts, actors, processes and impacts of globalisation; apply critical, analytical skills and methods to the identification and resolution of problems within complex changing social contexts; and assess and appreciate international debates in specialised areas of study.

Graduate Attributes

Knowledge of a Discipline Graduates will obtain an in-depth knowledge of one or more cognate disciplines in their chosen majors. This will include an appreciation of the processes through which knowledge has evolved in these disciplines. They will also understand the need to adopt transnational and multicultural approaches to the understanding of various issues. This knowledge will be taught via lectures or podcasts, interactive discussion in class or online, set readings and assessments. Communication Skills Graduates will have developed good communication skills in their written work. They will have adopted a scholarly approach to research, presentation, writing and referencing. Assessment tasks foster these skills. On-campus students hone verbal skills in class. Problem Solving Many disciplines in this degree challenge students to apply their critical reasoning capacity to address real problems and dilemmas facing individuals, states, inter-governmental organisations and non-government actors. Having done so, graduates will have developed skills to compare, analyse and evaluate conflicting 'facts', arguments and perspectives with a view to finding solutions to problems. Information Literacy Graduates of international studies will have acquired skills in research and analysis, which in turn depend on the collection and evaluation of information from a range of sources. As many units are topical an ability to use up-to-date e-resources will have been mastered by graduates. Ethical Conduct and Social Responsibility International studies have an inherent ethical dimension as it concerns the politics of who decides who gets what on a global level. That issue is addressed in assessment tasks and in class or online discussion. After completing this course graduates will be equipped to apply a spirit of enquiry, critique, ethics and analysis to daily life and current affairs. Lifelong Learning Graduates will have honed life-long learning skills in research, analysis, interpretation and exposition. Graduates will be able to critique values, policies and processes. This includes an ability to mount arguments by developing ideas, seeking evidence, assessing alternatives and drawing independent conclusions. Graduates will have learned to engage in a flexible and open-minded pursuit of knowledge. Independence and Collaboration Graduates will develop skills in the independent study of international issues, in particular through autonomously researching and executing their assessment tasks. Teamwork is practised in interactive seminars and/or online discussion whereby students pose questions, communicate ideas and solve problems in cooperation with their peers and staff. Graduates will thus have learned to collaborate with others in a variety of contexts.