Further information
Contact
- Professor Bruce Stone
Honours Coordinator
Rights and responsibilities
Useful websites
The program develops an enhanced knowledge base in political science and international relations.
Benefits
This demanding but rewarding course offers an opportunity to:
- study political science and international relations in greater depth
- acquire an enhanced knowledge base in the discipline of political science and international relations
- develop analytic and research skills appropriate to the advanced study of politics.
An honours degree is an essential prerequsite for postgraduate research.
Employers are increasingly aware that an honours degree signifies a higher level of attainment.
Structure
The full-time or part-time program comprises:- two semester length seminars: 12 points each
- a dissertation of 12,000 words: 24 points.
Students can start at the beginning of either Semester One or Semester Two
Joint or cognate honours
Political Science and International Relations can be combined with honours units from another discipline, with the approval of the honours coordinator.
- Joint honours - includes 24 points in another discipline
- Cognate honours - includes up to 12 points in another discipline.
Eligibility
Students can apply for honours within seven years of completing a Bachelor of Arts in which they:
- completed a major sequence in Political Science and International Relations
- achieved 65 percent or above in units comprising half the pass degree (usually 72 points)
- achieved 70 percent or above, on average, in Political Science and International Relations units, comprising 36 points at Level 2/3.
Students who fall slightly short of these requirements may discuss their results with the honours coordinator to see if a special case can be made.
Where more than seven years have elapsed following the completion of a pass degree, students may apply for a Higher Degree by Research Preliminary (HDR Prelim) or a Graduate Diploma in Arts (Advanced).
Higher Degree Research Preliminary
Those who wish to apply for a higher degree by research (such as an MA) but do not have the necessary preparation and are not eligible for honours may apply for admission to the HDR Preliminary.
Applicants will generally be expected to have a degree which includes the equivalent of a major sequence in Political Science and International Relations and grades the same as those required for entry to honours.
The HDR Prelim comprises an honours level program which can be varied depending on a student's academic background and the preparation necessary for entry to a higher degree by research. This is not a stand-alone qualification. Those wishing to take an honours-equivalent program that constitutes a stand-alone qualification should apply for the Graduate Diploma in Arts (Advanced).
Graduate Diploma in Arts (Advanced)
The normal requirements for entry to the Graduate Diploma in Arts (Advanced) are the same as honours.
Students enrol in an honours equivalent program. Note that this is a fee-paying course for local and international students.
Enrolling
- Information on how to apply for honours in the School of Social and Cultural Studies.
- Deadlines for enrolments in honours.
Faculty Honours Policy
For information on:
Seminars
Two honours seminars survey major fields of study and key debates and issues within Political Science and International Relations.
The seminar groups meet for two hours once per week during each semester.
Semester 1
Political institutions, public policy, political behaviour and political theory
David Denemark, Bruce Stone, Jeannette Taylor, David van Mill
This seminar contains modules on four major fields of political science.
- Political behaviour: Examines the implications of changing party politics for elections and voting. In an era of weakening party loyalties, voters increasingly use non-party based cues to decide their vote – especially evaluations of leaders and issues.
- Political institutions: Looks at the design and operation of liberal democratic systems of governments and their component institutions, such as executives, legislatures, electoral systems and political parties.
- Public policy: Focuses on various aspects of public sector decision-making, examining issues such as the implications of agency theory, political control of the bureaucracy, and public sector reform.
- Political theory: Deals with normative political throught – that is, the nature of the good society, how we should treat other human beings, and how states should interact. It focuses on key issues such as free speech, punishment and genetic engineering.
Semester 2
International Politics
Jie Chen, Alex Coram, Roderic Pitty, Samina Yasmeen
The end of the Cold War and the consequent partial restructuring of the international system has seen the emergence of new issues and new actors in international politics.
This seminar examines a range of contemporary issues and contrasts different approaches to sovereignty and securtiy in world politics.
Dissertation
You normally select a topic in the first few weeks of the program, with the assistance of staff. Your supervisor can advise on the design of your research and provide ongoing support.
A series of additional seminars is provided to support the dissertation component of the program.
Topics in recent years include:
- Just war theory and the 2003 war in Iraq
- The consequences of Italian electoral system change
- The political participation of Muslim immigrants
- Howard, the media and the 2001 Federal Election
- Agenda setting and prostitution reform in Western Australia
- Intergovernmental relations, Western Australia and the GST
- Zimbabwe and the imperative for international intervention
- Whistleblowers in Western Australian Government
- The first East Asia summit
- Fighting the just fight: does the right to rebel exist with democracy?
Your 12,000 word dissertation may be on any topic,subject to the approval of the honours coordinator.
University information
CRICOS Code: 00126G
