International Relations - School of Political Science and ...

International Studies
(International Relations)
International Relations (IR) is one of the most exciting
components of political science. Increasingly, professional
opportunities are linked to, and pursued within, a shrinking
and more complex world. Traditional dimensions of IR remain
central to international peace and prosperity. These include:
international diplomacy, arms control, alliance politics,
institutionalism and development studies at both the regional
and global levels. Newer dimensions of IR however, are also
moving toward centre-stage, becoming integral components
of the field. These include international political economics,
environmental politics, refugee and migration problems, human
rights and human security. The rapidly expanding and diverse
array or issue-areas that can be studied under the IR rubric
establishes the field as a dynamic and important part of our
daily lives.
The School of Political Science and International Studies at The
University of Queensland has a strong and growing research
and teaching profile in the field of international relations. It has
close ties with several Commonwealth government agencies
(including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the
Department of Defence) as well as with a number of overseas
institutions and research centres in Asia, Europe and North
America.
The programs bring together the sub-disciplines of international
relations, security studies, diplomacy and political economy.
These are fields of study that are often offered separately.
However, in an era of increasing internationalisation of political
issues and the globalisation of the economy, presenting issues
in strict separation risks intellectual credibility. By bringing
together these various issues and streams in cohesively
constructed programs, the processes of policy formulation
and implementation will become more apparent to students
undertaking this field of study.
Employment Outcomes
Qualifications in international relations can lead directly to
employment in a range of positions requiring analytical expertise
and sound knowledge of global issues. The postgraduate
qualifications are designed to equip students with capacities
relevant to careers in such areas as diplomacy, defence,
journalism, intelligence and a wide variety of both government
and NGO positions.
Particular strengths of the program include:
• Domestic students can balance their study load by
selecting between one and four courses per semester.
• You will study with students from a wide range of
countries, organisations and professions.
• Teaching is conducted in small groups and most classes
are held in the evening.
• Successful completion of the Graduate Certificate satisfies
the entry requirements for the Graduate Diploma and
Masters degrees.
• The degrees (Graduate Certificate, Graduate
Diploma, and Masters) are articulated so that full credit is
forwarded towards the next level of qualification.
• The program incorporates an Internship/Applied Field
Experience option, for which students can apply. To
date, students have been placed with the United Nations
High Commission for Human Rights, the United Nations
High Commission for Refugees, the Centre for Applied
Studies in International Negotiation in Geneva,
International Alert, the Australian Red Cross and many
other organisations.
• Teaching staff are recognised as being world class in their
respective fields. They regularly engage with national
and international agencies to provide policy advice,
research, consultancy and training. These agencies
include Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade, various United Nations bodies, think tanks such
as the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, and nongovernment
agencies such as the Medical Association for
the Prevention of War and Swiss Agency for International
Development.
• Staff research has been supported by the Australian
Research Council, the United States Institute of Peace,
the Carnegie Foundation, the Japan Foundation, and the
Humboldt Foundation.