Program Overview

Combining Political Science and International Relations with Law will help you develop a solid understanding of the world we live in. You will learn about the forces that shape politics, public administration and international affairs.

Law component
In the Law component, you will study within a number of special subject areas called 'vertical subjects'. Through these subject areas, you will make connections between law and ethics, legal theory, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues, and internationalisation. You will also develop interdisciplinary understandings of law and legal work.

If you complete the five Canadian Law courses, you will be eligible for entry into the legal profession in Canada's common law provinces, when accompanied by a Certificate of Qualification from the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada.

Political Science and International Relations component
In the Political Science and International Relations component, you will learn about political movements and institutions, processes of lawmaking, diplomacy and global politics. You'll explore how democracy thrives or struggles to survive, and the strategies authoritarian leaders increasingly use to maintain their grip on power, among a range of other exciting topics in Political Science and International Relations. In your second, third and fourth years, you'll gain valuable specialised knowledge by completing one or two majors in International Relations, Political Science and Public Policy; or Security, Conflict and Human Rights. Throughout your studies, you'll gain the skills and training needed for pursuing your own career pathway, including taking dedicated employability courses and having opportunities to complete a work placement, field study trip, or parliamentary internship.

Major: Security, Conflict and Human Rights

This course examines the human experience of conflict and displacement, and examines how people make meaning of violence. It examines human rights, genocide and civilian experiences of war to problematize types of violence in recent history. Students then proceed to analyse central aspects of forced displacement, including human trafficking, life in refugee camps and arbitrary detention. The course continues with an exploration of how exposure to conflict and injustice continues to resonate with communities into the future. It concludes by considering the implications of this for communities seeking to build peace following conflict, and for societies with high levels of refugee settlement.