International and Global Studies

The International and Global Studies program is based in the School of Social and Political Sciences (SSPS), located in the RC Mills Building. It includes majors from other areas in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Economics and Business.

Program structure and content
The Bachelor of International and Global Studies is three years full time; four years full time (honours).

The ability and skills to interpret and operate effectively in an increasingly integrated world are critical to graduates' success in a range of professional fields. Accordingly, in 2009 the University of Sydney developed this new degree to give students interested in a range of disciplines a way to focus their studies on international and global perspectives. The degree consolidates the University's position as a leading institution for the study of international and global issues within the humanities and social sciences.

In recognition of the range of internationally-focused career paths that students may wish to follow, this degree provides students with increased flexibility to reach across a range of subjects in their chosen areas of interest.

Students undertake a core of degree-specific units of study as well as specialisation in their chosen disciplines.

The degree-specific units give students access to a range of academic disciplinary approaches, emphasising the inherently inter-disciplinary nature of the subject area. In first year this includes the perspective of politics, sociology, political economy and anthropology. In addition, students complete a core major, with the choice of focusing on any of the above disciplines, an area studies or international business. Combined, the core ensures that students have both an inter-disciplinary perspective, and a strong foundation within a conventionally-defined discipline. This provides a strong foundation for employment or a range of postgraduate programs.

Students can complement their core major by studying another of the core disciplines or choose from a wider range of discipline areas within the University. This provides the opportunity to add a second language, but students can look to disciplines elsewhere in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences or in other Faculties, subject to meeting entry requirements.

Degree requirements
The requirements for the Bachelor of International and Global Studies include 24 credit points of compulsory degree-specific units of study and a major consisting of 12 junior credit points and 36 senior credit points. The major can be chosen from the following list of subjects:

• American Studies
• Anthropology
• Arab World, Islam and the Middle East
• Asian Studies
• European Studies
• Government and International Relations
• International Business
• Political Economy
• Sociology

A second major or elective units of study may be chosen from any one of the above mentioned subject areas, or from Table A or B as listed in this handbook (if International Business is undertaken as a core major, a second major from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (Table A) must also be completed).

Foreign language requirement
Students are encouraged, but not required, to study a language relevant to the areas of international and global studies they are pursuing in their degree.

Study abroad
Completing one or two semesters of study on exchange at a university outside Australia is an option in, but not a requirement of, this degree. There is some financial assistance available to assist students with their travel should they choose this option.

Honours
An honours year may be undertaken in any of the Departments listed under the compulsory major. It is available to students who have successfully completed the pass degree and honours prerequisites at a standard determined by the relevant department.

Contact/further information
Further information is available from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Office in the Quadrangle A14, ph: +61 2 9351 5436, or email