Global Studies

This major is only available to students enrolled in the International and Global Studies degree and the combined Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Law degree.

About the major

This unique course of study educates global citizens by equipping students with the ability to relate knowledge about particular parts of the world to larger trends, the regional expertise and linguistic competence to work in a range of organisations with an international scope, and the capacity to communicate effectively across cultural and linguistic boundaries. Core units, an exchange abroad at a partner university, and majors in a chosen modern language and chosen subject area, capped by major project work or internship possibility provide an integrated global education of depth and breadth.

Requirements for completion

The Global Studies major requires 48 credit points, including:
(i) 12 credit points of 1000-level units
(ii) 18 credit points of 2000-level units
(iii) 12 credit points of 3000-level selective units
(iv) 6 credit points of 3000-level Interdisciplinary Project units

First year

Students take two core units.

INGS1003 International and Global Studies is an introduction to the key concepts of the field and an overview of contemporary issues of globalization and global society.

INGS1004 The Making of the Global Order traces the historical evolution of the global economy since the early modern period.

These core theoretical and historical units provide International and Global Studies students with the necessary skills for the following three years of undergraduate study. Students will also commence their chosen language studies and other electives.

Second year

Students take three core INGS units in addition to continuing their chosen language study and other electives.

INGS2601 Transnational Actors and Networks studies the interactions of four groups of transnational actors in the transnational public sphere – civil society, political, market and media – with a core focus on civil society interventions in the global political conversation.

INGS2602 The End of Empire and New States is a historical analysis of decolonization and foundation of new states in the Global South after the Second World War.

INGS2603 Dynamics of the Global Economy examines competing economic theories about the forces at the heart of the capitalist system, and how these forces have shaped the global economy.

Third year

In third year, students have a choice of two out of three INGS units.

INGS3602 Social Movements in the Global South builds on the insights from previous core units by applying a comparative lens to social movements in Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia.

INGS3603 Conflict and its Consequences analyses the important conflicts of the last century: World War II and the Cold War, especially in Asia and Latin America, intra-communist conflicts, insurgencies, drug wars, religious wars and genocidal struggles and their consequences.

INGS3604 International Law: Rights, Power and Morality, which analyses the modern development of international law and its place in today’s world order, covering themes including sovereignty, hierarchy, human rights, humanitarian intervention, and international criminal law.

The third unit is a compulsory Faculty-wide interdisciplinary project unit, FASS3999/INGS3999 Interdisciplinary Impact, which will train you to apply your disciplinary expertise in interdisciplinary contexts.

Fourth Year

Students are recommended to complete their exchange in Semester 1 of fourth year. In the second semester, students will complete two advanced coursework units and a project or internship.

INGS4001 Global Mobilities treats migration flows, refugees, and seasonal labour movements as personal experience and political and economic processes.

INGS4002 Identity, Politics, Globalisation studies the intersection of globalization, identity, and politics by focusing on objects of global consumption that have brought together different forms of politics and formations of identity.

Students will then have a choice between INGS4003 INGS Project which will provide real-world project skills in preparation for the workplace, or INGS4004 INGS Internship.

Contact/further information

Further information is available from the degree director, Professor Dirk Moses,

Example Pathways

Example degree structure where the second major is converted from the language minor:

Example degree structure where the second major is taken from Table A/Table S: