Public Policy
Semster 2, 2020 unit of study availability
Some Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences units of study originally intended to run in Semester 2, 2020 are no longer available.
A full and up-to-date list of units of study available in Semester 2, 2020 from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, can be found on this webpage.
Public Policy
Master of Public Policy
Students complete 96 credit points, including:
(a) a minimum of 12 credit points of core unit of study as specified; and
(b) a minimum of 30 credit points of selective units of study; and
(c) a maximum of 48 credit points from elective units of study which can include an optional specialisation:
(i) Economics specialisation: 12 credit points in compulsory units and at least 6 credit points of elective units
(ii) Economic Policy specialisation: 12 credit points in compulsory units and at least 6 credit points of elective units
(iii) Foreign language specialisation: 18 credit points
(iv) Global Migrations specialisation: 12 credit points in compulsory units and at least 6 credit points of elective units
(v) International Law specialisation: 18 credit points
(vi) International Policy specialisation: 24 credit points
(vii) Media and Cultural Policy specialisation: 24 credit points
(viii) Peace and Conflict Studies specialisation: 18 credit points
(ix) Social Policy specialisation 12 credit points in compulsory units and at least 12 credit points of elective units
(x) Political Economy specialisation: 18 credit points
(xi) American Foreign Policy specialisation: 6 credit points in compulsory units and 12 credit points from the list
(d) with the permission of the Degree Coordinator a maximum of 12 credit points can be taken as electives, including units of study offered by other faculties; and
(e) a minimum of 6 credit points from capstone units of study.
Graduate Diploma in Public Policy
Students complete 48 credit points comprising:
(a) 12 credit points of core unit of study; and
(b) 24 credit points from selective units of study and
(c) 12 credit points from elective units of study.
Graduate Certificate in Public Policy
Students complete 24 credit points comprising:
(a) 12 credit points of core units of study; and
(b) 12 credit points from elective units of study.
Core units of study
GOVT6316 The Politics of Policy Making
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd Short Essay (30%), 1x4000wd Long Essay (50%), 1x Seminar participation (20%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit focuses on the nature of public policy and the processes by which it is produced. Relevant issues are common to all nation states, although they take specific forms in each individual country. First, the unit takes an overview of public policy - dealing with basic themes such as 'What is policy?' through to different approaches to understanding the policy process. These include policy cycles, rationality, interest groups, institutions, and socio-economic interests. Second, it maps out and examines the main components of public policy making: actors, institutions and policy instruments. Third, it focuses on aspects of policy-making processes which often attract a high level of attention from analysts. These include problem definition, agenda setting, decision-taking, policy implementation, policy evaluation and crisis policy-making. Fourth, it examines wider issues in terms of the state and who ultimately holds power over the making and shaping of public policy. Finally, it examines the 'bigger pictures' of long term policy trends, and the extent to which national policy making capacities and processes have been affected by globalisation. Assessments offer a large element of flexibility, allowing students to concentrate on areas of particular interest.
GOVT6331 Public Management and Governance
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr in-class group work/week Assessment: 1x3000wd case study (50%), 1x1000wd case study outline (10%), 1x2hr Examination (30%), seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit outlines some of the most important developments in contemporary public management and governance and how these relate to the everyday practices of those working in the public sector. It uses examples drawn from a number of OECD countries to: critically analyse the forces that have driven the move towards 'public management'; examine the theory and practice of 'public governance'; evaluate the merits of these developments; and apply this knowledge to better understand specific developments across different contexts.
Selective units of study
GOVT6123 Globalisation and Governance
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Assessment: 1x3000wd Research essay (40%), 3x 500wd Tutorial papers (30%), 1x1.5hr Examination (20%), 1x Tutorial participation (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
It is widely believed that we are entering a new era in which the transborder flows of capital, goods, ideas, and people are rapidly transforming human society. 'Globalisation', many claim, threatens the autonomy of nation-states and erodes the power of national governments to provide social protection and promote the nation's economic prosperity. This unit examines not only the causes and mechanisms of this process, but also assesses its social, economic, and political impacts. The views of radicals, transformationalists, skeptics, and institutionalists are compared and criticised. While globalisation is often viewed as a singular process, trending towards a global society, this unit offers a distinctive approach. Globalisation has uneven and highly differentiated impacts, whether harmful or beneficial, and this unevenness is closely associated with the nature of institutions of governance, at both the domestic and international levels.
GOVT6135 Global Environmental Politics
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd Essay (30%), 1x4000wd Essay (50%), Seminar participation (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit examines the environment as a political and policy issue. Although relatively recent, the environment has become a full-fledged public policy issue exerting influence in local, national and international arenas. The unit will first focus on the specific features of the policy that influences the capability of contemporary societies to enhance the management of environmental resources and of public goods in general. Second, it discusses the development of environmental policy in Western countries, with a particular emphasis on the European Union. Third, a grid for the analysis of environmental policy will be presented, with a discussion of the main actors (political, institutional and socio-economic) involved in it and of the factors (interests and ideas) influencing their positions. Fourth, the unit briefly discusses environmental conflicts and consensual approaches used for tackling them.
GOVT6150 Challenges of Democratic Politics
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1000wd Research proposal (15%), 1x1000wd Seminar facilitation (15%), 1x4000wd Research essay (60%), 1x Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit examines the challenges of modern representative government. Comparing models of democratic politics, we assess the continuing relevance of political institutions, such as parliaments and parties, and consider political processes, citizen disengagement and new forms of participation.
GOVT6156 Strategy and Civil Society
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd Project Analysis (20%), 1x1000wd Research Proposal (15%), 1x3000wd Research Report (50%), 1x Participation (15%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit provides an overview of contemporary debates about policy making in democratic states, such as Australia. It examines how 'governance' is constituted by the interaction between the state and civil society. Governance is an emerging area of interest for both government and non-government organisations, and this unit analyses the way these social, economic and political organisations interact to both create public policy agendas and lead to social and political change. The unit covers the configurations of policy communities, political networks and social movements which shape both representative and participatory democratic practice. There is a particular emphasis on understanding the strategies that different political actors adopt.
GOVT6159 Emotions, Agenda Setting, and Public Policy
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd case study (30%), 1x4000wd essay (60%), seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
From the ban on 'Supertrawlers' to investigating the 'live baiting' of greyhounds, modern public policy addresses contemporary issues in ways that mobilise or mitigate public sentiment. Understanding policymaking increasingly depends on analysing how the emotionality of a topic and the salience of an issue create penalties for actors and may influence policy responses. This unit focuses on the way emotional issues rise on the political agenda and can lead to short-term policy responses
GOVT6163 Critical Challenges of Governing Cities
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/ week, 1x1hr seminar/ week Assessment: 1x1500wd issue analysis (20%), 1x1500wd research proposal (20%), 1x3000wd research report (50%), seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
In an urban society, cities form the locus for critical public policy challenges. This unit considers the multi-level, co-governance of cities in the comparative context of Western democracies. It considers the validity of contending theories of urban governance and explores the systemic tensions between public policy goals, such as subsidiarity and solidarity. It seeks to equip students with a critical understanding of the complexities and challenges of urban politics and policymaking in real world application.
GOVT6223 Topics in Environmental Politics
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 2x 1000wd Seminar paper (30%), 1x3400wd Essay (50%), 1x600wd equivalent Oral Presentation (10%), 1x Seminar participation (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit will offer a broad overview of a key contemporary issue in environmental politics. Topics could include climate change policy, environmental justice, food security and politics, sustainable cities, or timely issues in the Australian or global context. The goal will be to ground these issues in the relevant literatures of politics and environmental studies. Check with the unit coordinator or Department for the particular topic to be addressed in any given semester.
GOVT6229 Campaigning: Data, Politics, Strategy
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
GOVT6301 Public Sector Ethics and Corruption
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Assessment: 1x900wd Short paper (15%), 1x3600wd Essay (60%), 1x1500wd Reflective journal (25%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Much recent attention has focused on preventing corruption and improving ethics in public sector organisations around the world. This unit equips students to identify and analyse different forms of corruption and ethical failure, and to reflect critically on the best ways of combatting corruption and enhancing ethics in the public sector. The unit takes a comparative approach to these issues.
GOVT6311 Issues in Public Policy
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week or equivalent intensive Assessment: 1x1500wd Essay (30%), 1x3000wd Essay (50%), 1x Seminar participation (20%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study will examine a current national or international public policy process, issue or sector. It will deal with contemporary themes and issues in terms of ground level policies, as well as wider conceptual frameworks to help explain them.
GOVT6313 Leadership in Theory and Practice
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1500wd leadership research paper (25%), 1x1000wd Leader in Action group proposal (15%), 1x20min Leader in Action group presentation (20%), 1x3500wd reflective journal (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
'The leader points the way.' Eleanor Roosevelt. Leadership is a story that resolves these questions: What is a leader? What kinds of leaders are there? Is democratic leadership different from other kinds? Is leadership in a local community similar to that in national politics or international politics? Are leaders made or born? Is leadership generic? Is it the same in Europe and Asia? What is the difference between a leader and a manager? This unit reviews and evaluates theories of leadership. Participants' experiences and perceptions of leadership are an important part of the unit.
GOVT6319 Governance and Public Policy Making
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 6x3hr lectures-tutorials/weeks 1-6, 1x7hr weekend class, 1x4hr weekend class Assessment: 1x3000wd Case study (40%), 1x1500wd equivalent Group presentation (25%), 1x1500wd Take-home exercise (25%), 1x Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The course is focused on two major concepts which are mobilised in the explanation of the way we are governed: 'public policy' and 'governance'. It aims to clarify what is meant by these constructs, and how they can be used in the analysis of governing. It examines the argument that 'governance' denotes a change in the way we are governed, and works through a combination of analytic development and detailed empirical cases to establish the significance of these concepts in both the analysis and the practice of governing.
GOVT6336 Media Politics
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 3000wd essays (2x50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit examines politics and media. From the relationship between news media and electoral politics, the study of the intersection of media and power now includes the consideration of new media forms and their relationship with the "soft" politics of representation and performativity.
GOVT6357 International Policy Making
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd Short Essay (35%), 1x4000wd Depth Essay (50%), 1x Seminar participation (15%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit examines the interplay between international and domestic policy making. It evaluates the international context of policy making and public management in domestic arenas, attending to the roles of international governmental organizations and treaties, pressure groups, and multinational corporations in shaping policy decisions. It evaluates the diffusion of policy ideas and programmes internationally and the transfers of policies from one country to another and interrogates the factors that facilitate or frustration implementation.
GOVT6358 Comparative Migration Policy
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x4500wd Research Paper (60%), 1x1.5hr Examination (25%), 1x Seminar participation (15%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study covers immigration policy debates in the world's three largest immigrant selecting nations - Australia, Canada and the United States - with additional reference to developments across the European Union. Students will analyse the regulation of skilled, family, asylum and illegal immigration and the determination of the size and composition of immigration programmes. Integration and citizenship policies are also considered. In all of these debates, the role of policy instruments, institutions and actors in the policy process are considered.
Capstone units of study
(1) Semester-long research project
GOVT6127 Research Project/Essay
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 2hrs over the semester as arranged with supervisor Assessment: 500 word proposal and 5,000 word Research essay/project (100%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The unit consists of a Research essay OR project on a topic devised by the student and approved by the supervisor-marker. The student is responsible for finding a supervisor-marker, in consultation with the PG coordinator. The Essay/project is to be completed within one semester. It is strongly recommended that the students draft their proposal and seek a supervisor before the semester begins.
(2) Year-long dissertation project
Students wishing to complete the year-long dissertation project must have completed GOVT6139 Research Design
GOVT6340 Dissertation Part 1
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 4hrs over the semester in meetings as arranged with the supervisor. Prerequisites: Completion of 4 postgraduate units - 75% or above average Assessment: Completion of a research proposal and research and writing towards a dissertation of 10,000 words (100%) Mode of delivery: Supervision
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit of study comprises part 1 of a 10,000 word dissertation for the degree of Master of Public Policy. Students must seek the department's permission prior to enrolment.
GOVT6341 Dissertation Part 2
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 4hrs over the semester in meetings as arranged with the supervisor Corequisites: Recommended Co-requisites: GOVT6340 (if enrolled full-time). Assessment: Completion of a research proposal research and writing towards a dissertation of 10,000 words (100%) Mode of delivery: Supervision
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit of study comprises part 2 of a 10,000 word dissertation for the degree of Master of Public Policy. Students must seek the department's permission prior to enrolment.
Elective units of study
(i) Students who complete the credit requirements within a single cognate discipline with relevance to Public Policy will have a Specialisation recorded.
(ii) Students must satisfy any prerequisite requirements set by the offering Department or Centre, as well as any prerequisites set by individual units of study, before they enrol in any unit of study.
(iii) Students may complete up to two units (12 credit points) as electives from outside the Public Policy Postgraduate Unit of Study table in a relevant discipline. Students must obtain approval from the Department of Government and International Relations in advance, as well as the approval of the Unit of Study coordinator.
BETH5209 Medicines Policy, Economics and Ethics
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor Wendy Lipworth, Dr Narcyz Ghinea Session: Semester 2 Classes: Fully online. Assumed knowledge: A degree in science, medicine, pharmacy, nursing, allied health, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, history, law, communications, public policy, business, economics, commerce, organisation studies, or other relevant field, or by special permission. Assessment: Online work (15%) 1 x minor essay (35%) 1 x major essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Online
Medicines save lives but they can be costly and can have serious adverse effects. Value-laden decisions are continuously being made at individual, institutional, national and international levels regarding the medicines we need, want and can afford. In this unit of study, we will explore and critique global and national policies and processes related to medicines, examining how research and development agendas are set; how medicines are assessed and evaluated; and how new technologies are translated into practice. We will also explore broader trends such as globalisation, commercialisation and changing consumer expectations. By the end of the course, students will understand the forces shaping the development, regulation, funding and uptake of medicines both nationally and internationally, and the political, ethical, legal and economic issues that are at stake. This course is designed to appeal to a wide range of students from ethics, law, public health, health care, policy, communications, economics, business, politics, administration, and biomedical science.
Textbooks
Readings will be provided
CISS6001 New Security Challenges
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2500wd Essay (30%), 1x3500wd Essay (60%), Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit considers the evolving nature of security in the context of global politics. It focuses on non-military challenges to security while acknowledging the relationships between these and traditional security concerns. Among the topics considered are: international law and security; the privatisation of security; economics and security; energy resources; environmental degradation; the burden of infectious diseases; population dynamics; gender and age perspectives on security; the dilemmas of fragile and failing states; transnational organised crime; and new modes of warfare. The overall objective of the unit is to engage with issues and arguments that challenge how security is traditionally understood. Teaching and learning take place via a combination of lectures, student-led seminars, independent research, debates and case studies.
CISS6002 Strategy and Security in the Asia-Pacific
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week or equivalent intensive Assessment: 2x 2000wd Essay (80%), 1x400wd equivalent Oral Presentation (10%), Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit focuses on the strategic dynamics of the Asia-Pacific region and the security challenges it faces. It combines a grounding in International Relations theory, and concepts of strategy and security, with a series of dedicated country profiles. Issues such as great power rivalry, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, piracy, and environmental degradation are all considered. The overall objective of the unit is to engage with issues and arguments about strategy and security that relate specifically to the Asia-Pacific region. Teaching and learning take place via a combination of lectures, student-led seminars, and independent research.
CISS6004 Health and Security
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1.5hr lecture/week, 1x1.5hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1000wd Issue brief (35%), 1x3000wd Research essay (50%), 1x500wd Self-evaluation (15%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit assesses the political and security significance of disease-related events and developments. Whether one contemplates historical experiences with smallpox, the contemporary challenges posed by diseases such as HIV/AIDS and SARS, or the risks arising from new scientific developments such as synthetic biology, it is clear that diseases exercise a powerful influence over civilised humankind. The unit concentrates on areas in which human health and security concerns intersect most closely, including: biological weapons; fast-moving disease outbreaks of natural origin; safety and security in microbiology laboratories; and the relationships between infectious disease patterns, public health capacity, state functioning and violent conflict. The overall aim of the unit is to provide students with a stronger understanding of the scientific and political nature of these problems, why and how they might threaten security, and the conceptual and empirical connections between them.
CISS6006 Intervention and 'Fragile' States
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week or equivalent intensive Assessment: 1x2000wd Essay (40%), 1x2000wd intelligence briefing paper (40%), Seminar participation (10%), 1x500wd actor profile (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit critically examines the notion of state fragility within the global system. It investigates the characteristics of so-called 'fragile' and 'failed' states, and the nature of international engagement with (and discourses about) these states. It explores various perspectives on state formation in both Western and post-colonial contexts, and emphasises the ways in which knowledge is produced about non-Western states. The unit expands upon the theoretical literature with evidence from case studies in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.
CISS6009 Research Essay 1
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 4x1-2hr supervision meetings weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8, or equivalent hours arranged by supervisor and student Assessment: 6000wd Research essay (100%) Mode of delivery: Supervision
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit consists of a 6000 word Research essay under the guidance of a supervisor from CISS. Normally it involves deeper study of a subject which the student has already covered in her/his degree. Entry into this unit is by permission only, and depends upon the availability of a CISS supervisor for the proposed topic and student's existing knowledge in the area. MCom, MBus, and MIntSec students can take this unit as a stand-alone elective unit. MIntSec students may also take this unit in conjunction with CISS6010 Research essay 2, writing a supervised dissertation of 10000 - 12000 words.
CISS6010 Research Essay 2
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 4x1-2hr supervision meetings weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8, or equivalent hours as arranged by supervisor and student. Prerequisites: Completion of a minimum of 4 units with an average of 75% Corequisites: CISS6009 Assessment: 10,000-12,000wd Research essay (100%) Mode of delivery: Supervision
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit is the second of a two-part, supervised dissertation of 10000 -12000 words to be taken in conjunction with CISS6009 Research essay 1. Entry into this unit is by permission only and requires the completion of a minimum of 4 units with an average of 75%, and upon the availability of a CISS supervisor for the proposed topic.
CISS6013 Middle East Conflict and Security
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week or equivalent intensive Prohibitions: GOVT6154 Assessment: 1x2500wd briefing paper (45%), 1x2500wd essay (45%), seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit examines the drivers of conflict and insecurity in the contemporary Middle East, starting with a theoretical framework that investigates the processes of state-formation and external intervention in the region. The unit focuses on the interplay between domestic factors (such as rentierism and regime dynamics) and international factors (including geopolitics/geo-economics, and the military industrial complex), and uses several detailed case studies to explore the relationship from various angles.
CISS6015 Alliances and Coalition Warfare
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1 x 2hr Lecture/week, 1x1 hr seminar/week Assessment: 3000wd Essay (80%) and Oral Presentation (10%) and Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Alliances and coalitions are pivotal features of International Security. This unit interrogates these closely-related phenomena using a combination of conceptual frameworks to analyse them, and empirical case studies to illustrate them. The unit starts with an investigation in the thorny definitional issues that surround the distinctions between 'alliance' and 'coalition', then outlines the major conceptual theoretical works pertinent to examining these phenomena, such as 'balance of power', 'intra-alliance politics', and 'multinational operations'. Equipped with these analytical tools the students will apply these concepts to a series of major cases studies of alliance management and coalition warfare operations. Case studies include World War I and II, The Cold War (NATO/Warsaw Pact), The Gulf War (1991), the Balkan Wars (Bosnia 1992-5, Kosovo 1999) and the current 'global war on terror' (i.e. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan). Through this process students will gain both a conceptual and practical understanding of peacetime alliance behaviour and the principles of conducting military operations alongside allies. Student presentations will include an emphasis upon Australia's role as an alliance/coalition partner in historical and contemporary conflicts.
CISS6016 Chinese Foreign and Security Policy
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 4500wd research paper (60%) and 1000wd book report (20%) and 500wd equivalent Class presentation (10%) and Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
China's rise to regional and global prominence has attracted growing attention in recent years. Scholars as well as policymakers debate and assess the implications of rising Chinese power for regional security and the international system. This seminar introduces students to Chinese foreign and security policy, including its handling of major-power relations, its active pursuit of multilateral diplomacy in regional organizations and participation in international peacekeeping operations, and its changing perspectives on arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation. It begins with a brief history of phases in Chinese foreign and security policy and then gives an overview of major theoretical approaches to the subject. These theoretical perspectives are useful in examining a wide range of policy issues, ranging from Chinese strategic modernization, security trends in the Taiwan Strait, civil-military relations, the Chinese foreign policy process, and the domestic sources of Chinese foreign and security policy. The unit is taught as a seminar, with students expected to write a book review, a research design and bibliography, and a final research paper. Students will be required to do assigned reading, participate actively in class discussions, make Oral Presentations of their book review and research paper, and serve as a discussant for one of their classmates' papers.
CISS6018 Nuclear Arms Control and Non-proliferation
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week Assessment: 1x1000wd Take-home exercise (20%), 1x4500wd Research essay (60%)1, 1x500wd Group presentation (10%), Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit introduces students to the basic knowledge of the issues, challenges, and policies related to nuclear arms control and non-proliferation. The principal objective is to give students a better understanding of the politics of arms control and non-proliferation and help them develop the analytical skills for undertaking policy-relevant research and the ability to develop policy recommendations. The unit is also designed to examine proliferation problems and the ways that arms control can contribute to national and regional security.
CISS6019 War and Strategy
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 2x 2500wd Essay (80%), 1xOral Presentation equivalent to 1000wds (10%), 1x Seminar participation (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit aims to supply students with an introduction to military affairs and the conduct of war. It considers the complex relationship between politics and strategy and examines strategic thought, the application of land/air/space/naval power and military technologies. It applies this knowledge to interactive case studies before proceeding to investigate more contemporary strategic problems such as the 'revolution in military affairs', 'new' wars, and counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency.
CISS6022 Cybersecurity
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2hr exam (40%), 1x3000wd analytical Essay (40%), 1x1000wd equivalent lab exercise (10%), 1xSeminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The digital revolution has created new frontiers of information that influence almost every aspect of our lives. But does cyberspace also threaten our security? What are the methods and motives for attack? And how can state and non-state actors respond? Drawing on a unique combination of expertise from the Centre for International Security Studies and the School of Information Technologies, this unit introduces students to the technical and political concepts that are necessary to answer these important questions.
FASS7001 Academic English for Postgraduates
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1500wd Essay (35%), 1x500wd Annotated Bibliography (15%), 1x2500wd Reflection Journal (25%), 1xSeminar Presentation (25%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This elective is designed for International postgraduates who are new to study in an English language university. It supports the development of study, research, and critical thinking abilities, spoken English and academic language. Knowledge acquired in this unit will strengthen written and spoken English to help meet the standards necessary for successful completion of FASS Masters by coursework degrees. It is recommended that this elective be taken during the first semester.
FASS7002 Critical Thinking and Persuasive Writing
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: Weeks 1-3: 2x1hr lecture/week, 2x2hr tutorial/week; Weeks 4-9:1x1hr lecture/week, 1x2hr tutorial/week Assessment: 1x500wd critical review (20%), 1x1500wd essay (35%), seminar presentation (20%),1x2500wd reflection journal (20%), tutorial participation (5%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This elective supports development of skills in critical analysis, writing in different genres, research, presentation, and developing individual scholarly 'voice'. While valuable for all commencing postgraduates, it is of particular benefit to those returning to academia after an extended break, or for International students wishing to orient themselves to local standards of practice for academic communication. This unit is structured to have additional seminars and lectures early in the semester and fewer later in the semester so students have the opportunity to apply new skills to all their coursework. The unit is ideally taken in the first semester of study.
GOVT6100 Foundations of Comparative Politics
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 2x1500wd writing assignment (40%), 1x3000wd research paper (50%), participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit examines major concepts and theories of comparative politics. Employing a range of theoretical perspectives and drawing on diverse cases from around the world, it explores topics such as the state, political regimes, development, institutional design, and state-society relations. Several major research traditions, schools of thought, and methodological approaches will be considered, and students will acquire the basic tools of comparative analysis.The unit will also explore some of the major debates and controversies among scholars working in this area.
GOVT6108 Democracy, Development and Rights in SE Asia
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd Oral Presentation and written assessment (30%), 2500wd analytical Essay/report (30%), 1500wd exam (30%), Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Southeast Asia's economic experiences and socio-political challenges will be examined within an historical and comparative context in order to better appreciate the economic continuities, understand the major socio-political dilemmas and changing patterns of development. Themes such as the significance of colonialism on post-colonial economies and polities, role of the state in the national and global economy, causes of the region's high-speed growth in the 1980s and 1990s, subsequent economic downturn and future prospects, changing complexion of foreign investment, significance and operational dynamics of the Overseas Chinese Business Networks, salience of socio-economic and ethnic tensions, contradictions associated with the promotion of open economies within authoritarian political structures, the relationship between economic and political corruption, prominence of political Islam, rise of civil society actors, implications of the national and regional reserve army of labour, efficacy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the region's economic and security links with Northeast Asia will be analysed.
GOVT6109 Political Regimes and Regime Transition
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 3x1500wd analytical essay (75%), 1x1.5 hr final exam (20%), tutorial participation (5%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit will provide an in-depth examination of theories of political regimes and regime transitions. Political scientists have developed a variety of theories to explain democratic breakdown and democratization, and formulated an expansive typology of regimes to describe the diverse forms of democracy, authoritarianism, and 'hybrid regimes.' This unit provides a broad overview of theories of political regimes and regime transitions, and introduces students to some of the major debates and controversies in this field of study.
GOVT6111 Chinese Politics
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1000wd Book review (15%), 1x1500wd Literature review (25%), 1x3500wd Essay (50%), 1x Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit will examine the internal governance of the People's Republic of China and aspects of its external relations. It begins by tracing the emergence of the PRC's political system after 1949, focussing on key features of Maoism and the rationale of Post-Mao reforms. It then considers the remarkable economic, demographic and social changes that have occurred in recent years and how China's government has responded to a range of crucial challenges. In particular the unit will provide critical insights into how concepts like democracy, human rights, civil society and 'rule of law' have developed within the Chinese context. Finally the unit will analyse the impact of 'globalization' on China's political system.
GOVT6116 International Organisations
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week or equivalent intensive Assessment: 4000wd Essay (50%) and 2hr exam (30%) and Seminar participation (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit aims to introduce students to how states and other actors in the international arena cooperate to build institutions as a response to common problems. After completing the unit students should be able to analyse contemporary international organisations to see how they work, whose interests they serve, and to what degree they attenuate or enhance the power of sovereign states.
GOVT6119 International Security
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr lecture-seminar/week Assessment: 2x 2700wd Essay (90%), 1x600wd In-class quizzes (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit reviews developments in international security since before World War l, to recent events like September 11 and its aftermath. The principal focus is on developments since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of Communism. The unit takes account of traditional notions about the causes of war and the conditions of peace, as well as changes in the structure and process of contemporary international relations.
GOVT6121 Northeast Asian Politics
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 4000wd Essay (50%) and 2hr exam (40%) and Tutorial participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit explores the strategic relationship between the great powers in Northeast Asia, potential arenas of conflict, China and India's rise, Sino-Japanese tensions, North Korea as a potential nuclear weapon's state, inter-Korean relations and the US alliance system. Are we seeing the beginnings of a new security dilemma as Asia's rising powers extend their political and economic influence upsetting the established order? Will they challenge US strategic pre-eminence in the region ushering in a new age of super power competition, or can the region work together towards common security objectives?
GOVT6136 Asia Pacific Politics
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2-hr lecture-seminar/week Assessment: 1000wd issue brief (20%) and 2000wd research essay/two issue briefs (50%) and 2hr final exam (30%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit is organised around the upsurge in regional economic and security cooperation within East Asia and the more nebulous Asia Pacific in the last 15 years. It also looks at academic efforts to define East Asia and the Asia Pacific as regions. The first part of the unit covers the domestic similarities in East Asia and what these mean for East Asian and Asia-Pacific regionalism. The second part of the unit covers efforts to develop regional institutions like APEC and ASEAN and the role of these institutions in spurring regionalism. While the Asia Pacific and its sub-regions are the focus of the unit, both domestic and global economic and political forces are fully integrated into discussions. The unit provides critical insights into the reasons for the upsurge in regional economic and security cooperation, its likely trajectory and how East Asia and the Asia-Pacific are defined.
GOVT6137 Forces of Change in Int Relations
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x3000wd Essay (40%), 1x1000wd Paper (10%), 1x2000wd Take-home exercise (30%), 1x Seminar participation (20%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit introduces students to some of the most important contemporary structural changes in the global political economy and power structure with special attention to non-state actors (including corporate ones) and global civil society. The unit begins with an outline of the dominant modes of thinking about international political and economic relations, surveys some of the main theoretical schools and then examines global politics and political economy in terms of those events and forces that have been or are capable of precipitating major change. The historical focus will be principally on the role of war (including the so-called War on Terror), globalisation, power shifts and ideological innovation (including American unilateralism and Islamic fundamentalism) in the post Cold War period. The new agenda of international politics will be explored in a theoretical perspective - including the climate change emergency and the issue of effective global governance; the struggle for global social and economic justice, and the global prospects of democracy. The unit is designed as an advanced introduction to international relations for students pursuing postgraduate studies.
GOVT6138 Gender, Family and the State
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1000wd book review (15%), 1x1500wd literature review (25%), 1x3500wd research essay (50%), participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Adopting a comparative politics perspective, this unit of study explores the relationship between gender and family roles to state development, particularly in the aspects of political participation, human rights, and the transformation/revolution of state forms. The unit will also focus particularly on the impact of two higher order social institutions: religion and the state, and examine how both have influenced women and the family in both capitalist and socialist states.
GOVT6139 Research Design
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd Essay (30%), 1x4000wd Proposal (50%), 1x Seminar participation (20%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit will provide students with the fundamentals for constructing and conducting effective research projects in the social sciences. An overview of social science inquiry will be presented through an examination of the diversity in theoretical and methodological approaches used in research. This will include a focus on both primary research, using interviews and questionnaires, and secondary research, using statistical databases, content analysis and textual analysis. Both quantitative and qualitative methods will be covered in the unit, as will an overview of ethical practices associated with research design. The assessment will be based around constructing practical research projects that can be utilised in both university and workplace-based research.
GOVT6147 Foundations of International Relations
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2500wd mid-semester exam (40%), 1x2500wd final exam (40%), 1x1000wd (equivalent) seminar activities (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Why do states behave the way they do? Using a historical perspective, this unit explores the ways in which the different theories of international relations account for what shapes the international system - who are its main actors, what are its determining forces and structures. It examines both how these theories have vied with one another within inter-paradigm debates and how they developed in relation to specific historical events. These theories include realism, idealism, neorealism, neoliberal institutionalism, Marxism, the English school, constructivism, poststructuralism, feminism, post-colonial approaches. While no prior study of international relations is required, a willingness to engage with theoretical thinking and grapple with complex questions of ontology and epistemology is essential.
GOVT6148 Dissertation Part 1
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 4hrs over the semester in meetings as arranged with the supervisor Corequisites: GOVT6139 Assessment: Completion of a research proposal, and research and writing towards a dissertation of 10,000 words (100%) Mode of delivery: Supervision
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit of study comprises part 1 of a 10,000 word dissertation for the degree of Master of International Studies. Students must seek the department's permission prior to enrolment.
GOVT6149 Dissertation Part 2
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 4hrs over the semester in meetings as arranged with the supervisor Corequisites: GOVT6148 Assessment: Completion of a research proposal, research and writing towards a dissertation of 10,000 words (100%) Mode of delivery: Supervision
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit of study comprises part 2 of a 10,000 word dissertation for the degree of Master of International Studies. Students must seek the department's permission prior to enrollment.
GOVT6225 Essential Readings in Int'l Relations
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: Seminar Presentation 1000wd (15%), Seminar Discussant 1000wds (15%), 1x 1500wd Literature Review (30%), 1x 2500wd Essay (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit introduces the students to the Theories of International Relations through an in-depth, close up and rigorous reading of the core texts that have shaped the discipline's history; ranging from classical realism, to various strands of liberalism, constructivism, post-structuralism and post-colonial approaches. Through an active engagement with the discipline's founding texts students will deepen their knowledge of the discipline and hot it has developed in relation to key events in world politics. Seminar discussions will be based on the method of textual analysis.
GOVT6304 Development and World Politics
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1000wd Book review (20%), 1x3500wd Essay (50%), 1x1500wd equivalent Class presentation (20%), 1x Seminar participation (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit will examine critical perspectives on international development. It will explore key questions concerning development, including: Have efforts to 'reduce poverty' been effective? What are the various meanings associated with development concepts like 'building capacity' and 'empowerment'? Is there any consensus about what development is and how to 'do' it? The unit will include an analysis of how much has been learned about development over the last fifty years. Finally, the unit will consider what role might individuals take.
GOVT6314 Terrorism and International Security
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week or equivalent in intensive session Assessment: 1x3000wd research essay (50%), 1x1hr final exam (20%), 1x2000wd analytical brief (30%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit provides a comprehensive theoretical and empirical introduction to the problem of terrorism worldwide and its impact on global security. It will cover the origins of terrorism, the structure and behavior of terrorist organisations, social, political, economic, and technological trends that impact terrorism and the threat it poses, and the complexities of counterterrorism policy. The knowledge and analytical skills acquired by students in this unit will be instrumental in understanding the challenge of terrorism.
GOVT6359 US-China Relations
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x15-20min Presentation (equiv 750wd) (25%), 1x750wd Policy Memo (15%), 1x4500wd Research Paper (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This seminar introduces students to the dynamics of US-China relations, regarded by many as the most significant bilateral relationship in the world. The seminar aims to give an overview of the history of US-China relations, to deepen the students' understanding of the strategic thinking and policy-making of both China and the US, and to discuss a number of key contemporary issues in the relationship in some detail. This bilateral relationship has arguably become the most complex and challenging for both Washington and Beijing.
PLAN9061 Planning Principles, Systems and Practice
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Professor Nicole Gurran Session: Semester 1,Semester 2a Classes: 4-day intensive Prohibitions: PLAN9020 or PLAN9044 Assessment: Assignment 1 (50%); Assignment 2 (50%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit aims to prepare you for professional practice as a strategic or development assessment planner. It focuses on social, economic and environmental principles for contemporary planning practice; the systems for land use planning and environmental management in Australia, and the practice of statutory planning and development assessment in NSW.
By the end of this unit of study you will: understand the social, economic, and environmental principles underpinning contemporary planning practice; appreciate key legal and institutional processes for environmental planning in Australia and internationally; be familiar with the various planning state, regional, and local planning instruments in NSW, and understand when and how they apply to planning proposals. You will also be able to assess the social, economic, and environmental impacts of basic planning proposals, and justify these recommendations in professional planning reports. In preparing for professional practice you will gain an understanding of the principles, techniques and requirements for public participation in environmental planning and assessment; and the ethical responsibilities of land use planners, including respect for diversity and the importance of social equity, in guiding decision making processes and assessing planning proposals.
By the end of this unit of study you will: understand the social, economic, and environmental principles underpinning contemporary planning practice; appreciate key legal and institutional processes for environmental planning in Australia and internationally; be familiar with the various planning state, regional, and local planning instruments in NSW, and understand when and how they apply to planning proposals. You will also be able to assess the social, economic, and environmental impacts of basic planning proposals, and justify these recommendations in professional planning reports. In preparing for professional practice you will gain an understanding of the principles, techniques and requirements for public participation in environmental planning and assessment; and the ethical responsibilities of land use planners, including respect for diversity and the importance of social equity, in guiding decision making processes and assessing planning proposals.
SCLG6913 Social Justice Vocational Placement
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive December,Intensive February,Intensive January,Intensive July,Intensive November,Semester 1,Semester 1b,Semester 2,Semester 2b Classes: 1x placement induction, 1x 140hr vocational placement Prerequisites: 24 credit points at 6000 level and including SCLG6923 Assessment: 1x140hr vocational placement (50%), 1x1500wd reflection journal (35%), 1x500wd case study (15%) Mode of delivery: Field experience
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit offers students the opportunity to gain a working knowledge of social justice practice by undertaking a project-based placement in a domestic or international organisation. Under the supervision of the organisation, students undertake a specific focused task or set of tasks relevant to the organisation's mandate. Building on knowledge and skills developed in SCLG6923, this unit allows students to draw links between their practical project and scholarship relevant to their host degree program. Completion of this unit of study is assessed as pass/fail. Department permission required.
SCLG6923 Social Justice Vocational Project Design
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prohibitions: SCLG6914 Assessment: 1x2000wd resume evaluation project (30%), 1x 1000wd online training evaluation (20%), 1x3000wd vocational project proposal (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study provides students with practical training in experiential learning methodologies with application to working in the social justice sector. Students will also be introduced to cross-cutting issues in the sector, such as funding, and will receive training in vocational competencies, such as cultural competence and project management. Assessment in this unit of study allows students to critically apply their own area study and/or disciplinary lenses in setting professional development goals and planning a future project. Department permission required.
SSPS6001 Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/lab per week Assessment: 1x2hr in-class exam (I) (35%), 1x2hr in-class exam (II)(35%), 3x660wd homework tasks (30%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Quantitative methods are vital to social science. This unit introduces students to commonly used techniques for collecting and analysing numerical data to answer empirical questions about social, cultural, and political phenomena. It addresses the description of data with graphs and tables, descriptive statistics, statistical models, hypothesis testing, and other topics. The unit is appropriate for beginners, who will gain perspective and confidence conducting their own quantitative research and critically understanding that of others. It is taught in a computer lab, giving students practical experience with statistical software.
SSPS6002 Qualitative Methods in the Social Sciences
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week Assessment: 1x2hr in-class exam (35%), 1x2000wd analytical memo (35%), 2x1000wd homework tasks (30%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Qualitative research rests at the heart of social science. This unit introduces students to commonly used techniques for collecting and analyzing categorical data to answer empirical questions about social, cultural, and political phenomena. It examines case studies and comparative history; interviews, ethnography, and fieldwork; plus archives and content analysis, among other topics. Instruction is provided by a team of teachers with experience using these methods. Students therefore gain valuable insight into how to conduct and consume qualitative research.
SSPS6003 Vocational Placement
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive December,Intensive February,Intensive January,Intensive July,Intensive November,Semester 1,Semester 1b,Semester 2,Semester 2b Classes: 1x placement induction, 1x 140hr vocational placement Assessment: 1x140hr placement (60%), 1x2000wd reflection journal (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Note: Where appropriate, prior professional experience will be taken into account when assessing eligibility for this unit.
This unit offers students the opportunity to gain a working knowledge of applied social and political science practice by undertaking a project-based placement in a domestic or international organisation. Under the supervision of the organisation, students undertake a specific focused task or set of tasks relevant to the organisation's mandate. Building on knowledge and skills developed in the course of a SSPS Master degree, this unit allows students to draw links between their practice and scholarship relevant to their host degree program. Completion of this unit of study is assessed as pass/fail. Permission required from Department and / or School.
WRIT6000 Professional Writing
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1000wd Analysis (20%), 1x2000wd Case Study (30%), 1x1000wd Project (20%), 1x2000wd Proposal (30%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit introduces theories of professional writing with a specific focus on composing in the workplace. Students will develop abilities in analysing, writing, revising, and delivering workplace texts, both print and multimedia. By examining and discussing a range of actual workplace documents, from emails to websites, students will gain a broader understanding of the rhetorical principles and ethical responsibilities inherent in professional writing practice. They will improve their ability to negotiate the relationships, tensions, and politics that influence workplace writing contexts.
WRIT6001 Professional Editing
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd Individual Analysis (30%), 1x2000wd Group Analysis (30%), 1x1000wd Oral Presentation (20%), 1x1000wd Essay (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit introduces practical techniques for editing workplace documents for increased clarity and effectiveness. Applying theories and principles of visual rhetoric, students will learn how to improve the readability and reception of workplace texts according to audience conventions and expectations. By analysing actual workplace documents, students will develop their critical reading abilities and gain a better understanding of how to edit texts for word economy, improved design and layout, and inclusive language. Editing print texts for digital or oral presentation will also be emphasised.
GOVT6405 Government Masters Placement
Credit points: 12 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 220 hours of in-situ placement, 10 contact hours Prerequisites: 24 credit points in GOVT 6000 level units Prohibitions: GOVT6148 or GOVT6149 or GOVT6340 or GOVT6341 or GOVT6127 Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
The internship unit is available for a limited number of students to undertake extensive placements in work environments were politics, policy and international relations skills and knowledge are valued. Focused on practical problem solving, students who pass through an expression of interest process will be placed for 220 hours in-situ, and will prepare a detailed research analysis as academic reporting on their work placement activities.
Optional specialisation
Economics specialisation
12 credit points in compulsory units
ECON6001 Microeconomics Analysis 1
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr lecture/week, 1x1hr non-compulsory online tutorial/week Prerequisites: ECON5001 or ECON5040 Prohibitions: ECON6701 Assessment: 1x1.5hr Mid-semester test (30%), 1x2hr Final exam (50%), 1xTake-home Mid-semester task equivalent to 1000wd (20%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit is an introduction to modern microeconomic theory and as such has three purposes: (i) to introduce students to the major ideas of modern microeconomics and to develop their understanding of these ideas; (ii) to develop students' facility with analytic economic models; and (iii) to develop students' ability to solve economic problems with the ideas, techniques, and models available to professional economists. Topics covered include (i) individual decision-making by economic agents, (ii) the determination of prices and resource allocation in competitive general equilibrium models, (iii) strategic behaviour by firms under imperfect competition, and (iv) contracting with imperfect information.
ECON6002 Macroeconomics Analysis 1
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr lecture/week, 1x1hr non-compulsory online tutorial/week Prerequisites: ECON5002 Prohibitions: ECON6702 Assessment: Problem Sets equivalent to 1000wd (10%), 1x1.5hr Mid-semester test (30%), 1x2hr Final exam (60%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit is aimed at providing students with a sound and comprehensive knowledge of modern macroeconomic theory, an ability to formulate and solve problems analytically, and a general appreciation of how policymakers can use the analysis in practice. Topics covered include (i) micro-foundations of macroeconomics, focusing on consumption, investment, money demand, and credit rationing; (ii) equilibrium macroeconomics, focusing on the conventional prototype as well as on recent stochastic macroeconomic models; and (iii) dis-equilibrium macroeconomics, concepts, issues, and models.
At least 6 credit points of elective units from the following
ECON5006 Economics of Law and Public Policy
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Assessment: in class participation (15%), 1x10 min presentation (15%), 1x1500wd policy evaluation report (30%), 1x2hr final exam (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study introduces tools to study the impact of laws and public policy on individual behaviours. We will critically evaluate empirical research produced by economists, sociologists, criminologists, and legal scholars. Topics will focus on criminal justice policy but will also cover other areas of law such as labour and social policy.
ECON5007 The Economics of Financial Markets
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr lecture/week Prerequisites: ECON5001 or ECON5040 Assessment: 1x1.5hr mid-semester exam (30%), 1x1000wd assignment (20%), 1x2hr final exam (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Financial markets play a fundamental role in a modern economy. In this unit of study we analyse how financial markets function, with a particular focus on: the factors underlying demand and supply; risk and uncertainty; incomplete contracts and renegotiation; and asymmetric information and its implications. In doing so, we identify the key features of markets for financial assets. The unit also examines the development of financial institutions and current issues in financial markets.
ECON5008 Behavioural Economics
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive September Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: (ECON5001 or ECON5040) and (ECMT5001 or QBUS5001) Assessment: 1x2500wd Assignment (50%), 1x10mins In class presentation (20%), 1x1.5hr Mid semester test (30%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit builds on prior studies of microeconomics by introducing key concepts in Behavioural Economics. The implications of these departures from neoclassical economics will be explored for a range of topics, which may include financial decision-making, wage and incentive contracts, public policy, and charitable giving.
ECON5026 Strategic Business Relationships
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1500wd assignment (25%); 1x1hr mid-semester test (25%); 1x2hr final exam (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
A firm's success depends on both its internal and external strategic relationships. This unit of study analyses how a firm can manage these relationships. We examine agency problems within the firm, outlining ways that firms try to mitigate these issues. Strategic relationships with input suppliers examined. We discuss how firms can establish a strong bargaining position in these relationships. The optimal boundaries of the firm are also analysed. We also study how a firm's product-market strategy affects its relationship with its rivals in the output market.
ECON6003 Mathematical Methods of Econ Analysis
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: ECON5001 and ECON5002 Prohibitions: ECON6703 Assessment: Assignments equivalent to 1000wds(10%), 1x1.5hr Mid-semester test (30%), 1x2hr Final exam (60%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit is an introduction to mathematical economics. It has three purposes. First, to introduce students to the mathematical concepts and methods that are central to modern economics. Second, to give a set of economic applications of the mathematical methods. Third, to develop the students' ability to formulate logical arguments with the degree of precision and rigour demanded in modern economics. The mathematical topics covered include introductory analysis and topology, convex analysis, linear algebra, calculus of functions of several variables, optimisation, and introduction to dynamic programming and dynamical systems. The particular economic applications presented may vary from year to year, but usually include demand theory, production theory, and growth theory.
ECON6006 Market Structure and Strategic Behaviour
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: ECON6001 or ECOF6080 or ECON6701 Assessment: 1x750wd equivalent Mid-semester test (20%), 1x750wd equivalent Group presentation (20%), 1x1000wd Essay (20%), 1x2hr Final exam (40%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The purpose of this unit is to examine the nature of inter-firm rivalry in industries with market power. The unit begins with an exploration of the various ways in which firms can increase their market power by extracting more surplus from consumers by colluding with rivals or by excluding entrants. The topics for this part of the unit include price discrimination, product differentiation, advertising, research and development, predation and mergers. The unit also attempts to explain the various contractual and ownership linkages that exist between various stages of production. The latter involves a discussion of exclusive territories agreements, resale price maintenance, exclusive dealing, franchising and divisionalisation.
ECON6008 International Money and Finance
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: ECON5002 Assessment: 1x1hr Mid-semester test (30%), 1x1000wd Essay (15%), 1x2.5hr Final exam (55%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit covers the following topics: overview of the International Monetary System; foreign exchange markets, spot and future markets; swaps and options; arbitrage; covered and uncovered interest parity; exchange rate determination; forecasting exchange rate movements; exchange rate intervention; and the role of central banks.
ECON6009 Economics of the Labour Market
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Assessment: take-home assignments equivalent to 1000wds 20%), 1x1.5hr mid-semester test (30%), 1x2hr final exam (50%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The purpose of this unit is to study some of the major issues in modern labour markets. Trends such as the increase in part-time work, the growing inequality in income and earnings, changes in the returns to education, and the simultaneous increase in hours of work and unemployment are addressed. The material consists of both empirical facts relating to the labour markets and the theories which are used to understand these facts. Part of the unit is devoted to the study of wage and employment contracts in the presence of uncertainty and other information problems. Imperfect information will have implications for the level of employment and unemployment, the structure of wages, and the use of particular forms of compensation such as bonuses, trust funds, and performance bonds.
ECON6010 Public Economics
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: (ECON6001 or ECON6701) and (ECON6002 or ECON6702) Assessment: 1x2hr Final exam (50%), 1x1.5hr Mid-semester test (30%), Take-home assignments equivalent to 1000wds 20%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Recent innovations in public economics have overturned previously accepted policy rules. This unit focuses on the modern treatment of public policies relating to taxation, pricing of public sector outputs and public investment. Emphasis is placed on how different informational capabilities and jurisdictions of the government impact on the design of policy. The areas of application in taxation include the design of efficient and equitable consumption taxes, the structure of income taxation and the appropriate mix of income and consumption taxes. In response to market failures, pricing and investment rules for public enterprises, the provision and pricing of public goods, and policy responses to externalities and information problems are covered.
ECON6016 Trade and Development
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: ECON5001 or ECON5002 or ECON5040 Assessment: 1x1hr Mid-semester test (20%), 1x1500wd equivalent Seminar paper and presentation (20%), 1x2hr Final exam (60%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit is designed to highlight the relation between trade and development from an institutional and structural perspective, with appropriate modifications of received general economic principles, theories and policies. It closely studies the integration process of traditional segment of a developing society into its modern counterpart in countries selected from Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific regions. It examines role of the state and international institutions (like the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Trade Organization), rationale for trade, planning and market mechanisms in developing economies, and also socio-cultural preconditions and economic requirements for a market economy. It focuses on a wide range of developmental problems and issues (such as foreign aid, debt, investment, technology transfer) from both national and international points of view.
ECON6018 Environmental Economics
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: ECON5001 or ECON5040 Assessment: 1xSeminar paper and presentation equivalent to 1000wd (25%), 1x1.5hr Mid-semester test (25%), 1x2hr Final exam (50%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
In this unit of study emphasis is exclusively concerned with market failures that impact on the natural environment. Attention is given to why these market failures occur and what role there is for regulation and government policy. Topics covered include efficiency and markets, market failure, externalities (e.g. pollution), various methods of regulating pollution, and measuring the demand for environmental quality.
ECON6021 Financial Economics
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: (ECON6001 or ECON6701) and (ECON6002 or ECON6702) Assessment: 1x2hr Mid-semester test (40%), 1x2.5hr Final exam (60%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit provides students with an understanding of the economic foundations of financial theory and the economic framework upon which that theory is based. Much of the work covered is an application of both microeconomic and macroeconomic theory to the special problems encountered in the study of the financial side of an economy. The relevance of these foundations is illustrated with empirical research using Australian and international data.
ECON6023 International Trade
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: ECON6001 or ECON6701 Assessment: 1x1500wd equivalent Written report (30%), 1x1hr Mid-semester test (20%), 1x2hr Final exam (50%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit develops the modern theory of international trade and commercial policy and examines some empirical applications. Topics covered include competitive trade theory; comparative advantage and theories of international trade patterns; the gains from trade; empirical evidence and methodology; imperfectly competitive trade theory and economies of scale, differentiated products, and technology; analysis of the effects of tariffs and trade quotas upon trade under competitive and imperfectly competitive market structures; the formation and design of regional trade agreements and the strategic behaviour of multinational enterprises. It will be suitable for those with an interest in international trade and business issues as well as those who may wish to pursue PhD research in these areas. It will be taught at a graduate level and so presumes knowledge of advanced undergraduate microeconomics.
ECON6025 Strategic Decision Making
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: ECON6001 or ECOF6080 or ECON6701 Assessment: 1x1.5hr Mid semester test (40%), 1x2hr Final exam (50%), Tutorial assignments equivalent to 1000wds (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Decision makers face two types of uncertainty: uncertainty about the state of nature (how much oil is in an oilfield) and uncertainty about the strategic behaviour of other decision makers (how many oil wells they will drill). This unit of study focuses on strategic uncertainty and the uses decision makers can make of the concepts of game theory to guide their decisions. Game theory studies situations where a) agents have conflicts of interests and b) agents can take actions that directly affect their payoffs and the payoffs of others. A very broad range of applications from business and economics fit the above description and therefore can be studied by the methods of game theory. Applications include, firm pricing and output decisions, market entry and exit, hold-up, collusion, bargaining, auctions, and signalling.
ECON6029 Health Economics and Policy Evaluation
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: (ECON5001 or ECON5040) and (ECMT5001 or QBUS5001) Assessment: 1x1500wd assignment (20%); 1x1hr mid-semester test (20%); 1x2hr final exam (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
In this unit, students will engage in discussing major health care issues and applying econometric tools to assess the (cost)-effectiveness of health care policy reforms. The following topics are likely to be covered: (1) international health care systems and finance, (2) determinants of the demand and supply of health care and behaviours, (3) inequalities in health and access to care, and (4) current policy reforms such as the introduction of provider incentives and co-payments. Each topic will be accompanied by an empirical application and replication assignment.
ECON6031 International Finance and Globalisation
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive April Classes: 1x3hr lecture/week Prerequisites: ECON5001 and ECON5002 Assessment: 1x2500wd assignment (50%), 1x2hr exam (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study examines the interaction of globalisation and the governance of the international financial system. Insight will be drawn from recent developments in economic theory and empirical research and illustrated with an analysis of the 2008 Crisis and its aftermath.
ECON6101 Special Topics in Economics 1
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: ECON5001 and ECON5002 Assessment: 1x2hr exam (50%), 1x2500wd assignment (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Note: Students must seek written permission from the School of Economics Postgraduate Coordinator to enrol in this unit.
Study of a special topic in postgraduate Economics. Topics will vary from semester to semester according to staff availability and the presence of visitors. If taught in both semesters, the topic in Semester 2 will be different to that in Semester 1.
ECON6102 Special Topics in Economics 2
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: ECON5001 and ECON5002 Assessment: 1x2hr exam (50%), 1x2500wd assignment (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolmentin the following sessions:Semester 2
Study of a special topic in postgraduate Economics. Topics will vary from semester to semester according to staff availability and the presence of visitors. If taught in both semesters, the topic in Semester 2 will be different to that in Semester 1.
Economic Policy specialisation
12 credit points from the following
ECON5001 Microeconomic Theory
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive January,Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr lecture/week, 1x1hr non-compulsory online tutorial/week Prohibitions: ECON5040 Assessment: Online quizzes equivalent to 1000wd (10%), 1x1.5hr Mid-semester test (35%), 1x2hr Final exam (55%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit presumes no prior exposure to economics and aims, by the end of the unit, to bring a proficiency equivalent to that of students with an intermediate level microeconomics unit in an Honours degree program. Many economic principles developed in this unit are routinely used in several other units in the program. Microeconomics studies how economic agents make choices in a variety of environments. The unit covers theory and applications of the principles of consumer choice, of firm behaviour, and of strategic interaction among economic agents. Equipped with these theories of decision making, students can address a range of interesting and important questions. Examples are: What market strategy should a firm adopt with its competitors? How might one create a market to deal with externalities such as pollution? What are the implications of different kinds of taxes? What compensation scheme will provide the right incentives to work?
ECON5002 Macroeconomic Theory
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive January,Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr lecture/week, 1x1hr non-compulsory online tutorial/week Prohibitions: ECON5003 Assessment: Online quizzes equivalent to 1500wd (20%), 1x1hr Mid-semester test (30%), 1x2hr Final exam (50%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit presumes no prior exposure to economics and aims, by the end of the unit, to bring a proficiency equivalent to that of students with an intermediate level macroeconomics unit in an Honours degree program. Many economic principles developed in this unit are routinely used in several other units in the program. Macroeconomics studies aggregate economic behaviour. The unit covers theories of the engines of long-run economic growth, of unemployment, of money, inflation, the interest rate and the exchange rate, as well as consumption, saving and investment behaviour. The unit also studies a number of applications of the theory and addresses contemporary macroeconomic problems and policy.
12 credit points from the following
ECMT5001 Principles of Econometrics
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr lecture/week, 1x1hr non-compulsory online tutorial/week Assessment: Online quizzes equivalent to 500wd (10%), 1xGroup assignment equivalent to 1000wd (15%), 1x1hr Mid-semester test (20%), 1x2hr Final exam (55%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The unit develops the basic principles of data description and analysis, the idea of using the concept of probability to model data generation, and the statistical concepts of estimation and statistical inference, including hypothesis testing. It then develops these concepts and techniques in the context of the linear regression model to show how econometric models can be used to analyse data in a wide range of potential areas of application in economics, business and the social sciences. The unit combines theory and application. The emphasis is upon the interpretation of econometric estimation results and requires software for hands-on experience.
ECON5004 Communication in Economics
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week, 1x1hr non-compulsory online tutorial/week Assessment: 2x1500wd assignments (35% each), 1x10min (1500wd equivalent) oral presentation (30%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study aims to enhance oral and written communication skills and improve understanding of how to engage with academic economics. A series of tasks will consider economics academic texts in context and require learners to understand, analyse and produce appropriate spoken and written texts. Concepts in critical analysis will provide the basis for improved persuasive communication, including the difference between convention, fact, opinion and preference; deductive and inductive proof; validity and truth; evidence; and the ethics of persuasion.
ECON5006 Economics of Law and Public Policy
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Assessment: in class participation (15%), 1x10 min presentation (15%), 1x1500wd policy evaluation report (30%), 1x2hr final exam (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study introduces tools to study the impact of laws and public policy on individual behaviours. We will critically evaluate empirical research produced by economists, sociologists, criminologists, and legal scholars. Topics will focus on criminal justice policy but will also cover other areas of law such as labour and social policy.
ECON6016 Trade and Development
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: ECON5001 or ECON5002 or ECON5040 Assessment: 1x1hr Mid-semester test (20%), 1x1500wd equivalent Seminar paper and presentation (20%), 1x2hr Final exam (60%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit is designed to highlight the relation between trade and development from an institutional and structural perspective, with appropriate modifications of received general economic principles, theories and policies. It closely studies the integration process of traditional segment of a developing society into its modern counterpart in countries selected from Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific regions. It examines role of the state and international institutions (like the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Trade Organization), rationale for trade, planning and market mechanisms in developing economies, and also socio-cultural preconditions and economic requirements for a market economy. It focuses on a wide range of developmental problems and issues (such as foreign aid, debt, investment, technology transfer) from both national and international points of view.
ECON6018 Environmental Economics
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: ECON5001 or ECON5040 Assessment: 1xSeminar paper and presentation equivalent to 1000wd (25%), 1x1.5hr Mid-semester test (25%), 1x2hr Final exam (50%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
In this unit of study emphasis is exclusively concerned with market failures that impact on the natural environment. Attention is given to why these market failures occur and what role there is for regulation and government policy. Topics covered include efficiency and markets, market failure, externalities (e.g. pollution), various methods of regulating pollution, and measuring the demand for environmental quality.
ECON6029 Health Economics and Policy Evaluation
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: (ECON5001 or ECON5040) and (ECMT5001 or QBUS5001) Assessment: 1x1500wd assignment (20%); 1x1hr mid-semester test (20%); 1x2hr final exam (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
In this unit, students will engage in discussing major health care issues and applying econometric tools to assess the (cost)-effectiveness of health care policy reforms. The following topics are likely to be covered: (1) international health care systems and finance, (2) determinants of the demand and supply of health care and behaviours, (3) inequalities in health and access to care, and (4) current policy reforms such as the introduction of provider incentives and co-payments. Each topic will be accompanied by an empirical application and replication assignment.
Foreign language specialisation
18 credit points from the following
ASNS6010 Asian Language Acquisition 1
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 3x1hr seminars/week Assessment: Written assignments and quizzes equivalent to 3000wds (70%), class tests equivalent to 2000wds (30%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit of study gives students an opportunity to begin or improve their proficiency in an Asian language in order to deepen their understanding of Asian cultures and societies. Students will develop comprehensive linguistic skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. In addition, analysis of the structure of the language and its sociocultural context will enhance their knowledge and understanding of the society in which the language is utilised.
ASNS6011 Asian Language Acquisition 2
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 3x1hr seminars/week Assessment: Written assignments and quizzes equivalent to 3000wds (70%), class tests equivalent to 2000wds (30%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit of study gives students an opportunity to improve their proficiency in an Asian language in order to deepen their understanding of Asian cultures and societies. Students will develop comprehensive linguistic skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. In addition, analysis of the structure of the language and its sociocultural context will enhance their knowledge and understanding of the society in which the language is utilised.
ASNS6012 Asian Language Acquisition 3
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 3x1hr seminars/week Assessment: Written assignments and quizzes equivalent to 3000wds (70%), class tests equivalent to 2000wds (30%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit of study gives students an opportunity to further develop their proficiency in an Asian language in order to deepen their understanding of Asian cultures and societies. Students will advance to intermediate levels of Asian language study to develop comprehensive linguistic skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. In addition, analysis of the structure of the language and its sociocultural context will enhance their knowledge and understanding of the society in which the language is utilised.
ASNS6013 Asian Language Acquisition 4
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 3x1hr seminars/week Assessment: Written assignments and quizzes equivalent to 3000wds (70%), class tests equivalent to 2000wds (30%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit of study gives students an opportunity to further develop their proficiency in an Asian language in order to deepen their understanding of Asian cultures and societies. Students will advance to higher intermediate levels of Asian language study to develop comprehensive linguistic skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. in addition, analysis of the structure of the language and its sociocultural context will enhance their knowledge and understanding of the society in which the language is utilised.
EUST7010 European Language Acquisition 1
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 3x1hr seminar/week Assessment: quizzes and writing assignments (equivalent to 2500wds) (60%), Oral Presentations (equivalent to 2000wds) (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit gives students an opportunity to begin or improve proficiency in a European language so as to deepen their understanding of the culture and society involved. Students will develop comprehensive linguistic skills. In addition, analysis of the structure of the language and it's sociocultural context will enhance their knowledge and understanding of the society in which the language is utilized. Students who are studying an area cognate with a European language are especially encouraged to take this unit.
EUST7011 European Language Acquisition 2
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 3x1hr seminar/week Assessment: quizzes and writing assignments (equivalent to 2500wds) (60%), Oral Presentations (equivalent to 2000wds) (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This follow-on unit gives students an opportunity to improve proficiency in a European language so as to deepen understanding of the cultures and societies involved. Students will develop comprehensive linguistic skills. In addition, analysis of the structure of the language and it's sociocultural context will enhance knowledge and understanding of the society in which the language is utilized. Students undertaking postgraduate studies in an area that is cognate with a European language would be especially encouraged to take this unit.
EUST7012 European Language Acquisition 3
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 3x1hr seminar/week Assessment: quizzes and writing assignments (equivalent to 2500wds) (60%), Oral Presentations (equivalent to 2000wds) (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit gives students an opportunity to achieve or improve proficiency in a European language and to deepen their understanding of the cultures and societies involved. Students will develop comprehensive linguistic skills in the four areas of acquisition. In addition, analysis of the structure of the language and its sociocultural context will enhance their knowledge and understanding of the society in which the language is utilized.
EUST7013 European Language Acquisition 4
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 3x1hr seminar/week Assessment: quizzes and writing assignments (equivalent to 2500wds) (60%), Oral Presentations (equivalent to 2000wds) (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit gives students an opportunity to achieve or improve proficiency in a European language and to deepen their understanding of the cultures and societies involved. Students will develop comprehensive linguistic skills in the four areas of acquisition. In addition, analysis of the structure of the language and its sociocultural context will enhance their knowledge and understanding of the society in which the language is utilized.
Global Migrations specialisation
6 credit points from the following
SCLG6700 Global and Regional Migration Governance
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Assessment: 1x500wd equiv oral presenation (10%), 1x1500wd reflective journal (40%), 1x2500wd research essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit addresses debates about global and regional migration governance from structural as well as agency-related angles, by exploring the role of institutions at the global and regional level as part of the solution finding process to global challenges such as the movement of people across borders. It focuses on migration policy as an issue of ethics, governance, regulation and implementation at the regional and global level.
12 credit points from the following
GOVT6108 Democracy, Development and Rights in SE Asia
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd Oral Presentation and written assessment (30%), 2500wd analytical Essay/report (30%), 1500wd exam (30%), Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Southeast Asia's economic experiences and socio-political challenges will be examined within an historical and comparative context in order to better appreciate the economic continuities, understand the major socio-political dilemmas and changing patterns of development. Themes such as the significance of colonialism on post-colonial economies and polities, role of the state in the national and global economy, causes of the region's high-speed growth in the 1980s and 1990s, subsequent economic downturn and future prospects, changing complexion of foreign investment, significance and operational dynamics of the Overseas Chinese Business Networks, salience of socio-economic and ethnic tensions, contradictions associated with the promotion of open economies within authoritarian political structures, the relationship between economic and political corruption, prominence of political Islam, rise of civil society actors, implications of the national and regional reserve army of labour, efficacy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the region's economic and security links with Northeast Asia will be analysed.
GOVT6358 Comparative Migration Policy
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x4500wd Research Paper (60%), 1x1.5hr Examination (25%), 1x Seminar participation (15%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study covers immigration policy debates in the world's three largest immigrant selecting nations - Australia, Canada and the United States - with additional reference to developments across the European Union. Students will analyse the regulation of skilled, family, asylum and illegal immigration and the determination of the size and composition of immigration programmes. Integration and citizenship policies are also considered. In all of these debates, the role of policy instruments, institutions and actors in the policy process are considered.
ECOP6015 Global Employment and Migration
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1250wd short Essay (20%), 5x 250wd diary digests (20%), 1x1000wd Presentation and write-up (20%), 1x2500wd Research essay (40%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit examines the evolution of international employment opportunities as a feature of the globalisation of economies. Different approaches to the analysis of labour markets provide conceptual frameworks for examining the changing character and structure of global employment and international migration. Case studies examine the effects of state regulatory arrangements and international institutions governing cross-border labour migration and cross-border employment in multinational firms, including professionals, skilled and unskilled workers.
International Law specialisation
18 credit points from the following
LAWS6047 Law of the Sea
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Prof Tim Stephens Session: Intensive September Classes: Aug 20, 21 & 27, 28 (9-5) Assessment: 5000wd essay (60%) and take-home exam (40%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Academic Profile https://sydney.edu.au/law/about/people/list.php. The unit is also available on a Continuing Professional Development basis https://sydney.edu.au/law/study-law/continuing-professional-development.html
Covering two-thirds of the world's surface the ocean provides a range of indispensable public goods including fisheries and non-living resources and is a vital conduit for international trade. The international law of the sea regulates access to and use of the oceans, and this unit reviews the major areas of this area of international law as they have developed over the centuries. It takes as its focus the 'constitution' of the oceans - the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Each of the major maritime zones is assessed, and there is also a review of key sectoral issues, including the protection of the marine environment, fisheries management, navigational rights and freedoms, and military uses of the oceans. Where appropriate, reference is made to relevant Australian law and practice, and to other state practice in the Asia Pacific Region.
LAWS6061 International Environmental Law
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Assoc Prof Ed Couzens Session: Intensive April Classes: Mar 20, 21 & 27, 28 (9-5) Assessment: compulsory in-class practical assessment (40%) and assignment (60%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Academic Profile https://sydney.edu.au/law/about/people/list.php. The unit is also available on a Continuing Professional Development basis https://sydney.edu.au/law/study-law/continuing-professional-development.html
This unit aims to provide an introduction to the framework, concepts, sources and techniques of international environmental law, and to provide an overview of international law responses to current and emerging environmental challenges. The history and framework of international environmental law will be examined before exploring a range of topical international environmental law issues, including atmospheric protection and climate change, hazardous substances and wastes, biodiversity and GMOs, the protection of marine living resources, the protection of freshwater resources and issues concerning trade. The unit will also survey the influence of international environmental law on domestic environmental law through case studies. Overarching themes will include the interdependence of environmental issues, the effects of scientific uncertainty on international environmental regulation, implementation of international environmental obligations between states at difference levels of economic development and the need for effectiveness in implementation and enforcement.
LAWS6062 International Law-the Use of Armed Force
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Alison Pert Session: Intensive November Classes: Oct 9, 10 & 16, 17 (9-5) Prohibitions: LAWS3483 or LAWS5183 Assessment: 3000wd problem question (40%) and 5000wd essay (60%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Academic Profile https://sydney.edu.au/law/about/people/list.php. The unit is also available on a Continuing Professional Development basis https://sydney.edu.au/law/study-law/continuing-professional-development.html
The objectives of this unit are to understand and gain a sound knowledge of the legal principles and rules governing the resort to armed force by States; be able to analyse a complex factual situation, recognise the issues arising, and determine the international legal rights and responsibilities of the parties involved; and gain awareness and understanding of current issues relating to the use of force and United Nations practice in matters affecting international peace and security. The course looks at the legal principles and rules governing the resort to force by States; operation of the relevant provisions of the United Nations Charter dealing with the use of force, self-defence and collective security; relevant state practice in interpreting the UN Charter; the legal issues arising from the use of force against terrorism; the "Bush Doctrine" of pre-emptive self-defence and its legality under international law; legality of the use of force to assist rebels; the role of the United Nations in peace-building, peace-making, peace-keeping, and peace enforcement; and the legal issues arising from humanitarian intervention and the emerging principle of the responsibility to protect. This unit does not cover the law regulating the conduct of armed conflict (jus in bello), which is the subject of the separate unit LAWS6218 International Humanitarian Law.
LAWS6119 The State and Global Governance
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Assoc Prof Jacqueline Mowbray Session: Intensive September Classes: Sep 6, 7 and 13, 14 (9-5) Assessment: 1000-2000wd critique of a selected reading (25%), 250wd essay abstract and one page reading list (10%) and 5000-6000wd essay (65%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Master of Law and International Development students may undertake this unit as an elective or capstone unit.
Academic Profile https://sydney.edu.au/law/about/our-people.html. The unit is also available on a Continuing Professional Development basis https://sydney.edu.au/law/cpd/
How will Donald Trump's presidency affect international law and international relations? How do non-state actors like Islamic State challenge the existing international order? How do we respond to international health emergencies, such as the outbreaks of the Zika and Ebola viruses? These questions all raise issues of global governance, that is, how international affairs are governed on a global scale. They also raise questions about the roles and capacities of individual states within the global order. This unit explores how current systems of global governance operate, the place of states within those systems, and the significance of law to those systems. In doing so, the unit introduces students to a range of historical and contemporary approaches to understanding the role of law in international affairs, and gives students an opportunity to consider these in relation to current events of global import. The sorts of questions with which the unit is concerned may include the following: Are systems of global governance lawful? Are they democratic? What is the role of violence in the contemporary global order? How does/should international law seek to address pressing transnational issues, such as poverty, environmental degradation, global health threats and human rights abuses?
LAWS6161 International Human Rights
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Assoc Prof Jacqueline Mowbray Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2-hr lecture/week Prohibitions: GOVT6117 Assessment: 2000wd assignment (30%) and 5000wd essay (70%) or 7000wd (100%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
Note: Available to MLLR students who commenced after Jan 2015.
Academic Profile https://sydney.edu.au/law/about/people/list.php. The unit is also available on a Continuing Professional Development basis https://sydney.edu.au/law/study-law/continuing-professional-development.html
This unit introduces students to the principles and practice of international human rights law - a field of public international law and policy of ever-expanding dimensions. It will introduce students to some key concepts, debates, documents and institutions in this field, while encouraging critical examination of these from a variety of angles. In summary, this unit considers the question: what happens when we regard a situation or predicament as one involving a breach of international human rights law - what possibilities and problems does this entail? Addressing this question, students in this unit will examine: (a) forums where international human rights law is being produced (international tribunals, domestic courts, multilateral bodies - including United Nations organs - regional agencies, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions, and the media); (b) settings where international human rights law is being deployed (in Australia and elsewhere); and (c) particular identities/subjects that international human rights law aspires to shape, regulate or secure. By the end of this unit, students should be able to formulate written and oral arguments by reference to key international human rights law instruments and principles; give strategic advice as to available avenues of recourse in international human rights law; and advance an informed critique of particular dimensions of international human rights law scholarship and practice, by reference to contemporary literature in this field.
LAWS6218 International Humanitarian Law
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Assoc Prof Emily Crawford Session: Intensive October Classes: Sep 11, 12 & 18, 19 (9-5) Prohibitions: LAWS3483 or LAWS5183 Assessment: class participation (10%), class presentation (10%), essay plan (20%) and 6000wd essay (60%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Academic Profile https://sydney.edu.au/law/about/people/list.php. The unit is also available on a Continuing Professional Development basis https://sydney.edu.au/law/study-law/continuing-professional-development.html
How to limit and regulate violence in times of war or armed conflict is one of the most pressing challenges for international law. This unit introduces you to the principles and practices of international humanitarian law ('IHL'), also known as the laws of war or the law of armed conflict, including treaty law and customary international humanitarian law. This unit explores: the origins, purposes, sources and critiques of IHL; its scope of application (spatial, temporal and personal); the different types and thresholds of conflict (including international, non-international and 'transnational' conflicts); the status and treatment of combatants and non-combatants and other categories (such as spies, 'unlawful combatants' and 'terrorists'); the permissible means and methods of warfare (including the principles of distinction and proportionality, and prohibitions and restrictions on certain weapons such as chemical, biological and nuclear weapons); the difference in rules governing international armed conflicts (IACs) and those governing non-international armed conflicts (NIACs); the relationship between international human rights law and IHL; and the relationship between the international terrorism suppression regime and IHL.
LAWS6243 International Law I
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Alison Pert Session: Intensive March,Semester 2 Classes: S1CIMR (Group A): Mar 6, 7 & 13, 14 (9-5) and S2C (Group B): 1x2-hr lecture/week Prohibitions: LAWS1023 or LAWS5005 Assessment: 5000wd essay (60%) and assignment (40%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: This unit is compulsory for MIL and GradDipIntLaw students who have not completed any previous study in international law and must be taken during the first semester of candidature. This unit is not available to MLawIntDev students who have been granted a reduced volume of learning. This unit is available as one of the core units for GradDipIntBusLaw students.
Academic Profile https://sydney.edu.au/law/about/people/list.php. The unit is also available on a Continuing Professional Development basis https://sydney.edu.au/law/study-law/continuing-professional-development.html
This unit provides an introduction to public international law. Its purpose is to ensure that students have a thorough understanding of the core principles and problems of, and contemporary issues in, international law. The unit covers the following topics: nature and scope of public international law, sources of public international law, international legal personality, the law of treaties, how title to territory is acquired, state jurisdiction in international law, immunity from jurisdiction, state responsibility for international wrongs, dispute settlement, and the legality of the use of force.
LAWS6846 Human Rights and the Global Economy
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Prof David Kinley Session: Intensive November Classes: Oct 16, 17 & 23, 24 (9-5) Prohibitions: LAWS5178 or LAWS3478 Assessment: class participation (20%) and 7000wd essay (80%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Master of Law and International Development students may undertake this unit as an elective or capstone unit.
Academic Profile https://sydney.edu.au/law/about/people/list.php. The unit is also available on a Continuing Professional Development basis https://sydney.edu.au/law/study-law/continuing-professional-development.html
The questions of whether and how the global economy and human rights interrelate and interact have excited much recent controversy on the streets, in the courts and legislatures, in corporate board rooms and in the corridors of the UN and the international trade and financial organizations. It is a controversy that will almost certainly intensify over the next few years. The debate is controversial because it is important, and it is important because it involves two great globalizing forces namely, the promotion of free market ideology through trade liberalization and the protection of human rights through the universalization of the norms that underpin human dignity. On the face of it the two projects do sit easily together. Are they, in fact, implacably opposed to each other? Where or how do they overlap and what are the consequences or opportunities presented thereby? What role can the law play in regulating their interaction whether it be domestic or international law, 'hard' or 'soft' law. And what or who are the real actors behind the economic and human rights power blocs on the global stage? This unit seeks both to frame these questions and to address them by reference to the most recent discussion, thinking and action in the area.
LAWS6856 Anti-Terrorism Law
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Prof Ben Saul Session: Intensive May Classes: Apr 23, 24 & Apr 30 & May 1 (9-5) Prohibitions: CISS6011 or LAWS3483 Assumed knowledge: Students should have either completed LAWS6243 International Law I or have an understanding in at least one of the following areas: public or a specialised area of international law or criminal law or criminology or human rights or security and conflict studies acquired through university studies and/or relevant professional experience. Assessment: Option 1: assignment (40%) and 5000wd essay (60%), Option 2: 8000wd essay (100%) or Option 3: assignment (100%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Academic Profile https://sydney.edu.au/law/about/people/list.php
This unit explores how international law has confronted terrorist violence from the mid-19th century to the present, including under transnational and international criminal law, the law on the use of military force, the law of armed conflict, human rights law, measures adopted by the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly, and the law of state responsibility. It considers controversies about the (in)adequacy of the law in areas such as `targeted killings' (or extrajudicial assassinations?), aerial drones, detention and trial of suspects, `irregular renditions' (illegal abductions?), `enhanced interrogation' (torture?), `shoot to kill' policies, foreign terrorist fighters and citizen stripping, mass surveillance and privacy, and public emergency laws. Selected regional laws (in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa) and national laws (particularly in Australia, the UK and the US) implementing international obligations are also considered. The study of terrorism, and the law's response to it, is ultimately a study of when violence is justified, against whom, and for what purposes ¿ whether it is `freedom fighters' or `state terrorism', or extreme religious challenges to secular norms, at issue.
LAWS6865 International Dispute Resolution
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr James Devaney Session: Intensive September Classes: Aug 12, 13 & 18, 19 (9-5) Prohibitions: LAWS6202 Assessment: take-home exam (30%) and 6000wd essay (70%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Academic Profile https://sydney.edu.au/law/about/our-visitors.html. The unit is also available on a Continuing Professional Development basis https://sydney.edu.au/law/study-law/continuing-professional-development.html
This unit of study aims to provide an in-depth analysis of international dispute resolution as a technique for resolving public international law disputes. The United Nations Charter provisions for the peaceful settlement of international disputes will be taken as creating the basic framework for the review of dispute resolution techniques. These include negotiation, good offices, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, and adjudication. Particular attention will be given to in-depth analysis of certain disputes and the legal and political techniques used in their resolution. These disputes may include the Tehran Hostages case, the Nuclear Tests case, the East Timor case, and dispute over the status of Kosovo.
LAWS6916 International Investment Law
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Prof Chester Brown Session: Intensive March Classes: Mar 3, 4 & 10, 11 (9-5) Assessment: 6000wd essay (70%) and assignment (30%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Academic Profile https://sydney.edu.au/law/about/people/list.php. The unit is also available on a Continuing Professional Development basis https://sydney.edu.au/law/study-law/continuing-professional-development.html
This unit introduces students to the international regulation of foreign investment. It examines core principles of international investment law, regional and bilateral investment treaties, the settlement of investment disputes, and the international economic and political context in which the law has developed. The unit considers the origins and evolution of international investment law through to the recent formation of the current international legal framework for foreign investment through bilateral and regional investment treaties. It examines the substantive standards of protection contained within investment treaties (such as the fair and equitable treatment standard, and the prohibition on expropriation without compensation), recent arbitral awards, and considers controversial issues surrounding investor-state arbitration. It examines the procedural framework for investment treaty arbitration under the auspices of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the UNCITRAL Rules. This unit also considers the increased focus on investor responsibility in relation to environmental protection, human rights, development issues, and labour standards. It also examines recent developments including the negotiation of mega-regional trade and investment agreements, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and the negotiations towards the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
LAWS6928 Law, Justice and Development
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Adj Prof Livingston Armytage Session: Intensive June Classes: May 8, 9 & 15, 16 (9-5) Prohibitions: LAWS3478 or LAWS5178 Assessment: class participation (10%), journal (10%) and 2x3000wd essays (2x40%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: This unit is compulsory for MLawIntDev students. Academic Profile https://sydney.edu.au/law/about/our-visitors.html.
This unit provides a critical overview to law and justice reform in international development. It analyses the global reform experience over the past half-century. It interrogates the nature and justification(s) of reform 'theory', studies the empirical evidence of various approaches, and examines the conceptual/practical challenges of evaluating development endeavour, using case studies from the Asia/Pacific region. Students enrolling in this unit will develop an evidence-based understanding of the use of law and justice reform in broader development strategies.
International Policy specialisation
24 credit points from the following
CISS6001 New Security Challenges
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2500wd Essay (30%), 1x3500wd Essay (60%), Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit considers the evolving nature of security in the context of global politics. It focuses on non-military challenges to security while acknowledging the relationships between these and traditional security concerns. Among the topics considered are: international law and security; the privatisation of security; economics and security; energy resources; environmental degradation; the burden of infectious diseases; population dynamics; gender and age perspectives on security; the dilemmas of fragile and failing states; transnational organised crime; and new modes of warfare. The overall objective of the unit is to engage with issues and arguments that challenge how security is traditionally understood. Teaching and learning take place via a combination of lectures, student-led seminars, independent research, debates and case studies.
GOVT6116 International Organisations
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week or equivalent intensive Assessment: 4000wd Essay (50%) and 2hr exam (30%) and Seminar participation (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit aims to introduce students to how states and other actors in the international arena cooperate to build institutions as a response to common problems. After completing the unit students should be able to analyse contemporary international organisations to see how they work, whose interests they serve, and to what degree they attenuate or enhance the power of sovereign states.
GOVT6123 Globalisation and Governance
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Assessment: 1x3000wd Research essay (40%), 3x 500wd Tutorial papers (30%), 1x1.5hr Examination (20%), 1x Tutorial participation (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
It is widely believed that we are entering a new era in which the transborder flows of capital, goods, ideas, and people are rapidly transforming human society. 'Globalisation', many claim, threatens the autonomy of nation-states and erodes the power of national governments to provide social protection and promote the nation's economic prosperity. This unit examines not only the causes and mechanisms of this process, but also assesses its social, economic, and political impacts. The views of radicals, transformationalists, skeptics, and institutionalists are compared and criticised. While globalisation is often viewed as a singular process, trending towards a global society, this unit offers a distinctive approach. Globalisation has uneven and highly differentiated impacts, whether harmful or beneficial, and this unevenness is closely associated with the nature of institutions of governance, at both the domestic and international levels.
GOVT6135 Global Environmental Politics
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd Essay (30%), 1x4000wd Essay (50%), Seminar participation (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit examines the environment as a political and policy issue. Although relatively recent, the environment has become a full-fledged public policy issue exerting influence in local, national and international arenas. The unit will first focus on the specific features of the policy that influences the capability of contemporary societies to enhance the management of environmental resources and of public goods in general. Second, it discusses the development of environmental policy in Western countries, with a particular emphasis on the European Union. Third, a grid for the analysis of environmental policy will be presented, with a discussion of the main actors (political, institutional and socio-economic) involved in it and of the factors (interests and ideas) influencing their positions. Fourth, the unit briefly discusses environmental conflicts and consensual approaches used for tackling them.
GOVT6357 International Policy Making
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd Short Essay (35%), 1x4000wd Depth Essay (50%), 1x Seminar participation (15%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit examines the interplay between international and domestic policy making. It evaluates the international context of policy making and public management in domestic arenas, attending to the roles of international governmental organizations and treaties, pressure groups, and multinational corporations in shaping policy decisions. It evaluates the diffusion of policy ideas and programmes internationally and the transfers of policies from one country to another and interrogates the factors that facilitate or frustration implementation.
GOVT6358 Comparative Migration Policy
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x4500wd Research Paper (60%), 1x1.5hr Examination (25%), 1x Seminar participation (15%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study covers immigration policy debates in the world's three largest immigrant selecting nations - Australia, Canada and the United States - with additional reference to developments across the European Union. Students will analyse the regulation of skilled, family, asylum and illegal immigration and the determination of the size and composition of immigration programmes. Integration and citizenship policies are also considered. In all of these debates, the role of policy instruments, institutions and actors in the policy process are considered.
Media and Cultural Policy specialisation
24 credit points from the following
ARCH9081 Heritage Law and Policy
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Cameron Logan Session: Semester 2 Classes: Lectures 2 hrs/wk Assessment: Class Exercise/Test (30%) and Paper (70%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
In this unit students will become familiar with the system of legal protections and policy instruments that underpin heritage conservation activity. They will explore the idea of cultural property and of shared environmental resources and the ways in which these are balanced with private property rights in heritage policy and law. Classes will address the varying levels at which heritage protections operate, from international protocols down to local planning schemes. Students will become familiar with legislation, regulations, planning instruments and policies as well as the use of registers, inventories and other records of significant items. The unit will also address the roles of various government agencies involved in heritage conservation and develop an understanding of how such agencies utilize heritage studies and assessments, and how they develop heritage law and policy. Students in this unit will consider how different instruments and heritage protections relate to different scales and types of place including landscapes, streetscapes, archaeological resources, gardens and individual buildings. They will also consider how different sanctions and incentives achieve policy aims and support statutory obligations. Finally, together, staff and students will explore innovative legal and policy mechanisms for preventing or redressing the destruction of historically significant places and encouraging the meaningful protection of culturally significant places.
ARHT6930 Film Theory: Art, Industry, Culture
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 2x2000wd Essays (100%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The relation of film to industrial modernity is an ongoing issue for film theorists. With the advent of digital image processes and production the relation of art and industry has re-emerged with a new set of problems. How do we conceptualise the new forms? What theoretical and aesthetic language(s) do we draw on? And how best to rethink film in the face of rapid technological, formal and cultural change? These issues will be investigated via an examination of the history of film theory's attempts to formulate concepts adequate to the age of industrial modernity.
ARIN6902 Internet Cultures and Governance
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd journalism piece (40%), 1x3000wd essay (50%), 1x1000wd tutorial exercise (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The internet plays an increasingly important role in all aspects of social, cultural and economic life. This unit of study explores cultures and governance of the online world and investigates how politics manifest not only in public debates and policy, but also in the struggle to develop new information architectures and digital ecosystems.
GCST6901 Cultural Policy
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Assessment: 1x1250wd policy analysis (30%), 1x250wd research plan (10%), 1x3000wd research essay (50%), tutorial participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit examines cultural policy across a range of sectors such as museums and heritage, the arts, media, and the 'cultural industries'. It will provide theoretical perspectives and practical insight into policy formation processes in Australia and internationally. The multiple actors and rationales that shape policy and ground claims for its relevance amid social change and cultural diversity are considered. Students learn how to analyse policies in relation to the institutional, social and political contexts of their emergence.
MECO6913 Public Opinion, Policy and Public Sphere
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1500wd Report (20%), 1x1500wd Stakeholder position paper (20%), 1x500wd Presentation (15%), 1x2500wd Essay (45%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit analyses the relationship between professional communication and public opinion. It focuses on theories of influence and persuasion in the context of the development of policy, and how these are reflected in the public sphere. It develops the notion of the public sphere as represented by Habermas, Fraser, Schudson and others, focusing in particular on the transformation of the public sphere in terms of postmodern public relations.
MHST6901 Museum and Heritage: History and Theory
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x1hr lecture and 1x2hr seminar/week Prohibitions: MUSM7033 Assessment: 1x500wd tutorial post and presentation (20%), 1x1500wd short essay (35%), 1x2500wd long essay (45%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The historical, cultural and social roles of museums, heritage places and collections are the focus of contemporary debate. This unit examines the relationships between the production of cultural material, its management and display, and audience to understand museum and heritage sites as places of knowledge, politics and power. Current critical and theoretical perspectives incorporate ideas about the production, consumption, contestation and conservation of intangible values, identities, memories, cultural practices and different knowledge systems.
MUSM7032 Museum and Gallery Administration
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd project plan (35%), 1x3000wd essay (50%), 1x1000wd review (15%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Good management is critical to the long-term survival of museums as vibrant cultural institutions. This unit of study explores the characteristics of a well managed facility providing students with the skills necessary to evaluate the operational context of museums, in terms of budget, human resource management and general cultural stewardship. The unit balances practical skill acquisition - in key management areas like strategic planning and project management - with a broader analysis of how the cultural sector is positioned in relation to government and other stakeholders.
MUSM7035 Ethics of Cultural Property
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2500wd case study (35%), 1x3000wd Essay (45%), 1x500wd Seminar presentation (10%), participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit tracks the ethical and political disputes surrounding the ownership, control and care of cultural property. It begins by establishing historical attitudes towards cultural property which are then compared to current attempts to protect cultural heritage and regulate its movement. In doing so it considers how, more recently, museums have entered into dialogues with source communities about restitution and repatriation, new methods of display and ongoing relationships. The unit analyses numerous Australian and international case studies in order to define current models of best practice.
WMST6903 Gender, Media and Consumer Societies
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Assessment: 1x500wd group discussion/presentation (15%), 1x1000wd advertising analysis (25%), 1x500wd research essay proposal (10%), 1x2500wd research essay (40%), participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit examines theories of consumption in regards to cultural and media products and practices, with a specific focus on gender. Drawing upon a wide range of feminist media and cultural theories, we will critically analyse different forms of belonging and identity that are created through these practices. We will also pay close attention to the critiques of globalisation and consumption, theories of the 'citizen consumer' and the realities of geo-political and economic inequalities that underpin many forms of consumption.
Peace and Conflict Studies specialisation
18 credit points from the following
PACS6901 United Nations, Peace and Security
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week plus 1x6hr Model UN or equivalent Assessment: 1x seminar participation (10%), 1x500wd Model UN exercise or equivalent (10%), 1x500wd short assignment (10%), 1x500wd essay plan (10%), 1x3000wd final essay (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day, Online
In this unit students critically examine the role of the United Nations in promoting international peace and security. Contemporary and historical case studies are used to analyse the UN's performance in relation to such activities as peacemaking, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and peace enforcement. We assess the challenges facing the UN in achieving its mandate and implementing reform with a view to attaining peace with justice.
PACS6902 Reconciliation and Conflict Transformation
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 6 day intensive or equivalent weekly or online (36 hrs total) Assessment: 1x300wd equivalent in-class exercise (5%), 1x1200wd assignment (25%), 1x3000wd essay (60%), 1x participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Online, Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
In this unit we explore the concept of reconciliation and its relationship to conflict transformation and peacebuilding at personal, community, national and international levels. We will use case studies to highlight the psychological, spiritual, cultural, structural and political dimensions of reconciliation in different contexts such as indigenous/settler relations, restorative justice processes and transitional justice after mass violence.
PACS6903 Peace and the Environment
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2-hr seminar/week or equivalent intensive Assessment: class presentation (30%), 1x2000wd learning journal with annotated bibliography (20%), 1x3500wd essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day, Online
Through experiential and active, critical reflective learning, this unit explores a range of key issues and debates affecting peace and the environment at both local and global levels and within both 'natural' and 'built' environments. We consider how peace studies and environmental studies may inform each other, especially in terms of potential contributions to building less violent and more ecologically sustainable futures. Key issues and concepts discussed include intergenerational equity, environmental justice, nonviolence, ecofeminism and ecological peace.
PACS6909 Cultures of Violence
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week or equivalent intensive Assessment: Seminar participation (15%) and 2x750wd seminar papers (15%, 20%) and 3500wd Essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day, Online
This unit will study the cultural contexts, origins, meaning and leading varieties of 'violence' in the modern world. How violence has been defined historically, its character and prevalence in different times and places, and changes in public perceptions, media presentation, tolerance, prevention and prosecution will be examined. Topics such as violence in the home, sport, public protest, sexual and racial relations, terrorism, genocide, warfare, youth culture and the criminal justice system will be considered.
PACS6911 Key Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week or equivalent intensive or online Prohibitions: SCWK6930 Assessment: Seminar participation (10%), 1x2500wd personal learning journal (30%), 1x3500wd Essay (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day, Online
This unit introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of Peace and Conflict Studies and the history, philosophy and politics of peace. Students will gain an understanding of the nature and causes of violence, the potential of nonviolence and the means of achieving peace with justice in different conflict settings.
PACS6912 Nonviolence: Philosophy and Practice
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive March Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week or equivalent intensive Prohibitions: SCWK6933 Assessment: 1x2500wd reflective journal (50%), 1x3500wd case study analysis (50%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit critically and experientially explores the philosophical basis and theoretical underpinnings of nonviolent civil resistance in local and global struggles against injustice. We will analyse the nature of power, the meaning of nonviolent action and how it can bring about social change. Extensive use is made of case studies of nonviolent social movements from across time and around the world as well as practical exercises to unpack assumptions about the use of violence and nonviolence.
PACS6913 Conflict in Organisations
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Summer Main Classes: Intensive delivery over 6 days Assessment: Seminar participation (10%), 1xClass presentation equivalent to 500wds (15%), 1x1200wd paper (25%), 1x3000wd final paper (50%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
People spend a large part of their lives dealing with organisations. Organisations require close proximity and communication between people, often under pressure. This unit analyses organisations and diagnoses dysfunctional practices. It explores conflict/consensus theories and organisational politics. Culture and the relevance of peace with justice in the workplace are explored, and theory and skills that lead toward satisfying outcomes are examined and practiced. Students will learn to apply tools to resolve conflict in the workplace and achieve peace with justice.
PACS6914 Conflict-Resolving Media
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive August Classes: Intensive delivery over 5 days (total 30hrs) Prohibitions: SCWK6935 Assessment: 2x2500wd Commentaries (80%), Seminar participation (20%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit examines media representations of conflict and their influence on the behaviour of those involved. It introduces creative ways for journalists, media development workers and media activists to apply principles of conflict resolution. Students diagnose 'war journalism' and 'peace journalism', and analyse conflict in a journalism context. Theories of news and concepts of objectivity and responsibility are critically explored. Students gain practical skills in peace journalism and media activism as well as devising peace journalism interventions in conflict-affected areas.
PACS6915 Human Rights, Peace and Justice
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week or online equivalent Prohibitions: SCWK6941 Assessment: (1x500wd participation and presentation (10%), 1x1500wd short assignment (25%), 1x500wd essay plan (10%), 1x3500wd final essay (55%)) OR (1x500wd online discussion contribution (10%), 1x1500wd online short assignment (25%), 1x500wd online essay plan (10%), 1x3500wd online final essay (55%)) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day, Online
This unit explores the interrelationship between human rights, peace and justice in theory and in practice. We examine the philosophical underpinnings, legal instruments, political strategies and ethical challenges involved in understanding and attaining human rights locally and globally. Students will engage in debates about global responsibilities for the prevention and prosecution of mass human rights violations as well as specific rights such as those of women, refugees and indigenous peoples and how they contribute to peace with justice.
PACS6917 Religion, War and Peace
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week or equivalent online Assessment: 1x participation (10%), 1x10min presentation or equivalent online exercise (15%), 1x1500wd short assignment (25%), 1x3500wd essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day, Online
Religion is frequently blamed as the cause of violent conflict and yet peace and nonviolence are considered
central to most, if not all, religions. In this unit we examine historical and contemporary case studies to deepen our understanding of how religion may be used to promote violence and how religion and religious actors can contribute to building peace and social justice. Students will gain an understanding of different religious traditions and build an appreciation of the issues involved in working with diverse faith communities in the pursuit of peaceful conflict transformation.
central to most, if not all, religions. In this unit we examine historical and contemporary case studies to deepen our understanding of how religion may be used to promote violence and how religion and religious actors can contribute to building peace and social justice. Students will gain an understanding of different religious traditions and build an appreciation of the issues involved in working with diverse faith communities in the pursuit of peaceful conflict transformation.
PACS6921 Peace of Mind: The Psychology of Peace
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 6-day intensive seminar or equivalent (35hrs total) Assessment: 1x1000wd equivalent Oral Presentation (20%), 1x1000wd Reflective journal (15%)m 1x3000wd Essay (65%) Mode of delivery: Online, Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit explores the psychological dimensions of building peace in the world through cultivating inner peace or 'peace of mind'. We examine how it is that ordinary human beings can commit genocide and other mass atrocities, and how an understanding of underlying psychological processes can help with creating more peaceful communities. These inner processes include the effects of fear and trauma, and the development of empathy, resilience, healing and reconciliation.
PACS6923 The Human Right to Food
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2b Classes: 3hrs online equivalent/week commencing week 2 for Semester 1, 3hrs online equivalent/week commencing week 6 of Semester 2 (Session 10) Assessment: Continuous assessment equivalent to 2500wds (70%), 1x2000wd Essay (30%), Mode of delivery: Online
The human right to adequate food is considered in light of recent developments in economic and social rights to complement civil and political rights: historical foundations; the influence of the World Food Summit 1996; the application of the human right to adequate food in various contexts - specific countries, in relation to refugees, infants etc; analysing concrete situations to identify violations of the human right to adequate food; and formulating proposals for policy and legislation to realise the human right to adequate food in specific contexts.
PACS6924 Democracy in the Developing World
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 3hrs online equivalent/week Assessment: 1x1500wd essay (30%), 1x3000wd final essay (60%), Online Participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Online
This unit offers a comparative consideration of different concepts of democratisation and development including the criteria for compiling country development indices and typologies of democracy. Experiences of implanting and/or imposing democracy are examined in Japan, Iraq and other nations. The pan-Pacific model of development, and the pros and cons of using authoritarian means to achieve it, is also considered, with examples including Indonesia under Suharto and Singapore under Lee Kuan Yew. Relationships between development, conflict and poverty are examined - do elections lead to more democracy? More development? Or do they allow authoritarian winners to institutionalise power? What about the coup in Thailand?
PACS6925 Peace and the Global Compact
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2b Classes: 3hrs online equivalent/week commencing week 7 Assessment: Continuous assessment equivalent to 2000wds (60%), 1x2500wd Essay (40%), Mode of delivery: Online
An in depth critical exploration of the context, concept and development of the Global Compact, with an examination of the theoretical underpinnings of the notion of corporate social responsibility and the role business can play and should play in pursuit of peace and justice. Human rights principles, labour rights principles and environmental principles: where do they come from and how can they be applied in different situations? The role of business in zones of conflict and enabling economies of peace is considered in light of current case studies and experience.
PACS6928 Community Mediation: Theory and Practice
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive April Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week or equivalent intensive Assessment: 1x1500wd equiv seminar participation/role plays (25%), 1x1500wd reflective journal (25%), 1x3000wd Essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit of study will focus on the theory and practical application of facilitation, communication and conflict resolution skills in a community mediation context. Students will learn about various models of community mediation and will become skilled in the stages of community mediation through role-plays and simulation exercises. In addition to specific training in community mediation, the unit provides students with transferable skills and knowledge about mediation.
PACS6931 Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive October Classes: 6-day intensive seminar or equivalent (36hrs total) Assessment: 1000wd equivalent participation and role plays (25%), 1x1000wd short assignment (25%), 1x2500wd essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit of study introduces students to the theory and practice of conflict analysis and resolution. Students will gain an understanding of conflict resolution and transformation principles and interactive conflict resolution methods designed to address protracted, deep-rooted social conflicts. Students will learn skills that can be applied across the spectrum of conflict types from interpersonal and community, to inter-ethnic and international.
PACS6934 Conflict-Sensitive Development Practice
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive May Classes: Summer intensive (total 39 hours) Assessment: 1x1000wd collaborative group work project (20%), 1x1100wd reflective note (20%), 1x2400wd final essay (45%), seminar and practice participation (15%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
International aid efforts are often delivered in contexts affected by conflict, and risk feeding the conflict rather than alleviating it. Conflict sensitivity is about minimising the negative impact of aid (do no harm), and maximising its positive potential. Nowadays a core operating principle for international development and humanitarian organisations, being conflict-sensitive is essential in making aid more effective and accountable. This unit is designed as a practical, skills-based workshop suitable for professionals or advanced PG students wishing to engage in field-based work.
Social Policy specialisation
12 credit points from the following
EDPA6018 Social Policy Process
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr seminar/week Assessment: class attendance and participation, including discussion and mini-presentations (15%); presentation (35%) and essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
The world of policy is changing, from a centralised model to a decentralised one, in which you may be involved, at least at institutional level. Whether you work in the public, private, or third sector as an educator, social worker, civil servant or in another capacity, it is important to understand the changing world of policy. Another change that we examine is the rise of neo-liberalism and its effects on the policy process. Critics charge that policy is now framed with economic rather than social good in mind, and that the success of policies is measured by the same calculus. How is policy made, and by whom? How does Australian federalism influence the making and implementation of policy? What kinds of transnational influences affect the policy process, and to what extent? Do different countries respond to difference (class, ethnic, gender, age), in a world of increasing diversity, migration and mobility?
SCWK6948 Social Policy Frameworks
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Associate Professor Sue Goodwin Session: Semester 1 Classes: 2hr seminar/week - evening Assessment: 1x2000wd essay proposal and presentation (40%); 1x4000wd major essay (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
This unit aims to provide students with a sound understanding of the key institutional components of the Australian welfare system and the key issues and debates associated with the theory and practice of contemporary social policy. The target audience for this unit includes participants from a diverse range of organisations involved in human service provision. All human service work takes place in the context of social policy: social policy provides the mandate and the resources for human service work, and the activities of workers are extensively defined and shaped by social policy. In turn, human service workers are increasingly involved in the shaping of policy, or policy action. The rationale for this unit is to provide an opportunity for students to develop an advanced understanding of social policy frameworks in order to inform policy action.
12 credit points from the following
EDPB5016 Global Poverty, Social Policy and Ed
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: on-line Assessment: 500wd minor overview (10%) and 1200wd review (10%) and 1500wd minor essay (20%) and 1500wd minor essay (20%) and 2500wd case study (40%) Mode of delivery: Online
Investigation and analysis of: basic indicators of global poverty; key theories of poverty and development and their implications for social policy and education; western paradigms and their effects in non-western contexts; alternatives to westernisation; education as a form of foreign aid and development co-operation in multilateral, bilateral and non-government programs; multisectoral approaches to poverty alleviation strategies.
SCLG6910 Comparative Welfare States
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Gyu-Jin Hwang Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prohibitions: SCWK6909 Assessment: 4x30mins In-class quiz (20%), 1x2000wd Essay (40%), 1x2000wd Research proposal (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The unit provides a comparative analysis of welfare state development. It discusses how to meaningfully compare different welfare states and their social programmes. As a defining characteristic of welfare states, our primary focus is on the state's involvement in welfare services and benefits. Starting from there, we also explore various ways of `doing social policy' across different parts of the world and discuss the sort of socioeconomic outcomes they produce. Comparative research provides a useful venue to investigate the relationship between the institutional design of the welfare state and its size and how this relationship changes over time under the changing structural conditions.
SCWK6910 Working with Communities
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Amanda Howard Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 2x500wd on-line quiz (35%); 1x4000wd practice essay (45%); and participation (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
Working with communities is a key policy and practice priority for government and non-government agencies in Australia. This unit will critically examine the current policy frameworks informing work with communities as well as current practice models of community development and community engagement. The unit seeks to explore the why and how of work with communities. It will draw on an emerging Australian body of research about working with communities based in the community of Glebe. This unit is suitable for practitioners seeking to work more effectively with communities.
SCWK6949 Global Social Policy
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2hr seminar/week - evening Assessment: tutorial presentation and paper (40%); global social policy research exercise (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
There is a well-established scholarship and governmental interest in both the impact of globalisation on social policy and the emergence of what is increasingly termed 'global social policy' which is a direct response to global social problems. It is a field that is growing in the areas of social policy and social work research and practice and can be clearly linked to increased employment opportunities for social workers and social policy graduates in the international/global arena. A key perspective of this unit of study is from non-government organisations' participation in the development of a global civil society and their contribution to global social policy. It also examines the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and how NGOs have contributed to both the ambitions of the goals as well as the outcomes for different countries. This unit provides opportunities for students to deepen their understanding and knowledge of core global concerns such as poverty, health, education, environment, NGO corporate engagement and gender equality and make links to the vital role of NGOs in these areas.
SCLG6901 Citizenship Rights and Social Movements
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prohibitions: SCWK6901 Assessment: 1500wd reading journal (30%) and 2500wd research essay (50%) and 1000wd equivalent oral presentation (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: This unit is delivered at the University of Sydney.
This unit will provide an analysis of theories and practices of citizenship rights in Australia, other Anglophone countries and European countries in the 20th and 21st centuries. It will examine the relationships between different modes of citizenship, claims for rights and the formation of social movements with regard to the women's movement, Indigenous movements (where applicable) and movements concerned with migration, ethnic diversity and multiculturalism. Analyses will focus on the processes, content and outcomes of social movement advocacy.
SCLG6903 New Debates in Social Theory
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2400wd Research essay (40%), 1x2400wd Research essay (40%), 1x1200wd equivalent online presentations and discussion (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit explores a series of issues of controversy and debate in social theory. These include debates over: the information age; new information and communication technologies; the new capitalism and changing work practices; the cultural sphere; new forms of power and surveillance; shifting claims to insight in knowledge societies; the role of education in social inequality; the bases of making knowledge claims; and globalisation. The unit involves both face-to-face seminars and online discussions.
Political Economy specialisation
18 credit points from the following
ECOP6010 International Trade Regulation
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1500wd Essay (20%), 1x3000wd Essay (45%), 1x1.5hr Exam (25%), Seminar participation (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit aims to introduce students to competing perspectives on business regulation, then to familiarise students with the main elements of governance and regulation as they affect international business and, in particular, international trade.
ECOP6011 USA-Europe-Japan: From Growth to Crisis
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 3500wd Essay (60%) and 1500wd report (25%) and 1000wd equivalent Seminar presentation (15%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit will examine the dynamics of capitalist growth and crisis from the end of the Second World War until the present. It will analyse the formation of a triad formed by the USA, Europe, and Japan, as well as the contradictions that beset this constellation from the 1980s. The unit will pay particular attention to the rise of new economic powers like China over the past decades, and it will explore the dynamics of the financial crisis of 2008 and its impact on the European Union.
ECOP6012 Country Risk Analysis
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd Essay (25%), 1x3000wd project (40%), 1x1000wd Presentation (20%), Seminar participation (15%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The impacts of volatility are an ever-present concern for policymakers, firms and households. This unit looks at a diverse range of methods and techniques for assessing country risk (e.g., economic risk, financial risk, sovereign (default) risk, socio-political risk, etc). This entails an overview of the (political) economic frameworks and connecting both qualitative and quantitative approaches to the current research on leading indicators and early warning systems.
ECOP6015 Global Employment and Migration
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1250wd short Essay (20%), 5x 250wd diary digests (20%), 1x1000wd Presentation and write-up (20%), 1x2500wd Research essay (40%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit examines the evolution of international employment opportunities as a feature of the globalisation of economies. Different approaches to the analysis of labour markets provide conceptual frameworks for examining the changing character and structure of global employment and international migration. Case studies examine the effects of state regulatory arrangements and international institutions governing cross-border labour migration and cross-border employment in multinational firms, including professionals, skilled and unskilled workers.
ECOP6016 China in the World Economy
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2500wd Essay (30%), 1xTeam Oral Presentation (10%), 1x1500wd report (20%), 1x2hr exam (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study analyses the modern economic development of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and its role in the international economic system, including the World Trade Organisation. It examines the internal political economy of the PRC; the political economy of transition; and China's transformation into a major centre of foreign direct investment and global exports. In the unit, students will learn the differential impact of China's transformation on the USA, East Asia and Japan, and the European Union. The policy of free trade agreements of China will also be studied. An understanding of these issues is important for people concerned both with investment and trade with China and the global political economic implications of China's emerging market economy under socialism.
ECOP6017 Inequality in the Global Economy
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1500wd Short essay (20%), 1x15mins Seminar presentation (20%), 1x3000wd Research report (50%), 1x Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The principle of equality is a widely held ideal, however, inequality is on the rise worldwide. This unit of study investigates the historical development of inequalities of wealth and income across the global economy. The course surveys strands of liberal, marxian, feminist, and postcolonial economic thought that seek to shed light on how global economic processes produce inequalities of different kinds. Students will learn how to apply these frameworks to contemporary issues and policy debates in affluent and developing nations.
ECOP6018 Economic Development: Growth and Wellbeing
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
ECOP6031 Research in Political Economy
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1000wd Paper (25%), 1x1000wd Paper (25%), 1x4000wd Report (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit focuses on conducting research in political economy. Weekly seminars examine a range of topics including research design, literature review, data collection and analysis, and writing a research proposal. The seminars provide an opportunity for critical discussion to identify, debate and reflect on the nature and challenge of undertaking research. The assessment is structured to assist the progressive development of a research proposal. Completion of this Unit of Study is a pre-requisite for a Masters dissertation.
ECOP6033 Research Project
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: The unit involves a supervised writing project. It is supported by a designated unit co-ordinator who will supervise the projects, receive and comment on a project plan and first draft. This is combined with two in-class seminars in which all student are expected to present and discuss their work. Prerequisites: 24 Credit Points Assessment: 4500wd research project (100%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The unit is offered as a capstone for the Master of Political Economy, as an alternative to the units Dissertation Parts A and B. It provides students with the opportunity to conduct a supervised research project of their own design, drawing on the theoretical perspectives in Political Economy introduced earlier in the course and exploring issues previously encountered in greater depth. Students will be given the opportunity to present and discuss the progress of their work during the semester.
ECOP6101 Core Concepts in Political Economy
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 4x4x500wd seminar papers (40%), 1x4000wd essay (45%), seminar participation (15%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The unit explores the core concepts of Political Economy through the lens of the principal schools of economic thought which comprise the social science discipline of economics. The historical origins of each school are identified along with their methodological approaches and analytical tools, policy prescriptions and insights. This examination illuminates the different views about the dynamics of the capitalist economy and lays the foundation for the application of political economic reasoning to a wide range of contemporary issues.
ECOP6103 Strategic Debates on Economic Change
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd Essay (30%), 1x4000wd Essay (60%), 1xGroup presentation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit explores the processes of socioeconomic change, and the forces involved in bringing about such change. It introduces several theoretical perspectives and - using a number of contemporary case studies - considers the interests, the relationships and the constraints involved in socioeconomic change. Students consider a range of issues and debates, and make a detailed study in one such area.
ECOP6108 Economic Management for Sustainability
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x10min seminar presentation (10%), 1x1000wd seminar paper 1 (20%), 1x1000wd seminar paper 2 (20%), 1x3000wd research essay (40%), participation (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit introduces students to environmental economic theory, ecological economics, and other critical perspectives in order to develop an understanding of the parameters that define management of economy-environment interactions. Students will develop a critical appreciation of the systemic nature of the pressures imposed on environmental/ecological systems and the intractable problems this presents. The unit examines the different tendencies that inform environmental management and sustainable development; and the relative merits/weaknesses of the strategies and policies advanced.
ECOP6115 History of Australian Capitalism
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: Seminar Participation (10%), 1x3000wd Essay (40%), 1x1500wd equivalent Graph/table Essay (25%), 1x1500wd Historiographic debate presentat (25%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Introduction to the rich political-economic historiography of Australian capitalism. Themes include: colonisation and dispossession; long booms and great depressions; integration with world capitalism; making and remaking of class relations; embeddedness in the natural environment; financial change.
ECOP6130 Human Rights and International Development
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prohibitions: SCLG6912 Assessment: 1x1000wd Essay (20%), 1x2000wd Essay (40%), 1.5hr exam (30%), Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: This unit is delivered at the University of Sydney.
This unit links debates over social rights and democratic legitimacy to structural economic arguments. It introduces the competing arguments over social rights and the struggles that have created them, and promotes the use of evidence in these conceptual arguments. The approach of economic liberalism to rights is examined. Important global issues involving rights and economic argument - such as self-determination, land rights, food security, fair trade and economic governance - are examined.
ECOP6901 Finance and Economic Change
This unit of study is not available in 2020
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2500wd Essay (30%), 1x2500wd Essay (30%), 1x1000wd Presentation (30%), 1x Seminar participation (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Foreign exchange, security and other derivative markets have expanded dramatically over the past 20 years. More recently, they have been associated with the largest economic crisis in 80 years. This unit develops a political economy perspective on these markets, including their vulnerability to crisis, and the intrusion of financial calculation into wider social and personal calculation. The unit also addresses the regulation of financial markets and institutions, including key regulatory and monitoring agencies, and arguments for new regulatory regimes.
American Foreign Policy specialisation
6 credit points from the following
USSC6903 US Foreign and National Security Policy
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2-hr class/week Assessment: class participation 10%; reading response paper 30%; Essay proposal 20%; Research Essay 40%. Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day, Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
This unit will provide a sophisticated understanding of the making of American foreign and national security policy from "inside the beltway." As a democratic country, the process of its foreign policy making has more domestic influences and pressures than many other countries. This unit provides students with a detailed understanding of the domestic, societal and international sources of American foreign policy, including the roles of: individuals, the bureaucracy, the NSC and interagency process, lobby groups, Congress, public opinion, the media, parties and partisanship, think tanks, presidential doctrines, US political culture and discourse, and more.
12 credit points from the following
GOVT6359 US-China Relations
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x15-20min Presentation (equiv 750wd) (25%), 1x750wd Policy Memo (15%), 1x4500wd Research Paper (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This seminar introduces students to the dynamics of US-China relations, regarded by many as the most significant bilateral relationship in the world. The seminar aims to give an overview of the history of US-China relations, to deepen the students' understanding of the strategic thinking and policy-making of both China and the US, and to discuss a number of key contemporary issues in the relationship in some detail. This bilateral relationship has arguably become the most complex and challenging for both Washington and Beijing.
USSC6902 US Politics: Presidency and Congress
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive October,Intensive September,Semester 2 Classes: 1x2-hr class/week Assessment: 1x2000-2500wd major paper (45%), 1x2hr exam (45%) and class participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
This unit will examine US domestic politics through analysing the federal structure and separation of powers within the American political system. This understanding will provide an appreciation of the porous nature of US political institutions, offering social actors a variety of venues and opportunities to influence political decision-making. It will examine the factors that make some arenas more open than others and strategies that groups and political actors take to secure or prise open those avenues for change.
USSC6910 Special Topics in US Studies
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive July,Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: At least one meeting per month between student and project supervisor Assessment: 1x1500wd reflective essay (25%), participation (15%), 1x3500wd project (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Students accepted in this unit will be able to undertake a special independent or group project in US Studies. Independent projects will be completed under the supervision of the postgraduate coordinator and a USSC faculty member or a special visiting fellow where appropriate. Group projects will facilitate local and international learning experiences organized by the US Studies Centre and will be coordinated by the postgraduate coordinator of US Studies.
USSC6922 US Strategy in the Asia-Pacific
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x700wd group presentation (10%), 1x1800wd policy memo (30%), 1x3500wd research paper (50%), seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
The United States' has long pursued a grand strategy in Asia premised on preventing regional threats and maintaining access to Asian markets, societies, and strategic waterways. Under President Trump, however, America's regional role may be changing. This unit will explore the history and making of US strategy in Asia, including key turning points, strategic actors, and policy debates. Students will also examine contemporary challenges and flashpoints for America's Asia policy, and how these may affect stability and relations with the region.
USSC6205 Internship Project
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Assessment: Research project on behalf of the workplace partner, 4000wds Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This is one of two units of study in an internship sequence that may be undertaken in partial fulfilment of requirements for the award of Master of Letters in US Studies. The project (Part 2) requires the completion of a research project on behalf of the workplace partner. In order to be considered, a minimum weighted average mark (WAM) of 70% across all units undertaken toward the Master of US Studies degree is required. Admission is subject to the Director's approval.
Exchange units of study
Available to Master of Public Policy students only.
FASS6901 Exchange and Study Abroad
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive January,Intensive July,Semester 1,Semester 2 Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
FASS6902 Exchange and Study Abroad
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive January,Intensive July,Semester 1,Semester 2 Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
FASS6903 Exchange and Study Abroad
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive January,Intensive July,Semester 1,Semester 2 Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
FASS6904 Exchange and Study Abroad
Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive January,Intensive July,Semester 1,Semester 2 Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day