Course details

Summary

Political Science is often called the study of who gets what, where, how and why. It is the independent and informed study of our communities and how we make decisions collectively as governments, why we behave as we do as citizens, and how we make public policy choices for the future. Political scientists use a variety of ideas and tools to examine local, national, regional, and global processes, institutions and relationships and to consider how we ought to live as political communities and how we can create change.

Why study Political Science and International Relations at UC?

The Political Science programme at UC has attained national and international visibility for the strength of its teaching and academic research. The Department of Political Science and International Relations is recognised internationally in fields as diverse as democracy, environmental politics and policy, humanitarian intervention, science and technology policy, Chinese and South East Asian politics, and regional and international relations.

Staff foster an environment in which students are supported toward achieving their goals as citizens, young leaders and as scholars, and where networks of fellow graduates and employers are nurtured to help with career planning and mentoring.

Recommended preparation

Political Science and International Relations students come from a wide variety of interests and backgrounds. Many study the subject alongside subjects such as History, Geography, languages, Media and Communication, Law, Commerce and Science.

The Bachelor of Arts requires a minimum total of 360 points:

• at least 255 points from Arts courses
• the remaining 105 points can be from either Arts courses or courses from other degrees.
• A minimum of 225 points must be from courses above 100-level, with at least 90 points at 300-level.

Double Degrees

It is possible to combine an Arts degree with other degrees such as the Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Health Sciences, Bachelor of Laws or Bachelor of Science.

Further study

The College of Arts has a wide range of options for postgraduate and graduate study with excellent research facilities. These include specialised research centres such as the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, Social Science Research Centre, New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies, Te Awatea Violence Research Centre and National Centre for Research on Europe.

Career opportunities

Political Science and International Relations students gain a versatile set of skills that can be applied in a wide range of exciting careers both within politics (international, national and local political institutions eg, the UN, humanitarian inter-governmental organisations, parliaments, city councils) and in more diverse areas such as law, business, education and journalism.

Recent graduates have been employed in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Defence, and Justice as well as the Treasury, Te Puni Kokiri, Parliament and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Government Communications Security Bureau, Security Intelligence Service, Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, and the Red Cross.

Political Science and International Relations specialists fare well in roles that value a questioning mind, superb communication skills and a strong understanding of systems and social issues such as the news media, trade unions, teaching and the finance industry (eg, banking and investment).

Entry criteria

Admission to UC with University Entrance, or equivalent, is required to enrol for a Bachelor's degree. Applicants must have completed New Zealand University Entrance through NCEA; or Cambridge International Examinations (CIE); or International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) or any other equivalent overseas qualification.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 550 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum C+ grade; CAE or CPE minimum score of 169 with at least 162 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 57 and no PTE communicative skills score below 50.