GraduatePolitical Science & International Relations

Master of Political Science

Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia

About this program

The Master of Political Science is a graduate program at the Australian National University in Canberra, run through the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences and ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, taken over 1.5 years full-time (72 Units). Coursework includes 24 units from completion of the following compulsory courses. Graduates are expected to critically evaluate key theories in political science. ANU is a research-intensive, Group of Eight university based in Australia's capital, and international students in this program study alongside a large Canberra-based policy, research and public-service community.

Cost & duration

Duration1.5 yr
Tuition (international)A$56,900
Application feeA$0

English test scores

IELTS6.5 overall (L6)
PTE58 overall

Verified programsandcourses.anu.edu.au

Course structure

56 terms of coursework

  • The Masters of Political Science requires completion of 72 units which must consist of:
  • 24 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:
  • POLS8019
  • Democracy and Its Discontents
  • POLS8038
  • Comparative Political Institutions
  • POLS8039
  • Comparative Political Behaviour
  • POLS8043
  • State Formation and Contested Political Orders
  • A minimum of 12 units from completion of methods courses from the following list:
  • POLS8042
  • Quantitative Research for Political Science
  • POLS8044
  • Qualitative Research in Politics
  • POLS8047
  • Interpretation, Method, Critique: Interpretivist Methods in the Social Sciences
  • POLS8058
  • Research Design in Political Science
  • A maximum of 12 units from completion of courses from the following list:
  • POLS8051
  • Authoritarian Politics: Comparative Perspectives
  • INTR8084
  • Global Crisis, Global Protest
  • A minimum of 24 units from completion of courses from the following specialisations or alpha codes:
  • Asian Studies Specialisation
  • Asian and Pacific Studies Specialisation
  • Diplomacy Specialisation
  • International Relations Specialisation
  • Middle East and Central Asian Specialisation
  • Pacific Studies Specialisation
  • Social Research Methods Specialisation
  • Strategic Studies Specialisation
  • A maximum of 6 units from completion of experiential courses from the following list:
  • ANIP6503
  • - Australian National Internships Program A
  • A maximum of 6 units from completion of courses from the following subject areas:
  • ARAB Arabic
  • BURM Burmese
  • CHIN Chinese
  • FREN French
  • GERM German
  • HIND Hindi
  • INDN Indonesian
  • JPNS Japanese
  • KORE Korean
  • MNGL Mongolian
  • PERS Persian
  • RUSS Russian
  • SPAN Spanish
  • TETM Tetum
  • THAI Thai
  • TIBN Tibetan
  • TOKP Tok Pisin
  • TURK Turkish
  • VIET Vietnamese

Admissions

At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry. Bachelor degree or international equivalent with GPA 5/7 Bachelor degree or international equivalent with GPA 4/7 and a minimum of 3 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program Bachelor degree or international equivalent with GPA 4/7 and a Graduate Certificate or international equivalent with a GPA of 4/7 Graduate Diploma or international equivalent with a GPA 4/7 48 units of courses in a postgraduate program with a GPA of 4/7 Graduate Certificate or international equivalent with a GPA of 4/7 and a minimum of 3 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program Graduate Records Examination (GRE) General test, completed no more than 5 years before the time of application, with a minimum score of 155 for Verbal Reasoning, 155 for Quantitative Reasoning and 4.0 in Analytical Writing and a minimum of 3 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program A minimum of 10 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program. Academic achievement & English language proficiency The minimum academic requirement for full entry and enrolment is a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0. However, applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes. If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of: a GPA ('GPA2') calculated on the penultimate and antepenultimate semesters (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes; and/or demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency. Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met. Further information: English Language Requirements for Admission Diversity factors: As Australia’s national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe. Assessment of qualifications: Unless otherwise indicated, ANU will accept all Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications or international equivalents that meet or exceed the published admission requirements of our programs, provided all other admission requirements are also met. Where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will base assessment on the qualification that best meets the admission requirements for the program. Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework: www.aqf.edu.au . Unless otherwise indicated, where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will calculate the GPA for each qualification separately. ANU will base assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher. ANU uses a 7-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale. All qualifications submitted for admission at ANU will be converted to this common scale, which will determine if an applicant meets our published admission requirements. Find out more about how a 7-point GPA is calculated for Australian universities: www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/admission-criteria/tertiary-qualifications .

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