Course details

Summary

Further your study and enhance your career potential with advanced courses and supervised research alongside some of New Zealand’s leading scholars.

Programme overview

You can take the one-year Bachelor of Arts (Honours) as a qualification in its own right after a Bachelor of Arts, or as a pathway to a one-year Master of Arts.

Postgraduate study is a unique opportunity to deepen your study of an academic area that you find intellectually rewarding and personally meaningful.

As well as deepening your knowledge in small classes with some of New Zealand’s leading scholars, you can hone advanced skills that will be an advantage in any career.

Politics and International Relations is about relationships that involve power, authority, influence, conflict, co-operation, selfishness and altruism. We were in the top 100 for politics in the 2015 QS World University Rankings.

Politics is not just what politicians do, although governments provide a large part of it. One of the basic questions we ask is "who gets what, when, and how?" Instruments of politics include discussion, propaganda, persuasion, legislation, administration, threats, bribes and the use of armed force.

Politics and International Relations and your career

Politics and International Relations can give you the tools to be successful in both the public and private sectors. Our graduates have become public servants, politicians, diplomats, entrepreneurs, business and marketing executives, consultants, policy analysts, journalists and members of international and non-governmental organizations. Some also have careers as university staff in New Zealand and abroad, not always in Politics and International Relations.

Programme structure

120 points

Advanced taught courses (75 or 90 points)

A small research project such as a dissertation (usually 30 or 45 points)

You may be able to include up to 30 points from other subjects

Further study options

• Master of Arts
• Master of Conflict and Terrorism Studies
• Master of Heritage Conservation
• Master of Indigenous Studies
• Master of Public Policy
• MTESOL

Other Bachelor of Arts (Honours) subjects: Ancient History; Anthropology; Art History; Asian Studies; Chinese; Criminology; Development Studies; Drama; Economics; Education; Employment Relations and Organisation Studies; English; French; Gender Studies; Geography; German; Greek; History; Italian; Japanese; Languages and Literature; Latin; Linguistics; Logic and Computation; 毛利 Studies; Mathematics; Media, Film and Television; Museums and Cultural Heritage; Music; Pacific Studies; Philosophy; Psychology; Screen Production; Sociology; Spanish; Statistics.

Entry criteria

A BA with a major in Political Studies or Politics and International Relations. You must have an average grade of B or higher in 45 points above Stage II in the major.

IELTS 7.0; TOEFL (iBT) 100; TOEFL (paper-based) 600; CAE or CPE 185; PTE 65; MELAB 90.