Immerse yourself in a remarkable and complex part of the world.

The Middle Eastern and Central Asian regions of the World are rich in history, geographical wonders, political turmoil, and socio-cultural influence. They are areas of constant domestic and international interest as events often unfold which have global relevance and significance.

This program will take you through the topics, debates and developments in the Middle East and Central Asia. You will study the socio-cultural, political, historical and economic structures of these regions and develop a comprehensive knowledge of their relationship to global socio-cultural, political and economic trends.

To fully engage with the history and culture of the regions, you can also study a Middle Eastern or Central Asian language.

The Bachelor of Political Science is the only dedicated Political Science degree in Australia. The ANU has some of the world’s finest political scientists, and was the only Australian university to receive a 5 (“well above world class”) in both of the Excellence in Research for Australia’s reports. Located in the national capital, the ANU is the only university with a right to place interns in Australian Parliament House. The Bachelor of Political Science will give you the knowledge, theoretical understandings, and practical skills that underpin a successful career that engages with politics.

Employment Opportunities

Graduates may find work in policy development, foreign affairs, government, private business, tourism, trade, journalism and many other fields.

Graduates may find work in policy development, foreign affairs, government, private business, tourism, trade, journalism and many other fields.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will be able to:

1. Understand and evaluate historical and current events and developments that have shaped the Middle East and Central Asia,

2. Identify and critique the contemporary socio-cultural and political systems of the Middle East and Central Asia,

3. Analyse current debates relating to regional cooperation and unity in the context of tensions in traditions,

4. Analyse the global significance of events and developments in the Middle East and Central Asia, and

5. Communicate in a Middle Eastern or Central Asian language. 

Upon successful completion of a Bachelor of Political Science, graduates will be able to:

1. Apply concepts and theories used in the study of political science to the analysis of interests, ideas, institutions and behaviour and to the evaluation of political phenomena;
2. Apply a range of research methods to the investigation of political phenomena;
3. Demonstrate understanding of differences in political systems and the contexts in which they operate; and
4. Communicate and debate both orally and in writing, and work with others, using a variety of media.

Admission Requirements

Admission to all programs is on a competitive basis. Admission to undergraduate degrees is based on meeting the ATAR requirement or an equivalent rank derived from the following qualifications:

• An Australian year 12 qualification or international equivalent; OR
• A completed Associate Diploma, Associate Degree, AQF Diploma, Diploma, AQF Advanced Diploma, Graduate Certificate or international equivalent; OR
• At least one standard full-time year (1.0 FTE) in a single program of degree level study at an Australian higher education institution or international equivalent; OR
• An approved tertiary preparation course unless subsequent study is undertaken.

Click HERE for further information about domestic admission.

More information about ATAR requirements for individual programs can be found HERE.

The table below is a guide to the entry level required for domestic applicants. Exact entry level will be set at time of offer.

Domestic applicant entry requirements

Queensland Band equivalents are a guide only - selection is made on a UAI equivalent that is not available to students.

International applicant entry requirements

International applicants may view further information on admissions requirements at Entry Requirements for International Undergraduate Applicants

The University reserves the right to alter or discontinue its programs as required.

Adjustment Factors

The National Access Scheme 2014

ANU offers bonus points for nationally strategic senior secondary subjects, and in recognition of difficult circumstances that students face in their studies. 

Bonus points are applied to all applicants with an ATAR at or above 70. Points are awarded in accordance with the approved schedule, and no more than 10 points (maximum 5 academic points and maximum 5 equity points) will be awarded.

Bonus points do not apply to programs with an ATAR cutoff of 98 or higher.

Bonus Points are only awarded to domestic applicants applying for admission through UAC who have not previously attempted tertiary study.

How to apply

Academic Bonus Points: senior secondary students do not need to apply for ANU academic bonus points. They are automatically added in accordance with the schedule.

Educational Access Scheme: senior secondary students do not need to apply if their school is part of the Priority School Funding Program or Country Areas Program. All other applicants should refer to http://www.uac.edu.au/eas/  for more information.

Scholarships

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are.  Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the Scholarships website.

Program Requirements

The Bachelor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies flexible double degree component requires completion of 96 units, of which:

A maximum of 36 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses

The 96 units must include:

12 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

MEAS1001 Introduction to the Modern Middle East 

MEAS1002 Islam : History and Institutions 

36 units from completion of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies courses from the following list:

BUSI2024 Dynamics of Business in the Middle East

MEAS2000 Iranian History and Culture

MEAS2001 New States of Eurasia: Emerging Issues in Politics and Security

MEAS2002 Turkish History: Ottoman State to Modern Turkey

MEAS2003 Modern Turkey: History, Culture and Regional Relations

MEAS2004 Turkish Politics and Foreign Policy

MEAS2105 The Political Economy of the Middle East

MEAS2107 Gender and Culture in Iran and the Middle East

MEAS2108 Gallipoli: History and National Imagination

POLS2031 Politics in the Middle East

POLS2069 Politics in Russia

POLS2070 Politics in Central Asia

Either:

48 units from completion of one of the following language majors:

Arabic

Persian

Or:

Either:

24 units from completion of one of the following language minors 

Arabic

Persian

24 units from completion of one of the following:

an in-country study abroad component/exchange in the same language as the minor

an internship undertaken in the same language as the minor

Or:

24 units from completion of one of the following advanced language minors: 

Advanced Arabic

Advanced Persian 

24 units from completion of courses from the following majors, minors and courses:

Advanced Ancient Greek Minor

Advanced Arabic Minor

Advanced French Studies Minor

Advanced German Studies Minor

Advanced Hispanic Culture Minor

Advanced Hispanic Linguistics Minor

Advanced Hispanic Studies Specialisation

Advanced Italian Studies Minor

Advanced Latin Minor

Advanced Persian Minor

Advanced Spanish Studies Minor

Advanced Studies Minor

American Studies Minor

Ancient Greek Major

Ancient Greek Minor

Ancient History Major

Ancient History Minor

Anthropology Major

Anthropology Minor

ANU Leadership and Research Minor

Applied Linguistics Minor

Arabic Major

Arabic Minor

Archaeology Major

Archaeology Minor

Art History Major

Art History Minor

Art Theory Major

Art Theory Minor

Asian Art History Minor

Asian Studies Major

Asian Studies Minor

Australian Indigenous Studies Major

Australian Indigenous Studies Minor

Australian Politics Minor

Biological Anthropology Major

Biological Anthropology Minor

Chinese Language Major

Chinese Language Minor

Classical Chinese Minor

Climate Science and Policy Minor

Comparative Politics Minor

Contemporary Europe Major

Contemporary Europe Minor

Criminology Major

Criminology Minor

Demography Minor

Development Studies Major

Development Studies Minor

Digital Humanities Major

Digital Humanities Minor

Economic Studies Major

Economic Studies Minor

English Major

English Minor

Environmental Policy Minor

Environmental Studies Major

Environmental Studies Minor

European History Major

European History Minor

Film Minor

Forensic Anthropology Minor

Forensic Linguistics Minor

French Language and Culture Major

French Language and Culture Minor

Gender and Sexuality Minor

Gender, Sexuality and Culture Major

Geography Major

Geography Minor

German Language and Culture Major

German Language and Culture Minor

Health, Medicine and the Body Minor

Heritage and Museum Studies Minor

Hindi Language Major

Hindi Language Minor

History Major

History Minor

Human Ecology Minor

Human Evolutionary Biology Major

Human Evolutionary Biology Minor

Human Rights Major

Human Rights Minor

Indonesian Language Major

Indonesian Language Minor

International Communication Major

International Communication Minor

International Relations Major

International Relations Minor

Italian Language and Culture Major

Italian Language and Culture Minor

Japanese Language Major

Japanese Language Minor

Korean Language Major

Korean Language Minor

Latin American Studies Major

Latin American Studies Minor

Latin Major

Latin Minor

Linguistics Major

Linguistics Minor

Mathematics Major

Mathematics Minor

Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies Major

Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies Minor

Music Major

Music Minor

Music Technology Minor

Pacific Studies Major

Pacific Studies Minor

Persian Major

Persian Minor

Philosophy and Science Minor

Philosophy Major

Philosophy Minor

Political Science Major

Political Science Minor

Political Theory Minor

Popular Music

Psychology Major

Russian Minor

Sanskrit Language Major

Sanskrit Language Minor

Social Psychology Minor

Social Research Methods Minor

Sociology Major

Sociology Minor

Spanish Major

Spanish Minor

Sustainable Development Minor

Thai Language Major

Thai Language Minor

Urdu Language Major

Urdu Language Minor

Vietnamese Language Major

Vietnamese Language Minor

Visual Arts Practice Minor

TURK1001 Elementary Turkish A

TURK1002 Elementary Turkish B

TURK2001 Intermediate Turkish A

TURK2002 Intermediate Turkish B

The Bachelor of Political Science flexible double degree component requires the completion of 96 units, of which:

A maximum of 36 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses

The 96 units must consist of:

24 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

POLS1002 Introduction to Politics

POLS1009 Research and Writing in Political Science [new course]

POLS2119 Ideas in Politics

POLS3025 Contemporary Political Analysis

A minimum of 12 units from completion of political theory and political philosophy courses from the following list:

PHIL1004 Fundamanetal Ideas in Philosophy: An Introduction

PHIL2020 Theories of Social Justice

PHIL2113 Global Justice

PHIL2115 Political Philosophy from Hobbes to Mill

POLS2063 Contemporary Political Theory

POLS2075 Globalism and the Politics of Identity

POLS2102 The Political Philosophy of Deception

POLS2120 Foundations of Political Theory

A minimum of 12 units from completion of methodology courses from the following list:

ECON2141 Strategic Thinking: An Introduction to Game Theory

POLS2125 Game Theory and Social Sciences

POLS2130 Public Choice and Politics

SOCY2038 Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods

SOCY2043 Qualitative Research Methods

A minimum of 12 units from completion of Australian politics courses from the following list:

HIST2227 Australian Political History

POLS2009 Bureaucracy and Public Policy

POLS2111 Elections, Political Behaviour and Public Opinion in Australia

POLS2114 Australian Political Institutions

POLS2121 Ideas in Australian Politics

A minimum of 12 units from completion of comparative politics courses from the following list:

ASIA2065 Comparative Politics (Asia Pacific)

POLS2043 Pressure Groups and Political Lobbying

POLS2104 Media Politics: Political leaders, media moguls, journalists and audiences

POLS2105 Political Leadership and Executive Government

POLS2126 Democracy: Its Causes and Consequences

POLS3029 Multi-Level Governance and Comparative Federalism

POLS3031 Comparative Judicial Politics

A minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 units from completion of area studies courses from the following list:

ASIA2026 The Politics of China

ASIA2031 Japanese Politics

ASIA2049 Politics and Society in Contemporary Korea

ASIA2070 Democracy in Southeast Asia

ASIA2109 Politics of South Asia

ASIA2516 Indonesia: Politics, Society and Development

EURO2003 European Union: Policies, Institutions and Challenges

MEAS2001 New States of Eurasia: Emerging Issues in Politics and Security

POLS2025 Politics in Britain

POLS2031 Politics in the Middle East

POLS2055 Pacific Politics

POLS2069 Politics in Russia

POLS2070 Politics in Central Asia

POLS2095 Politics in Latin America

POLS2118 Democracy and Democratization in Latin America

POLS2127 U.S. Politics

POLS3030 Contemporary Politics of Brazil

A maximum of 6 units from completion of political economy courses from the following list:

ECON2013 Behavioural Economics: Psychology and Economics

MEAS2105 The Political Economy of the Middle East

PHIL2120 Towards a Critique of Political Economy: the Young Marx on Work, Property and Emancipation

POLS2011 Development and Change

POLS2094 Issues in International Political Economy

A maximum of 12 units from completion of internship/Vice-Chancellors courses from the following list:

ANIP3003 Australian National Internships Program Internship A

ANIP3005 Australian National Internships Program Internship B

POLS3022 Washington DC Internship

VCUG2001 Creating Knowledge

VCUG2002 Leadership and Influence in a Complex World

VCUG3001 Unravelling Complexity

VCUG3002 Mobilising Research

Majors

Bachelor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies Majors

Minors

Bachelor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies Minors

Specialisations

Bachelor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies Specialisations

Study Options

Honours

For information about honours, please see Bachelor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies (Honours)

For information about honours, please see Bachelor of Political Science (Honours)