The Bachelor of Arts is the most diverse, most flexible, and most popular degree at The Australian National University. Each of its some fifty majors, in fields throughout the arts, humanities and social sciences, is taught by truly outstanding scholars to ensure that each student receives the very best education, is engaged with cutting-edge research, and learns to think like a researcher. These majors can be coupled with more than seventy minors and specialisations to broaden or deepen your study. Regardless of your choices, your Arts degree will provide you with core skills in critical analysis and in written and oral communication, while developing your adaptability and ability to help shape change and prepare you for a multifaceted career or further study.

Can you see yourself jet-setting the globe with a career in trade, foreign affairs, journalism, international business or research? You have found the right degree.

ANU is a leader in the field of International Relations.

Our program will introduce you to International Relations, initially via the broad historical and intellectual framework which has framed the modern world of states since the 17th century. It will then concentrate on the 20th century, the age of World Wars and the Cold War, before addressing contemporary issues, the age of global political economy, global culture and communication, global environmental concerns and post-Cold war political conflict, including the 'War on Terror'.

With our flexible program you can extend your chosen language subject into a major, and have the opportunity to go on exchange or an international/national internship.

Employment Opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts may find work in publishing, policy, education, international development, politics, media, information technology, communications, journalism, aid, advertising, art conservation, government and many other fields.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts may find work in publishing, policy, education, international development, politics, media, information technology, communications, journalism, aid, advertising, art conservation, government and many other fields.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. critically apply theoretical frameworks and research techniques to understanding national and international issues and problems;
2. identify, including through interrogation of databases, relevant sources of information from across a variety of media (print and digital, written and audio-visual) and judge the importance and reliability of those sources;
3. evaluate ideas and develop creative solutions to problems, including through independent pursuit of knowledge and making connections between different disciplinary approaches and methods;
4. communicate and debate both orally and in writing, and work with others, using a variety of media; and
5. understand the ethical implications of ideas, communications, and actions.

Upon successful completion of a Bachelor of International Relations, graduates will be able to:

1. Identify the principal theoretical approaches to the study of international relations, and the relationships between them;
2. Have a thorough understanding of the historical development of the global system;
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the principal actors in contemporary global politics and the challenges they face;
4. Understand the principal factors that determine the foreign policies of major powers and of Australia;
5. Reflect critically on the knowledge and skills developed in their study of International Relations.

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 National Register of higher education providers is an authoritative source of information that will help you confirm your institution of choice is registered to deliver higher education in Australia.

The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) website is HERE. Based on surveys done by thousands of students across Australia you can find out about universities that interest you, doing side-by-side comparisons.

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 an ATAR 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.

Prerequisites

Students who successfully complete the below program will be admitted to the Bachelor of Arts:
ELIBS Diploma of Liberal Studies (offered by the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences)
 

Adjustment Factors

ANU offers rank adjustments for a number of adjustment factors, including for high achievement in nationally strategic senior secondary subjects and for recognition of difficult circumstances that students face in their studies. Rank adjustments are applied to Bachelor degree applicants with an ATAR at or above 70. Points are awarded in accordance with the approved schedules, and no more than 15 points (maximum 5 subject/performance-based adjustments, maximum 10 equity-based adjustments and maximum 5 Elite Athlete adjustments) will be awarded. Subject and performance-based adjustments do not apply to programs with a minimum selection rank of 98 or higher. Visit the ANU Adjustment Factors website for further 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 Arts 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 consist of:

48 units from the completion of one Arts major from any of the following lists:

Disciplines and Fields
Ancient History
Anthropology
Archaeology
Art History and Theory
Australian Indigenous Studies
Biological Anthropology
Criminology
Development Studies
Digital Humanities
Economic Studies
English
Environmental Studies
Gender, Sexuality and Culture
Geography
Global Security
History
Human Evolutionary Biology
Human Rights
International Communication
International Relations
Linguistics
Mathematics
Music
Music Technology
Peace and Conflict Studies
Philosophy
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
War Studies

Languages
Ancient Greek
Arabic
Chinese Language
French Language and Culture
German Language and Culture
Hindi Language
Indonesian Language
Italian Language and Culture
Japanese Language
Japanese Linguistics
Korean Language
Latin
Persian
Sanskrit Language
Spanish
Thai Language
Vietnamese Language

Geographically Defined Area Studies
Asian Studies
Asian History
Asia-Pacific Culture, Media and Gender
Chinese Studies
Contemporary Europe
India Studies
Indonesian Studies
Japanese Studies
Korean Studies
Latin American Studies
Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies
Northeast Asian Studies
Pacific Studies
Southeast Asian Studies

Either:

24 units from the completion of one Arts minor on any of the following lists:

Disciplines and Fields
Advanced Studies
Ancient History
Anthropology
ANU Leadership and Research
Applied Linguistics
Archaeology
Art History and Theory
Australian Indigenous Studies
Biological Anthropology
Climate Science and Policy
Comparative Politics
Criminology
Demography
Design
Development Studies
Digital Humanities
Economic Studies
English
Environmental Policy
Environmental Studies
Film
Forensic Anthropology
Forensic Linguistics
Gender and Sexuality
Geography
Global Security
Health, Medicine and the Body
Heritage and Museum Studies
History
Human Ecology
Human Evolutionary Biology
Human Rights
International Communication
International Relations
Linguistics
Mathematics
Music
Music Technology
Peace and Conflict Studies
Philosophy and Science
Philosophy
Political Science
Political Theory
Popular Music
Social Psychology
Social Research Methods
Sociology
Sustainable Development
Visual Arts Practice
War Studies

Languages
Advanced Ancient Greek
Advanced Arabic
Advanced Chinese Language
Advanced English Language
Advanced French Studies
Advanced German Studies
Advanced Hispanic Culture
Advanced Hispanic Linguistics
Advanced Italian Studies
Advanced Japanese Language
Advanced Korean Language
Advanced Latin
Advanced Persian
Advanced Sanskrit Language
Advanced Spanish Studies
Ancient Greek
Arabic
Burmese Language 
Chinese Language 
Classical Chinese
French Language and Culture
German Language and Culture
Hindi Language
Indonesian Language
Italian Language and Culture
Japanese Language
Japanese Linguistics
Korean Language
Latin
Mongolian Language
Persian
Russian
Sanskrit Language
Spanish
Tetum Language
Thai Language
Vietnamese Language

Geographically Defined Area Studies
American Studies
Asian and Pacific Anthropology
Asian and Pacific Linguistics 
Asian Art History
Asian History
Asian Studies
Asia-Pacific Archaeology
Asia-Pacific Culture, Media and Gender
Asia-Pacific International Relations
Asia-Pacific Literature and Film
Asia-Pacific Politics
Australian Politics
Chinese Studies
Contemporary Europe
India Studies
Indonesian Studies
Japanese Studies
Korean Studies
Latin American Studies
Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies
Northeast Asian Studies
Pacific Studies
Southeast Asian Studies

24 units from completion of courses listed in any Arts major, minor and the following list:

ESEN1101 Essential University English

Or:

24 units from completion of ANIP3007 Australian National Internships Program D
 

24 units from completion of courses listed in any Arts major, minor and the following list:

ESEN1101 Essential University English.

Or:

48 units from completion of a second Arts major
 

The Bachelor of International Relations 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:

36 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

POLS1005 Introduction to International Relations: Foundations and Concepts
POLS1006 Introduction to International Relations: Contemporary Global Issues
POLS2094 Issues in International Political Economy
POLS2133 International Organisations in World Politics
POLS3001 Foreign Policy Analysis
POLS3017 International Relations Theory

A minimum of 6 units from the following theory courses:

POLS2063 Contemporary Political Theory
POLS2102 The Political Philosophy of Deception
POLS3032 The Politics of Empire
POLS2119 Ideas in Politics
POLS2120 Foundations of Political Theory
POLS2136 Power and influence in world politics

A minimum of 6 units from the following methods courses:

POLS1009 Research and Writing in Political Science
POLS2125 Game Theory and Social Sciences
POLS2044 Contemporary Political Analysis
SOCY2043 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods

A minimum of 12 units from the following areas studies courses:

ASIA1035 Introduction to Asian Politics
ASIA1999 The Origins of Political Order in Asia
ASIA2109 Violence, Poverty, and Politics in India
EURO1004 Europe in the Modern Era
EURO2012 Uniting Europe: history, politics, theory
INTR2010 International Relations in the Asia-Pacific
INTR2028 Regionalism, Rights and Order in Southeast Asia
MEAS1001 Introduction to the Modern Middle East
MEAS2001 New States of Eurasia: Emerging Issues in Politics and Security
MEAS2105 The Political Economy of the Middle East
POLS2055 Pacific Politics
POLS2095 Politics in Latin America
POLS2117 The International Relations of Latin America

A minimum of 6 units from the following security courses:

ASIA2111 Indonesian Foreign and Security Policy
INTR2012 Chinese Foreign and Security Policy
INTR2014 Indian Foreign and Security Policy
INTR2016 US Foreign and Security Policy in Asia
INTR2018 Japanese Foreign and Security Policy
INTR2020 (In)Stability on the Korean Peninsula
INTR2024 Nuclear Politics in Asia: Challenges and Opportunities
POLS2123 Peace and Conflict Studies
POLS3033 Environment, Human Security and Conflict
POLS3036 International Terrorism
STST1001 Introduction to International Security Studies
STST2001 International Security issues in the Asia Pacific
STST2124 Politics of Nuclear Weapons?
STST2131 Security Communities from War to Peace
STST2003 Australia and Security in the Pacific Islands
STST3002 Australia's Security in the Asian Century

A minimum of 6 units from the following global politics courses:

DEMO2003 Migration in the Modern World 
DIPL2000 Leadership and Diplomacy
HIST1209 Terror to Terrorism: A History
HIST2136 World at War, 1939-1945
HIST2141 The Cold War: 1945-1989
HIST2240 Democracy and Dissent: Europe Since 1945
INTR3001 Humanitarianism: Principles, Politics and Practice
PHIL2113 Global Justice
POLS2011 Development and Change
POLS2064 Global Social Movements
POLS2100 Genocide in the Modern World
POLS2101 Refugee Politics: Displacement and Exclusion in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries
POLS2113 Human Rights
POLS2135 Race, Ethnicity and Representation
POLS3037 Globalisation: Communications, Culture and Democracy
SOCY2030 Sociology of Third World Development

A maximum of 12 units from the following internships and Vice Chancellors courses:

ANIP3003 Australian National Internships Program Internship A
ANIP3005 Australian National Internship B
VCUG1001 The Art of Computing
VCUG2001 Creating Knowledge
VCUG2002 Leadership and Influence in a Complex World
VCUG3001 Unravelling Complexity
VCUG3002 Mobilising Research

A maximum of 24 units from courses in the following language minors

Advanced Chinese Language 
Advanced French Studies
Advanced German Studies
Advanced Hispanic Culture
Advanced Hispanic Linguistics
Advanced Italian Studies
Advanced Japanese Language
Advanced Korean Language 
Advanced Spanish Studies
Arabic
Burmese Language
Chinese Language
French Language and Culture
German Language and Culture
Hindi Language
Indonesian Language
Italian Language and Culture
Japanese Language
Japanese Linguistics
Korean Language
Mongolian Language
Russian
Persian
Spanish
Tetum Language
Thai Language
Vietnamese Language

Majors

Bachelor of Arts Majors

Minors

Bachelor of Arts Minors

Bachelor of International Relations Minors

Study Options

Honours

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

For information about honours, please see Bachelor of International Relations (Honours)