Program Requirements
The Master of Political Science requires the completion of 96 units, which must consist of:
24 units from completion of the following compulsory core courses:
POLS8019 Democracy and its Discontents
POLS8038 Comparative Political Institutions
POLS8039 Comparative Political Behaviour
POLS8043 Violence and Political Order
24 units from completion of the following compulsory methods and research design courses:
POLS8058 Research Design (6 units)
POLS8042 Quantitative Research in Politics (12 units)
POLS8044 Qualitative Research in Politics (6 units)
A minimum of 12 units must come from completion of the following list of thematic courses:
INTR8040 Ethnicity and Conflict in Asia and the Pacific (6 units)
INTR8058 Islam, Politics and Conflict in Southeast Asia (6 units)
MEAS8116 Authoritarianism, Democratisation and Protest in the Muslim Middle East (6 units)
PASI8005 Politics of the Pacific Island Regions (6 units)
POLS8027 Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism (6 units)
POLS8032 Globalisation: the Interaction of Economics and Politics (6 units)
POLS8036 Human Rights and Human Responsibility (6 units)
POLS8040 Comparative Federalism (6 units)
POLS8041 Special Topics in Comparative Politics (6 units)
POLS8046 Interest Groups, Advocacy and Public Policy
STST8027 Insurgency & Counterinsurgency in an Age of Terror (6 units)
A maximum of 12 units may come from completion of the following list of methods courses:
POLS8047 Interpretation, Method, Critique: Interpretivist Methods in the Social Sciences (6 units)
SOCR8002 Survey Data Analysis (6 units)
SOCR8006 Online Research Methods (6 units)
SOCR8202 Using data to answer policy questions and evaluate policy (6 units)
SOCR8203 Advanced techniques in the creation of social science data (6 units)
STAT7016 Introduction to Bayesian Data Analysis (6 units)
STAT7017 Big Data Statistics (6 units)
STAT7026 Graphical Data Analysis (6 units)
STAT8002 Applied Time Series Analysis (6 units)
STAT8027 Statistical Inference (6 units)
24 units from completion of courses at the 6000-, 7000-, 8000-, and 9000-level offered by ANU.
Admission Requirements
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.
Applicants must present a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0
Cognate Disciplines
International relations and diplomacy; public policy and administration; strategic and security studies; political science; history; sociology; economics and development; social science; law; and regional studies
In line with the university's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors.
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.
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
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
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.
Applications for course credit
Applicants with a Bachelor Degree or Graduate Certificate in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 24 units (one semester) of credit.
Applicants with a Graduate Diploma or Bachelor degree with Honours in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 48 units (one year) of credit.
Indicative fees
- Annual indicative fee for domestic students
- $32,256.00
For more information see: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/costs-fees
- Annual indicative fee for international students
- $45,864.00
For further information on International Tuition Fees see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments/international-tuition-fees
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.
The Master of Political Science provides students with the analytical tools they need to answer a range of critical questions - What motivates voters to support populist candidates? How can election outcomes be more accurately forecast? What is the source of ethnic conflicts and how can it be best understood? The program provides training in political science research methods and equips students with in-depth knowledge on contemporary political affairs. Students can choose from a wide selection of topics covering terrorism and counter-terrorism, human rights, interest group advocacy or Islam and democracy. The program will be of interest to those intending to pursue research-oriented careers in government, international organisations, NGOs and private bodies, and to those intending further study in the field. Internationally recognised, this Master degree also paves the way to pursuing a PhD overseas.
Career Options
Graduates from ANU have been rated as Australia's most employable graduates and among the most sought after by employers worldwide.
The latest Global Employability University Ranking, published by the Times Higher Education, rated ANU as Australia's top university for getting a job for the fourth year in a row.
This program is available for applications until spring session, 2020
Learning Outcomes
- Critically evaluate key theories in political science;
- Critically analyse evidence-based research and policy across a range of political issues;
- Conduct high-level research to undertake self-directed study in political science;
Double degree
If you undertake the Master of Political Science as a Flexible Verticle Double, you will undertake the following courses in your undergraduate degree:
POLS8019 Democracy and its Discontents
POLS8038 Comparative Political Institutions
POLS8039 Comparative Political Behaviour
POLS8043 Violence and Political Order
