Study International Relations and Political Science.
Why study International Relations and Political Science?
Our degrees give you a range of tools to understand and drive political, social and economic change. You will learn how policies are developed and implemented, preparing you for careers in government, non-government and not-for profit organisations in Australia and abroad.
Government policy shapes the world we live in.
No. 1 in SA
in Political Sciences.
(2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities, public SA-founded universities only)
No. 1 SA university
for learner engagement, skills development, student support and starting salary.
(The Good Universities Guide 2022 (undergraduate), public SA-founded universities only)
No. 1 SA university
for overall educational experience and full-time employment.
(The Good Universities Guide 2022 (postgraduate), public SA-founded universities only)
Join us online all year round
Open Days 365 offers a range of ways to find out everything you need to know about study at Flinders.
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science (Honours) 1 year
Shape the world you live in
Prepare yourself to play a part in shaping government policy and international relations in a rapidly changing world.
Learn to understand and drive political, social and economic change with an International Relations and Political Science degree. Your studies will prepare you for careers in government, non-government and not-for profit organisations in Australia and abroad. Study current international relations and politics, history’s effect on where we are today, and the issues that face our global future. With these skills you’ll be well-positioned to influence policy and diplomacy locally and beyond.
Study with experts in your field
Our teachers are leaders in politics and international relations.
Work with academics who have advised and provided analysis for local and national political leaders, and whose commentary is widely sought around the globe. We have international experts who can respond to your interest in US politics, Asia, Europe or Africa—a truly global education!
More inclined towards public policy and management? Our Public Administration degrees have been developed in consultation with senior public sector leaders.
Get hands-on experience around the globe
Undertake a unique seven-week placement in US Congress through the Washington Internship Program!
Gain valuable work experience with a range of internship opportunities available locally, nationally and internationally—or participate in a short-term study abroad program. The Washington Internship Program has seen over 100 students work full-time in the office of a member for the United States Senate or US House of Representatives. Our students have also experienced unique learning opportunities in Indonesia, Canada, Sweden, The Netherlands, Japan and China. Flinders has links with world-class universities and organisations to enable you to undertake an exchange program or internship that will enhance your experience.
Learn from experts
Anthony Langlois
Associate Professor in International Relations
The seeds of Anthony’s academic career in Political Science and International Relations were sown early. As a year 11 student he lived in Canberra, where he experienced the 200th anniversary of Australian colonial settlement and a national constitutional referendum – he has great memories of his year 11 politics teacher pushing students to think politically!
"I come from a background where social justice and the wellbeing of others was a formative ethos", he explains. "All of these elements together sparked an interest in studying politics."
A quarter of a century later, Anthony's scholarship on human rights is widely recognised internationally including two sints as a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Advanced International Theory (CAIT), at the University of Sussex, and at the Centre for International Studies (London School of Economics and Political Science).
One of the highlights of Anthony's career was a recently ended five-year involvement with the INU Hiroshima Summer School on Global Citizenship and Peace and its United Nations simulation, a program through which students from around the world came and worked together intensively, often with life altering consequences.
"Inequality, oppression, disadvantage and discrimination riddle the worlds, and make life a dark misery for countless numbers of people," says Anthony. "And then there are those who fight to change this- through activism, politics and the law, education and research, and a great many by simply helping the person next to them in need. These people are truly inspiring."
Passionate and philosophical, he is an engaging teacher, inspiring students to understand the world, challenge themselves and change this for the better. "As a human rights theorist, it's always a thrill when my students directly engage with questions of human wellbeing" he enthuses.
Anthony's current research focus is the different political and social responses to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and queer rights claims in the Southeast Asian region.
Rob Manwaring
Director of Studies for Bachelor of Government and Public Management
Rob believes political science research tells us how politics is changing and when citizens might want a new kind of politics.
“There’s so much we don’t yet know about political science,” he says. “Democracy is changing with the upsurge of populism, the decline in trust and the rise of China. Centre-left political parties are experiencing a period of retreat and decline. The modern party system in many countries is changing beyond recognition.”
“There are political problems we’re not even close to fully understanding or solving yet," Rob adds. “Our whole society depends on future knowledge and scholarship to help us better understand political change, especially in the face of the mounting climate emergency.”
Rob's current primary research, therefore, looks at the crisis of social democracy, trying to draw lessons and understanding about the decline of the family of centre-left parties. He co-wrote a collection – ‘Why the Left Loses’ CNN used for a special edition program.
He employs humour as a learning tool in class to make students think differently about political science, earning him a 2014 faculty citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning. The interplay between Batman and the Joker helps teach the concept of ‘governance’ and each year he crowns a student monarch of the class to help discuss the sources of political legitimacy.
Rob’s inspired by the quiet fortitude of many MPs, citizen activists, human rights defenders and advocates, his students and Chelsea Football Club, decent coffee, his family, and their ridiculous dog, Mr Brown.
Rodrigo Praino
Associate Professor in Politics and Public Policy and Director, Graduate Program in Public Administration
At age 7, Rodrigo's family suspected he'd have a career in research. During a trip to Venice, his father videoed him asking endless questions about what made Venice a Republic and how exactly its political system worked.
It's this natural curiosity for politics and discovering things nobody else knows that has resulted in Rodrigo's award-winning career. In 2018, he was the first Australian political scientist to win the prestigious Young Tall Poppy Science Award. In the same year, he also won the Vice-Chancellor's Innovation in Teaching Award and the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Early Career Researchers.
Rodrigo is currently researching how voters choose leaders in advanced democracies. He has found that a candidate's looks or involvement in scandal can play an important role in the decision-making process, particularly if voters have little information about politics, candidates and elections. His research has a compelling role to play in helping people understand the consequences of their choices and therefore make better decisions.
An inspiring, supportive and innovative lecturer, Rodrigo has been invited to present his work in all corners of the globe. His research is often used by mainstream media in Australia and overseas to explain current events, allowing him to reach a wider audience beyond academe. His best advice to future researchers and students is: “Choose your path carefully. The only way to succeed is to do something you really love and that excites you!”
Study a PhD in Government
“ What I'm finding is that the insider-outsider positionings and the relationship with government has a big impact on an organisation's effectiveness. Additionally, the insider-outsider framework as it currently stands does not adequately describe these NGOs' relationship with governments - it's far more complex than simply being an insider or an outsider."
Paige Fletcher, PhD Student, who is researching what makes an NGO effective – and how they can better achieve feminist policy goals.
Fast facts
- gain hands-on experience with a range of internship opportunities available locally, nationally and internationally
- combine your degree with business, commerce, laws and legal practice, languages, arts and other areas to enhance your opportunities
- TAFE pathway available for public administration degree
- study with a university that is globally connected, with research collaborations and initiatives such as the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in American Political Science
- be inspired with lectures from prominent Australian political figures at the annual Dean Jaensch Lecture.
“
The opportunity to gain international work experience made Flinders a natural choice for me. I undertook the Washington Internship Program which was incredible. I also did an internship with the United States Consulate General in Melbourne last year and found learning about diplomacy really fascinating."
Molly Stephens, Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice with International Relations (Honours)
As travel and new technologies rapidly make the world more accessible, our need to understand different cultures and governments becomes more important.
Molly Stephen’s interest in the world and interaction between countries led her to study a Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice with International Relations (Honours) at Flinders.
“I chose to combine International Relations with law because I was interested in a career in international law or human rights. Once I entered my degree and began studying I realised I was also interested in a governmental career that wasn’t necessarily in the legal field.”
Study at Flinders brings together skilled, passionate teachers and a curriculum designed to make you career-ready. Practical placements will give you that chance to hone your new skills in real world situations.
“The opportunity to gain international work experience made Flinders a natural choice for me. I undertook the Washington Internship Program which was incredible. I also did an internship with the United States Consulate General in Melbourne last year and found learning about diplomacy really fascinating.
For Molly, future focus was a key element of Flinders Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice.
“I have found that Flinders has had a really practical approach as well as a focus on innovation and technology. It is very important to me that Flinders places such an emphasis on emerging technologies and cyber”.
Combine your degree
Flinders has a number of combined degree programs that allow students to combine in-depth study in exciting combinations that are not usually available in single degrees. These combinations give graduates an advantage for employment in a competitive and rapidly changing workplace, both in Australia and overseas.
For me International Relations is the intersection between politics, history, culture and languages and in this increasingly globalised world that we live in this study is extremely important. At Flinders we have such a large number of internationally recognised experts in different fields as well as opportunities such as the Flinders University Washington Internship Program, where I was lucky enough to intern with the US Congressman Jim McDermott. This really consolidated my learnings.
The thing I enjoy most about Flinders is how my course is shaped by real life. We are taught using real scenarios, and the findings from the latest academic research papers are applied in our workshops. I have developed the skills and knowledge that will help to progress my career.
The skills and insights gained from studying government structures and public management are highly transferable into the ever-evolving Australian work force. The Bachelor of Government and Public Management allows you to focus on both participation and productivity. I feel as though I am prepared to take on any employment opportunity or further study as an aware, informed, flexible and cultured graduate upon entering the increasingly globalised world.
As a mature aged student who graduated over 20 years ago, the Bachelor of Government and Public Management has given me a second chance at a new life. I am now in a high achiever’s program gaining invaluable experience in a government department on a real project with the opportunity to conduct myself, much like a consultant. What was once a scary dream is a fantastic university experience on my way to my new career and brand new, educated outlook on life!
The Master of Public Administration has been invaluable to my career. It opened up a whole new world for me, providing just the right mix of theoretical concepts and practical tools that could be directly applied to my work.
My combined degree gave my studies at Flinders a distinct international focus and added depth. I chose international relations because I wanted a way to continue my language studies from High School (Indonesian) while studying Law. This course gave me the flexibility to be able to study abroad and encouraged me to become a globally aware citizen. My studies enabled me to turn my passion for international law and development into a career. I have had great practical experiences as a part of my studies with an internship with AusAid at the UN in New York and at the World Bank in Jakarta.
Adding International Studies to my Law degree was the best decision I made in my university life. It gave me opportunities for exchanges and placements I would never have had in my Law degree, and when the stress and minutiae of Law was too much I always had IS topics to look forward to. Doing a language, an exchange, a placement in an NGO; all these opportunities are available in an IS degree and all have made me a more well rounded and employable graduate. If it’s something you will enjoy, picking IS can only be a good thing.
Apply for a Leadership Program
Learn the art of management in government departments, international aid, not-for-profit, and social advocacy organisations. You’ll graduate future ready with the most transformational masters degrees in Australia, with public policy, public administration and international relations skills integrated in the curriculum, providing you with the tools to create change. With three masters courses to choose from, you can tailor your degree to your career goals.
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