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Study online with Macquarie University through Open Universities Australia. Explore all degrees, subjects and short courses now.

The Bachelor of Arts (OUA) at Macquarie University is a distinctive course that equips its graduates with knowledge and skills that can be applied in any career or in further study. No other course offers as much flexibility and a wide range of study options as the Bachelor of Arts. You will be given the opportunity to turn your passion into a career while developing a strong set of core transferable skills valued by industry and the society. In consultation with industry, the Bachelor of Arts (OUA) places a strong emphasis on skills for success in the 21st century workplace. You will be taught by active researchers, leading academics and award winning teachers.

Make your degree unique and study what interests you. Analyse critically, think creatively and problem-solve at work or in everyday life. Complete foundational studies then tailor your degree with a major. Create a portfolio and build your connections.

Bachelor of Arts

The Master of International Relations, which is built around innovative approaches and thinking, will empower you to comprehend and evaluate contemporary regional and global developments. It will equip you for an international career in diplomacy, journalism, the NGO sector, international business or academia.

Critically assess global risks, challenges, and opportunities. You’ll explore an international system of politics, security, and law. Work through contemporary regional and global developments. Graduate ready for a range of international careers.

Master of International Relations

Australian Politics in Global Context

Introduction to Global Politics

This subject was previously known as POIX108 Introduction to Global Politics.Global politics is often dramatic and contentious covering big picture dilemmas such as what are the causes of war and peace? How do we find solutions to shared global problems like climate change and preventing the spread of nuclear weapons? How do we make sense of persistent poverty and underdevelopment in some parts of the world but not others? Whose political ideas matter most and why? Finally, what have been the implications of globalisation for world politics? This unit equips students with the tools to understand the forces that shape the world we live in by introducing them to the key issues, institutions, ideas and actors involved in global politics. The first section of the unit outlines the historical context, key theories and concepts, and fundamental institutions of contemporary global politics. The second section covers important contemporary issues including security challenges, climate change, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, global inequality, the role of culture, religion and identity in global politics, great power rivalry, and globalisation. The subject gives students the foundations necessary for undertaking a major in International Relations or Politics.

Gain a global perspective on issues like poverty, climate change and terrorism. Broaden your understanding of the history of global politics. Identify the challenges facing international governing bodies. Ask what you can do to change the world.

This subject was previously known as POIX101 Australian Politics in Global Context.In this subject, we critically assess Australian politics from the perspective of political and economic history, through the lens of social power and financial interests, and drilling down into contemporary debates about economic crisis, globalisation, nationalism, environmental catastrophe and war. With this approach in mind, we examine key Australian political institutions, ideologies, and issues. What is the nature of Australia’s key political institutions (the Constitution, the High Court, Federalism, Government and Parliament), and are they democratic and just? Could we live without them? What are some of the radical critiques of these institutions and the interests they serve? What is ‘Australia’, after all – a unified nation of peoples with shared identities and interests, or a construct that serves wealth and power by masking deep social fractures, or something else again?

Stare down the barrel of Australian political history. Learn about the Dismissal and the Great Depression. Investigate the two-party system and other political institutions. Take on debated hot topics such as globalisation, climate change and war.

This subject was previously known as PLTX392 American Politics, POIX392 United States Politics: Money, Culture, Power.US politics is today, as in much of its past, dominated by money and the power that money can buy. US cultural life is also preoccupied with money, in ways that profoundly affect the distribution of political power. Proceeding from these premises, this unit explores the relationship between money, culture and power in contemporary US politics. Topics covered include campaign financing, interest groups and the media; the impact of social inequalities of class, race, gender and sexual preference on US politics; the role of religion and political parties in the formulation of dominant political ideas; and the politics surrounding the global financial crisis and its aftermath.

Take stock of how money and culture feeds into the American political system. Explain the power of the Constitution in US politics. Monitor the influence of special interest groups. See how race, faith and the economy intertwine with policy.

United States Politics: Money, Culture, Power

Environmental issues are gaining prominence in both national and international politics and it is increasingly apparent that human activities are driving significant changes in our planet&#39;s environment. This unit provides a critical introduction to the theory and practice of global environmental politics and its interaction with other areas of global governance. Students will be introduced to debates in green political theory, to developing world perspectives on environmental movements and to the ways in which environmental issues are conceptualised by major theories of international relations. Cases covered will be drawn from both Australian and international contexts. They will include climate change, geoengineering, energy security, biodiversity, human-animal relationships, food security and management of common pool resources such as forests, airsheds and fisheries.

Global Environmental Politics

This subject examines the forces, which have shaped the economic, political and social transformation of East Asia, which is of critical importance to Australia&#39;s economic prosperity and security. The unit focuses on the growth of East Asia’s economies, democratic transitions, deepening integration of the region in the world economy, and the geopolitical dynamics of the region in the past to the present.

Australia and the Asia-Pacific Century

The study of public policy has traditionally been focused on the nation-state, and policy-making activities at the domestic level. However, national policy-makers are increasingly focused on international policy challenges. Using a series of detailed case studies, this unit reflects critically on debates around globalisation and the state. The unit introduces students to the policy process and explores the impact of international institutions, interests and ideas on domestic policy-making. The unit examines direct and indirect, coercive and voluntary mechanisms of policy transfer, diffusion and mobility, as well as the factors that shape patterns of intergovernmental cooperation and coordination.

Policy Making in a Global Era

The subject provides an advanced introduction to the study of international political economy, and to develop students’ research, analytical and problem-solving skills. The subject examines the key questions, concepts, findings and controversies in the study of economic globalisation and considers the role of the state and non-state actors in shaping the regional and global integration of political economies.

Global Political Economy

This subject was previously known as POIX278 Middle East Politics.The uprisings that gripped the Arab world in 2011, the ongoing violence in Syria, the mixed results of the revolution in Egypt and the emergence of ISIS in 2014 have refocused world attention on the Middle East and its relations with the West. This course introduces students to the domestic politics of the Middle East, and to the intellectual and ideological currents shaping those politics. The first weeks are devoted to the contemporary history of the region from the late nineteenth century to the rise of post-colonial states in the region. Broad-ranging theoretical concepts necessary for an understanding of Middle Eastern political processes, and different ways of looking at those processes, are considered in the first part of the course. The subject then examines the structure of government and the politics of the region, drawing on some of the ideas from the earlier part of the course. Particular attention is paid to the region’s ongoing relations with the West and the “war against terrorism”; the emergence and future prospects of religious fundamentalism; and the rise of Arab nationalism and Zionism. The Arab-Israeli conflict, the 2003 Iraq War and the impact of globalisation are also covered.

Familiarise yourself with domestic politics in the Middle East. Build a foundational knowledge of 19th and 20th century regional politics. Appraise Middle East government structures. Use the global post-9/11 environment to contextualise your studies.

Middle-East Politics

This subject introduces students to the major theories of international relations, key debates that have shaped the discipline and interconnections between theory and the actual practice of international politics. International relations was founded as a distinct discipline shortly after the First World War, with the explicit goal of identifying the causes of war and peace. While war and great power conflict remain central concerns, the discipline has grappled with new challenges as de-colonisation and globalisation have created a densely interconnected global system of sovereign states. Students will engage with key themes including power, great power rivalry, nationalism, national interest, critical approaches, justice and cooperation under anarchy.

Theories of World Politics

Macquarie University International relations Short courses | Open Universities Australia

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