Politics and Citizenship in Australia
UndergraduateUSA-POLI10192025
Gain an awareness of Australian political culture and its historical context. Learn the structure and processes of government in Australia. Think critically about major current political issues and debates in the news today.
Enrolments for this course are closed, but you may have other options to start studying now. Book a consultation to learn more.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed, No prior study
- Duration
- 10 weeks
- Start dates
- 13 Jan 2025,
- 30 June 2025
- Loan available
- FEE-HELP available
Politics and Citizenship in Australia
About this subject
By the end of this 10-week course, you’ll be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the structure and processes of government in Australia.
- Demonstrate an awareness of Australian political culture and its historical context.
- Explore the legal and economic contexts of government in Australia, particularly in respect of their differential impacts on citizenship and human rights of diverse cultural groups in Australian society.
- Identify and critically discuss some of the major current political debates in Australia.
- Examine the context and history of Indigenous political issues.
- Introduction to politics
- Politics, citizenship and human rights
- Australian federalism
- The constitution and the High Court
- Democracy and the Parliamentary system
- The electoral system and the party system
- Major and minor parties
- The executive
- Interest groups and social movements
- Media and the Australian political system
All industries are profoundly affected by government actions and policies. Many fields in the human services, health and education are directly or indirectly shaped by government policies and resources. This is why it’s imperative for professionals to understand the Australian political system.
Gain an awareness of Australian political culture and its historical context. Develop your understanding of the structure and processes of government in Australia. Learn to critically think about major current political issues and debates in the news today.
Learn about our Federal, Commonwealth and State Constitutions. Examine a range of topics including the judicial system; the parliamentary system; the executive; democracy and citizenship; political parties and political participation; citizenship and human rights and social justice; and the position of Aboriginal people in the Australian political system.
UniSA Online’s 10-week short courses give you the flexibility to upskill in a certain area, stay current with developments in your field, diversify your knowledge, or even explore a new direction in your career – without having to commit to the time and cost of a full university degree.
Delivered 100% online, you’ll be able to study where and when it suits you. Access online academic and student support seven days a week, fit study around work and life commitments, view learning resources 24/7, and log in to the interactive online environment anywhere, any time and on any device.
This is a first-year course from UniSA Online’s Bachelor of Psychological Science and Sociology degree.
Should your course have an exam it will be scheduled for Australian Central Standard Time or Australian Central Daylight Time, depending on the time of the year.
- Continuous Assessment (60%)
- Essay (40%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
The University of South Australia (UniSA) is ranked as one of the best young universities in the world, and is the number one university in Australia for graduate employability. UniSA offers over 200 world-class degrees that are informed by industry and delivered with a highly practical approach to teaching and learning, and is a valuable partner with Open Universities Australia.
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- 22
Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Additional requirements
- Other requirements - Students must be aged 17 or older by the time teaching commences for their course of study, in accordance with UniSA’s Selection and entry to programs policy
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
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What’s a single subject?
Single subjects are the individual components that make up a degree. With Open Universities Australia, you’re able to study many of them as stand-alone subjects, including postgraduate single subjects, without having to commit to a degree.
Each of your subjects will be held over the course of a study term, and they’ll usually require 10 to 12 hours of study each week. Subjects are identified by a title and a code, for example, Developmental Psychology, PSY20007.
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If that degree allows entry via undergraduate subjects, there will be information about this under the Entry Requirements section. You will find a list of 2-4 open enrolment subjects you need to successfully complete to qualify for admission into that qualification.
Once you pass those subjects, you will satisfy the academic requirements for the degree, and you can apply for entry.
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How do I pay for my subjects?
You can pay up front with your credit card, or you may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government depending on your citizenship status and where you’ll live during your studies.
For more information about how to pay for your studies visit our fees page or contact a student advisor.
How do I enrol?
When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Enrol now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to us and we’ll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.
When is the cut-off date for enrolling?
Close of enrolment times vary between universities and subjects. You can check the cut-off dates for upcoming study terms by visiting key dates.