University Of Canterbury Political Science and International Relations

Qualifications

Overview

Are you interested in making a difference to the world around you? Does the future of Aotearoa New Zealand’s democracy interest you? Do news about politics and elections in other countries capture your interest? Are you concerned about major issues in international politics and international security? How about issues such as development, human rights, health, environment, nationalism, foreign policy, or peace and conflict? How social change happens and how power and resources are allocated in society? Do you want to think, study, examine, and critically analyse these questions and pursue a career based on your interest? If so, you should study Political Science and International Relations.



Political Science is often called the study of who gets what, where, how, and why. It is the independent and informed study of our communities and how we make decisions collectively as governments, why we behave as we do as citizens, and how we make public policy choices for the future.

Political scientists use a variety of theories, ideas, tools, and methods to: examine local, national, regional, and global processes, institutions, and relationships; to consider how we ought to live as political communities; and how we can create change.

Why study Political Science and International Relations at UC?

  • The Department of Political Science and International Relations at UC has attained national and international visibility for the strength of its teaching and academic research. Academic staff members are recognised internationally in fields as diverse as democracy, political parties and elections, environmental politics and policy, humanitarian intervention, science and technology policy, Chinese politics, East Asian politics, South East Asian politics, and international security and international relations.
  • Academic staff members foster an environment in which students are supported toward achieving their goals as citizens, young leaders and as scholars, and where networks of fellow graduates and employers are nurtured to help with career planning and mentoring.
  • UC is ranked in the top 200 universities in the world for Politics and International Studies (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2020).
  • UC is ranked first in Aotearoa for research in Political Science, International Relations and Public Policy (Te Amorangi Mātauranga Matua | Tertiary Education Commission 2018 PBRF assessment).

Recommended preparation

Political Science and International Relations students come from a wide variety of interests and backgrounds. Many study the subject alongside subjects such as History, Geography, languages, Media and Communication, Law, Commerce, and Science.

Courses

UC offers a major and a minor in Political Science and International Relations as part of the Bachelor of Arts.



You can also study this subject as a minor within the Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Sport Coaching, and Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership.

Political Science and International Relations major

To complete a major in Political Science and International Relations within the Bachelor of Arts, you will need to take the following courses throughout the degree:

100-level

  • Two 100-level POLS courses

200-level

  • Three 200-level POLS courses

300-level

  • Two 300-level POLS courses

Students have a wide choice of courses drawn from across the range of Political Science and International Relations specialisations and inspired by the research of our staff who all work actively on social issues. Topics are grouped into four broad pathways:

  • international relations
  • comparative politics (the study of individual nations and/or group of nations)
  • public policy (how we make choices as communities)
  • political thought

Political Science and International Relations minor

For the Political Science and International Relations minor in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Sport Coaching, or Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership, you will need to take these courses throughout your chosen degree:

  • 75 points in 100 to 300-level POLS courses, with at least 45 points at 200-level or above

Career opportunities

Political Science and International Relations students gain a versatile set of skills that can be applied in a wide range of exciting careers both within politics (international, national, and local political institutions eg, the UN, humanitarian inter-governmental organisations, parliaments, city councils) and in more diverse areas such as law, business, education, and journalism.

Recent graduates have been employed in the Ministries of Defence, of Justice, and of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as Kaitohutohu Kaupapa Rawa | Treasury, Te Puni Kōkiri, Pāremata Aotearoa | Parliament, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Te Tira Tiaki | Government Communications Security Bureau, Te Pā Whakamarumaru | Security Intelligence Service, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, and Rīpeka Whero Aotearoa | Red Cross.

Political Science and International Relations specialists fare well in roles that value a questioning mind, superb communication skills, and a strong understanding of systems and social issues such as the news media, trade unions, teaching, and the finance industry (eg, banking and investment).

A number of our senior students have also gone on to further study and to teach at prestigious overseas universities.

Find out more about what you can do with a degree in Political Science and International Relations.

Contact us

School of Language, Social and Political Sciences

Phone +64 3 369 3377
Email [email protected]

Location
Level 7, Psychology-Sociology building – see campus maps



Postal address
College of Arts | Te Rāngai Toi Tangata
University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand