Initial Enquiries

Students with appropriate qualifications may enrol in a Master of Arts (MA) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the discipline of Political Science and International Relations. Both degrees are by research only. Students interested in postgraduate coursework programs may also be eligible to apply for a Graduate Certificate in International Relations, Graduate Diploma in International Relations or a Master of International Relations. See Postgraduate Courses in International Relations.

Admission to graduate enrolment for a research degree usually requires the completion of an undergraduate degree with a major in political science and international relations followed by a fourth (honours) year program including a 10,000-12,000 word research project. A Masters degree by research or involving a 10,000-12,000 word research project may provide an alternative pathway to graduate study at UWA. You will need to supply a transcript of your academic record as evidence that you satisfy one of these requirements and to enable us to evaluate your potential for graduate research.

In order to enrol at UWA or to apply for a scholarship, you will also need the support of a staff member who is able and willing to supervise you. To enable staff to make these decisions you should supply a brief outline (250-300 words) of your proposed area of study.

International Students

Fees apply for graduate students who are not Australian residents.

If you require a scholarship to enrol at UWA, you should be aware that International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IPRS) are extremely competitive. To be successful it is necessary to have excellent undergraduate results, an excellent proposal and excellent references with, preferably, either some publications or prizes. In a recent year, for instance, UWA received 265 applications for International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IRPS). A total of 17 scholarships were awarded across the University, of which three (an unusually high number) went to students applying to enrol in the six disciplines in the School of Social and Cultural Studies. There is no set number of these scholarships per discipline, school or faculty, and no discipline or discipline chair/head of department has any say in the allocation of scholarships; each applicant competes on merit with applicants to all disciplines across the University.

If English is your second language, please note that no-one is admitted to a higher degree at UWA without a minimum IELTS score of 6.5, with the reading and writing bands not less than 6.5 and the other two bands not less than 6.0. Other English language competency measures include GCE, WA TEE, TOEFL, Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English and the CELT bridging program.

IN BRIEF

If you are interested in postgraduate study in Political Science and International Relations you need to supply:

(i) details of your academic record/background

(ii) a brief outline (250-300 words) of your proposed area of study.

Please forward this information to the Political Science and International Relations Postgraduate Coordinator.