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Honours
Honours/Higher Degree by Research Preliminary/Graduate Diploma in Arts (Advanced)
The fourth year Honours program provides an opportunity to study political science and international relations in both greater depth and greater scope than is possible in earlier undergraduate years. It is a demanding but varied and, we hope, rewarding course of study. The program is designed to develop an enhanced knowledge base in the discipline of political science and international relations, together with analytic and research skills appropriate to the advanced study of politics. For students who wish to have the option of postgraduate study, an honours degree (or its equivalent) is essential. Honours in Political Science and International Relations is academically rather than vocationally oriented, yet many students have found this degree to be useful in their subsequent careers. Employers are increasingly aware that an honours degree signifies a higher level of attainment than an ordinary three year degree. For those of our recent graduates who have gone to work for commonwealth and state public services, parliament or members of parliament, non-governmental organizations, public relations agencies and media organizations, the degree has proven of direct vocational use. WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM CONSIST OF?Political Science and International Relations offers its Honours program as a self-contained fourth-year of full-time study (or its part-time equivalent) consisting of: Two semester length seminars: 12 points each (25% each) Students can commence Honours at the beginning of either Semester 1 or Semester 2. Most students usually commence in Semester 1. An appropriate program of study can also be devised, in discussion with the Honours Coordinator, for students combining Political Science and International Relations Honours with honours study in other disciplines. The program can include joint honours (comprising approximately 24 points each in Political Science and International Relations and in another discipline) or cognate studies (e.g. 36 points in Political Science and International Relations and 12 points in another discipline). Students enrolled in honours in another discipline can also enrol in cognate studies in Political Science and International Relations. The SeminarsThe two Honours seminars are designed to survey major fields of study and key debates and issues within Political Science and International Relations. The objective is to develop a more complete grasp of the discipline than is normally acquired in a pass degree. The seminar groups will meet once per week each semester for a period of around 2 hours. Detailed guides to seminar content and assessment will be available at the information session held in the first week of the relevant semester. Political Institutions, Public Policy, Political Behaviour and Political Theory (Semester 1) This seminar contains modules on four major fields of political science. The political behaviour module examines the implications of changing party politics for elections and voting. In an era of weakening party loyalties, voters increasingly use non-party based cues to decide their vote -- especially evaluations of leaders and issues. The parties, in turn, have embraced a variety of new campaign techniques to win their votes and secure victory, all of which weaken party politics. The political institutions module surveys, in a comparative context, debates about the design and operation of liberal democratic systems of government and their component institutions (executives, legislatures, electoral systems and political parties). The public policy module focuses on various aspects of public sector decision-making, examining issues such as the implications of agency theory, political control of the bureaucracy, and public sector reform. The political theory module deals with normative political throught -- that is, the nature of the good society, how we should treat other human beings, and how states should interact. It focuses on key issues such as free speech, punishment and genetic engineering. International Politics (Semester 2) The end of the Cold War and the consequent partial restructuring of
the international system has seen the emergence of new issues and new
actors in international politics. This seminar examines a range of
contemporary issues and contrasts different approaches to sovereignty
and securtiy in world politics. Particular issues examined may include
terrorism, Islamic militancy, world population and refugees,
international migration and citizenship, nuclear proliferation, gender
equality, human trafficking, transnational social movements,
democratisation, economic globalisation, responses to climate change, human
rights, the International Criminal Court and international
peacekeeping. The aim of the seminar is to examine the implications of
the new agenda of current issues in international politics for the stability of the
international system and for the study of international relations. DissertationThe 12,000 word
dissertation may be on any topic which the student chooses, subject to the
approval of the Discipline Honours Coordinator.
Selection of a topic normally occurs in the first few weeks of the
program, with the assistance of staff. Students
have a supervisor to advise on the design of the research and provide ongoing
support. The following topics are among
the wide range chosen in recent years: Just War Theory and the 2003 War in
Iraq; The Consequences of Italian Electoral System Change; The Political Participation of Muslim
Immigrants; Howard, the Media and the 2001 Federal Election; Agenda Setting and
Prostitution Reform in WA; Intergovernmental Relations, WA and the GST; Environmental
Policy Integration in the European Union; The Role of the WA Legislative Council; Toleration
in John Rawls' Political Thought; Zimbabwe and the imperative for International
Intervention; Whistleblowers in WA Government;
Party leaders' leadership image in parliamentary politics; Poland: a
nation's sovereignty challenged; The first East Asia summit; Electoral system
change in NZ; Fighting the just fight: does the right to rebel exist with
democracy?; Tactical voting in the 1993 Australian Federal election; The
International Criminal Court and the enforcement of international humanitarian
law; Resolving Security Council deadlock; Reconciling rights: citizenship and
indigenous rights in Aboriginal political thought; Can Indonesian democracy
survive?; The politics of aids in South Africa; Toward civil society in Ukraine:
the space for Ukrainian civil society in contrast to Russia; After Hong Kong:
one country, two systems for Taiwan? Dissertation Research SeminarsA series of additional seminars is provided to support the dissertation component of the program. ELIGIBILITYStudents may apply to enrol in a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at the completion of Level 2/3 or within seven years of completing their BA pass degree. Note that it is Faculty policy that students must have completed all the requirements for the BA pass degree before they can be admitted to honours. Where more than seven years have elapsed following the completion of a pass degree, students may apply for a Higher Degree by Research Preliminary (HDR Prelim) or a Graduate Diploma in Arts (Advanced). To be eligible for Honours students are required to (i) complete a major sequence in Political Science and International Relations, (ii) achieve 65 percent or above in units comprising half the pass degree (usually 72 points), and (iii) achieve 70 percent or above, on average, in Political Science and International Relations units comprising 36 points at Level 2/3. Students who fall slightly short of these requirements may discuss their results with the Honours Coordinator to see if a special case can be made. Higher Degree Research Preliminary: Those who wish to apply for a higher degree by research (e.g. MA) but do not have the necessary preparation and are not eligible for honours may apply for admission to the HDR Preliminary. Applicants will generally be expected to have a degree which includes the equivalent of a major sequence in Political Science and International Relations and grades the same as those required for entry to honours. The HDR Prelim comprises an honours level program which can be varied depending on a student's academic background and the preparation necessary for entry to a higher degree by research. This is not a stand-alone qualification. Those wishing to take an honours-equivalent program that constitutes a stand-alone qualification should apply for the Graduate Diploma in Arts (Advanced). For more information and an application form see: http://www.arts.uwa.edu.au/for/students/policies/hdr_prelim Graduate Diploma in Arts (Advanced): The normal requirements for entry to the Graduate Diploma in Arts (Advanced) are a Bachelor Arts or equivalent with at least half of the credit points at 65 percent and above, including 70 percent or above, on average, in Political Science and International Relations units comprising 36 points at Level 2/3 and a major in Political Science and International Relations. Students enrol in an honours equivalent program. Note that this is a fee-paying course for local and international students. For more information and an application form see: http://www.arts.uwa.edu.au/for/prospective/postgrad/courses/graddipartsadv Honours Applicants from other Institutions: Students from other institutions who wish to apply for honours at UWA should read the Information Sheet for External Honours applicants and complete the 2010 Application Form available at: http://www.studyat.uwa.edu.au/undergrad/international/honours. The deadline for external applications is 18 December 2009 for February 2010 commencement. HOW TO APPLYApplications for End-On Honours are completed through Student Connect. Note: Applications open online on Monday 16 November and close on Tuesday 8 December 2009 for semester 1 2010 commencement. Students should be aware that staff in Political Science and International Relations are concerned to ensure, in the interests of students as well as staff, that no staff member is excessively burdened with supervision. It is yet to be determined whether a formal upper limit will be placed on the number of honours students a staff member may supervise during 2010, but alternative supervisory arrangements will be investigated if the load of any staff member becomes unreasonably large. If you would like further information, or to make an appointment with the Honours Coordinator (Prof. Bruce Stone), please contact the Administrative Officer in Political Science and International Relations on 6488 2086 or email Political.Science@uwa.edu.au |
