The International Relations program is designed to provide an advanced understanding of contemporary world politics. The program emphasises the relationship between theory and practice. It provides an introduction to the main theories and theoretical traditions developed to explain international relations, and examines how particular theories organise and shape our view of the world. The program explains various influences on the behaviour of states and other international actors, and it analyses issues such as war and peace; the global economy; international organizations; and international law and diplomacy. Practically it looks at current issues of international concern such as global environmental problems; human rights; and global poverty. A number of electives examine international relations broadly, while others concentrate on specific issues, regions or countries.

Students must complete 24 units of credit of approved courses.

The Graduate Certificate in International Relations requires the completion of the compulsory core course POLS 5120 plus one further compulsory course from the following list:

and one further compulsory course from:

Note: Each semester-length course, which is worth 6 units of credit, involves participating in one two-hour lecture/seminar each week for twelve weeks and completing the required assessment tasks.
- Full time students must enrol in 'Global Politics' in first semester, and either 'International Organisations' or 'International Political Economy' in second semester.
- Part-time students are required to enrol in and complete the compulsory courses before enrolling in elective courses.

Two electives to be chosen from the list of elective courses approved by the MA Convenor.
Not all of these may be offered in any one year and new or alternative courses may be offered. Please consult the MA Convenor.

The normal requirement for admission to the International Relations program is an undergraduate degree in the social sciences or humanities, with performance at Credit level or better. Relevant work experience may be taken into account in cases where academic qualifications fall short of these requirements.