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Program

International Studies - 3424

Program Summary

Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Contact: bis@unsw.edu.au

Campus: Sydney

Career: Undergraduate

Typical Duration: 4 Years

Typical UOC Per Semester: 24

Min UOC Per Semester: 6

Max UOC Per Semester: 24

Min UOC For Award: 192

UAC Code: 422009

ATAR: 94  

International Entry Requirements: See International Entry Requirements

Award(s):

Bachelor of International Studies (Honours)

Bachelor of International Studies (Major)

Information valid for students commencing 2013.
Students who commenced prior to 2013 should go to the Handbook's Previous Editions

Program Description
The Bachelor of International Studies (UNSW BInSt) is an innovative and practical program in which you will develop a comprehensive understanding of the contemporary world, pick up a useful second language, and experience one-year of study overseas. The program satisfies a growing demand in Australia and globally for graduates who are highly skilled, well informed and professionally equipped to meet the challenges of work in a rapidly changing global environment.

The program examines the interactions of nations, economies, institutions, peoples, cultures, technologies and ideas against a background of increasing international integration and changing modernity. The program challenges students to: examine the dynamics of global and regional change; explore key issues and challenges in global change, evaluate the importance of globalisation, and debate key questions centred on nationalism, sovereignty, social change, development, and transnational interaction. Students specialize in an area of study, complete language study and a one-year Overseas Study Program (OSP) at one of the more than 180 approved partner universities around the world.

The UNSW BInSt can be completed full-time in Single mode (normally 4 years), in Dual Mode (the equivalent of 3 years full-time) or part-time. The basic requirements of the program are simple. The BInSt has a depth component and a breadth component. Students enrolled in Single mode do both the depth and breadth component while students enrolled in Dual Mode only complete the depth component.

The Depth component (Blue Zone) is:

  1. The completion of an International Studies core (18 UOC – 3 courses)
  2. The completion of a Language Study core (24 UOC – 4 courses)
  3. The completion of a major stream (54 UOC – 9 courses) selected from the list of UNSW BInst approved major streams
  4. The completion of an overseas exchange (48 UOC – 2 semesters)
The Breadth component (for students completing the program in Single mode) (Green Zone) is:
  1. Free Electives (36 UOC - 6 courses) which can be taken either within or outside the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
  2. General Education (12 UOC - 2 courses) which must be taken outside of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Program Objectives and Graduate Attributes
The Program Objectives of UNSW BInSt are:
  1. To satisfy a growing demand, in Australia and abroad, for graduates who are highly skilled, well informed and professionally equipped to meet the challenges of work in a rapidly changing global environment.
  2. To give students a thorough preparation for further study and employment in areas vital to Australia’s increasing participation in the international arena.
  3. To examine and develop a better understanding of the interactions of nations, economies, institutions, peoples, cultures, technologies and ideas against a background of increasing international integration and changing modernity.
  4. To promote competence in a major language or languages relevant and useful for the global economy in which we live in (viz. French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indonesian).
  5. To provide students with the invaluable experience of other cultures, languages and peoples - experience greatly valued by employers internationally – through the completion of a one-year Overseas Study Program.
The Graduate Attributes for this Program are as follows:
  1. Research, Inquiry and Analytic Abilities
  2. Personal and Intellectual Autonomy
  3. Ethical, Social and Professional Understanding
  4. Communication Skills
  5. Information Literacy
  6. Professional and Intellectual Development
  7. Global Outlook

Program Structure
The basic requirements for the degree are:

Single Mode (192 UOC) made up of:

  1. International Studies core (18 UOC)
  2. Language Study core (24 UOC )
  3. A major stream (54 UOC)
  4. Overseas Exchange (48 UOC)
  5. Free Electives (36 UOC )
  6. General Education (12 UOC )
Dual Mode (144 UOC) made up of:
  1. International Studies core (18 UOC)
  2. Language Study core (24 UOC )
  3. A major stream (54 UOC)
  4. Overseas Exchange (48 UOC)

Core

International Studies

Compulsory International Studies courses (18 UOC) made up of:

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Note: Students in the International Relations, Development Studies and Globalisation Studies Major Streams are allowed to count ARTS1810 or ARTS2240 towards their major; this leaves 6 UOC (1 course) to be covered by a Prescribed International Studies Elective. A Prescribed International Studies Elective is any of the level one gateway courses from International Relations, Globalisation Studies, Asian Studies, European Studies and Development Studies. However, students can only take gateway courses from other major streams, not their own. The Prescribed International Studies Elective list consists of:

Language Study

Compulsory Language courses (24 UOC) in one of the following Languages:
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish
  • Chinese
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Indonesian

Streams

54 UOC from any of the "Internal Stream" or "External Stream" listed below
Asian Studies European Studies German Studies International Relations
Chinese Studies French Studies Hispanic Studies Japanese Studies
Development Studies Globalisation Studies
(External Stream 48 UOC)
 Korean Studies

External Stream UOC Requirement — International Business
The External Stream requirement for the award of the major stream in International Business is 48 UOC. Students completing this stream, however, will undertake one (6 UOC) Prescribed Faculty Elective to meet the depth requirements of the program.

Core Language Study and Language Stream
Students choosing to complete a Stream in a Language must complete that study in a Language other than the Language which they chose for the Core requirement.

Overseas Exchange

Students undertake two semesters of approved study at an overseas university. The Overseas Study Program (OSP) provides invaluable experience of other cultures, languages and peoples – experience greatly valued by employers internationally. UNSW manages a large and active exchange program with more than 180 different student exchange opportunities at prestigious partner universities in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Overseas Exchange and Dual Mode

Overseas exchange is full-time overseas for two semesters. Students enrolled in the program in Dual Mode would suspend study in their other degree program during this period of exchange.

Prescribed Faculty Elective

A Prescribed Faculty Elective is any course chosen by the student from the offerings of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Free Electives

Students completing the program in Single mode have a 36 UOC free elective breadth requirement. Students may complete any courses for which they are eligible to enrol either within or outside the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

General Education

Students completing the program in Single mode complete 12 UOC of General Education. Students complete any two courses for which they are eligible to enrol outside the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. This requirement is met if the external stream, International Business, is completed.

Award with Distinction

High achieving students who secure a WAM of 75 across their program and who have completed at least 48 UOC of their program at UNSW are eligible for the award of their Pass Degree "with Distinction".

Honours

High achieving BInst students (in Single or Dual Mode) may apply for entry to Honours. Honours is an additional year of study (two years part-time) which allows a student to further explore their stream specialisation. It involves seminars and the completion of a research project or thesis. Those students who are considering Honours should submit an expression of interest at the beginning of Level 4 and complete a formal application at the end of Level 4. Both should be submitted to the designated School or Stream Honours Convenor. Entry to Honours requires a WAM of 70 or higher in the stream seeking to be further studied and is subject to resources and the approval of the Head of School in which the stream is based. Honours is awarded in three classes (Class 1, Class 2 in two Divisions, and Class 3). If requirements for these classes are not met the Pass degree will be awarded if the student is not already a Graduate of the program.

Sample Program

Bachelor of International Studies - Asian Studies Stream
Single Mode - Example only
 
Level
International Studies core
UOC
LANG Core
UOC
Asian Studies
UOC
Free Elective and Gen Ed
UOC
Total
1
6
 
Asian Language
Asian Language
6
6
6
6
Free Elective
Free Elective
Free Elective
6
6
6
48
2
6
 
Asian Language
Asian Language
6
6
Asian Studies
Asian Studies
Asian Studies
6
6
6
Gen Ed
Gen Ed
6
6
48
3/I
  
 
 
  
 
Asian Studies
Asian Studies
6
6
Free Elective
Free Elective
6
6
24
3/II
Overseas Exchange
 
24
24
4/I
Overseas Exchange
 
24
24
4/II
6
  
 
 
Asian Studies
6
6
Free Elective
6
24
Total
 
18
 
24
 
54
 
96
192


Academic Rules

Single Mode

To qualify for the award of the degree at pass level, a student must:
  1. enrol in the Bachelor of International Studies and complete 192 UOC;
  2. complete the requirements for the core
  3. complete the requirements for one stream
  4. complete the requirements for overseas exchange
  5. complete 36 UOC of Free Electives
  6. complete 12 UOC of General Education
  7. complete at least 30 UOC of Level 1 courses before enrolling in Level 2 courses
  8. specify their major stream at the time of enrolment into the program
  9. complete at least 24 UOC in their stream before enrolling in Level 3 courses
  10. complete at least 168 UOC overall before enrolling in their stream Capstone course

Dual Mode

To qualify for the award of the degree at pass level, a student must:
  1. enrol in the Bachelor of International Studies and complete 144 UOC;
  2. complete the requirements for the core
  3. complete the requirements for one stream
  4. complete the requirements for overseas exchange
  5. complete at least 30 UOC of Level 1 courses before enrolling in Level 2 courses
  6. specify their major stream at the time of enrolment into the program
  7. complete at least 24 UOC in their stream before enrolling in Level 3 courses
  8. complete at least 120 UOC overall before enrolling in their stream Capstone course

Honours

To qualify for the award of the degree with Honours, a Single or Dual award student must:
  1. be a Graduand or Graduate of the Bachelor of International Studies
  2. hold a WAM of 70 or higher in the stream in which they are seeking to complete further study
  3. complete the seminar coursework requirement for their area of study (18 UOC)
  4. complete a research project or thesis (30 UOC)

Fees
For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html

Important Information
The Academic Rules for the UNSW BInSt and the online enrolment facility provide students with a wide range of course choices. The online enrolment facility checks that students meet the enrolment requirements for individual courses but not that a course complies with Program Rules. Students are responsible for ensuring they are enrolling in accordance with the Academic Rules outlined above. Students should not assume that because they have enrolled in a course online that the course is automatically credited to their degree program.

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