phd political science anu

Department of Political & Social Change

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Graduate research.

The Department of Political and Social Change offers PhD and M.Phil research supervision and training to outstanding graduates interested in the politics and societies of Asia. We are committed to postgraduate training of the highest quality, equipping scholars with the skills to be independent thinkers and world-class researchers. Our graduates include leading academics, published authors and senior government advisors around the world.

We strive to provide a supportive environment for students to pursue rigorous, innovative research from a range of perspectives, undertake in-country fieldwork, and share ideas with other students, as well as with Departmental academic staff.

The Department encourages applications for the PhD and M.Phil programs from graduates with excellent academic records, training in political science, sociology, anthropology or a related field, and a demonstrated capacity for conducting outstanding fieldwork-based research on political and social change in Asia.

The core component of the PhD and MPhil degrees is a thesis (80-100,000 words for a PhD, 60,000 words for an MPhil). The thesis must make a substantial contribution to learning and relate the research to a broader literature in political science, sociology, anthropology and/or related fields.

In addition to the thesis, all PhD and MPhil candidates in the Department are required to take a 13-week seminar course on social science research design and writing run by the Department. They may also take other courses relevant to their discipline or for language study.

A full-time PhD program is a minimum of two years and a maximum of four, although scholarships are normally available for three or three-and-a-half years. Part-time candidature may be approved in special circumstances (but rarely for candidates on scholarship). A M.Phil takes a maximum of two years full-time or four years part-time.

Each postgraduate research student has a supervisory panel of between three and five academics with expertise in the area of her/his research. The Chair of the panel - the supervisor - is a member of our Department. Advisers can come from elsewhere in the University and on some occasions from other universities.

As a PhD or M.Phil student, you will have an office (usually two students per room) and a MS Windows-based computer. Computers are networked to the library, various databases, mainframe computers, and the Internet. You will also have access to photocopiers for reasonable photocopying and financial support for fieldwork and other reasonable research costs. Frequently the Department also gives financial support to PhD and M.Phil students who present papers at academic conferences and workshops.

Applications

Prospective students interested in applying to our MPhil and PhD program should first submit an expression of interest to the Department’s Higher Degree Research Convenor, Associate Professor Marcus Mietzner. Your expression of interest should include the following:

• An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Academic transcripts from your previous degree(s)
• An MPhil or PhD research proposal. This should be a well-conceived document of 5-10 pages in length (2500-3000 words). It should contain a clear statement of the central question you wish to address, a brief statement of why this is an interesting question, why it is new or different in relation to the existing literature in your field, a brief statement of the methodology you propose to use, and finally, what original contribution you expect to make to our understanding of political and/or social change in Asia. Ideally this statement should include a select bibliography of key works. This document is very important as it is our first step toward assessing your research potential and determining whether or not we have a staff member willing and able to supervise your MPhil or PhD project.

Applications for admission to the MPhil and PhD programs are accepted on an ongoing basis. However, please keep in mind that: (a) there are deadlines for scholarships; and (b) there are advantages to commencing study early in the Australian academic year (February-March). For one thing, the compulsory seminar in the Department starts in early April.

In order to fulfil the requirements of ANU’s internal scholarship application process, prospective HDR (Higher Degree Research) must meet a number of deadlines which depend on if they are a domestic or an international applicant.

All applicants should include a section in their application detailing the viability of their project in the context of COVID restrictions. This section should either (a) explain how the project is not dependent on travel and/or fieldwork and therefore feasible regardless of restrictions in these domains, or (b) provide a 12-month plan outlining how the project will proceed if the current restrictions on fieldwork and travel continue. Applicants should discuss the viability of their research project under COVID restrictions with their proposed supervisors prior to submitting the application.

For International students : the applicant must send an initial expression of interest to the Department’s HDR Convenor as soon as possible, but no later than 31 May. An international applicant who wishes to be considered for an ANU scholarship will subsequently be required to submit a full application through the ANU Application Manager by 31 July at the latest. This time frame is designed so that we can help you finalise your application package before the scholarship committees meet. Applications that are submitted after 31 July but before 31 August will still be considered; however, such applications risk being incomplete at the time of consideration as they will not have benefitted from the abovementioned review process.

For domestic students: the applicant must send an initial expression of interest to the Department’s HDR Convenor as soon as possible, but no later than 31 July. A domestic applicant who wishes to be considered for an ANU scholarship will subsequently be required to submit a full application through the ANU Application Manager by 30 September at the latest. This time frame is designed so that we can help you finalise your application package before the scholarship committees meet. Applications that are submitted after 30 September but before 31 October will still be considered; however, such applications risk being incomplete at the time of consideration as they will not have benefitted from the abovementioned review process.

For non-ANU scholarships, prospective students must express their interest in the Department’s graduate research programs to the HDR Convenor at least two months in advance of the respective scholarship program deadlines (if formal acceptance to a university is a scholarship eligibility requirement).

Dr Marcus Mietzner

Higher Degree Research Convenor

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 61 2 6125 5501

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Crawford School of Public Policy

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Select your graduate program to give you a theoretical and applied policy edge in public administration, public policy, international and development economics, and environmental management.

PhD studies

PhD programs at Crawford School offer opportunities for doctoral studies in the areas of public policy; economics or economic policy; environmental studies and resource management; political science and international relations.

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Opportunities are available for professional experience to enrich and extend your postgraduate study at Crawford School of Public Policy.

A range of options are available for national and international students to support your study at Crawford School of Public Policy.

Join in and access all the support you need across a wide range of facilities and services.

Our team of expert academic advisers will ensure you make a smooth transition to study and have access to support throughout your studies to ensure you can be your best.

Crawford School offers a large range of courses.

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School of Philosophy

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Phd program.

The Research School of Social Sciences is home to one of the best Philosophy programs in the world. It is currently ranked 1st in Oceania and 5th worldwide . 

It offers both Master’s and PhD studies in a wide range of areas of philosophy. In both cases, the principal focus of graduate training in the School of Philosophy is on training students to engage in original philosophical research.

Students typically arrive with a strong grounding in philosophy overall, and they leave with a thesis which establishes them as an expert. Master’s students may go on to pursue PhD studies at ANU or elsewhere. And our PhD students typically go on to careers as academic researchers, though many also pursue non-academic careers. 

The Master of Philosophy degree is up to 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time and culminates with a thesis of up to 60,000 words. The PhD takes up to 4 years full-time or 8 years part-time. Master’s students work under the direction of a primary supervisor and at least one associate supervisor, while PhD students have a primary supervisor and at least two associate supervisors.

Philosophy HDR students take eight 6-week Foundations seminar modules over the course of 2 years. This coursework provides students with deep knowledge of major philosophical debates and helps introduce them to research methods in philosophy. 

Higher degree research (HDR) students thrive in ANU’s unique culture of collegiality and collaboration. Outside of supervision, they talk philosophy with world-leading scholars and fellow HDR students at twice-daily teatimes, regular reading groups, and weekly research talks. In this way, ANU Philosophy HDR students develop not only into experts on their thesis topics, but also into philosophers of great breadth and scope.

Students should begin by considering our areas of research and possible supervisors . They can contact potential supervisors directly or contact the HDR convener  to recommend suitable supervisors.

To apply, students must secure the agreement of a primary supervisor and write a 2-5 page thesis proposal. The proposal should include the main research question, the significance of the topic, the background of the debate, and the approach that will be taken in the thesis. A student’s thesis may change in ways both small and large during the course of their degree, but a strong initial thesis proposal provides a firm foundation on which to build.

Information about applications and scholarships can be found here . 

Postgraduate Research Top-Up Scholarship for Advancing Women in Philosophy

The School of Philosophy is offering a supplementary stipend scholarship ($4,000 p.a. for three years maximum) to an outstanding woman commencing PhD studies in the School.

No separate application is required as all eligible students in any given PhD admission round will be automatically considered .

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ANU College of Science

PhD & MPhil

Graduate research degrees including Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and professional doctorates are available across a wide range of discipline areas.

CSIRO Industry PhD Program (iPhD) scholarship

The CSIRO Industry PhD Program (iPhD) is a four-year research training program, focusing on applied research that benefits industry by solving real-world challenges.

PhD student unearths Holy Grail of paleontology

Ilya Bobrovskiy has revealed the earliest known animal, and received the highest of accolades.

Breakin' it down with plastic-degrading enzymes

PhD students Vanessa Vongsouthi and Matthew Spence are exploring an innovative solution to our plastic waste problem.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

During the PhD program you will work with increased independence, under the direction of a supervisory panel of experts in the field. Your research will make an original and important contribution to human knowledge, research and development.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Joint & Dual Award

Joint and Dual Award PhD programs provide research candidates the opportunity to conduct research at, and graduate with PhD qualifications from, two world-leading research-intensive institutions.

Master of Philosophy (MPhil)

During the Master of Philosophy (MPhil) you will work with increased independence, under the direction of a supervisory panel of experts in the field. Your research will make an original and important contribution to human knowledge, research and development.

Find a supervisor

We have a wide range of potential research topics. They range from short-term PhB projects to year-long honours and graduate projects to three-year PhD projects.

This repository shows a sample of science, health and medicine research at ANU. Visit our research school websites for more detail.

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School of Politics & International Relations

School of Politics and International Relations

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Anu online summer school in political analysis 2024.

Date & time

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Register now: https://payments.anu.edu.au/SSPA2024

Flexible online training for tomorrow's world.

Our short courses in research methods offer students and professionals a way to hone their research skills. If you need to begin research training for the first time, explore a new and cutting-edge method, or simply refresh your skills, we have courses tailored to your needs.  Our courses are fully online and we provide recorded lectures so you won’t need to miss a thing!

Who should take part?

Our short courses have been created to meet the needs of:

• University graduates pursuing or seeking to pursue PhD degrees in political science at ANU and other Australian universities
• International political science graduates pursuing or seeking to pursue advanced studies or enhance their skills and employability in political analysis
• Professional political science researchers in academia and policy organisations

Small cost, big benefit

Each course has been designed to deliver a fully interactive and informative learning experience that will make an invaluable contribution to your academic or professional development — and at a cost that should prove a sound investment for you or your institution to make.

Each course (5 half-day sessions) costs A$750*

See Upcoming Classes tab for our latest class offerings.

*ANU Students will receive a 20% discount. Students from the ANU Research School of Social Sciences please contact [email protected] to arrange payment

Current Offers: The courses below are available for the January-February 2024 Summer School Foundations of Statistical Analysis in Political Science – 29 January - 2 February, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

The aim of this course is to provide students with an accessible introduction to the fundamentals of quantitative political science research. The course will be focused on understanding types of data; data visualization; bivariate statistical methods (t tests, chi-squared tests, correlation); and multivariate statistical methods (simple and multiple regression). [Instructor:  Dr. Charles Miller ]

Foundations of Programming in R for Political Analysis – 29 January - 2 February, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

This course provides hands-on experience for learning programming in R, a free and open-source language for statistical computing. Designed for newcomers without any prior programming background, the course covers foundational programming concepts, including basic R commands, operators, package utilization, functions, conditionals, and loops. Emphasis is then placed on the core areas of data science applied to political analysis, including data types such as categorical, continuous, discrete, and nominal; data structures like vectors, matrices, data frames, and lists; data wrangling techniques from data import/export to cleaning, addressing missing values, outliers, and transformations; exploratory data analysis focusing on measures of central tendency and descriptive statistics; and crafting data visualizations to create professional academic tables and figures for presenting distributions, crosstabulations, and correlations. Supplemental online resources, including in-depth mathematical materials, will be available to provide further elaboration on the discussed topics. [Instructor:  Dr Thiago Nascimento da Silva ]

Research Design and Causal Inference in Political Science – 5 - 9 February, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Causal inference is at the heart of many of the key questions in political science: - why do some nations democratize but not others? What are the causes of war and peace? How do we improve the representation of marginalized groups in political life? But causal inference is hard. In this course, we will examine the principles of good research design, with a particular focus on causal inference. We begin by examining what we mean by ‘causation’, ‘causal inference’ and ‘causal explanation’. We then move to examining a suite of techniques for answering causal questions: - experiments in their various forms, natural or quasi experimental methods such as instrumental variables, difference in differences and regression discontinuity designs, and methods for estimating causal quantities from observational data such as matching, sensitivity analysis and directed acyclic graphs (DAGs). [Instructor:  Dr. Charles Miller ]

Political Survey Design – 5 - 9  February, 1:00 - 3:30 PM

Questionnaires are among the most common data collection methods that political researchers and other social scientists employ. This course introduces the principles of survey design and standard practices in the field. Practically oriented to initiate students to the design, administration, and analysis of surveys, it will cover the main aspects of survey methodology: key concepts and techniques; how design decisions affect empirical results; sampling and response maximization; questionnaire design gauging the impact of question wording; modes of data collection; and the basics of political survey data analysis. The course emphasizes learning and applying general insights as students work with concrete examples. [Instructor: Dr. Constanza Sanhueza ]

Introduction to Political Text Analysis – 5 - 9  February, 6:00 - 8:30 PM

This course surveys methods for systematically extracting quantitative information from political text for social scientific purposes, starting with classical content analysis and dictionary-based methods, to classification methods, and state-of-the-art scaling methods and topic models for estimating quantities from text using statistical techniques. The course lays a theoretical foundation for text analysis but mainly takes a very practical and applied approach, so that students learn how to apply these methods in actual research. [Instructor:  Prof. Ken Benoit ]

Advanced Political Text Analysis – 12 - 16  February, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

The course covers advanced methods for systematically extracting quantitative information from political text for social scientific purposes, building on the foundations from Political Text Analysis. The topics covered include: statistical scaling of texts to measure latent variables; topic models for estimating quantities from text using statistical techniques; classification methods for predicting document classes; clustering methods for text and word features; and ways to model and use word embedding to further improve model accuracy. [Instructor:  Prof. Ken Benoit ]

Introduction to Social Network Analysis – 12 - 16  February, 1:00 - 3:30 PM

The “network perspective” puts emphasis on social ties between actors, rather than individual characteristics, in understanding behaviour and outcomes. This course provides a practical introduction to the network perspective and social network analysis (SNA), with a focus on applications in social science, in particular political analysis. Students will learn about collecting and storing social network data, and will gain practical experience in visualising networks and constructing basic SNA metrics. There will also be an introduction to exponential random graph models (ERGM), which provide a statistical inferential framework for modelling interdependencies in social tie formation such homophily, reciprocity and transitivity. The course involves the use of R, with a focus on igraph for network visualisation and basic SNA, and statnet for ERGM. [Instructor:  Professor Robert Ackland ]

All Courses: This is a full list of courses we offer. Please see the “Upcoming Classes” tab for those included in SSPA 2024 Our courses are taught periodically in February and July. We also schedule courses for institutional clients, please get in touch with Prof. Ben Goldsmith to discuss.

Foundational Course

Foundations of Statistical Analysis in Political Science

Foundations of Programming in R for Political Analysis

Advanced Courses

Prerequisites: the foundational course or permission of instructor

Advanced Political Text Analysis

Bayesian Statistics I

The aim of this course is to provide an introduction to the Bayesian approach to statistical inference and estimation for applications in political science. Emphasis will be placed on the understanding the basic framework of Bayesian statistics and implementing and evaluating these models. Basic models will use basic R commands, while more complicated models will use a variety of commands from specific R model packages, as well as general modeling environments NIMBLE (a fast implementation of the BUGS model)and Stan, all run through R. Bayesian I will feature foundational 1 and 2 parameter models, linear regression, and applications to limited variable models (ordered and unordered logit/probit, count data, and multivariate regression). In addition to the scheduled lectures, background material on the models considered (e.g., basics of limited dependent variable models or basic usage of R) will be made available, while most mathematical content will be reserved for auxiliary recordings posted online. Prerequisites: Foundations of Statistical Analysis, or equivalent. [Instructor:  Dr. Shawn Treier ]

Bayesian Statistics II

The aim of this course is to cover several important advanced applications of the Bayesian approach to statistical inference and estimation in political science. Emphasis will be placed on the understanding the basics and implementation of these models. The statistical environment of R will be used, with specific models commands from R packages, as well as general modeling environments NIMBLE (a fast implementation of the BUGS model) and Stan. Bayesian 2 will feature hierarchical models (simple, linear regression, and more general specifications) and measurement models (factor analysis, IRT, ideal point estimation, LCA, SEMs). In addition to the scheduled lectures, background material on the models considered will be made available, while most mathematical content will be reserved for auxiliary recordings posted online. Prerequisites: Bayesian Statistics I or equivalent. [Instructor:  Dr. Shawn Treier ]

Introduction to Critical Discourse Analysis

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the foundations of Critical Discourse Analysis. The course will provide an overview of the foundations of CDA in critical and social theory, hermeneutics, social constructivism, and socio-linguistics before introducing students to the conceptual framework and analytical tools of CDA. [Instructor:  Dr. April Biccum ]

Introduction to Political Text Analysis

Introduction to Social Network Analysis

Longitudinal Data Analysis (Panel and Time Series data)

The aim of this course is to provide a practical, hands-on introduction to the analysis of longitudinal (repeated cross-sectional and panel) data for answering research and policy questions. The course will be focused on the following content areas: learning how longitudinal data differs from other forms of data; familiarising students with some common longitudinal datasets in the social sciences in Stata; understanding a number of statistical methods for analysing longitudinal data in Stata; and understanding how to interpret the results of these analyses. [Instructor:  Dr. Feodor Snagovsky ]

NOTE: This course will be taught in Stata. Students will require their own Stata licence.

Philosophy and Methods of Political Science

The course is based around Keith Dowding’s book of the same title. In the most general terms the course tries to provide a philosophically sound justification of both quantitative and qualitative research in terms of the different research questions they adopt. It considers the nature of explanation and the relationship of explanation to prediction, and the relationship of both to forecasting. It looks at the nature of theories about politics. It reconsiders the demand for causal inference and causal explanation in political science, and examines how description is an important part of explanation. It introduces the type/token distinction and the idea of the granularity of description and explanation. It covers the manner in which causation is approached by quantitative and qualitative methods, suggesting that both have compatible accounts and the difference between quantitative and qualitative work concerns the nature of the research questions they adopt. It examines the process-tracing account of qualitative research and asks in what ways case studies can test hypotheses drawn from theories. It considers the relationship between empirical generalizations and causal mechanisms and examines the use of models in political science. [Instructor:  Prof. Keith Dowding ]

Political Survey Design

Questionnaires are among the most common data collection methods that political researchers and other social scientists employ. This course introduces the principles of survey design and standard practices in the field. Practically oriented to initiate students to the design, administration, and analysis of surveys, it will cover the main aspects of survey methodology: key concepts and techniques; how design decisions affect empirical results; sampling and response maximization; questionnaire design gauging the impact of question wording; modes of data collection; and the basics of political survey data analysis. The course emphasizes learning and applying general insights as students work with concrete examples. [Instructor:  Dr. Constanza Sanhueza ]

Research Design and Causal Inference in Political Science

For further information please contact Professor Ben Goldsmith  [email protected] .

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• Programs and Courses

Bachelor of Political Science

A single three year undergraduate award offered by the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences

• Length 3 year full-time
• Minimum 144 Units
• Which applies to me?
• Academic plan BPLSC
• Post Nominal
• CRICOS code 086219C
• 131162 (Bachelor of Political Science)
• Political Science
• Dr Maria Constanza Sanhueza
• Admission & Fees
• First Year Advice
• Introduction

Career Options

Learning outcomes, inherent requirements, admission requirements, adjustment factors, scholarships.

• Indicative Fees

Program Requirements

Elective study, study options.

The Bachelor of Political Science requires the completion of 144 units, of which:

A maximum of 60 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses

The 144 units must consist of:

24 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

POLS1002 Introduction to Politics

POLS1009 Research and Writing in Political Science

POLS2044 Contemporary Political Analysis

POLS2119 Ideas in Politics

A minimum of 6 units must come from completion of courses from the following list:

EURO3002 Comparative European Politics

POLS3022 Washington DC Internship

POLS3029 Sharing Power: Federalism in Comparative Perspective

POLS3031 Comparative Judicial Politics

POLS3033 Environment, Human Security and Conflict

POLS3036 International Terrorism

POLS3038 Media and Politics

POLS3039 Political Leadership and Executive Government

POLS3040 Conflict and Change in Sub-Saharan Africa

A minimum of 12 units from completion of political theory and political philosophy courses from the following list:

PHIL1004 Fundamental Ideas in Philosophy: An Introduction

PHIL2020 Theories of Social Justice

PHIL2113 Global Justice

POLS2063 Contemporary Political Theory

POLS2102 Political Belief and Deceit

A minimum of 12 units from completion of methodology courses from the following list:

ECON2141 Strategic Thinking: An Introduction to Game Theory

POLS2125 Game Theory and Social Sciences

POLS2130 Public Choice and Politics

POLS2137  Meaning in Politics: Interpretation, Method and Critique

POLS3045  Qualitative Methods in Political Science Research

SOCY2043 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods

A minimum of 12 units from completion of Australian politics courses from the following list:

POLS2002 Public Policy: Theory and Practice

POLS2009 Bureaucracy, Politics and Power

POLS2111 Elections, Political Behaviour and Public Opinion in Australia

POLS2114 Australian Political Institutions

A minimum of 12 units from completion of comparative politics courses from the following list:

ASIA2065 Asia’s Changing Politics in Comparative Perspective

POLS2043 Pressure Groups and Political Lobbying

POLS2126 Democracy and Dictatorship

POLS2134 Gender and Politics

POLS2135 Race, Ethnicity and Representation

A minimum of 6 units and a maximum of 12 units from the following cognate list:

ANIP3005 Australian National Internships Program B

DEMO2001 Understanding Population Change

DEMO3001 Population Policy Case Studies

HIST1209 Terror to Terrorism: A History              

HIST2227 Australian Political History      

HIST2022 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History   

HIST2240 Democracy and Dissent: Europe Since 1945*  

MEAS3007 Syria in the Levant: State, Society and the Current Turmoil

MEAS3008 Egypt: Social and Political Dynamics in a Changing Middle East

* Please note that courses with asterisks are usually offered every second year.

A maximum of 6 units from completion of area studies courses from the following list:

ASIA2026 The Politics of China

ASIA2031 Japanese Politics

ASIA2049 Politics and Society in Contemporary Korea

ASIA2070 Democracy in Southeast Asia

ASIA2516 Indonesia: Politics, Society and Development

EURO2012 Uniting Europe: History, Politics, Theory

MEAS2001 New States of Eurasia: Emerging Issues in Politics and Security

MEAS3005 Modern Iraq: State, Politics and Society

POLS2031 Politics in the Middle East

POLS2055 Pacific Politics

POLS2069 Politics in Russia

POLS2095 Politics in Latin America

POLS2100 Genocide in the Modern World

POLS2127 U.S. Politics

POLS3070 Politics in Central Asia

A minimum of 6 and maximum of 12 units from completion of political economy courses from the following list:

ASIA2090 Study Tour: The Political Economy of Myanmar

ECON2013 Behavioural Economics

ECON2060 Economic Reasoning for Government

MEAS2105 The Political Economy of the Middle East

POLS2011 Development and Change

POLS2094 Issues in International Political Economy

A maximum of 6 units from completion of internship/Vice-Chancellors courses from the following list:

ANIP3003 Australian National Internships Program A

VCUG2002 Leadership and Influence in a Complex World

VCUG3001 Unravelling Complexity

48 units from completion of elective courses offered by ANU

Once you have met the program requirements of your degree, you may have enough electives to complete an additional elective  major ,  minor  or  specialisation .

At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not guarantee entry into the program.

In line with the university's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors.

The University reserves the right to alter or discontinue its programs and change admission requirements as needed.

Domestic applicants

Before applying for a program, you should review the general information about domestic undergraduate admission to ANU programs and how to apply, and the program-specific information below.

• completion of Australian Year 12 or equivalent, and the minimum Selection Rank (from their academic qualifications, plus any adjustment factors ) requirement for this program; and
• co-curricular or service requirement (applies to applicants who complete secondary education in the year prior to commencing at ANU); and
• English language proficiency; and
• any program-specific requirements listed below.
• previous higher education studies; or secondary education results if completed less than one full-time equivalent year (1.0 FTE) of a degree; or the result from a bridging or preparatory course; and
• previously completed VET qualifications at AQF level 5 or higher (i.e. a Diploma or above); or secondary education results if the VET qualification is not completed; and
• ATAR or equivalent if secondary education was completed; or the Special Adult Entry Scheme (SAES) ; or work experience; and

International applicants

Applicants who complete a recognised secondary/senior secondary/post-secondary/tertiary sequence of study will be assessed on the basis of an equivalent selection rank that is calculated upon application. A list of commonly observed international qualifications and corresponding admission requirements can be found here . Applicants must also meet any program specific requirements that are listed below.

Diversity factors & English language proficiency   As Australia’s national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe. If required, competitive ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency.

Further information is available for English Language Requirements for Admission

Adjustment factors are additional points added to an applicant's Selection Rank (for example an applicant's ATAR). ANU offers adjustment factors based on performance and equity principles, such as for high achievement in nationally strategic senior secondary subjects and for recognition of difficult circumstances that students face in their studies. 

Selection Rank adjustments are granted in accordance with the approved schedules, and no more than 15 (maximum 5 subject/performance-based adjustment factors and maximum 10 equity-based adjustment factors) can be awarded. 

You may be considered for adjustment factors if you have:

• applied for an eligible ANU Bachelor degree program
• undertaken Australian Year 12 or the International Baccalaureate
• achieved an ATAR or equivalent at or above 70
• not previously attempted tertiary study.

Please visit the ANU Adjustment Factors website for further information.

Indicative fees

Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)

For more information see: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/costs-fees

For further information on International Tuition Fees see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments/international-tuition-fees

Fee Information

All students are required to pay the  Services and amenities fee  (SA Fee)

The annual indicative fee provides an estimate of the program tuition fees for international students and domestic students (where applicable). The annual indicative fee for a program is based on the standard full-time enrolment load of 48 units per year (unless the program duration is less than 48 units). Fees for courses vary by discipline meaning that the fees for a program can vary depending on the courses selected. Course fees are reviewed on an annual basis and typically will increase from year to year. The tuition fees payable are dependent on the year of commencement and the courses selected and are subject to increase during the period of study.

For further information on Fees and Payment please see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments

ANU offers a wide range of  scholarships  to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are.  Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the  Scholarships  website.

The Bachelor of Political Science is the only dedicated Political Science degree in Australia. The ANU has some of the world’s finest political scientists, and was the only Australian university to receive a 5 (“well above world class”) in both of the Excellence in Research for Australia’s reports. Located in the national capital, the ANU is the only university with a right to place interns in Australian Parliament House. The Bachelor of Political Science will give you the knowledge, theoretical understandings, and practical skills that underpin a successful career that engages with politics.

ANU ranks among the world's very finest universities. Our nearly 100,000 alumni include political, business, government, and academic leaders around the world.

We have graduated remarkable people from every part of our continent, our region and all walks of life.

apply concepts and theories used in the study of political science to the analysis of interests, ideas, institutions and behaviour and to the evaluation of political phenomena;

apply a range of research methods to the investigation of political phenomena;

demonstrate understanding of differences in political systems and the contexts in which they operate; and

communicate and debate both orally and in writing, and work with others, using a variety of media.

Information on inherenet requirements is currently not available for this program.

Enrolment Status

Majors and minors, academic advice.

Back to the Bachelor of Political Science page

Course selection

Enrolling for the first time can seem like a big task. Below, you will find an example enrolment pattern for your first year of study. 

 There are a few items to note:

•  Courses coded in the 1000 range are appropriate for first-year students. We strongly recommend that students new to tertiary study enrol in first-year courses during their first semester. 
• We recommend you start a CASS Program Plan . This is a way to track how the courses you take fit within the overall structure of your degree and will help you pick your later year courses.
• The tables below represent only one possible combination. You are welcome to pick and choose from any other 1000-coded course found under the “Study Tab”. 
• The tables below assume you are new to tertiary study and ineligible for course credit. 
• A step-by-step guide on how to enrol in courses is available on the Enrol for the First time webpage .

Single degree

PLSC course

Students starting in Semester 2– single degree Bachelor of Political Science, example

Other first year courses available: to find all other 1000-level courses, refer to the Catalogue of Programs and Courses. You may refine your selection on the right-hand column of the webpage.

Double degree

Students starting in Semester 1– double degree Bachelor of Political Science, example

Course from other degree

PLSC course or course from other degree

Students starting in Semester 2– double degree Bachelor of Political Science, example

See available majors and minors for this program

Course credit

If you have undertaken previous study that is relevant to your current academic program, you can request to receive course credit. For more information and how to apply, see the CASS credit application webpage , or contact the CASS Student Office.

Other important information for new students

Please refer to the  New students page . You will find all the information you require to activate your ANU email account, enrol into courses and our O week details.  

If you would like further information or advice regarding your degree, please contact the Student Office. We offer appointments , and you can reach us at [email protected] .

You can also check out our in person opening hours and location on the CASS Student Office webpage .

Responsible Officer: Registrar, Student Administration / Page Contact: Website Administrator / Frequently Asked Questions

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Department of Political Science

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Panel: The Power of Campaign Money in Judicial Elections

Time: Mon Mar 18, 2024, 12:30PM - 1:30PM

Location: Eck 1130

The CCCG joins the ND American Constitution Society in hosting a discussion on the power of campaign money in judicial elections. 

On Monday, March 18 in Eck 1130, Michael S. Kang and Joanna M. Shepherd join Notre Dame Law School to discuss their new book,  Free to Judge: The Power of Campaign Money in Judicial Elections . Kang and Shepherd argue that the effect of money on judicial outcomes should disturb and anger everyone. In the current system that elects state judges, the rich and powerful can spend money to elect and re-elect judges who decide cases the way they want. Free to Judge is about how and why money increasingly affects the dispensation of justice in our legal system, and what can be done to stop it.

Originally published at constudies.nd.edu .