Head: Professor Ray Nichols
Graduate coordinator: Dr Paul James
The Department of Politics offers five main areas of specialisation for postgraduate work: Australian politics and culture; international relations, including both a postgraduate diploma and a separate MA in international relations; Asian, regional and development studies; contemporary political cultures; and social and political theory. However the research interests of staff extend beyond these areas.
All graduate students are expected to contribute papers to the postgraduate work-in-progress seminar and to attend regularly.
Graduate studies in politics are offered at the levels of faculty certificate, postgraduate diploma, MA and PhD.
Susan Blackburn Foreign aid; Southeast Asian development policies; gender and Asian politics; non-government organisations and social movements in Southeast Asia.
Andrew Butfoy International relations with special reference to arms control, strategic studies, concepts of international security, and the US in world politics.
Brian Costar Australian politics with special reference to elections and parties, especially the National Party, State politics and the politics of labour.
Alastair Davidson Social and political theory with special reference to modern European theory; human rights, citizenship and the republican question; Marxist studies; the state and constitutional reform in Australia. Aspects of modern European politics, especially Italian; globalism.
Robyn Eckersley Green politics and philosophy, modern social and public policy, political theory, new social movements, environmental philosophy, environmental law and ecological economics.
Nick Economou Australian politics, especially public policy, environmental policy and politics, federal and state elections, Australian media and politics.
Hugh Emy Australian politics; political theory; liberalism, democracy and the state.
Hyam Gold Political behaviour, Australia and New Zealand politics; Australia - New Zealand relations.
David Goldsworthy Australian foreign policy; politics of development; decolonisation; North-South relations.
Paul James Social and political theory; nationalism, the state and community; Australian politics with special reference to cultural studies, and the impact of technology on politics and democracy.
Michael Janover History of political thought; ancient Greek culture, politics and philosophy; critical theories of modernity and postmodernity.
Peter Lentini: Russian domestic politics, comparative postcommunist politics, European politics, electoral studies, women's representation, gender and cultural politics.
Ray Nichols Culture and political action; politics and philosophy of language; political theory (modern-contemporary European); ideology; epistemology, hermeneutics; contemporary America; early twentieth-century France.
Andrew Perry Modern politics and economics of Japan, Korea and the Philippines; East Asian international relations; American foreign policy, especially in relation to Asia; politics of international and transnational trade and finance; Japanese relations with Southeast Asia and Australia.
Chris Reus-Smit International relations theory; history of state systems; political economy; culture, social norms and ideas in international politics; international institutions; international law; theories of state formation; the United Nations; ethics and international relations; critical theory.
Gillian Robinson: Theories of modernity, particularly democracy, citizenship and the nation state; ancient Greek politics and philosophy; Australian politics and culture; feminist critiques of modern political theory; European social and political theory; contemporary ethical and moral philosophy
Colin Rubenstein Aspects of public policy formation and implementation, including foreign and defence policies; science and technology policies, energy policy, multiculturalism; Middle East.
Roger Spegele The theory of international relations with special reference to critiques of realism. International political economy, historical and contemporary including Australia's current trading problems; ethics and politics, globalism; political theory and aspects of literary studies.
Dennis Woodward Australian politics with special reference to elections and parties; Chinese politics with special references to the People's Liberation Army and to industrial and agricultural policies.
David Wright-Neville Critical theory, cultural politics and the politics of identity; the relationship between politics and culture in East Asia; Western conceptions of East Asia; the politics of East-West contacts, especially Australia-Asia relations; contemporary East Asian capitalism; Japanese, Malaysian and Singaporean politics.
Course code: 0020
Course fee: Local students HECS; international students: $A12,000 pa
Normally, PhD work consists of the preparation of a dissertation of 80,000-100,000 words. In some cases, however, coursework may also be prescribed by the head of the department in consultation with the candidate's supervisor. Persons applying for admission to PhD candidature in politics will normally be expected to have completed an honours degree in politics with at least a second class division A result, or a masters degree in politics which includes a significant research component. The period of candidature is between two and five years full-time or up to eight years part-time.
Subject to the approval of the head of the department, students who have completed a masters degree by thesis may be admitted to PhD candidature on a firm basis. All other PhD students in the Department of Politics are initially admitted on a probationary basis, and their candidature must be confirmed at the end of twelve months (eighteen months for part-time students) according to a formal project review. Upgrading from research MA to PhD is possible in line with faculty regulations.
* Proposed to be offered in 1999.
These are fee paying programs which parallel the Graduate Diploma of Arts (Foreign Affairs and Trade) and the Master of Arts in foreign affairs and trade which are delivered by Monash University to Australian and international diplomatic trainees in Canberra. Students who complete either or both of these programs at Monash, and who subsequently join the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, would be exempted from doing the corresponding program or programs in Canberra. Subjects are contributed to the two programs by members of the faculties of Arts, Business and Economics and Law. For information contact the graduate coordinator, Department of Politics.Course code: 0017
Course fee: Local students HECS; international students $A12,000 pa
The objectives of the MA in politics are:
The MA in politics by research requires the submission of a thesis (the normal length is 40,000-60,000 words) on a topic approved by the head of the department, at the end of a period of supervised study and research. The minimum duration of candidature is one year full-time or two years part-time, and the maximum duration is three years full-time or five years part-time.
* Offered subject to approval.
Program code: 1988Applicants should normally have completed a bachelors degree with at least credit results in the third-year subjects of a politics major, or equivalent.
Candidates must complete satisfactorily the core subject PLM4060.12 and three of the semester-length subjects listed below. The period of candidature is one year full-time or two years part-time.
* Subject to approval.
Applicants should normally have completed an honours degree in politics or a related discipline with at least a second class division B result; or a Masters Qualifying in politics or a related discipline with at least a second class division B result; or a postgraduate diploma in politics or a related discipline with at least a credit average.
Candidates must complete satisfactorily four of the semester-length subjects listed below. The period of candidature is one year full-time or two years part-time.
* Subject to approval.
* Offered subject to approval.
Program code: 1987Applicants should normally have completed a bachelors degree with at least credit results in the third-year subjects of a politics major, or equivalent.
Candidates must complete satisfactorily four of the semester length subjects (not including PLM4060.12) listed under `Masters Qualifying in politics with a research component' above. The period of candidature is one year full-time or two years part-time.
Course code: 1399
Candidates must complete satisfactorily four semester length subjects chosen from list A (third-year subjects) and list B (fourth-year subjects) below. At least three of the subjects must be chosen from list B. Candidates who wish to be eligible to apply for subsequent admission to the Master of Arts in politics by research must include PLM4060.12. The period of candidature is one year full-time or two years part-time.
* Subject to approval.
* Offered subject to approval.
Program code: 2057Program fee: Local students $3300;
Applicants should have either (a) a bachelors degree or the equivalent or (b) relevant professional experience.
The entry requirements for candidates in category B are a minimum of five years of relevant experience at a senior level; evidence of which must accompany the candidate's application for entry into the program. In addition to this the following information must also be presented: (i) two references which comment on the nature and extent of the experience; and (ii) a full CV; and (iii) a statement of up to 1000 words indicating the applicant's career objectives and reasons for applying for entry.
The evidence must accompany the candidate's application for entry.
The following may also be taken into account for applicants in category B:
Candidates must complete satisfactorily two of the semester-length subjects (not including PLM4060.12) listed under `Masters Qualifying with a research component' above. The period of candidature is one semester full-time or one year part-time.
Course code: 0017
Course fee: Local students HECS; international students: $A12,000 pa
To enable students to acquire knowledge and understanding at an advanced level of the variety of changes now occurring in and to the international system, and of recent theoretical developments in the field of international relations.
Applicants should normally have completed an honours degree in politics or a related discipline with at least a second class division A result; or a Masters Qualifying in politics or a related discipline with a research component, with at least a second class division A result.
Candidates must complete satisfactorily PLM5520.12 (Perspectives on world politics) together with a thesis of 35,000-40,000 words on an approved topic in international relations. The weighting of the thesis is 75 per cent. The period of candidature is one year full-time or two years part-time.
Applicants should normally have completed an honours degree in politics or a related discipline with at least a second class division B result; or a Masters Qualifying in politics or a related discipline with at least a second class division B result; or a postgraduate diploma in international relations with at least a credit average.
Candidates must complete satisfactorily four of the semester length subjects listed below including the core subject. The period of candidature is one year full-time or two years part-time.
* Subject to approval.
Course code: 1400
Course fee: Local students HECS; international students: $A12,000 pa
To enable students to further their knowledge and understanding of international relations by engaging with literatures and taking part in seminar work at postgraduate level.
Applicants should normally have completed a bachelors degree with a major in politics, or a Faculty Certificate in international relations with grades of at least credit average. Subject to the approval of the head of the department, applicants who have completed a major in a cognate discipline may be admitted.
Candidates must complete satisfactorily four semester-length subjects chosen from list A (third-year subjects) and list B (fourth-year subjects) below. A least three of the subjects must be chosen from list B. Candidates who wish to be eligible to apply for subsequent admission to the Master of Arts in international relations by research must include PLM4060.12. The period of candidature is one year full-time or two years part-time.
* Subject to approval.
* Offered subject to approval.
Program code: 2058Program fee: Local students $3300
To provide suitably qualified people with an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the discipline of international relations.
The following may also be taken into account for applicants in category B:
Candidates who complete a Faculty Certificate in international relations with a credit average can progress to a Postgraduate Diploma of Arts (International Relations) and receive 50 per cent credit towards that course.
Candidates must complete satisfactorily two semester-length subjects chosen from the list below. The period of candidature is one semester full-time or one year part-time.
* Subject to approval.