International Studies

[Borbor]

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Ok what is the deal with International Studies? I've read a lot of these threads, the uni handbooks, talked to a lot of people and the general feel I get is that BIntSt or BIGS or whatever you call it is just a "glorified arts degree" as someone posted on here a while ago.

Yes I understand there are certain "special" units you can only do within the International Studies stream but other than those subjects, everything else can be done in a normal arts degree combo, right? (correct me if I'm wrong)

I'm particularly interested and concerned with job prospects. They claim you have better job prospects with BIntSt > BArts but surely in the end, you're in the same boat? My main concern is the validity of BIntSt outside of Australia. Yes it's probably (well?) recognised in Australia but I haven't heard of any major BIntSt recognition in Asia, North America or Europe. Wouldn't it be better to study a more 'universal' BArts?


It just strikes me as odd. So what's the deal with International Studies? Why study it?

[cottoneye]

Every university will have certain requirements and restrictions on the courses that they allow students to take. For the most part however, I think that you are right to say that it doesn't offer anything in addition to your regular Arts degree. If I were asked to explain why they exist, I would lean towards the line of thought that argues universities are trying to create the impression of flexibility and variety on the one hand, and pandering to students who are 'too good for an arts degree' on the other. A huge number of school leavers pick their courses based on perceived outcomes, high entry requirements and prestige: a course in International Studies will appeal to those aspiring to work with NGOs, DFAT, AusAid, etc. I doubt it would afford them any advantage over other grads however.

[Josie]

I've had a look at the BIntStudies degree at my university, and spoken to a couple of people doing it- I've done a good number of subjects, including the cores which just have an 'INST' prefix instead of POL or SOC, etc, just within my BArts. As far as I can see, they're pure advertising/reputation. In our case, trying to drag back some of the students going to USyd/UNSW with a fancy (named) degree.
I'm pretty sure HR for AusAID etc would look more closely at the degree than the name- and once you get past that, it's all much of a muchness.

[Borbor]

Hmm I thought as much, just seems like some smart advertising of a specialised arts combo.

Well thank you very much to you both for your insights.

[yoddle]

However some unis (most, even) require a year or six months spent studying/working overseas and the learning of a language for international studies courses. This kind of structure may appeal to potential employers in the face of an Arts degree, where you are obliged to do only the subjects and not much else with an International Relations major.

Can anyone tell me the difference between a Bachelor international studies and a B International relations? Is it only in name?

Also, doubling an international studies degree with another area of interest such as Law, Communications or whatever will make it seem to employers that you are really specialising in the global entirety of your field. E.g. at UTS you can combine International Studies with almost everything.

[skut8]

Originally Posted by yoddle

Can anyone tell me the difference between a Bachelor international studies and a B International relations? Is it only in name?

Only in name.

I think it's just a marketing ploy. Although if stuff I read on here is to be believed, what one majors in won't be written on the transcript. So degree names help to an extent (though academic transcripts should point out everything anyway).

I wouldn't be suprised if unis started offering both B International Studies and B Political Science.

Oh wait, USyd already does.

[moc2009]

At ANU there are people doing the exact same subjects, but some are in the “Bachelor of Arts (International Relations)” and some are in the “Bachelor of Arts majoring in International Relations”.

The only real difference is the entrance score (85 for BA(IR) and 75 for BA), also when they graduate they will have on their certificate Bachelor of Arts (International Relations) but the students doing a BA Majoring in IR will just have Bachelor of Arts.

Yes you do a language, but you can do that with normal arts anyway, and still go overseas exchange.

But they all do the same subjects, a lot of people get into the BA, do all the same subjects and then in the last year of their degree just transfer to the BA(IR) (just so the name is on the degree).

I’m interested in doing a Masters overseas once I finish and contacted a few Universities and asked what would be best and they said it doesn’t matter, they still consider your degree just a Bachelor of Arts. Most overseas Universities don’t fiddle around with names on degree’s, it’s usually a BA or a BSc majoring in something.

I also don’t think it really gives you that “edge”, people in the degree are all like “Oh I’m going to work for DFAT or ASIO etc, but reality is, out of all the people I know who work in DFAT and other NGO’s none of them have an International Relations degree, they have all different degrees, one of my mates who got into a graduate program with DFAT did a Music Degree.

So yea, it’s an Arts Degree.