no you can't combine it with anything other than law. International studies is a proper degree at UNSW. We're not like some of the lame courses hanging around like UTS that let you study only one country and its language and then give you a degree in international studies. We study the world.
If you seriously want to study international studies at UNSW be aware of these points
1) You study with arts students.
Many people have a problem with this because they believe themselves to be so much smarter than these students who get "as low as 78" for a uai. However, I find that many of these arts students with low UAIs come from poorer backgrounds who actually end up doing far better than many international studies students because they now have equal opportunities to resources and so on. There are always going to be stupid people in your course. Sadly you will learn at uni, your uai is not an indicator of your intelligence. Equally there are many brilliant people studying International Studies who have been youth leaders for the United Nations, are national debaters, came in the top 10 in the HSC in certain subjects and so on.
2)You have to study a language.
There is a reason for this. Studying a language is highly regarded by employers even if its only for a year. Even if you've had poor experiences with languages (i had an awful experience with French throughout high school) just pick something new and give it a go. There is a lot of work involved but it is VERY rewarding. I started Chinese and it has been the most rewarding thing i have ever done. Talk to people and get an idea of which languages are enjoyable because the quality of the staff often determines the quality of the experience for beginners languages and whether or not they continue.
3) You have to be aware of the world around you.
Some students drop out or defer because they don't feel they have the general knowledge of current affairs expected of students and im not just talking about the year you start, im talking about a fairly good understanding of the last 5 years alongside a basic knowledge of historical events. If you don't have this you won't do well. You will come across people in your degree who seem to know everything. As i said before there are some really really smart people who know the UN charter backwards, or can argue the legality of whaling with reference to specific pages in IWC documents. While that obviously isnt required, you do need to be more than just opinionated, you need to bring some knowledge with you. Basic first year courses teach you about things as varied as WWI, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the constant string of problems with Serbia, Vietnam, the French and US revolutions, the creation of norway... so don't worry too much about finer details of history but present day or recent problems and analogies are always discussed in tutorials. And it isn't cool to say "what IR reforms?"
4) You have to go overseas or you will only get an Arts degree
You have to go overseas for a year. It is a degree requirement. You can go to a uni for a full year, or two unis for a semester each. For global you can go to an English speaking country although you will be expected to do more demanding courses than if you were studying in another language. Also, some unis offer courses in English anyway such as Denmark and Singapore. But be aware of what unis are on offer for exchange. UNSW and ANU and so on all differ. And have a few choices up your sleeve because unless you are one of the top students you won't necessarily get your first choice. For some unis, the competition for an exchange place is highly competitive .
5)Don't whinge about the uni.
Don't come to UNSW and then complain about what we don't have. CHECK IT OUT BEFORE HAND or you will irritate everyone around you who was excited about starting uni and you'll also ruin your time at UNSW. Our library is great, our language labs are usual, our food and shops are good, our gym is ok, our soccer team is shite...
Oh and demand is higher because international studies takes less students, you are guaranteed a year overseas, and the degree is more focussed and highly regarded by employers because there are limitations placed on what subjects you can take. Apart from one elective in first year, it has to be relevant to the degree so you can't study some tribal clan from 3000 years ago. It ensures graduates have the desired skills and maintains the reputation of the degree.
Neway thats enough from me, any questions just ask
