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BA - Political Science as a major

If you’re fascinated by the history and creative activities of humankind and how this shapes societies and our future, then a Bachelor of Arts (BA) is for you. Our graduates are in demand for their flexible skills, practical outlook and depth of understanding they bring to their roles.

Political Science at Waikato offers a broad spectrum of political knowledge on both national and international issues. You'll seek answers to some of the most difficult political issues of today and gain skills for many potential career paths.

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Key information

Years: 3
Points: 360
Start Dates: Trimester A (March) and Trimester B (July)
Fees (Domestic): $6,117-$7,132 per year
Fees (International): $25,915 - $33,735 per year
Entry Requirements: Undergraduate International
Area of Study:
*Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees.

Career opportunities

  • Advocate
  • Central and Local Government Officer
  • Foreign Affairs and Trade Worker
  • Māori Development Policy Adviser
  • Media Analyst
  • Policy Analyst

Degree Planner

Degree planner — BA in Political Science

Year 1

POLSC102 or POLSC103

Any 100 level
paper listed below

One from List A

ARTSC110
Old Worlds - New Worlds

Field of the Degree
100 level

Field of the Degree
100 level

Elective

Elective

Year 2

One of
POLSC201 or POLSC211

One of
POLSC201, POLSC211 POLCY212 or IRSST206

Any 200 level
paper listed below

One from List B

Field of the Degree
200 level

Elective

Elective

Elective

Year 3

Any 300 level
paper listed below

Any 300 level
paper listed below

Any 300 level
paper listed below

Any 300 level
paper listed below

One from List C

Elective

Elective

Elective

  • Major
  • Compulsory
  • Elective

In Political Science we study all aspects of political life. We ask such questions as: Why do some crises lead to conflict while others are resolved peacefully? What lessons can we draw from the policy experience of other countries? How ought we to deal with the growing international environmental crisis? Why does democracy survive in some countries and not in others? Can we have both freedom and security - or must we choose between them? What did the great political thinkers of the past really say? Political Science comprises four main areas of study. Comparative Politics examines the political institutions and societies of particular countries, and looks at the comparisons and contrasts between them. International Relations focuses on the relations between states, on their foreign policies, and on international organisations like the UN and NATO. Political Theory examines theories about politics and society, and the philosophical and methodological questions that arise in studying political life. Public Policy explores and evaluates the processes by which national, regional and local institutions of the state formulate and implement policies. Students taking political science papers may focus on one or more of these areas, or follow a broader programme reflecting the diverse interests of political science.

Political Science is available as a first major for the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSocSc). Political Science may also be taken as a second major or minor, subject to approval of the Division in which the student is enrolled.

To complete Political Science as a single major for the Ba or BSocSc, students must gain 135 points from papers listed for Political Science, including 105 points above 100 level, and 60 points above 200 level. Students must include POLSC101 and POLSC102, or 15 points from POLSC101 and POLSC102 and 15 points from IRSST103 and IRSST104; and POLSC201 and POLSC211, or 15 points from POLSC201 and POLSC211, and 15 points from IRSST206 and POLCY212.

To complete Political Science as part of a double major for the BA, BSocSc or other undergraduate degree, students must gain 120 points from papers listed for Political Science, including 90 points above 100 level, and 45 points above 200 level. Students must include POLSC101 and POLSC102, or 15 points from POLSC101 and POLSC102, and 15 points from IRSST103 and IRSST104; and POLSC201 and POLSC211, or 15 points from POLSC201 and POLSC211, and 15 points from IRSST206 and POLCY212.

To complete a minor in Political Science, students must complete 60 points from the papers listed for the Political Science major, including at least 30 points above 100 level. Students must include at least one of POLSC101 or POLSC102, and one of POLSC201 or POLSC211; and select their remaining papers from the papers listed for the Political Science major.

100 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
IRSST103Introduction to International Relations15.021A (Hamilton), 21A (Online) & 21B (Tauranga)
This paper provides an introduction to the study of international relations in an era of globalisation. It covers the historical background, key concepts and theories, case studies, and contemporary developments in the study of world politics.
POLSC102New Zealand Politics and Policy15.021B (Hamilton) & 21B (Tauranga)
This paper provides a foundation for the study of political science and public policy, with a particular focus on the study of government, politics and policy in New Zealand.
POLSC103Let's Get Political15.021A (Online) & 21A (Tauranga)
Politics affects every aspect of our lives. This paper is an introduction to understanding political issues, helping you make your voice heard in debates about our future as a society.

200 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
IRSST206International Relations: The Security Agenda15.021B (Hamilton)
This paper introduces students to International Relations' dynamic and evolving security agenda and covers some of the most urgent contemporary security concerns.
MAORI250Māori Politics15.021B (Online) & 21B (Tauranga)
This paper examines Maori and Indigenous politics in a broad sense, from key ideas such as sovereignty, tino rangatiratanga, and autonomy, through to crucial forms of resistance via various political structures including local, Iwi, national and global Indigenous movements.
PHILO215Moral and Political Philosophy: A Historical Introduction15.021B (Hamilton)
This paper introduces students to central issues in Moral and Political Philosophy, using texts from historical figures in philosophy to study questions about virtue, happiness, justice, liberty, democracy, tyranny, feminism, art, censorship, and moral education.
POLCY212Power, Politics and Policy Analysis15.021A (Hamilton) & 21A (Online)
This paper introduces students to public policy analysis. Students focus on the role of politics, public participation and policy in addressing society's big problems, how they are framed and defined, and how solutions are developed and implemented within the context of the policy process.
POLSC200Politics and the Media15.021A (Online) & 21A (Tauranga)
This course provides an introduction to the complex relationships between mass media, politics, and democratic society. It examines the power of the media in influencing political processes, policies, behaviour, and perceptions.
POLSC201Modern Political Thinkers15.021A (Online) & 21G (Online)
This course examines the ideas of a number of modern political thinkers such as Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, and Marx.
POLSC203The Politics of Collective Memory15.021B (Online) & 21B (Tauranga)
This paper analyses the political use of collective memory. Why do communities and nations decide to keep certain memories of the historical past alive while repressing and discarding others?
POLSC211Political Systems around the World15.021B (Hamilton)
The paper introduces the comparative study of political institutions, the study of the politics of a number of countries, their similarities and differences, from established democracies to authoritarian regimes.
POLSC224Terrorism, Violence and the State15.021B (Hamilton)
Terrorism is an increasingly prominent global phenomenon. We will clarify it conceptually and situate it historically with theory and case studies in situating it in comparative political and International Relations analysis.
POLSC229US Politics15.021B (Online) & 21B (Tauranga)
Students in this course explore the foundational elements of the United States, its governing institutions, the extent of public influence within the system, and major contemporary policy issues that the country faces.

300 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
GNSEX303Intersectionalities: Identities and Inequalities15.021A (Hamilton)
This paper provides a comprehensive review of the historical context for understanding contemporary issues of race, gender, sexuality, and social class. It investigates micro and macro level experiences and the social construction of identities. In doing so, this paper looks at how power is distributed in society, the theories that...
IRSST301International Relations: The Context, Theory and Practice of New Zealand Foreign Policy15.021B (Hamilton)
This course delivers a comprehensive historical overview of New Zealand foreign policy from the beginning of the 20th century, and considers the role government departments play in the creation and implementation of policy.
IRSST315International Politics of Asia15.021A (Hamilton) & 21B (Hamilton)
It provides an introduction to, and analysis of, critical issues in Asia. Issues may include some, or all, of the Kashmir dispute; the situation on the Korean Peninsula; the South China Sea disputes; and tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
IRSST331Cyber Security and the Global Politics of the Internet15.021B (Online)
This course explores the global politics of cyber security and the internet. It covers the major political/strategic/theoretical debates around enhancing the security of computer systems and how states and non-state actors are responding.
POLCY318Global Environmental Politics and Policy15.021A (Hamilton)
This paper explores contemporary debates on environmental politics, sustainability, justice, and environmental governance. It examines the political processes underpinning the search for cooperative solutions to environmental dilemmas, including climate change.
POLSC300Religion and Political Violence15.021G (Online)
This paper examines religious attitudes to political authority and political violence. Students study the writings of major thinkers in the Christian tradition including Augustine, Aquinas, Luther and Calvin.
POLSC301Political Communication in a Visual Age15.021A (Online) & 21A (Tauranga)
How can different forms of visual communication be employed to promote one's political goals? Students will tackle this question through both theoretical and practical applications.
POLSC316Latin American Politics15.021A (Online)
This paper examines the ideological determinants, recent histories, democratisation, civil-military relations, post-authoritarian politics, and current political crisis of the several major Latin American countries.
POLSC390Directed Study15.021A (Hamilton), 21B (Hamilton), 21G (Hamilton) & 21H (Hamilton)
This course comprises a programme of individual research and assessment undertaken by a student working under supervision of an academic staff member.
SOCIO302Globalisation and International Development15.021B (Hamilton)
This paper examines the impact of globalisation on both developed and developing countries. Special focus is placed on the labour-capital relation. Applied methods of comparative analysis are also introduced.

500 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
IRSST502Security Issues in South East Asia30.021A (Hamilton)
After a brief conceptual and historical introduction to security in the region, the paper goes on to consider a range of contemporary security issues. These include ethnic conflict, militant Islam, maritime security, and relations with the major extra-regional powers.
IRSST506International Relations and Global Security30.021B (Hamilton)
This paper teaches and utilises major international relations theories to consider pressing global issues. This includes the causes of war and peace, globalisation, the Cold War, the widening security agenda, terrorism, the environment, inequality, new technologies, and international institutions.
IRSST507Cyber Security and Cyber Warfare15.021B (Online)
This course examines the political, strategic, legal and economic debates around cyber security and cyber warfare. Particular emphasis is placed on how militaries, national security agencies, and law enforcement are adapting to online threats and incorporating cyber in their strategic planning.
POLSC501Policy Analysis: Theory and Practice30.021A (Hamilton)
This paper introduces students to the fundamentals of policy analysis, and develops skills for higher-level research in public policy. A key focus is developing critical awareness of policy processes, of the drivers of change, and of the role of both 'evidence' and public participation in policy-making, in the pursuit of inclusive ...
POLSC504Gender, Justice and the Environment30.021B (Hamilton)
This paper draws on the interdisciplinary study of gender and the environment to look at how issues of gender and justice mediate human-environmental relations.
POLSC537Environmental Politics and Public Policy30.021A (Hamilton)
This paper introduces students to the complexities and challenges of environmental policy processes, and develops skills in scholarly research on environmental policy making. A significant focus of the paper is on analysing and understanding the complex intersections of institutions, culture, science and technology, and systems of ...
POLSC590Directed Study30.021A (Hamilton), 21B (Hamilton), 21D (Hamilton) & 21X (Hamilton)
Students have the opportunity to pursue a topic of their own interest under the guidance of academic staff.
POLSC591Dissertation30.021A (Hamilton), 21B (Hamilton), 21D (Hamilton) & 21X (Hamilton)
A report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical investigation.
POLSC592Dissertation60.021X (Hamilton)
A report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical investigation.
POLSC593Political Science Thesis90.021X (Hamilton)
An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research.
POLSC594Political Science Thesis120.021X (Hamilton)
An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research.

800 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
POLSC800Political Science MPhil Thesis120.021X (Hamilton)
No description available.

900 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
POLSC900Political Science PhD Thesis120.021I (Hamilton) & 21X (Hamilton)
No description available.

For more information about subject requirements please refer to the catalogue of papers for the most up to date information. If you have any questions and need more advice contact one of our friendly student advisors phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4080 or email: [email protected]

Please note: For all graduate subject requirements check the information provided in the papers section above.

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Subject links

Political Science and Public Policy Programme

Study in Tauranga

You can complete your BA in Māori and Indigenous Studies without leaving the Bay. To discuss your options with a Future Students Advisor in Tauranga email [email protected].

Contacts

School of Social Sciences
Phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4702
General and undergraduate email: [email protected]
Graduate and postgraduate email: [email protected]