PLTC-MAJ Politics

The study of politics explores not only governance and policy, but also critically examines the power structures and interrelationships that shape our world and encourage or limit political action and our political imaginations. By studying politics you’ll develop a diverse range of interpretive and analytic skills, enabling you to interrogate debates about governance, policy creation, social behaviour, and political action. The discipline addresses pressing issues such as the crisis of democracy, the rise of populism, social movements, and the management or resolution of conflict, including relations between states, and what this means for Australia.

Politics at Monash offers a robust intellectual grounding in the foundational debates, texts and traditions of inquiry that define the field, while also fostering critical engagement with contemporary political issues and challenges. Studying politics at Monash will equip you with the analytical skills needed to become a change-maker in your career. Whether advising a minister on eliminating gender-based violence, researching for a private consultancy, or assisting with democratic transitions at the UN, this program will challenge your understanding of politics and power and enable you to tackle complex issues.

The politics program emphasises five broad areas:

• Australian politics, with a focus on the unique challenges and opportunities within our own political system
• government, public policy and leadership
• comparative politics
• political theory and philosophy
• identities, social movements, and political issues

You are encouraged to explore the different facets of political studies, engaging with both theoretical and practical aspects of the discipline, and to develop a nuanced understanding of how politics influences and is influenced by society. 

Availability

Politics is listed in A2000 Bachelor of Arts at Caulfield and Clayton as a major and minor, and in A0502 Diploma of Liberal Arts at Clayton as a major.