Are you interested in making a difference to the world around you? Does the future of Aotearoa New Zealand’s democracy interest you? Do news about politics and elections in other countries capture your interest? Are you concerned about major issues in international politics and international security? How about issues such as development, human rights, health, environment, nationalism, foreign policy, or peace and conflict? How social change happens and how power and resources are allocated in society? Do you want to think, study, examine, and critically analyse these questions and pursue a career based on your interest? If so, you should study Political Science and International Relations. Political Science is often called the study of who gets what, where, how, and why. It is the independent and informed study of our communities and how we make decisions collectively as governments, why we behave as we do as citizens, and how we make public policy choices for the future. Political scientists use a variety of theories, ideas, tools, and methods to: examine local, national, regional, and global processes, institutions, and relationships; to consider how we ought to live as political communities; and how we can create change.

Political Science and International Relations students gain a versatile set of skills that can be applied in a wide range of exciting careers both within politics (international, national, and local political institutions eg, the UN, humanitarian inter-governmental organisations, parliaments, city councils) and in more diverse areas such as law, business, education, and journalism. Recent graduates have been employed in the Ministries of Defence, of Justice, and of Foreign Affairs and Trade | Manatū Aorere, as well as the Treasury | Te Puni Kōkiri, Parliament, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Government Communications Security Bureau, Security Intelligence Service, Te Runanga o Ngāi Tahu, and the Red Cross. Political Science and International Relations specialists fare well in roles that value a questioning mind, superb communication skills, and a strong understanding of systems and social issues such as the news media, trade unions, teaching, and the finance industry (eg, banking and investment). A number of our senior students have also gone on to further study and to teach at prestigious overseas universities.