Bachelor of International Studies (2 Viewers)

[nunasdream]

Does anyone do this? if so, are there any specific differences between it and a B Arts? I was thinking of doing it at UNSW, but the MQ units look more interesting.

Any opinions welcome.

 

[xeuyrawp]

Look through the study patterns on the handbook and see if you like what you'd have to do in International Studies. The IntStud degree is prescriptive, ie you have to do certain things. In the BA, though, you can still do every IntStud subject, but don't have to.

In the BA, you need a major, eg German or Politics; whereas in the IntStud degree, you just choose if you're going to do European or Asian Languages.

That's essentially it.

 

[pullmychicken]

mm yeah and i think with the int. studies you HAVE to go o/seas sometime in ur second year

 

[antisheep]

Just as a heads up... I e-mailed the course co-ordinator about this degree about 2 months ago and she told me that the 2010 program is changing fairly drastically. Something to keep in mind...

 

[Peartie]

im doing BIntStud atm.,... From what ive been hearing about the 2010 intake is that the timing of the internship and the exchange are being changed (so that internship is 2nd year and exchange is third year) to allow students more time to learn their language before they go overseas,... i think they are also going to do more mandatory courses.

The course overall is actually a good one - i got to study things i was interested in and also got paid to go overseas for a semester....

Overall though the BIntStud is basically a glorified BA in that doing a BA you can choose the exact same subjects but then achieve a major rather than just getting a BIntStud (euro studies) for example...

If you have any questions feel free to ask me

 

[Robbed]

im doing BIntStud atm.,... From what ive been hearing about the 2010 intake is that the timing of the internship and the exchange are being changed (so that internship is 2nd year and exchange is third year) to allow students more time to learn their language before they go overseas,... i think they are also going to do more mandatory courses.

The course overall is actually a good one - i got to study things i was interested in and also got paid to go overseas for a semester....

Overall though the BIntStud is basically a glorified BA in that doing a BA you can choose the exact same subjects but then achieve a major rather than just getting a BIntStud (euro studies) for example...

If you have any questions feel free to ask me

Hey, I'm thinking about doing international studies, at UTS, Macquarie, UNSW or Sydney. I just want to know what the career opportunities are like?

 

[yoddle]

Wouldn't a Bachelor of Int Stud/Rel look better on a resume than just a BA?

 

[xeuyrawp]

Wouldn't a Bachelor of Int Stud/Rel look better on a resume than just a BA?

That kind of thinking is why there are an excessive amounts of named degrees in Australia.

If you go to Oxford and study three years as an undergrad, you either get a BA or a BFA. Only a very silly person would think that the superficial name is more important than the content; but alas now sometimes the name is the content.

 

[AsyLum]

Wouldn't a Bachelor of Int Stud/Rel look better on a resume than just a BA?

BA (Oxford)

B Int Studies (MQ)

B Int Relations (MQ)

BA (Harvard)

BSci (MIT)

 

[Peartie]

there's a B Int Rel @ Mac?

In germany its only a BA one gets...Which i think is alot better than millions of named degrees...for example a person at mac can do all the subjects of BIntStud (bar the Exchange and internship but they can be done under different subject codes) doing a BA but then some people will still say the BIntStud is "better" as its a named degree...imho I think the BIntStud is basically a BA(Glor.) [ie a Bachelor of Arts (Glorified)]

Career prospects are the same as with most humanities subjects - depends what you want to do, what your results are and where you apply.... 5 years after your degree its your experience employers care about anyway.....

 

[tinfoilhat]

I agree with Peartie, essentially it's the same thing.. the only reason I picked IntSt/LLB over Arts/LLB was because it meant less planning on my behalf.. you can't do honours for IntSt though, if that has any bearing on your decision

 

[AsyLum]

there's a B Int Rel @ Mac?

In germany its only a BA one gets...Which i think is alot better than millions of named degrees...for example a person at mac can do all the subjects of BIntStud (bar the Exchange and internship but they can be done under different subject codes) doing a BA but then some people will still say the BIntStud is "better" as its a named degree...imho I think the BIntStud is basically a BA(Glor.) [ie a Bachelor of Arts (Glorified)]

Career prospects are the same as with most humanities subjects - depends what you want to do, what your results are and where you apply.... 5 years after your degree its your experience employers care about anyway.....

They're already well on their way come 2010 for the adoption of the 'Melbourne Model' afaik, or something similar, so at least the admin has seen it fit to trim back the number of named degrees.

 

[Peartie]

you can't do honours for IntSt though, if that has any bearing on your decision

You can't do honours for int stud ALTHOUGH you can do honours in history/politics/language or whatever as long as you've fulfilled the requirements to do honours in the subject....

They're already well on their way come 2010 for the adoption of the 'Melbourne Model' afaik, or something similar, so at least the admin has seen it fit to trim back the number of named degrees.

Sounds good!

 

[xeuyrawp]

You can't do honours for int stud ALTHOUGH you can do honours in history/politics/language or whatever as long as you've fulfilled the requirements to do honours in the subject....


Sounds good!

100% agree. People get obsessed with the names, eg

Some girl at a careers market: Do you have a Bachelor of Business?
Me: We have a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Business Administration, *gets booklet out*
Girl: Nah, I'm only interested in business.
Me: Well they're all the same, really, just different names... *trails off as she walks away*

 

[tinfoilhat]

You can't do honours for int stud ALTHOUGH you can do honours in history/politics/language or whatever as long as you've fulfilled the requirements to do honours in the subject....

oh cool... to continue with the trivial 'namesake makes a better degree' idea I might as well ask: does it appear on the degree name though like the BA (Hons)?

 

[xeuyrawp]

oh cool... to continue with the trivial 'namesake makes a better degree' idea I might as well ask: does it appear on the degree name though like the BA (Hons)?

What do you mean?

The university gives you a transcript with your major, eg 'Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Politics' once you're done.

 

[tinfoilhat]

What do you mean?

The university gives you a transcript with your major, eg 'Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Politics' once you're done.

yeah that's what I meant, does it appear as 'B IntSt (Hons) in Pol'?
Cos y'know.. without Hons being added to the title no real point in doing honours right?
....

I have an actual question, if they're introducing a B int Rel is it likely there will be some new/more united in international relations?

 

[xeuyrawp]

yeah that's what I meant, does it appear as 'B IntSt (Hons) in Pol'?

No, what Peartie was saying is that if you want to do Honours, you do a BA(Hons) in Politics, as an example, not a BIntStud.

Cos y'know.. without Hons being added to the title no real point in doing honours right?

Obviously honours is going to appear on your transcript.

I have an actual question, if they're introducing a B int Rel is it likely there will be some new/more united in international relations?

There isn't a BIntRel degree - I think he was just making the point that it sounds stupid as you can just get a bachelors degree with a major. There's a Masters in International Relations, though.

Edit:

hey since you're BOS's MQ inside man would you please elaborate on MQ's Melbourne model?

There's nothing really to say. The university is cutting down on the number of named degrees in an effort to make things better.

would they introduce JD's?

Again... You're showing that names matter if you're uninformed. What is a JD, do you think? Ie, how is it different from, say a graduate LLB at Sydney?

MQ already offers a graduate LLB, but it's only external and pretty shit. If you want to do grad law, go to Sydney imo.

5 years ago, everything was great with regards to law degrees in Australia. You did an LLB if you were at uni, always with (or after) another undergrad bachelors, or did a DipLaw if you studied through the LPAB. Now UTS has their stupidly named degree, Melbourne's coming out with the JD, etc etc. It's ridiculous.

 

[mr_robato]

Spot on guys. Way too many names out there.

For eg BA (asian studies and international relations) has not one but two carbon copies at UWS... they are the B International studies (major in "ASIR" and a language submajor) and the BA (global studies) for which the website only outlines the submajor being a cumpolsory language (the carbon cpoy is quite blatant in both extras).

What I'm curious about is would one be wasting "preference spots" on that 2010 intake application if one puts all three on the list? (note: course codes being different for each course, two for each because they are offered at two locations each).


I'm after BA (ASIR) + LLB (hopefully combined).

 

[xeuyrawp]

What I'm curious about is would one be wasting "preference spots" on that 2010 intake application if one puts all three on the list? (note: course codes being different for each course, two for each because they are offered at two locations each).

Yeah I've heard that before, and I think it's definitely a bi-product that some unis enjoy.

The main reason, though, is marketing. They think that students want to BIT and not BSc majoring in IT; BPsych and not a BSc/BA in psych; BMedia and not a BA in media; etc etc.

I'm after BA (ASIR) + LLB (hopefully combined).

Well good luck with it I guess.

oh na i got nothing against LLBs and i agree with you im just interested to see if they do change the grad LLB to JD because it would make it easier to get a job in the States. Right now unless you come from the UK or Canada or a top Aussie uni American firms don't look favorably at you from an LLB.

[[citation needed]]