Postgraduate Study in Political Studies

The Department of Political Studies

The Department of Political Studies is a great place for you to develop your knowledge and skills as a political thinker and researcher. We have the highest research rating among politics departments in New Zealand, and take pride in the excellence of our teaching and supervision.

We offer a  range of seminars and events to encourage debate and engagement between students and staff. Our research students are treated as part of our community of scholars and are encouraged to play a central part in the department's academic and social activities.

The department is home to three important resources: the Chapman Audio Visual Archive, the New Zealand Foreign Policy Research Archive, and the Jonathan Hunt Collection.

Department of Political Studies

Postgraduate study opportunities

You can design a course of study that is suited to your own research interests and career goals. We offer postgraduate courses across the four main strands of Political Studies:

• political theory
• New Zealand and comparative politics
• international relations
• public policy.

Courses emphasise topical issues, eg, human rights, international terrorism and security, diplomacy, multicultural identity, political marketing, leadership, and politics and the media.

You can take taught courses to prepare for either a career or further postgraduate study. Wherever possible, we encourage you to undertake supervised research.

Postgraduate careers

Your study of politics will give you knowledge and skills that are in high demand. Our graduates have  a diverse range of careers in the legislative and executive branches of government, the public service (such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Treasury), political journalism, television production and presenting, teaching, the legal profession, advertising, and business and commerce.