Theories of World Politics
UndergraduateLTU-POL2TWP2025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 20 July 2025
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Price from
- $2,124
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Theories of World Politics
About this subject
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identify the different theoretical approaches that explain world politics.
- Critically analyse the main ideas and claims of each of the theories of international relations and world politics.
- Understand how theories of international relations and world politics have emerged in response to changing intellectual, political and economic circumstances.
- Apply International Relations theories to examine developments in world politics.
- Theories of World Politics
- Green Theory
- Post-colonial and Decolonial Theory
- Liberalism
- Feminism
- Realism
- Constructivism
This subject provides an extensive introduction to the different theories that have been developed to explain, understand and change international relations and world politics more generally. The subject is designed to show how theory can illuminate pressing issues in world politics such as environmental degradation, women in politics and war, and global inequalities. Theories of World Politics are not contending views of the world, but rather different prisms that we can put on to understand issues and problems in world politics. The subject is divided in three parts. Part I introduces students to the history of the discipline of IR and to the great debates, including the latest on decolonising the discipline. Part II is devoted to theories of world politics examined in relation to key issues including environmental degradation illuminated through Green Theory, the legacies of imperialism illuminated through Post-colonial Theory, and women in war illuminated by Feminist Theory. Part III looks at selected issues that challenge and will propel Theories of World Politics in the future including the raise of Non-Western Theories of World Politics and the shifts of Global Power after the Liberal Order.
This is a level 2 subject. Please consider the subject pre-requisites before enrolling. This subject includes live sessions with the expectation of student attendance and participation.
- Take-Home exam (1500 words) (30%)
- Quiz (1000 words) (30%)
- Essay (1500 Words) (40%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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- 17
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 18
Entry requirements
Others
Prerequisites: Students must have completed Level one POL coded subjects to the value of 15 credit points.
Past La Trobe University students who have previously completed POL3TWP (Theories of World Politics) are ineligible to enrol in this subject
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Health Sciences
UndergraduateLAT-AHS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-ART-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-HSC-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-BUS-DEG
Bachelor of Information Technology
UndergraduateLAT-TEC-DEG
Bachelor of Psychological Science
UndergraduateLAT-PYS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-CYS-DEG
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