300-level

POLS301
Contemporary Political Theory
Description
The study of politics focuses not only on how the political world operates, but also the normative question of how it ought to operate. Is redistribution of wealth justified? Do people have a right to what they earn in the market? Is equality of opportunity possible? Is it desirable? This course examines theories of distributive justice and their implications for economics and markets. Topics covered include: Utilitarianism; Rawls’s theory of justice; Dworkin’s equality of resources; Libertarianism; Universal basic income; Market socialism; Citizenship; and culture and politics.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2026
Semester Two 2026 (Distance)
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from POLS, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or LAWS, GEOG, or the Schedule V of the BCom.
Restrictions
POLS351
POLS304
Environmental Politics and Policy
Description
Has green politics come of age? Around the world we are seeing spontaneous community movements challenging four difficult and intersecting issues: dangerous environmental change, growing social inequality, weak democracy and a paradigm of growth that has contributed to resource extraction beyond the capacity of the planet. Against a background of difficult issues including climate change and the impact of colonization, this course examines the roots of environmental thinking and activism and asks- what are the implications of these ideas for how we live as citizens, communities, businesses and nations and how might we plan for just transitions towards a more equitable and sustainable future? The course involves a weekend field trip.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from POLS, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or LAWS, GEOG, or the Schedule V of the BCom.
POLS308
International Politics: Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Policy
Description
This course will critically examine Aotearoa New Zealand’s past and present foreign policy while exploring future foreign policy directions.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2026
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from POLS, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or LAWS, GEOG, or the Schedule V of the BCom.
Restrictions
PACS303
POLS314
Militaries and Societies
Description
This course focuses on civil-military relations. It covers the development of the modern professional military and its role in politics and society over time and in a wide range of countries, including European, Asian, American, and Australasian nations. It analyses the military role in the overthrow of democratic and non-democratic governments. It also examines the authoritarian nature of military regimes and the ways they may collapse or be overthrown by democratic uprisings. The final section of the course is devoted to contemporary issues in civil-military relations, raising questions regarding the emergence of the "post-modern", often politicised, military and how to control it, whether soldiers trained for battle are effective as peace-keepers, and the consequences of the return of mercenary forces.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2026
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from POLS, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or LAWS, GEOG, or the Schedule V of the BCom.
Restrictions
ILAP656, ILAP688
POLS315
Global Politics: Political Economy of Contemporary Democracies
Description
This seminar course is an in-depth comparative analysis of the political processes, behaviour, and institutions in industrial democracies. The course considers the numerous avenues through which citizens influence politics and policy-making and considers the implications of formal institutional structures and informal forms of participation. In this seminar, we will survey (i) the historical, geographic, and economic context, (ii) institutions and electoral processes, and (iii) recent transformations and future challenges of modern industrial democracies.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from POLS, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or LAWS, GEOG, or the Schedule V of the BCom.
POLS319
International Organisations: The United Nations and Contemporary Challenges
Description
An advanced undergraduate course examining international organisations with a special focus on the contemporary role of the United Nations.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2026
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from POLS, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or LAWS, GEOG, or the Schedule V of the BCom.
POLS339
Science Diplomacy
Description
This course develops understanding of science diplomacy defined as "the direct or indirect use of science, scientific knowledge and scientific cooperation to advance diplomatic goals" (Royal Society, 2010). Science diplomacy has gained significant relevance in recent years. The 2025 UNESCO Global Ministerial Dialogue on Science Diplomacy issued a strong call for renewed collaboration between governments, multilateral agencies and the global scientific community. The course develops understanding of science diplomacy from 3 perspectives: Diplomacy for Science (the use of diplomatic action to facilitate international scientific collaboration), Science for Diplomacy (the use of science as a soft power tool to improve international relations between countries, build trust and maintain dialogue) and Science in Diplomacy (informing foreign policy objectives of a nation and international community with scientific advice). This 15-point course brings together interdisciplinary expertise. It is team-taught by academics from the UC Arts, Science and Law. Its design has 4 modules: (1) science diplomacy as a type of (public) diplomacy and nation’s strategic communication globally; (2) science communication in international relations; (3) science diplomacy and scientists: history and present day; (4) Science diplomacy and international legal frameworks. This 15-point course works in partnership with a 15-point PACE390 course (internships with UC Science), for students who need 30 points.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Semester One 2026 (Distance)
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from POLS; or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or Schedule V of the BSc.
Restrictions
COMS339

Not Offered Courses in 2026

300-level

POLS306
The Craft of Social Science Research
Description
Data analysis is a powerful tool to investigate many important and interesting questions about societies and human behaviour. This course introduces students to intermediate skills of data analysis with a focus on applying these skills to questions in social sciences and media and communication. The main focus of the course is on "doing" and "producing" research. This course will also prepare students to be critical consumers of social science and media and communication literature. We will use powerful R programming language and open-source statistical software RStudio, both are employed routinely across many industries in many countries. This course will be valuable preparation for students considering postgraduate studies at the honours level and beyond.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026, offered in 2025
For further information see POLS306 course details
Points
30 points
POLS307
Policy Issues in Science, Technology, and Health
Description
This course analyses major political issues and policy challenges in the area of biopolitics - the operation of power through governance of human bodies. Specific issues include the politics of infectious diseases, agtech, human ‘enhancement,’ and the implications of disruptive technologies for medicine, human reproduction, and life extension. Cases will be primarily drawn from North America, Australia, and Aotearoa. This course is part of the public policy subdiscipline in the Political Science degree and is also relevant to a number of other degrees across the university.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026, offered in 2025
For further information see POLS307 course details
Points
30 points
POLS311
Northeast Asia and the Changing Global Order
Description
A new global order is arising and Northeast Asia is at the heart of it. How will China’s Rise affect global politics? Will the US have to accommodate China’s rising military power, or will it confront it? How stable is North Korea? Will energy security bring the countries of Northeast Asia together, or will it set them against each other? This course examines the changing global order, how it is being shaped in Northeast Asia, and the implications of this for New Zealand.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026
For further information see POLS311 course details
Points
30 points
POLS313
Critical Approaches to International Relations
Description
This course looks closely at a variety of critical perspectives in international relations. Through an examination of liberal, realist, marxist, poststructuralist, and constructivist perspectives, the course shows how critiques emerge in opposition to dominant discourses and theories of international relations. Each critical approach will be introduced and applied to case studies including the war in Iraq, humanitarian intervention, and terrorism. Finally, the course looks at the role of theorists in the practice of international relations in order to demonstrate the ways in which abstract scholarly thought is deeply intertwined with the everyday practice of international politics.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026, offered in 2012 , 2015 , 2016 , 2017
For further information see POLS313 course details
Points
30 points
POLS332
Media and Conflict
Description
The course sets out to provide a critical insight and analysis into the role of media in contemporary international contexts. Its focus is on political communication during conflicts and wars, as well as its contribution to international collaborations and cross-border and cross-culture dialogues. Through a series of in-depth case studies, the course provides a comprehensive review of the key concepts and theories on the media's impact on, and role in international political communication. This course includes group work with students in the course collaborating with students from different countries, and requires active in-class engagement. It has on-campus and distance options. It features internationally-recognised top experts as our guest speakers. Research, team work, international collaboration, creativity, writing, presentation and cross-cultural skills are among the core skills this course aims to advance.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026
For further information see POLS332 course details
Points
30 points