What's the difference between a BA and BIR?
International Relations (IR) is the study of the relationships between nations. IR at ANU is a very popular choice for many students. With our global ranking of number 1 in Australia and 7th in the world*, it’s not hard to see why. But what’s the difference between the two degree options? This is one of the most common questions that students ask.
The Bachelor of International Relations (BIR) is what we call a ‘specialist degree’ (meaning you will be a specialist in the subject area of study) and is a well-established three year degree at ANU. The ATAR cut-off is 89 (IB score is 33). You will study some core IR courses at the beginning to gain a well-rounded knowledge of IR. You can also take courses towards a minor that can be either a language (European, Asian or Middle Eastern), choose to go on exchange or complete an internship, or add a cognate area to complement your IR studies such as politics, history and human rights to name a few.
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) is the most flexible single degree at ANU. The ATAR cut-off is slightly lower at 80 (IB score is 29). One of the great things about the three-year BA degree is the ability to obtain a major in International Relations, as well as another major in a language or cognate discipline to complement your studies, with room to use your electives to go on exchange or complete an internship. Note, the structure of your program can change if you decide to combine the BA with another degree in a Flexible Double Degree program (see last paragraph). There are other ways to structure your BA to make your program as unique as you are. The International Relations major in the BA will give you a broad, well-rounded knowledge of IR whilst allowing you to be more flexible and add other subjects into your degree with almost 50 majors and 80 minors to choose from.
Not sure what you will major in? A good tip is to have a look at the list of BA majors, identify the disciplines you are passionate about, cross off what you dislike and research the ones you’ve never heard of, giving you a smaller list of things you might be interested in. The beauty of an undergraduate degree is that you start from scratch in every subject, so you can study something at university even if you have never studied it before!
By combining either degree option with a second degree as part of a Flexible Double Degree, it will expand your world to even more possibilities. A Flexible Double Degree allows you to complete two degrees in only four years, which is a fantastic use of your time and will broaden your career opportunities. Note that Law, Engineering, and Computer Science degrees add an additional year of study.
*QS World University Rankings by Subject 2015