School of Social and Political Sciences
Faculty of Arts
It is a pleasure to welcome you to our School which is at the forefront of teaching and research in the social sciences in Australia.
Welcome to the School of Social and Political Sciences. We are home to a dedicated team of academic and professional staff in the disciplines of Anthropology and Development Studies, Criminology, Political Science, and Sociology. Through excellence in teaching and research, and in partnership with our communities, we are:
- Redefining and addressing today’s most important challenges
- Creating, curating, challenging and enriching knowledge; and
- Reshaping understandings of our multicultural and swiftly changing world
Our work is underpinned by our values of intellectual freedom, integrity, social justice, diversity, and environmental sustainability. Through our research and teaching our ambition is to redefine the world and change what matters. In addition to the research conducted in our disciplines and with our numerous partners, the School hosts two research units: the Indigenous Settler Relations Collaboration and the Policy Lab.
Professor Karen Farquharson
Head of School of Social and Political Sciences
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Anthropology and Development Studies
Our programs investigate the diverse ways that people today interact, organise and find meaning in their lives. We analyse the processes of social, economic, political and cultural change that underlie poverty, inequality and insecurity in the contemporary world.
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Criminology
Examine crime and the various social responses to it. Improve your understanding of crime and deviance, and map the social and criminal justice policy implications.
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Gender Studies
Our program explores the significance of gender and sexuality on a range of discourses embedded within culture, identity and global history.
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Political Science
Study the main issues, ideas, institutions and actors that dominate local, national and international politics. Expand your knowledge on democratic theory and human rights, public policy, Indigenous and environmental politics, globalisation and international relations.
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Sociology, Social Policy and Social Theory
Our program investigates the complexity and breadth of living in today’s societies, challenging expectations and assumptions about what it means to live with others.
Our School carries out creative, fundamental and applied research projects in the social and political sciences. Research projects undertaken by our academic staff are diverse and multi-disciplinary. Most of our research is funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC), as well as by the local and federal government. Our researchers collaborate with numerous scholars from around the globe.
Research projects
Our world class researchers are renowned for their interpretation, analysis and debate on historical and contemporary social and political sciences. Explore our broad range of current and completed research projects.
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Australian International Conflict Resolution
The Australian International Conflict Resolution (AICR) project has sought to contribute to a conversation on how Australian states might best be able to mobilise their resources to support conflict prevention and resolution programmes.
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Minutes of Evidence
A collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, education experts, performance artists, community members, government and community organisations that sheds light on the little-known history of the 1881 Victorian Parliamentary Coranderrk Inquiry.
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Australia’s Relationship with the European Union: from Tensions to New Paradigms
This project assesses relations between Australia and the EU and the opportunity for this engagement to further develop around a range of policies and forums.
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Nuclear Energy and Global Governance
Projects on Nuclear Energy and Global Governance conducted in the School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Melbourne.
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Managing at the Margins: Women Making it Work in Precarious Times
This Australian Research Council-funded project aims to investigate the economic, social and emotional impacts of precarious work on women.
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Family Secrets National Silences: Intergenerational Memory in Australia
This project investigates the inherited family secrets, stories, and memories that inform Australians’ understandings of colonial history.
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Girls Growing Up
Girls Growing Up is a qualitative, longitudinal research project that examines the everyday lives and imagined futures of young girls and women aged 15-25.
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The Intergenerational Transmission of Joblessness
This project unpacks the mechanisms, channels and factors that drive joblessness from one generation to the next in Australia and across Europe, Asia and the United States.
Research units, networks, programs and collaborations
Our research brings together experts who are internationally recognised leaders in their fields. Through critical thinking in the social sciences, our research units, networks, programs and collaborations undertake research that has a tangible impact in the world.
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Brotherhood of St Laurence partnership
The University’s partnership with the Brotherhood of St Laurence is one of the key community relationships within the University.
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Comparative Network on Refugee Externalisation Policies (CONREP)
CONREP is an international, interdisciplinary six university network which researches the impact and effects of the externalisation of refugee policies in two regions.
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Getting Welfare to Work: Research on Employment Services
Getting Welfare to Work is a long-standing research program on welfare and employment services reform at a national and international level.
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Global Network on Justice. Conflict. Responsibility
The Global Network on Justice. Conflict. Responsibility provides a public platform for the discussion and analysis of contemporary justice issues in Australia.
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Indigenous Settler Relations Collaboration (ISRC)
The multidisciplinary team of the ISRC research unit explores the challenges that lie at the heart of relations between Indigenous and settler Australians.
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Medicinal Psychedelics Research Network (MPRN)
The Medicinal Psychedelics Research Network (MPRN) brings together multidisciplinary researchers, policymakers and regulators to focus on the emerging field of medicinal psychedelics.
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The Policy Lab
The Policy Lab, a Faculty of Arts research unit, explores public policy decision making, policy design, and how we know what's working. The Policy Lab works in partnership with government and other organisations on public policy design experiments and policy-relevant research.
Research publications
Explore recent major publications by our academic staff.
Partner with us
Our researchers welcome collaboration.
Please contact us to learn more about partnering with SSPS.
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Undergraduate
Information for current undergraduate students including essay writing guides and citation styles, cover sheets, minor thesis due dates, policy, and the On Country field trip subject.
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Honours
Information for current Honours students including essays and assignments, extensions, the minor thesis, and policy documents can be found here.
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Graduate coursework
Information for current graduate coursework students including essay writing guides and citation styles, cover sheets, minor thesis due dates, and policy.
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Graduate research
Information for prospective students and those currently enrolled in a PhD program.
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Work Integrated Learning (Internships)
Information for students interested in applying for the Parliamentary Internship program, Public Affairs Internship program and Master of Development Studies Internship program.
The health, safety and wellbeing of our community is our number one priority. Our events program is now online. Find out more about the University’s COVID-19 response.