Human migration is the most visible and controversial aspect of current-day globalisation. It has played a major role in building modern Australia for more than two centuries, and today between a quarter and a third of all Australians were born abroad. Immigration of this scale has profound implications for every aspect of Australian society. The challenge of regulating human migration, mobility and refugee movements has therefore become a core concern for researchers, policy makers and practitioners in international relations, public policy, and international development. This course provides an introduction to Australia’s migration system for students interested in these areas of regulation and governance. Through a range of learning activities, students will: 1) learn what drives and shapes Australia's major migration flows; 2) study the impacts of these flows on Australia's population, economy, national identity, politics, public policy, and place in the world; and 3) examine how these flows and impacts are governed by a range of government, intergovernmental, and non-governmental organizations.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Explain the drivers and dimensions of global migration to Australia with reference to key concepts and theories
- Evaluate the impacts of global migration on Australia's population, economy, national identity, politics, public policy, and place in the world
- Critically analyze Australia's key regulatory and governance arrangements relating to global migration
- Identify and connect to key Australian organizations involved in regulating and governing global migration
- Prepare critically informed written and oral work appropriate for postgraduate research and professional engagement in the public policy, diplomacy, security, humanitarian and development sectors
Indicative Assessment
- Weekly online quizzes based on class content (20) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Group presentation on migration theory (20 minutes presentation + 10 mins Q&A) (20) [LO 1,2,5]
- Research and writing plan for essay (1000 words) (20) [LO 3,4,5]
- Research essay comparing two areas of migration governance (3000 words) (40) [LO 3,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
This course will require 30 contact hours and 130 hours workload in total.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Prescribed Texts
There is no prescribed textbook. Readings from relevant journals will be distributed in class and/or downloadable from the library and/or public websites.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8254 | 27 Jul 2026 | 03 Aug 2026 | 31 Aug 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 | In Person | N/A |
| 8479 | 27 Jul 2026 | 03 Aug 2026 | 31 Aug 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 | Online | N/A |