POLS10001 Australian Politics
University of Melbourne · Level 1 · 12.5 points · Runs in 2026: Semester 2.
- Final exam 50%
- About 3 class hours a week
Is POLS10001 hard?
POLS10001: About average. Not counted by Bachelor of Science, so it isn't on its lists. Makes it easier: First-year subject. No student reviews yet — based on the Handbook only.
What you learn
How Australian democracy works: the constitution, parliament, courts, parties, elections and voters, and how it handles policy challenges.
After it you can
- Describe Australia's main political institutions
- Explain the role of parties, voters and the media
- Judge how well the system deals with policy problems
What you need first
None
What it leads to
- POLS20034 The Craft of Political Research
- POLS30001 Parliamentary Internship
- POLS30003 Public Affairs Internship
How it’s assessed
Participation 50%, Final exam 50%
Student reviews and ratings
Summarised from 9 students on StudentVIP (2014–2025)
- Reviews from 2020-2025 are consistently positive: the subject was revamped and is described as fun, engaging and useful for understanding how Australian politics works.
- Essays are research-based with freedom to pick topics. Background in Australian political history helps but is not needed. Older reviews (2014-2016) complained about a long decision-making exercise.
A summary of public reviews, not scored here.
Taken this subject? Rate it anonymously (difficulty, workload, marking, would you recommend it) and leave a tip for next year's students. Rate POLS10001
Quick answers
- When is POLS10001 offered?
- Runs in 2026: Semester 2.
- What do I need before taking POLS10001?
- No prerequisites.
- Does POLS10001 have a final exam?
- Yes, the final exam is 50% of the mark. Assessment: Participation 50%, Final exam 50%.
- Is POLS10001 hard?
- From 9 student reviews on StudentVIP: Reviews from 2020-2025 are consistently positive: the subject was revamped and is described as fun, engaging and useful for understanding how Australian politics works.
- What do students say about POLS10001?
- Reviews from 2020-2025 are consistently positive: the subject was revamped and is described as fun, engaging and useful for understanding how Australian politics works. Essays are research-based with freedom to pick topics. Background in Australian political history helps but is not needed. Older reviews (2014-2016) complained about a long decision-making exercise.
- How many class hours a week does POLS10001 have?
- 3 h a week in class
- Can I take POLS10001 as breadth?
- Yes, for: Bachelor of Biomedicine, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art), Bachelor of Music.
- What can I take after POLS10001?
- 3 subjects need it first, for example POLS20034, POLS30001, POLS30003.
- Can I rate POLS10001?
- Yes. If you've taken it, rate it anonymously on this page (difficulty, workload, marking, would you recommend it) and leave a tip for next year's students. Averages show once 3 students have rated it; tips are checked before they appear.
Source: University of Melbourne Handbook 2026
Always confirm in the official Handbook.
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