About PSI
The School of Political and Social Inquiry comprises the program areas of Anthropology, Behavioural Studies, Criminology, Politics, Sociology and Advanced Studies, as well as the Centre for Women's Studies & Gender Research, the Centre for Population and Urban Research (CPUR), the Global Terrorism Research Centre (GTReC), the Unesco Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations – Asia Pacific and the Centre for Islam and the Modern World (CIMOW).
The School has a presence on two Melbourne campuses: Clayton and Caulfield, and is also represented in Malaysia and South Africa. It is one of the largest humanities/social science schools in Australia and one of the largest Schools within the Faculty of Arts at Monash University.
The School offers undergraduate and graduate courses, honours and higher degree supervision in all of the above programs and in interdisciplinary fields. It also offers graduate diplomas and coursework masters degrees in international relations, counter-terrorism and Islamic studies. The core teaching areas traverse social, cultural and political theory, addressing key contemporary issues such as globalisation, governance, terrorism, collective and individual identities, gender, sex and crime and social, political and demographic changes in Australia.
Teaching
The School of Political and Social Inquiry is dedicated to innovative teaching methods and interdisciplinary approaches that engage students with knowledge and learning at the cutting edge of contemporary scholarship and debate. It aspires to the highest teaching standards and approaches through excellence in research and rigorous external peer and student review. The School is committed to providing a dynamic intellectual environment by fostering critical, reflective and conceptual thinking in students, and aims to enrich their education by adopting unique approaches to learning. Integrating international perspectives into its teaching, the school attracts students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and provides a uniquely rich and diverse learning and teaching environment. The school maintains an outstanding record of awards that recognise excellence in teaching within the Monash community.
Research
Research strengths across the School include: Political Theory and Philosophy; Australian Politics, Governance and Citizenship; Crime, Justice, Security and Policing; Gender and Sexuality; Global Change, International Relations and Terrorism; Regional Studies; Religion, Culture and Belief; Social Issues, Families and Youth Studies; Work and Social Policy; Health and Illness; and Cross-cultural Approaches to Mental Health.
Demonstrating its commitment to the highest standards of scholarship in multi- and interdisciplinary enterprise, the School is home to two ARC Future Fellows, Professor Sharon Pickering and Associate Professor Anita Harris, and a wide range of ARC-funded research programs.
PSI research collaborations include:The School hosts a number of regular research seminars, including:
The School's academic staff contribute to standards of excellence through their teaching, research and publications. They serve as reviewers and editors of the research and scholarly work of colleagues and students and participate in defining policy and the direction of academic activity as members of local, national and international organizations.