Security and Strategic Studies

National security and defence has become one of the most critical factors of everyday life.

Security and Strategic Studies is a timely, in-demand and highly relevant field that investigates and explains security challenges associated with:

• traditional threats (military, security)
• asymmetric threats (terrorism and insurgency, and organised crime)
• other risk factors such as energy security and climate change.

In this course, you’ll become a strategic thinker and leader, who understands major dilemmas that profoundly impact national and international sustainability, prosperity and sovereignty. You’ll follow an exciting curriculum where you’ll learn contemporary strategic and defence thinking and planning, intelligence analysis, strategic leadership, ethics, policy planning and decision-making.

Topics may include the human security impact of nuclear tests conducted on the land and sea of traditional owners; and the impact and legacy of Australia’s Frontier Wars.

You will also acquire skills in intelligence and critical analysis, crisis management and problem-solving, written and oral communications – all of which underpin successful careers in policy, strategy, leadership and management.

This course gives you industry-ready, practical skills. It is ideal if you are looking for a career in defence, intelligence, analysis and strategic policy or law enforcement. It is also useful for careers in business, particularly the security industry, critical infrastructure and resource sectors.

Student profile

View our student profile table to get an indication of the likely peer cohort for new students at Curtin University. This table provides data on students that commenced undergraduate study and passed the census date in the most relevant recent intake period for which data are available. It includes those admitted through all offer rounds and international students studying in Australia.

Career information

Careers

• Intelligence officer
• Business analyst
• National security analyst
• Logistics specialist
• Cryptologist.

Industries

• Defence
• Government
• Law
• Resources
• Business
• Finance
• Transport.

What you'll learn

• demonstrate a good understanding of the major conceptual frameworks of security, strategic and defence studies, GC1
• demonstrate the ability to think and analyse critically, creatively and reflectively within security and strategic studies and across disciplinary boundaries, GC1,GC2,GC3
• demonstrate the ability to locate relevant evidence from a wide range of sources and to make informed decisions about the significance of this information in the development of a security, strategic and defence analysis of social and political life, GC2,GC6
• demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively through a variety of written, oral and other formats to diverse audiences in ways appropriate in security and strategic studies, GC3,GC6
• demonstrate the ability to use a variety of technologies and the ability to decide on their applications appropriately, GC3,GC6
• show sustained intellectual curiosity by taking responsibility for one's own learning and intellectual development through the recognition of a range of learning strategies, GC1,GC2,GC3
• demonstrate the capacity to understand socio-economic and political life in a range of local and global contexts through the recognition of international practices in political and international affairs, GC1,GC5
• embrace the importance of cultural diversity and of human rights in the making of knowledge in the social and political sciences, GC4,GC5
• provide both accountable and ethical prescriptions/solutions to the major issues and challenges involved in national, regional and world affairs. Learn and practice effective team and leadership skills, GC3,GC6