Master of Strategic Studies

Length 2 year full-time
Minimum 96 Units

First year student? There’s more information about enrolling in your degree.

Academic plan MSTST
CRICOS code 082354F
UAC code
- 830931 (M Strategic St)

Field of Education
- Political Science
Academic contact
- Strategic Studies - Student Administration

Program Requirements

The Masters of Strategic Studies requires the completion of 96 units which must consist of:

12 units from completion of STST8001 Strategic Studies

6 units from completion of Australian strategic policy courses from the following list:

STST8004 Australian Strategic and Defence Policy

STST8051 Great and Powerful Friends: Strategic alliances and Australian security

6 units from completion of graduate strategy courses, listed below

18 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

STST8002 The New Power Politics of Asia

STST8010 Strategic Studies Concepts and Methods

STST8052 Strategy in Action: Orchestrating the Elements of National Power

30 units from completion of graduate strategy courses from the following list:

INTR8053 Ethics of Peace and War

INTR8067 U.S. Security Policy in the Asia-Pacific

MEAS8112 Dynamics of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

MEAS8113 The Gulf Strategic Environment

NSPO8010 Civil-Military Relations

NSPO8013 Disease, Security and Biological Weapons

NSPO8014 Ethics and Technologies of War

STST7003 Strategic Studies Internship

STST8004 Australian Strategic and Defence Policy

STST8013 China's Defence and Strategic Challenges

STST8017 Special Topics in Strategic Studies

STST8021 Intelligence and Security

STST8026 Nuclear Strategy in the Asian Century

STST8027 Insurgency & Counterinsurgency in an Age of Terror

STST8032 Why and How We Fight: Understanding War and Conflict

STST8033 Contemporary Issues in Australian Defence Policy

STST8051 Great and Powerful Friends: Strategic alliances and Australian security

24 units from completion of further graduate strategy courses listed above

Study Options

Year 1	STST8001 Strategic Studies 12 units	STST8002 The New Power Politics of Asia 6 units	STST8010 Strategic Studies Concepts and Methods 6 units
Year 1	STST8052 The Resort to Force: Understanding Military Power 6 units	STST8004 Australian Strategic and Defence Policy 6 units OR STST8051;	Graduate Strategy Course elective	Graduate Strategy Course elective
Year 2 48 units	Graduate Strategy Course elective	Graduate Strategy Course elective	Graduate Strategy Course Elective	Graduate Strategy Course Elective
Year 2 48 units	Strategic Studies Elective	Strategic Studies Elective	Strategic Studies Elective	Strategic Studies Elective

Admission Requirements

A Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5/7.

Cognate disciplines

International relations and diplomacy; public policy and administration; strategic and security studies; political science; history; sociology; economics and development; social science; law; and regional studies

English Language Requirements

All applicants must meet the University’s English Language Admission Requirements for Students.

Assessment of Qualifications

Unless otherwise indicated, ANU will accept all Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications or international equivalents that meet or exceed the published admission requirements of our programs, provided all other admission requirements are also met. Where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will base assessment on the qualification that best meets the admission requirements for the program. Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework: www.aqf.edu.au

ANU uses a 7-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale. All qualifications submitted for admission at ANU will be converted to this common scale, which will determine if an applicant meets our published admission requirements. Find out more about how a 7-point GPA is calculated for Australian universities: www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/admission-criteria/tertiary-qualifications

Unless otherwise indicated, where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will calculate the GPA for each qualification separately. ANU will base assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher.

Applications for course credit

Applicants with a Bachelor Degree or Graduate Certificate in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 24 units (one semester) of credit. Applicants with a Graduate Diploma or Bachelor degree with Honours in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 48 units (one year) of credit.

Annual indicative fee for domestic students: $30,096.00

For more information see: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/costs-fees

Annual indicative fee for international students: $42,960.00

For further information on International Tuition Fees see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments/international-tuition-fees

Scholarships

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are. Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the Scholarships website.

The Strategic and Defence Studies Centre combines the theoretical and practical expertise of leading academics and policy-makers to deliver Australia’s foremost strategic studies program.

Develop the analytical frameworks you need to tackle the regional and global strategic and security challenges of your career, and graduate a leader in your field.

Career Options

Graduates from ANU have been rated as Australia's most employable graduates and among the most sought after by employers worldwide.

The latest Global Employability University Ranking, published by the Times Higher Education, rated ANU as Australia's top university for getting a job for the fourth year in a row.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of a Master of Strategic Studies, graduates will be able to:

Demonstrate in-depth knowledge and cognitive skills in strategic and defence studies.
Possess an integrated understanding of the conduct of strategy, military operations, and its relationship to policy.
Undertake strategic and policy analysis and be able to critically analyse, reflect on and synthesise complex information relating to the conduct of strategy and military operations.
Possess the technical skills needed to access the academic literature in the fields of study associated with strategic and defence studies.
Research and apply established theories and concepts and exercise expert judgement in military, defence or policy contexts as they apply to both Australian and international settings.
Apply strategic concepts and knowledge to practical, contemporary problems using case studies from a range of global environments and circumstances.
Conduct scholarly research, express ideas and construct evidence-based arguments in both written and oral form.

Back to the Master of Strategic Studies page

Welcome to the Master of Strategic Studies. This section will help you to choose which courses you should enrol in for your first semester as well as general information to assist you throughout your degree.

Students are to follow the degree requirements for the year you commenced the program. If you would like to undertake a course that is not listed in your degree requirements, you will need to seek approval by sending an email to sdsc@anu.edu.au

Enrolment is managed through the Interactive Student Information System (ISIS) while the online learning platform is known as Wattle. These two websites will be some of the most common sites used throughout your degree. It is a good idea to familiarise yourself with them as soon as possible.

What courses should I enrol in, I have not received any credit

If you have not received any credit for previous study and you are commencing in Semester 1, you will enrol in the following courses:

STST8001 Strategic Studies (12 units)

STST8002 The New Power Politics of Asia (6 units)

STST8010 Strategic Studies Concepts and Methods (6 units)

If you have not received any credit for previous study and you are commencing in Semester 2, you will enrol in the following courses:

STST8052 The Resort to Force: Understanding Military Power (6 units)

STST8004 Australian Strategic and Defence Policy (6 unit)

STST8051 Great and Powerful Friends: Strategic Alliances and Australian Security (6 units)

Strategy Elective (6 units)

What courses should I enrol in, I have received 24 units of credit

If you have received 24 units of credit you are exempt from completing the equivalent of 24 units of electives, you will still need to complete all compulsory courses.

What courses should I enrol in, I have received 48 units of credit

If you have received 48 units of credit you are exempt from completing the equivalent of 48 units of electives, you will still need to complete all compulsory courses.

Transfers

If you are currently enrolled in the Master of Strategic Studies and you are considering applying for the Advanced program, you will need to maintain a GPA of 6/7 and have completed 24 units of study in the Master of Strategic Studies (ANU courses only, credit will not be included in this calculation).

A GPA of 6/7 is equivalent to a Distinction average. See GPA website for more information.

Applications to transfer generally close 31 May for a semester 2 transfer and 31 October for a transfer to semester 1 the following year. This means that you have to apply before you have received your final results however the application will only be processed once all grades are finalised.

For more information, please see the following websites:

Master of Strategic Studies (Advanced)

Transferring between degrees

If you have any queries regarding your degree, courses or enrolments, please feel free to contact the Student Engagement Team at sdsc@anu.edu.au

We look forward to assisting you through your degree and your time here at ANU with the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs and the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre.

Double degree

If you undertake the Master of Strategic Studies as a Flexible Verticle Double, you will undertake the following courses in your undergraduate degree:

STST8001 Strategic Studies (12 units)

STST8004 Australian Strategic and Defence Policy OR STST8051 Great and Powerful Friends: Strategic alliances and Australian security (6 units)

and a 6 unit STST elective course as listed under the Master of Strategic Studies.

Do you want to talk to someone before enrolling?

Contact Strategic Studies - Student Administration at sdsc@anu.edu.au

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