• Offered by Strategic and Defence Studies Centre
  • ANU College ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
  • Course subject Strategic Studies

This course will examine the origins of the drive for nuclear weapons, the history of the nuclear nonproliferation regime, and incentives and disincentives for nuclear proliferation and nonproliferation.  Students will analyze current nuclear weapons states, “threshold” states, and states that purposefully chose to forgo nuclear weapons development - as well as the importance of non-state actors who seek to influence these states.  The course will also explore the contemporary disarmament debate to shed light on the major obstacles to nuclear disarmament and possible paths around them.  Finally, students will evaluate future trends in nuclear politics, from the importance of regional efforts toward disarmament to the critical role civil society may play in influence the global nuclear future.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Conduct historically-informed analysis of the different nuclear postures of those states that possess nuclear weapons.
  2. Critically examine how policymakers might be influenced by incentives and disincentives for both proliferation and nonproliferation.
  3. Dissect debates surrounding nuclear arms control and disarmament including the contemporary and likely future prospects for both.
  4. Make informed arguments about the best ways to use policy to reduce nuclear proliferation and encourage nuclear restraint.
  5. Analyse and make informed arguments about about the role of new technological developments in challenging the global nuclear order.

Indicative Assessment

Tutorial participation      10%                   
Mid-term quiz                20%                        
Research Essay              40%   
Final Examination          30%

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Workload

35 contact hours per semester
A 2-hour lecture session per week for 12 weeks and a 1-hour tutorial per week for 11 weeks of the semester.

Requisite and Incompatibility

To enrol in this course you must have successfully completed 24 units of university courses. You are not able to enrol in this course if you have previously completed POLS2124 or INTR2024.

Fees

Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.  

If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.

Student Contribution Band:
1
Unit value:
6 units

If you are an undergraduate student and 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). You can find your student contribution amount for each course 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
Domestic fee paying students
Year Fee
2019 $3660
International fee paying students
Year Fee
2019 $5160
Note: Please note that fee information is for current year only.

Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links

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The list of offerings for future years is indicative only.
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
9400 27 Jul 2020 03 Aug 2020 31 Aug 2020 30 Oct 2020 In Person N/A

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