• Total units 48 Units
  • Areas of interest Pacific Studies, Asian Studies, Security Studies
  • Major code SECU-MAJ
Asia-Pacific Security Studies Major

The Asia-Pacific Security Major provides students with an in-depth education on the security challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region, and the implications for Australia’s foreign and defence policies. The courses are intended for students wishing to pursue careers related to security affairs, international relations, or wishing to undertake graduate work in the fields of strategic and/ or security studies. Students are able to enhance their knowledge through courses about the security of specific states in the Asia-Pacific region, or on topics such as intelligence and nuclear security.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Understand and evaluate historical and current events and developments that have shaped dimensions of security in the Asia-Pacific region,
  2. Identify and critique the key concepts, ideas and principal actors in Asia-Pacific security,
  3. Analyse developments in security in the Asia-Pacific in their regional and global context,
  4. Develop and apply critical thinking skills so as to understand and critique events in the Asia-Pacific region and the way different disciplinary approaches frame and understand those events.
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Requirements

This major requires the completion of 48 units which must include:


24 units from the completion of the following compulsory courses:

STST2001 Security Concepts in the Asia-Pacific

STST2003 Australia and Security in the Pacific Islands

STST3002 Living with Giants: Australia’s Security in a Contested Asia

STST3005 International Security in the 21st Century


A minimum of 6 units from the completion of one of the following list of advanced courses:

ASIA3029 Reconciliation and the Memory of Conflict in Asia

PASI3001 Politics and Development in the Contemporary Pacific

PASI3013 Environment and Development in the Pacific


A maximum of 18 units from the completion of the following list of security studies courses:

ASIA1025 Asia and the Pacific: Power, diversity and change

ASIA1999 The Origins of Political Order in Asia

ASIA2060 Southeast Asian Security

ASIA2093 Natural Resource Conflicts in Asia and the Pacific

ASIA2111 Indonesian Foreign and Security Policy

ASIA2307 History of Empire in Asia

ASIA3029 Reconciliation and the Memory of Conflict in Asia

ASIA5920 Semester in Asia (6 -12 units)

INTR2012 Chinese Foreign and Security Policy

INTR2016 US Foreign and Security Policy in Asia

INTR2018 Japanese Foreign and Security Policy

INTR2024 The Politics of Nuclear Weapons

INTR3002 Global Governance in the Asia-Pacific

PASI3001 Politics and Development in the Contemporary Pacific

PASI3013 Environment and Development in the Pacific

STST1004 How Nations Fight: From Tsushima to Taiwan

STST2005 Why Nations Fight: The Causes of International Conflict

STST3003 Honeypots and Overcoats: Australian Intelligence in the World

36 units from completion of the following course(s):

Code Title Units
STST1001 Introduction to International Security Studies 6
  STST 1002: Asia-Pacific Conflict
STST2001 Security Concepts in the Asia-Pacific 6
  STST 2002: Internal Security
  STST 3001: Transnational Security
STST3002 Living with Giants: Australia's Security in a Contested Asia 6

12 units from completion of the following course(s):

Code Title Units
STST2003 Australia and Security in the Pacific Islands 6
STST2004 Special Topic in International Security 6
STST3003 Honeypots and Overcoats: Australian Intelligence in the World 6
  STST 3004: Asia-Pacific Security
INTR2012 Chinese Foreign and Security Policy 6
  INTR 2014: Indian Foreign&Security Policy
INTR2016 US Foreign and Security Policy in Asia 6
INTR2018 Japanese Foreign and Security Policy 6
  INTR 2020: (In)Stability Korean Peninsula
INTR2024 The Politics of Nuclear Weapons 6
ASIA2060 Southeast Asian Security 6
MEAS2001 New States of Eurasia: Emerging Issues in Politics and Security 6
  POLS 2099: Cartographies of Security
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