This course is available for on-campus & remote (online) learning. All students participate in interactive, real-time classes.
Crises are endemic to national security policymaking. The modern era is punctuated by crises emanating from the natural, geopolitical, and social worlds that threaten local, national and international security. This course considers this backdrop of threats alongside changing notions of 'threat', 'risk' and 'crisis' and challenges participants to determine how leadership and policymaking can reconcile the competing imperatives of national security and the public interest in the midst of crisis. This course introduces students to this important and challenging field through: (1) exploration of definitions and theories of leadership and approaches to national security, risk assessment/mitigation, and crisis management; and (2) the application of this conceptual material to empirical cases of domestic, international and transnational crises. Conceptual approaches are complemented by insights from policy practitioners with extensive experience of leadership and crisis response.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Assess concepts related to leadership, crisis, and risk.
- Evaluate historical and contemporary approaches to managing national security risks and crises, including the role of leadership.
- Apply concepts of risk and crisis management within the scholarly literature to the analysis of national security challenges and formulation of policy responses.
- Conduct independent research that demonstrates both scholarly and policy-focused engagement with the subject matter.
- Communicate ideas, analysis, and argument for scholarly and professional audiences, with effective use of terminology related to crisis response and risk management.
Indicative Assessment
- Case study on risk (800 words) (10) [LO 1,5]
- Research essay (3,000 words) (50) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Leadership analysis (1,500 words) (30) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Policy exercise debrief (800 words) (10) [LO 1,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The standard workload for a 6 unit course is 130 hours including class time and independent study.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
None.
Preliminary Reading
Peter G. Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, 10th Ed. (Sage Publications, 2025).
Gregory M. Herek, Irving Janis, and Paul Huth, "Decision Making during International Crises: Is Quality of Process Related to Outcome?" Journal of Conflict Resolution 31, no. 2 (1987): 203-226.
James MacGregor Burns, Leadership (Harper & Row, Publishers, 1978).
Lynn T. Drennan, Adina Dudau, Allan McConnell, and Alastair Stark, Risk and Crisis Management in the Public Sector, 3rd Ed. (Routledge, 2024).
Ulrich Beck, Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity (Sage Publications, 1992).
Susan L. Shirk, Overreach: How China Derailed Its Peaceful Rise (Oxford University Press, 2023).
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you 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). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found 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 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | ||||||
| 5336 | 22 Feb 2027 | 01 Mar 2027 | 31 Mar 2027 | 28 May 2027 | In Person | N/A |
| On Campus | ||||||
| 5337 | 22 Feb 2027 | 01 Mar 2027 | 31 Mar 2027 | 28 May 2027 | Online | N/A |