Everyone wants to be a 'strategist' or a 'strategic thinker', but what does that actually mean? This course introduces students to the study of strategy - Primarily military and defence strategy, but also strategy in commercial, organisational, and other domains.

Since strategy is not just a field of study but a skill we use in our work or personal affairs, this course emphasizes in-class active learning. It uses the Case Method for regular major exercises using real world strategic scenarios, along with problem-based-learning exercises in seminars. All lectures are professionally pre-recorded and provided online for students to review prior to class.

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of what is strategy, how to think like a strategist, and the theory and methods foundations to take other STST8000 level courses.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Identify the central questions that animate the sub-field of Strategic Studies;
2. Demonstrate knowledge of a selection of the key canonical texts in Strategic Studies;
3. Develop their own answers in response to the questions identified in the course and/or posit new, original questions in Strategic Studies;
4. Identify and evaluate the main methodological approaches of scholars of Strategic Studies; and
5. Apply key Strategic Studies concepts and theories to historical and contemporary issues and cases.

Examination Material or equipment

Full details will be provided on Wattle.

Recommended Resources

All readings for this course will be provided via Wattle.

If you begin your studies early or read more widely, the following books would strongly support your studies

·        Lawrence Freedman, Strategy: A History, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.

·       Beatrice Heuser, The Evolution of Strategy: Thinking War from Antiquity to the Present, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

·       Elinor C. Sloan, Modern Military Strategy: An Introduction, New York: Routledge, 2016.

·        Nathan.K. Finney (ed.), On Strategy: A Primer, US Army Press, 2020.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Strategy	Please see the "Full Course Outline and Reading Guide" on Wattle for a detailed description of the topic, reading list, and tutorial discussion questions for each week.Classes for this week will focus on what is Strategy and outline the course structure and assignments
2	Adversaries	This week explores how groups perceive themselves and others, and why this leads them to reach for the tools of strategy to achieve their goals.
3	Why	This week examines why strategy is necessary, including the causes of war
4	Interaction	This week looks at Strategy as an interactive dynamic. How does the presence and purpose of another change what is good strategy and why.
5	Where	This week looks at the how physical, geographic, temporal and external factors may shape strategic behavior.
6	Pain	This week looks at the how physical, geographic, temporal and external factors may shape strategic behavior.
7	Limits	This week looks at the limits of Strategy. What is it unable to achieve, why is it difficult to undertake, why might we struggle to think strategically?
8	Policy	This week explores the link between Strategy and Policy. How do governments use and think about strategy, how do their policies and institutions help or hinder the practice of strategy.
9	Strategy in Action	This week examines how strategy is implemented, discussing ideas of grand strategy, emergent strategy, and the processes of writing White papers and Net Assessments.
10	Future	This week we will look at how Strategy may change in the future, and some of the big questions, including its timeless nature, whether art or science, whether machines can do strategy and can it be an ethical practice?
999	Mid-Semester break	No classes on week of 9 April due to holidays.

Tutorial Registration

1 Seminar for all students - Wednesday 5:00-7:00pm in Coombs Extension 1.04

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Research Essay	40 %	27/04/2025	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Case Study Participation	30 %	*	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Case Study Reflection Journal	10 %	*	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Weekly Quiz	20 %	*	2, 3, 4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using 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. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Students are expected to attend and actively participate every week. Class participation is an essential component of the Case Method weeks (scheduled for 2, 4, 5, 8 & 9). In the other weeks (1, 3, 6, 7, 10) problem-based learning activities will be held. These will involve fun scenarios and activities for small group discussions. They are essential for achieving the learning outcomes of the course.

Assessment Task 1

Research Essay

Questions:

1. 'Winning wars is more about a big economy than a good strategy' - Do you agree?

2. How should we define Strategy? Compare and contrast at least 3 major definitions and argue for one of them as superior.

3. What did Clausewitz mean when he said 'War is politics by other means'? Is this still true today?

4. Why is it important to understand your adversary? 

The essay is required to be 3000 words long (This word count does not include references/bibliography). Per Bell School policy a 10% leeway is allowed. The ANU College of Asia and the Pacific’s Word Length and Excess Word Penalty Guidelines applies to this assessment item and can be found here: https://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/cap-word-limit-and-penalty-guidelines

The essay must be submitted via Turn-It-In and is due on Sunday April 27 11.55pm. This deadline has been chosen carefully to ensure that you have covered the topics you will need as well as plenty of time, across the semester and teaching breaks to ensure that you can produce a high quality postgraduate essay.

The purpose of the essay is to develop your independent analytical skills and your confidence in your ability to make an original contribution to this field. This is an academic essay, so focus on using high-quality peer-reviewed academic journals and books published by university presses. You can make limited use of (non-peer reviewed) online materials, blog posts, think-tank reports, media articles etc. for empirical facts to support your argument, but you should not derive your argument per se from these types of sources.

In line with Bell School Policy, any referencing style may be adopted so long as it is done so consistently (ie Footnote or In-Text).

Assessment Task 2

Case Study Participation

As strategy is a practice, in STST8001 we will regularly seek to practice our strategic skills through in-class Case Method discussions

Students are required to attend and participate in the Case Study discussions. These are currently scheduled for Weeks 2, 4, 5, 8 and 9.

Each Case Method class is worth 5% (5 x 5%) with a further 5% reflecting an overall assessment of participation against opportunity and growth over the semester, bringing the total to 30% for this assignment.

These sessions will be filmed and a marking criteria for participation will be provided beforehand to discuss expectations. The aim is not to speak the most, but to provide substantive, thoughtful contributions that support the discussion and enable the class to collectively learn about the case study.

Assessment Task 3

Case Study Reflection Journal

Following each case study, students are required to submit a 300 word reflective journal following each case method discussion.

5 reflection journals x 2% = 10%

Each reflection journal should discuss how you initially thought about the issues, the key tensions or questions you had, and what you learned or changed your mind about from the class discussion, Further details about the reflection journals will be provided in week 1.

Assessment Task 4

Weekly Quiz

Each week we will have a short quiz related to the lecture and strategy videos. The pedagogic purpose and role of these quizzes will be discussed in the first tutorial. These quizzes can only be taken in-class. No make up quizzes will be offered. However students unable some weeks due to an approved exemption (such as a medical certificate) will not be penalized.

Each quiz is only worth 2% the overall grade, making this a low-stakes opportunity to retrieve and strengthen your knowledge of core course concepts.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

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.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension is penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students