GraduatePolitical Science & International Relations
Master of Strategic Studies
Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
About this program
The Master of Strategic Studies is a graduate program at the Australian National University in Canberra, run through the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, taken over 1.5 years full-time (72 Units). Coursework includes 24 units from completion of initial compulsory courses from the following list. Graduates are expected to demonstrate in-depth knowledge and cognitive skills in strategic and defence studies. ANU is a research-intensive, Group of Eight university based in Australia's capital, and international students in this program study alongside a large Canberra-based policy, research and public-service community.
Cost & duration
English test scores
Verified programsandcourses.anu.edu.au ↗
Course structure
84 terms of coursework
- The Master of Strategic and Defence Studies requires completion of 72 units, which must consist of:
- 24 units from completion of initial compulsory courses from the following list:
- STST8001
- Strategy for the 21st Century: Concepts and Cases
- STST8004
- Deterrence and Defence in Australian Strategic Policy
- STST8052
- Conflict and Command: Military Operations and the Future of War
- STST8068
- Asian Strategy and Security: History, Theory and Practice
- A maximum of 12 units from the following core courses list:
- STST8026
- Nuclear Strategy
- STST8066
- Strategy, Statecraft and Diplomacy for the 21st Century
- A minimum of 18 units from completion of Strategy and Skills courses from the following list:
- Strategy, Security & Geopolitics
- INTR8043
- Changing Geopolitics and International Relations in the Pacific
- INTR8060
- China's Global Engagement
- NSPO8009
- Cyber and Emerging Technologies in National Security
- NSPO8032
- Geoeconomics and National Security
- STST8017
- Special Topics in Strategy and Defence
- Professional Skills in Defence Policy
- DIPL8044
- Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
- ENGN8100
- Introduction to Systems Engineering
- LAWS8182
- Principles of International Law
- MGMT8005
- Project Risk and Resiliency
- MGMT8062
- Managing Major Projects
- NSPO8012
- Leadership, Risk, Resilience and Crisis
- REGN8026
- Nuclear Safeguards Regulation: Frameworks, institutions, and standards
- A maximum of 6 units from completion of courses from the following subject areas:
- BURM Burmese
- CHIN Chinese
- HIND Hindi
- INDN Indonesian
- JPNS Japanese
- KORE Korean
- MNGL Mongolian
- SKRT Sanskrit
- TETM Tetum
- TIBN Tibetan
- TOKP Tok Pisin
- THAI Thai
- VIET Vietnamese
- A maximum of 24 units from the completion of courses from the following Thesis research component:
- STST8071
- Thesis
- A maximum of 24 units from the completion of courses from the following specialisations:
- Asian Studies Specialisation
- Asian and Pacific Studies Specialisation
- International Relations Specialisation
- Diplomacy Specialisation
- Pacific Studies Specialisation
- Social Research Methods specialisation
- Economic Policy specialisation
- International Business specialisation
- International Policy specialisation
- Management Essentials specialisation
- Middle East and Central Asian Studies specialisation
- Project Management specialisation
- Policy Analysis specialisation
- AADPSP Students Only
- A minimum of 24 units from the completion of courses from the following list:
- STST8057
- Defence Leadership in ASEAN A
- STST8058
- Defence Leadership in ASEAN B
- Additional courses from the
- Strategy, Security & Geopolitics
- and
- Professional Skills in Defence Policy
- lists as required
Admissions
Applicants must present one of the following: a cognate Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5/7 a cognate Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 4/7 and a Graduate Certificate or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 4/7 a cognate Bachelor or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 4/7 and a minimum of 3 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program a cognate Graduate Certificate or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 4/7 and a minimum of 3 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program a cognate Graduate Diploma or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 4/7 a minimum of 10 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is competitive. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry. Academic achievement & English language proficiency The minimum academic requirement for full entry and enrolment is a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0. However, applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes. If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of: • a GPA ('GPA2') calculated on the penultimate and antepenultimate semesters (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes; and/or • demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency. Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met. Further information: English Language Requirements for Admission Diversity factors As Australia’s national university, ANU is a global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, the competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe. 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 the assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher.
More Political Science & International Relations programs
Graduate Certificate in Disability Policy and Advocacy
University of Canberra · Graduate
Graduate Certificate in Gender Policy
University of Canberra · Graduate
Graduate Certificate in Governance and Public Policy
University of Queensland · Graduate
Graduate Certificate in International Development
University of Canberra · Graduate
Graduate Certificate in International Relations
Bond University · Graduate
Graduate Certificate in International Relations
University of Western Australia · Graduate
Why trust Where To Apply
- Official sources onlyEvery deadline, fee, and requirement traces to a university, government, or admissions-body page.
- Dated and re-checkedEach fact carries the date it was last verified, on a quarterly re-verification cadence.
- IndependentNo university pays for inclusion, a better write-up, or a higher rank. We are not an education agent.
- Named editor, public methodWritten and maintained by a named operator against a published methodology.