| Semester 1, 2022 Toowoomba On-campus | |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts |
| School or Department : | School of Humanities & Communication |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
| Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Examiner:
Overview
An understanding of strategic studies is an important component of international relations in the contemporary world. The competing interests of state and nonstate actors shape the lives of the global population, and this course provides vital knowledge about the security issues that shape war and peace today.
Terrorism, the invasion of Iraq and Australian led peacekeeping intervention in the region have increased interest in warfare and strategic issues in a variety of rapidly evolving scenarios. The use of force in world politics and the history of modern war have become an integral part of our daily lives. To understand such issues, students need to develop an in depth perspective on the development of strategic studies in the contemporary world. This course will focus on developments in strategic studies, including land, air and sea power, and their application to theories and issues. Terrorism, Peacekeeping, weapons of mass destruction, and international law all play a part in the relationships that shape contemporary warfare. The course is particularly suited to International Relations and History students.
Course learning outcomes
On completion of this course students should be able to:
- demonstrate academic and professional literacy skills by comprehending, defining and applying the essential terminology of strategic studies;
- discuss, briefly, the main events, places and people responsible for the development of theories of warfare;
- critically discuss the evolution of joint warfare, twentieth century theories of warfare, and contemporary issues of grand strategy;
- assess the application of strategic studies to selected case studies;
- communicate analytically in writing by preparing and submitting two essays in the International Relations discipline;
- demonstrate cultural literacy skills by describing and applying strategic studies to the use of force in the contemporary world;
- ethical research and inquiry skills by applying both the norms of research and referencing in their work.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Introduction to strategic and security studies, reading security studies and the history of war | 10.00 |
| 2. | International law, just war and the use of force | 10.00 |
| 3. | The causes of war and the conditions of peace | 10.00 |
| 4. | Land warfare, sea power and air power | 10.00 |
| 5. | Deterrence, arms control and disarmament | 10.00 |
| 6. | Terrorism, counterinsurgency & irregular warfare | 10.00 |
| 7. | The revolution in military affairs: technology and war | 10.00 |
| 8. | Weapons of mass destruction | 10.00 |
| 9. | The United Nations, humanitarian intervention and peace operations | 10.00 |
| 10. | Non-traditional security and the future of strategic studies | 10.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
| Description | Weighting (%) |
|---|---|
| SHORT ESSAY (1000 WORDS) | 20 |
| MAJOR ESSAY (2000 WORDS) | 40 |
| ONLINE EXAMINATION | 40 |