Master of Strategic Studies

1.5 Years

72 Units

In Person

Why study this program?

The Asia-Pacific is being transformed by great power contestation and a spectrum of national and international security challenges. Studying a Master of Strategic Studies or a Master of Strategic Studies (Advanced) with the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre (SDSC) at ANU will equip you with the intellectual tools needed to evaluate strategic choices, navigate the strategic environment and understand the challenges of an evolving global order. The program is designed for graduates and professionals seeking to launch or advance their careers in national or international security, counterterrorism, strategic policy, intelligence, foreign affairs, cyber security, think tanks and academia.

The Master of Strategic Studies program investigates:

Australian security and defence policy
Intelligence, cybersecurity, and nuclear strategy
Strategic diplomacy in the 21st century
U.S. security policy in the Asia-Pacific
Ethics of Peace and War

National Security and policymaking
China's defence and strategic challenges
War Studies, Conflict and Global Security
Terrorism and counterterrorism

The Master of Strategic Studies will help you develop the analytical frameworks needed to understand Australian defence policy, Indo-Pacific security, and global strategic challenges; making you critical thinking future leaders.

The program is taught by former intelligence officers, Rhodes Scholars, think-tank analysts and several retired senior military officers who are leading academics and shapers of strategic policy. Their combined expertise delivers Australia’s foremost Master's program at the intersection of strategic, defence, military and international studies.

Advanced option – you can also undertake a Master of Strategic Studies (Advanced) which combines coursework with a research thesis of 24 units. If you wish to pursue or leave open the possibility of further research work or PhD study, you are strongly encouraged to study the advanced option of the program.

The learning experience

The Master of Strategic Studies is a 72-units program (1.5 years full-time, or part-time equivalent), designed to cater to working professionals. Study load is compatible with professionals looking for a degree they can complete alongside full-time work. You will be trained through academic learning and hands-on policy making through writing policy memos, briefs and engaging in crisis simulations.

The Strategic & Defence Studies Centre (SDSC) also hosts several events each year with high profile speakers - you are encouraged to attend these as they are relevant to your study. Speakers from recent events include our very own alumnus current Defence Secretary, Greg Moriarty; former Secretary of Defence, Dennis Richardson AO; former Minister for Defence, the Hon Marise Payne; former Director-General of Security of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Major General Duncan Lewis; and US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, David Stilwell; Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi; Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), HE Ambassador Fernando Arias and more.

View the complete course list

Career opportunities

Our students have gone on to join the Australian Public Service (APS jobs) in the Department of Defence, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Department of Home Affairs, Attorney General's Department, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C), The Office of National Intelligence (ONI), Office of National Assessments (ONA), the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), and the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS).

Other career paths include:

Think tanks, policy institutes, and research centres
Intergovernmental agencies
International trade and business
International development and aid organisations
NGOs

Universities and research institutions
Multinational corporations
International business consultancies
Media agencies and journalism

Alternative entry pathways

Graduate Certificate of Strategic Studies

For those who do not meet the admission requirements or unable commit to the Master program, the Graduate Certificate of Strategic Studies is a pathway option for this degree. This 24-unit (6 months, full-time) certificate provides an introduction to the immersive Masters experience and an option for an early exit. Upon completion, students will receive credits towards the Master degree.

Find out more

Graduate Diploma of International Affairs

The Graduate Diploma of International Affairs (GDIA) is a flexible 1-year full-time (or part-time equivalent) postgraduate qualification designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills required for understanding emerging issues in international, political and strategic affairs, both globally and in Asia and the Pacific.

Find out more

World-class academics are your teachers

The Strategic and Defence Studies Centre is home to Australia's foremost defence, military studies and Asia-Pacific security experts that actively contribute to ground-breaking research and policy advancements in the strategic and defence fields.

Professor Stephan Frühling

Stephan is a specialist in defence studies, NATO, nuclear weapons, alliances, European security, and Australian government and politics.

Professor Evelyn Goh

Evelyn Goh has published widely on U.S.-China relations and diplomatic history, regional security order in East Asia, Southeast Asian strategies towards great powers, and environmental security.

Associate Professor Amy King

Amy King's expertise lies in Chinese foreign and security policy, China-Japan relations, and the economics-security nexus in the Asia-Pacific region.

Dr Andrew Carr

Andrew Carr's research focuses on Strategy (temporal factors), Middle Powers and Australian Defence Policy.

Explore our faculty

Our alumni

Tommy Sheng Hao Chai

Tommy’s lifelong passion for studying and contributing to history — especially in Asia — was the driving force to study a Master of Strategic Studies.

Nathalie Blakely

Inspired after working in New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, studying a Master of Strategic Studies was the natural choice for Nathalie.

Joel Einstein

The ideas and concepts Joel learnt throughout his Master of Strategic Studies have helped him tremendously in his role at the Department of Defence.

Shayal Singh

After completing her bachelor, Shayal still wanted more information to keep building her career in the security industry.

Other opportunities

Internships

Internships give you the chance to apply your academic skills to a professional work environment. You can get both practical experience and credit towards your Masters degree with an internship.

Scholarships

The Australian National University (ANU) offers a wide range of scholarships to students, to assist with the cost of their studies.

Study tours

Study tour courses give you the chance to undertake research in an overseas location. Courses are delivered intensively and run between two-six weeks. Students undertake preparatory classes on campus prior to travel.