Bachelor of Global Security (Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies)

At the completion of this degree students will be able to:

1. Solve real-world human, environmental, political, cyber, terrorism and/or other security challenges.
2. Explain and analyse the political and social contexts in which security policies, institutions, actors and agencies operate.
3. Critically evaluate competing strategies, theoretical understandings, and sources of knowledge that inform approaches to global security.
4. Effectively communicate ideas, synthesise complex information, and make evidence-based arguments in relation to global security.
5. Design and manage self-directed projects of increasing sophistication, involving ethical and independent inquiry.
6. Act as global citizens, contributing as informed participants within scholarly, professional and other communities, working with diverse people and ideas to address security challenges.
7. Wield valuable skills that prepare graduates for professional futures, such as ethical practices, creative problem solving, analytical thinking, effective communication, and the ability to work constructively independently and with others.

The Bachelor of Global Security provides understandings of contemporary challenges to security, including terrorism, political violence, transnational crime, global poverty, climate change and environmental stress, and analyses their political, historical and social context. Graduates will have the skills to respond to such challenges in the short-term, and develop robust solutions. Such skills are highly sought after in many public and private sector organisations - security, law enforcement and defence agencies and consultancies, and organisations concerned with aid, human security, development, and human rights.

The aim of this course is to equip students with knowledge concerning the nature and complex intertwined causes of security threats so that they can assess a range of types and levels of security threats and offer analyses to work towards effective interventions and long-term solutions to these challenges.

Terrorism, and efforts to counter it, has come to reshape national and global politics in the 21st Century. In the Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies major, students will explore the meaning, evolution and complex causes of terrorism and political violence. Students will gain specialised knowledge of various counter-terrorism strategies, policies and politics adopted by governments and security agencies in response to these threats. The major equips students with specialised analytical skills to analyse contexts in which terrorism occurs and evaluate counter terrorism policies and strategies.

Recommended study pattern

To get the most from this degree, students are recommended to follow these steps:

LEVEL 1

• ART100 Communication and Persuasion (3cp) - required
• POL161 Understanding International Politics (3cp) - required
• POL192 Perspectives on Security and Terrorism (3cp) - required
• POL133 Politics, Power and Policy (3cp) - required
• Complete 12 credit points (4 subjects) of Level 1 General Electives from any OUA subject

​LEVEL 2

• Choose 2 of these core subjects:
  • IND101 Indonesia 1 (3cp)
  • ART200 The Power of Perfect Text: Writing for Professional Contexts (3cp)
  • ART208 Presenting in Public: Writing and Performing for Professional Contexts (3cp)
  • MSP202 The Search for Everything: Data Analytics and Storytelling in the Twenty-First Century (3cp)
• Choose 3 of these major subjects:
  • POL200 Australian Foreign and Security Policy (3cp) *not available every year
  • POL201 Global Justice, Aid and Security (3cp) *not available every year
  • POL202 Policing and the Politics of Counterterrorism (3cp) *not available every year
  • POL232 Military Force and Counterterrorism (3cp)
  • POL234 Violent Extremism and Radicalisation in a Globalised World (3cp) *not available every year
  • POL236 US Policies and Global Security (3cp) *not available every year
• Complete 9 credit points (3 subjects) of Level 2 or Level 3 General Electives from any OUA subject

LEVEL 3

• Choose 1 of these core subjects:
  • ART300 Industry Project: Real-world partnership and project design (3cp)
  • ART325 Internship (3cp)
  • ART303 Research Project (3cp)
• Choose 2 of these major subjects:
  • POL304 Security Challenges in Policy and Practice (3cp)
  • POL334 Middle East Politics and Security (3cp) *not available every year
  • POL337 Terrorism and Political Violence in South Asia (3cp)
  • POL338 Politics and Human Security in SouthEast Asia (3cp) *not available every year
  • POL345 International Security Studies (3cp)
• Complete 15 credit points (5 subjects) of Level 2 or 3 General Electives from any OUA subject

Award requirements

To qualify for the Murdoch University Bachelor of Global Security (Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies) at Murdoch University, students must complete 72 credit points (24 subjects).

The Murdoch Degree Framework

(72 Points of Credit: 12 points core, 24 points major, 36 points options) 

A Murdoch University degree is structured around three key elements:

• Degree Core (Core)
• Major Subjects (Major)
• General Elective Subjects (Options)

Degree Structures

Murdoch’s degree structures combine all the required elements to make a student knowledgeable, experienced, confident and successful within a chosen career. Each level of an undergraduate degree requires 24 credit points, the equivalent of a year of full-time study.  

Choose your subjects

Electives

Options (General Electives) – 12 subjects (36 credit points)

• Complete 4 subjects (12 credit points) of Level 1 General Electives from any OUA subjects
• Complete 8 subjects (24 credit points) of Level 2 or Level 3 General Electives from any OUA subjects.

Select from any subjects offered by OUA, subject to individual subject prerequisites. Students who are considering a second major are advised to consider using General Elective points (from Murdoch offerings) to meet the requirements of a second major. Murdoch University electives available include:

• AST102 Asian Centuries
• AST281 Contemporary Asia: Media, Politics and Popular Culture
• EGL102 Writing Creatively: An Introduction
• EGL207 Australian Poetry: Storytelling and the Creative Space
• EGL244 Shakespeare and His Contemporaries: Page and Stage
• HIS102 The Rise and Fall of the West: Imperialism and Post-Imperialism since 1776
• HIS182 The Making of the Modern World
• HIS207 The Silk Roads: Asia, Europe and the First Era of Globalisation, 1200 - 1600
• HIS208 Australian Political History
• HIS209 The Caesars: The Rise and 'Fall' of the Roman Empire
• HIS211 Modern Japan
• HIS215 The Tudors: Treachery, Politics and Faith in the Age of the Renaissance
• HIS216 The Art of Protest: The Music, Performance and Visual Arts of Activism since 1850
• HIS245 The Second World War in Europe
• HIS258 Soldiers and Civilians: War in the Pacific 1941-1945
• HIS304 Environmental Crisis in Australia and its Region
• HIS313 Rebellion in World History
• POL102 21st-Century Security Challenges
• POL203 Sustainability, Ecology and Communities
• POL298 International Political Economy
• SOC134 Introduction to Sociology
• SOC203 Youth Identities
• SOC300 The Age of Global Mobility
• SOC301 Food Security
• TOU101 Introduction to Tourism Systems
• TOU102 Travel and Tourism in Society

Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.

This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.

• First Year Core

• Specified Core Electives

• Final Year Core

• Major Subjects

• Electives

This program has undergone a major structure change in 2023, and additional changes in 2024.

As approved changes to core units include increasing the number of options, students will not be disadvantaged. Any student who has started studying prior to 2024 will have existing core/spine units credited.

Any students that commenced on the previous Bachelor of Arts (Security, Terrorism, Counter-terrorism) structure will be required to transition (if not completing) by the end of 2023.

Please refer to this Course Requirements (PDF) document for more information.

Contact:

Academic Chair for Bachelor of Global Security:

Dr Ian Wilson - I.Wilson@murdoch.edu.au / Tel: +61 8 93602500

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $46,900

The amounts shown here are indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.

Fees may vary depending on:

• the subjects you choose
• credit from previous work experience
• your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.

To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.

This research-based university in Perth has a strong interdisciplinary focus and a reputation for outstanding teaching and ground-breaking research. With more than 25,000 students and 2,400 staff from over 90 countries, and campuses in Dubai and Singapore, Murdoch embraces free thinking, shared ideas and knowledge to make a difference, and Open Universities Australia is certainly part of that.

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Transferring from another degree or university

If you have successfully completed university studies equivalent to at least 2 subjects (6 Murdoch credit points) you can apply to transfer to Murdoch University using your previous studies.

For all other minimum entry requirements and pathways, please refer to the course you are interested in on https://goto.murdoch.edu.au/CoursesSearch.

Successful completion of 2 subjects at Open Universities Australia (OUA), or an Australian University.

School leavers gain an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) from four degree subjects completed during Year 12, or OP (Overall Positions) in Queensland.

To apply to Murdoch University after Year 12, you must achieve English competency and have achieved your WA Certificate of Education (WACE) or its interstate equivalent along with the ATAR (or OP) relevant for your chosen degree.

An ATAR of 70.00 or higher (or a Queensland Overall Position of 14 or less) is required for admission to a Commonwealth Support Place in this degree.

If you have successfully completed a Certificate IV or higher you can apply for admission into a Commonwealth Support Place.

At Murdoch University, we value diverse abilities and motivations. If you’re a domestic student without a selection rank of 70 through ATAR, IB scores, AQF qualifications, or enabling programs, our Experience-Based Entry might be for you. This pathway considers your academic, vocational, and life achievements, including employment, volunteering, work experience, sports coaching, and leadership roles. Further information including the point calculation, document requirements, and the application form can be found at here: Experienced based entry.

Other Entry Options:

• Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT): A national test for mature age students assessing aptitude for tertiary learning. Minimum scores: 140 in Written English and 135 in Qualitative or Multiple-Choice sections.
• Completed Secondary Education: If completed more than two years ago.
• Enabling Programs:
  • STAT Preparation Course: Complete the course and sit the STAT.
  • Murdoch University OnTrack Flex: Successfully complete this program to apply for a Commonwealth Support Place.

Additional information

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre
• International Students - How to Apply
• For further admission information about this degree, please refer to Murdoch Admission Information - Arts

To demonstrate English language competency you will need a scaled mark of at least 50 in  ATAR English, Literature or English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD).

Find out if you are eligible and apply at Recognition of Prior Learning.

Proof of Australian citizenship is required. Please upload a scanned copy of your birth certificate or Australian passport or citizenship certificate along with your application.