Bachelor of Global Security (Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies)

Security Policymaking, Security Consultancies (public and private), Security Agencies, Law Enforcement, Defence Forces, Foreign Affairs, and Aid and other Non-Governmental Organisations engaged in operations in high-risk areas.

Higher education via OUA

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

Higher education

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://search.murdoch.edu.au/s/search.html?collection=mu-course-search.

Secondary education

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.

VET studies

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

Work and Life

• Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)
  • STAT is a national test for mature age people designed to assess aptitude for learning in a tertiary environment. It is not a test of your knowledge on specific academic subjects. It is recognised in all Australian states. You must achieve a minimum of 140 in the Written English and 135 in the Qualitative or Multiple Choice sections of the STAT to gain entry to Murdoch.
• Completed secondary education more than two years ago
• Enabling Programs
  • Murdoch Institute of Technology - http://www.murdochinstitute.wa.edu.au/
  • STAT preparation course - Applicant needs to sit the STAT after the course is completed.
  • Murdoch University OnTrack / OnTrack Sprint / FlexiTrack - If you have successfully completed Murdoch University's OnTrack or Flexitrack program you can apply for admission into a Commonwealth Support Place. Details are available at http://www.murdoch.edu.au/OnTrack/ and https://www.open.edu.au/degrees/flexitrack-murdoch-university-mur-ftk-deg

Additional information

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre - http://www.murdoch.edu.au/Kulbardi/
• International Students - http://www.murdoch.edu.au/study/how-to-apply
• For further admission information about this degree, please refer to Murdoch Admission Information - Arts

English Proficiency Requirements

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).

Special requirements

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.

Find out if you are eligible and apply at https://www.murdoch.edu.au/study/courses/undergraduate-courses/recognition-of-prior-learning.

The Bachelor of Global Security provides understandings of contemporary challenges to security, including terrorism, political violence, transnational crime, global poverty and climate change, 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 degree is to equip students with knowledge concerning the nature and complex 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 long-term solutions to these challenges.

Recommended Study Pattern

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

LEVEL 1 (total of 24 points)

• MSP100 Career Learning: Managing Your Career (3cp)
• POL161 Understanding International Politics (3cp)
• POL192 Perspectives on Security and Terrorism (3cp)
• POL133 Politics, Power and Policy (3cp)
• POL201 Global Justice, Aid and Security (3cp)
• Complete 9 credit points (3 subjects) of Level 1 General Electives from any OUA subject

​LEVEL 2 (total of 24 points)

• MSP200 Building Enterprise Skills (3cp)
• POL202 Policing and the Politics of Counterterrorism (3cp)
• POL232 Military Force and Counterterrorism (3cp)
• POL234 Terrorism in a Globalised World (3cp)
• POL236 US Policies and Global Security (3cp)
• Complete 9 credit points (3 subjects) of Level 2 or Level 3 General Electives from any OUA subject

LEVEL 3 (total of 24 points)

• POL334 Middle East Politics and Security (3cp)
• POL337 Terrorism and Political Violence in South Asia (3cp)
• POL338 Politics and Security in SouthEast Asia: Terrorists, Gangsters and the State (3cp)
• POL345 International Security Studies (3cp)
• ART208 Presenting in Public: Writing and Performing for Professional Contexts (3cp)
• Complete 9 credit points (3 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:  24 points core, 24 points major, 24 points options) 
A Murdoch University degree is structured around four key elements:

• Murdoch Career Spine (Core)
• Required 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) – 9 subjects (27 credit points)

• Complete 3 subjects (9 credit points) of Level 1 General Electives from any OUA subjects
• Complete 6 subjects (18 credit points) of Level 2 points or 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.

Students are recommended to Register with Murdoch University before starting their Level 2 subjects to receive enrolment advice.

A fee of $250 is payable on registration.

To obtain an Application for Registration Form, please download the form from this website:
http://our.murdoch.edu.au/OUA/Forms/

Changing from the Bachelor of Arts (Security, Terrorism, Counter-terrorism) to Bachelor of Global Security degree at Murdoch University in 2020

The Bachelor of Arts has undergone a major change in 2020. Students will be transitioned from the Bachelor of Arts (Security, Terrorism and Counter-terrorism major) to the new Bachelor of Global Security (Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies). This transition is not intending to place any extra requirements on existing students.

• The new BGS (TCT) will not take you any longer as you are still required to complete 72 points as before.
• If you have completed your year one studies, but have not completed all of the year one subjects of the new degree and major, you will not be expected to go back and complete those subjects.
• You will see that in devising the new degree a small number of subjects have been recoded/renamed/replaced.  Please be assured that you will not be expected to redo a subject you have already completed simply because it has been recoded/renamed/replaced.
• Any advanced standing, credit transfers, waivers and subject substitutions that were granted or agreed to for the purposes of completing the BA-STCT will be applied to completion of the BGS-TCS.
• The new named degree is an exciting opportunity and development that will benefit graduates, particularly in terms of employment.

Bachelor of Global Security (Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies) Recommended Study/Transition Plan (PDF, 162Kb)

Bachelor of Arts (Security, Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies) pre-2020 Recommended Study/Transition Plan (PDF, 165Kb)

If you have any queries about any of these changes, you can ask a question in Murdoch’s ‘MyAnswers’ (https://myanswers.custhelp.com/), providing your student number and identifying your degree (or intended degree). You can also contact Murdoch via phone:1300 687 3624 and email: studentcentre@murdoch.edu.au.

You may also directly contact the Academic Chair of the degree in which you wish to graduate.

• Academic Chair for Bachelor of Global Security:
  Dr Ian Wilson - I.Wilson@murdoch.edu.au / Tel: +61 8 93602500