Policing and the Politics of Counterterrorism
UndergraduateMUR-POL2022024
Course information for 2024 intake
Enrolments for this course are closed, but you may have other options to start studying now. Book a consultation to learn more.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- Subject may require attendance
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Policing and the Politics of Counterterrorism
About this subject
At completion of this subject, you will be able to:
- Compare, contrast and analyse different and competing ideologies of policing.
- Explain and analyse the broader political and social context in which policing regimes, institutions and their agencies operate.
- Assess and critically evaluate different strategies to police terrorism.
- Effectively and persuasively communicate complex information, concepts and problems with respect to policing terrorism through clear and accurate written work.
- Introduction to POL202 – What do police do?
- Liberal theories of policing
- Marxist theories of policing
- Historical institutionalism (guest lecture DR Chris Owen)
- Democratic theories of policing
- BLM and Abolitionist policing
- Policing terror
- Big Data policing
- Community Policing
- Policing Lone Wolves
- Police violence in Indonesia (research seminar)
‘The epic project of police’ has expanded since 9/11, but the study of policing continues to be neglected in social and political sciences. This course rectifies this 'gap' by inquiring how 'counterterrorism' is transforming police and policing at the local, national, international and radically changing power dynamics. Students examine theories of policing and the emergence of the modern police before turning to new policing regimes to counter and prevent terrorism including transnational policing and the role of the private actors.
Please Note: All students studying at Murdoch University will need to complete the compulsory unit, Murdoch Academic Passport (MAP100), which only takes 2-3 hours to complete online. Find out more: http://goto.murdoch.edu.au/MurdochAcademicPassport.
- Weekly quiz on readings (40%)
- Research Essay (30%)
- Invigilated Exam (30%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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.
Learn more about Murdoch University.
Explore Murdoch courses.
- QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 26
- Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 31
Entry requirements
Equivalent subjects
You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:
MUR-POL335 (Not currently available)
Others
To enrol in this subject, you must have passed a minimum of 12 credit points at 100-level.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Bachelor of Global Security (Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies)
UndergraduateMUR-BGS-DEG
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