International Relations and Security Studies | Units of study... | Swinburne University of Technology

Study at Swinburne > Courses > Find a course > Single unit search > International Relations and Security Studies

POL20010 12.5 Credit Points Hawthorn, Online

Duration

1 Semester/Teaching Period

Contact hours

36 hours

Prerequisites

37.5 credit points and POL10002 International Politics

Aims and objectives

This unit builds on International Politics by exploring conceptual and theoretical debates in international relations and security studies. With a focus on traditional and nontraditional security problems in global politics, this unit develops students' critical analysis by applying a range of theories and conceptual frameworks to understand complex security issues such as terrorism, environmental security, human security, new wars, and traditional state/territorial security.

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1. Comprehend and classify the various conceptual and theoretical perspectives in international relations and security studies
2. Contrast traditional concepts of security with non-traditional security problems
3. Assess and critically apply those concepts and theories to case studies
4. Evaluate the implications of considering global security problems from a range of differing perspectives.

Courses with unit

BA-ART3 Bachelor of Arts
BA-ARTSPROF Bachelor of Arts (Professional)

Unit information in detail

- Teaching methods, assessment, general skills outcomes and content.

Teaching methods

Learning and Teaching Structure

This Unit will involve up to 150 hours of work including

On Campus

Type	Hours per week	Number of Weeks	Total
Face to Face Contact Lecture Tutorial	1 2	12 12	12 24
Online Contact	N/A
Specified Learning Activities Tutorial Reading	5	12	60
Unspecified Learning Activities Independent study, assignment preparation, revision	Recommended		54
TOTAL			150 hours/12.5cp

Swinburne Online [SOL]

Type	Hours per week	Number of Weeks	Total
Face to Face Contact	N/A
Online Contact Collaborate sessions	1	4	4
Specified Learning Activities Interactive DB activities Online eLA-student interactions Readings Viewing videos Self-check tests and/or online tests	8	12	96
Unspecified Learning Activities Independent study, reading up on current affairs relevant to topics	Recommended		50
TOTAL			150 hours/12.5cp

Assessment

Types	Individual or Group task	Weighting	Assesses attainment of these ULOs
Minor Essay	Individual	30%	1, 2, 3, 4
Major Essay	Individual	60%	1, 2, 3, 4
Presentation	Individual	10%	1, 2, 4

General skills outcomes

During this unit students will receive feedback on the following key generic skills:
• Analysis Skills
• Problem Solving Skills
• Communication Skills
• Ability to work independently

Content

Topics may include:
• Traditional security threats: analysing the approaches to state security and security in a world of sovereign, territorial states, and the concepts and theoretical ideas that construct the notion of 'security'.
• Non‐traditional security threats, such as terrorism, migration and asylum, humanitarian intervention, environmental and resource insecurity.
• New approaches to understanding the widening of the security agenda and new forms of insecurity.
• Critically assessing the relevance and merits of specific approaches for understanding the concept of security, implications for policy and global politics.

Study resources

- Reading materials.

Reading materials

A list of reading materials will be made available in the Unit Outline.