Graduate Certificate, Diploma, Master of
International Relations and National Security
Planning a Rewarding Career with International Focus?
There is a growing need for highly trained analysts, professional researchers and policy advisors in international affairs capable of understanding the increasingly complex problems of international relations and global security, as well as making informed recommendations and decisions.
About the Program
Professional environment and relaxed atmosphere
Our graduate coursework program allows students from all disciplines to develop their expertise in international relations and global security. Area studies of important regions will be combined with critical analysis of diverse challenges emerging in the 21st Century.
Join the expert team of award-winning lecturers and your fellow students from all parts of the globe.
A guest seminar by Dr Ron Huisken (ANU), July 2009
The course can be taken at three levels – graduate certificate, graduate diploma and master degree. Upon successful completion of the Graduate Certificate in International Relations and National Security, students may transfer to the Graduate Diploma in International Relations and National Security, and then subsequently enrol in the Master of International Relations and National Security.
Conversely, if you are enrolled in the master degree and have completed those parts of the program that qualify for either the Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma you may take out one of these awards instead of completing the master degree.
For the Master of International Relations and National Security completion of two core units, six optional units, and an individual research project (thesis component) is required; for the Graduate Diploma two core units and six optional units; for the Graduate Certificate two core units and two optional units.
Reasons to Study at Curtin
What our graduates say
Do you think your degree helped you in your career path?
Most definitely. It will also help it to redirect it along a path which I feel is the right one for me to now take at 57. I have “graduated” from being a geologist, to an executive and now see myself more as an industry diplomat, consulting most especially to mineral and petroleum exploration and production companies. I see myself helping them become aware of and handling high-level situations in countries where the social and political setting is not familiar - case in point is the Woodside “Amendment” fiasco where DFAT personnel did not know how to handle the Mauritanians. In fact, their involvement possibly aggravated the situation.
Would you recommend the degree to others?
Yes, most definitely a worthwhile course. It would be most important for an executive working globally to help him/her come to an understanding of the world in which we are living. It possibly could also be taken out of general interest for any interested lay person, as it broadens a naturally narrow and limited view and understanding of the world. For example, through this course I have realized the existence and importance of Central Asia. It is no longer a nebulous region somewhere near Russia with lost of “stan’s”.
Max de Vietri, Chairman, Baraka Petroleum Limited (graduate 2009)
The Logical Choice
Curtin is the leading provider of world-class postgraduate courses in International Relations and National Security in Western Australia
Interdisciplinary Approach
Perspectives from Political Science, Anthropology and Sociology, and History.
International Expert Team
Internationally renowned staff, providing expert teaching from all over the world – Australia, Canada, Japan, Russia and the UK.
Join us in the Classroom and off Campus
Course participants undertaking off campus practicums
What our graduates say
Perth, commonly described as ‘the most isolated city in the world’, at first glance would seem an odd choice of location in which to read International Relations, one imagines a community so far removed from anywhere else with no interests beyond its borders. This could not be further from the truth. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my choice of location and course was indeed truly ‘international’ with both lecturers and fellow students from as far afield as Europe, the United States, Africa and Asia, not to mention the locals as well. The format of the course was well structured, giving students ample opportunity to explore different areas of International Relations over two semesters before closing in on a specific area of interest. I would recommend International Relations at Curtin University as it provides a diverse course content which, when coupled with enthusiastic lecturers, encourages an analytical approach and independent thought.
Amy V R Lugg (Singapore), Graduate 2007
Course participants undertaking off campus practicums
Course participants at the 1st Annual National Security and Strategy workshop, 2009
What our graduates say
As an International Relations Masters student, I was submerged in the field immediately by constant interaction with my multinational peers and instructors. Having professors who were almost entirely from other countries helped enhance the cultural and educational experience and enabled a more holistic understanding of emerging trends and issues around the world. I completed the Masters program confident that I had the tools to understand the world and apply a vast amount of knowledge to my personal and professional life.
Jillian West (USA), Graduate 2006
Course participants at the 1st Annual National Security and Strategy workshop, 2009
