Program Overview

Foundation Studies prepares you for a successful transition to degree-level study, providing a pathway to the first year of study of a bachelor’s degree at Murdoch University.

This course is suited to you if you:

• Need an entrance qualification for Murdoch University
• Want to accelerate your university preparation after Year 11, or equivalent
• Want to change your degree stream after Year 11, or equivalent

Course Structure
For Foundation Studies you will complete eight units over two study periods, studying a combination of core and elective units. The units you will undertake will be determined by your chosen degree. All students must complete the two English units and at least one unit from each Discipline Group.

Each unit of study builds concepts from an introductory level through to university entrance level. The units are designed to develop your learning techniques as well as bridging gaps in your unit knowledge.

• English
  • Essential Australian Studies
  • Introduction to Academic Communication
• Mathematics
  • Introductory Mathematics
  • Mathematics for Science
• Science and Technology
  • Information Technology for Academic Studies
  • Computer Science
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Biology
• The Arts
  • Introduction to Media
  • Media Production
• Business and Legal Studies
  • Accounting
  • Management
  • Economics

Leading to: Bachelor of Global Security
Terrorism, political violence, international crime, cyber-crime and climate change all pose threats to our individual and collective security. Organisations and agencies across the world need specialised skills and knowledge to help understand and assess these risks and potential security threats.  

In this course you’ll learn new ways of thinking to help address today’s biggest global security challenges. You’ll learn how to analyse and communicate complex information as you explore different security approaches, policies and priorities across the world.

This course can be combined with criminology, global politics and policy or international aid and development courses to broaden your skills, knowledge and career prospects even further.

Major: Environment, Conflict and Security
The world is faced with unprecedented challenges and threats to our security and well-being in the form of climate change and environmental degradation. These threaten the lives of billions of people, with consequences such as water and food insecurity, forced migration and social and political conflict. In this course, you will address the fundamental security challenges of the environment and climate to produce more sustainable and secure futures.

The Environment, Conflict and Security course will allow you to analyse the interrelationships between the environment, climate change, peace, conflict, insecurity, and the production of security. You will learn to analyse, identify and develop innovative and practical interventions that contribute to human safety and well-being in a challenging and rapidly changing world. You can explore these issues further in this short video where you will hear from academics and begin to understand why it's more important than ever that we address these issues.

You will also be given the opportunity to critically analyse complex networks of interwoven social, environmental, economic, and political factors, determining their role in the production of insecurity, vulnerability and harm.

3 reasons to study Environment, Conflict and Security at Murdoch

• Study a unique course that focuses on analysing and addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our modern world.
• Work with world-leading scholars in the field and develop substantive knowledge and insights regarding contemporary and emerging environmental and climate security challenges, and the complex drivers and interrelationships between these.
• Gain expertise on important environmental and climate security issues that are in high demand by governmental, non-governmental and private sector organisations.

What you’ll learn
Build essential skills and knowledge to meet your career or study goals. Topics you’ll cover include:

• Environmental security
• Climate change
• Resource governance
• Peace and conflictHuman security
• Political economy
• International relations
• Security policy