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Bachelor of Security Studies with the degree of Bachelor of Laws

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Faculty:
Faculty of Arts
Award:
Bachelor of Security Studies with the degree of Bachelor of Laws (BSecStudLLB)
English Language Proficiency:
IELTS of 7.0 overall with minimum 6.5 in each band, or equivalent
Study Mode:
Full-time, Part-time
Attendance Mode:
Internal
Candidature Length:
Full-time: 5 years
Commencement:
North Ryde — Session 1 (February)
North Ryde — Session 2 (July)
Volume of Learning:
Equivalent to 5 years
General requirements:
Minimum number of credit points 120
Minimum number of credit points at 200 level or above 84
Minimum number of credit points at 300 level or above 54
Minimum number of credit points with units with a LAW, LAWS, or LAWZ prefix 72
Minimum number of credit points with units with a PICT prefix 42
Completion of a designated People unit
Completion of a designated Planet unit
Completion of a designated LAW, LAWS, or LAWZ PACE unit
Completion of other specific minimum requirements as set out below
Note:
Students must complete one designated People unit and one designated Planet unit. Those units must be taken in two different Faculties. Any unit which is listed below will not satisfy the People unit requirement or Planet unit requirement.

In order to graduate students must ensure that they have satisfied all of the general requirements of the award.

Specific minimum requirements:

Credit points

100 level

Required
3
Foundations of Law (3)
 
Required
3
Law, Lawyers and Society (3)
 
Required
3
Criminal Justice (3)
 
Required
3
Contracts (3)
 
Required
3
Introduction to Security Studies (3)
 
Required
3
Security in an Age of Risk (3)
 
Required
3
Strategy and Security in the Indo-Pacific (3)
 
Required
3
Terrorism in the 21st Century (3)
 

200 level

Required
3
Torts (3)
 
Required
3
Jurisprudence (3)
 
Required
3
Property Law (3)
 
Required
3
Equity and Trusts (3)
 
Required
3
Business Organisations (3)
 
Required
3
International Law (3)
 
Required
3
Intelligence and Counter Intelligence (3)
 
Required
3
National Security: Policy and Strategy (3)
 
Required
3
Modern Warfare (3)
 
Required
3
National Resilience: Crisis Response and Emergency Management (3)
 

300 level

Required
3
Ethics of Security (3)
C/P
Required
3
Constitutional Law (3)
 
Required
3
Administrative Law (3)
 
Required
3
Civil and Criminal Procedure (3)
 
Required
3
Evidence (3)
 
Required
3
Insecurity and Development (3)
 
Required
3
Cyber Security in Practice (3)
 
Required
3
Strategies of Political Violence (3)
 

Any level

Required
3cp from
 
Remedies (3)
 
3
Remedies, Reparations and Resolution in Law (3)
 
Required
27cp from
 
LAW units at 200 level
 
LAWS units at 200 level
 
LAW units at 300 level
 
LAWS units at 300 level
 
LAW units at 400 level
 
LAWS units at 400 level
 
LAWZ units at 400 level
 
LAW units at 500 level
27
LAWS units at 500 level

Balance of credit points required:

 
 
12
Electives

TOTAL CREDIT POINTS REQUIRED FOR THIS PROGRAM

120
Note:

Completing students may be eligible for the award of Bachelor of Laws (Honours). For further details refer to law.mq.edu.au/current_students/llb_students.

 
Units marked with a C are Capstone units.
 
Units marked with a P are PACE units.

Program Learning Outcomes and Additional Information
AQF Level Level 7 Bachelor degree
Overview and Aims of the Program This program combines Macquarie's Security Studies and Law degrees.
The Bachelor of Security Studies will develop the knowledge and analytical skills to identify and address traditional and non-traditional security threats. It adopts both national and international perspectives.

The program presents a systematic approach to security studies that covers the key conceptual approaches to identifying and managing security challenges and the diverse threats facing Australia, its region and the world in the twenty-first century. The broad scope of the program reflects the Australian government's expanded definition of national security and targets industry needs for graduate skills and capabilities.

The Bachelor of Laws is a program that allows students to focus on law and major in one of seven interdisciplinary areas: Corporate and Commercial Law, Criminology, Environmental Law and Management, International Law and Governance, Media Technology and the Law, Public Policy Law and Governance, and Social Justice.

A hallmark of the Macquarie Law Degree is a commitment to the interdisciplinary study of law, which fosters a sound understanding of legal doctrine as well as an awareness of the role of law in society and a developed sense of social responsibility.
Graduate Capabilities

The Graduate Capabilities Framework articulates the fundamentals that underpin all of Macquarie’s academic programs. It expresses these as follows:

Cognitive capabilities
(K) discipline specific knowledge and skills
(T) critical, analytical and integrative thinking
(P) problem solving and research capability
(I) creative and innovative


Interpersonal or social capabilities
(C) effective communication
(E) engaged and ethical local and global citizens
(A) socially and environmentally active and responsible

Personal capabilities
(J) capable of professional and personal judgement and initiative
(L) commitment to continuous learning

Program Learning Outcomes This program combines Macquarie's Security Studies and Law degrees.

The Bachelor of Security Studies will train students to identify the sources and dynamics of security, and policy options to engage contemporary and emerging security threats and apply analytical thinking skills to evaluate risk and assess security threats. It will teach students to present theoretically grounded and empirically supported assessments and policy portfolios to address security threats within a dynamic security framework. Students will learn to demonstrate appreciation and application of ethical principles that manifest a global outlook through engagement with interdisciplinary and international issues, exhibited through analytical and clear written and oral communication. Finally, they will communicate acquired knowledge and skills clearly and effectively to a range of professional audiences.

The Bachelor of Laws is a program that allows students to focus on law and major in one of seven interdisciplinary areas: Corporate and Commercial Law, Criminology, Environmental Law and Management, International Law and Governance, Media Technology and the Law, Public Policy Law and Governance, and Social Justice.
A hallmark of the Macquarie Law Degree is a commitment to the interdisciplinary study of law, which fosters a sound understanding of legal doctrine as well as an awareness of the role of law in society and a developed sense of social responsibility.
Learning and Teaching Methods The Bachelor of Security Studies includes a range of traditional and innovative assessment items to give students skills in academic analysis and practical application in a simulated policy environment.
Learning activities include:
o pre-recorded visual lectures with supplementary information which can be accessed online
o online forum activities
o teamwork activities, including the application of structured analytical techniques
o workshop sessions
o virtual tutorial discussions using web-seminar software
o Online and face-to-face workshops scenario-based exercises ('wargames' and simulations)
o interactive online discussions
o the use of interviews and documentaries in addition to or in lieu of reading materials for certain topics.

These learning activities are designed to provide learning opportunities across a range of mediums suitable to different types of learners.

Successful completion of the LLB degree enables a student to progress towards admission as a lawyer in New South Wales. Being a qualification accredited as meeting the academic requirements of admission, the degree's program is built around a series of compulsory units which together cover the substantial body of doctrinal content prescribed by the profession. In addition to these core units, all students must complete one of seven qualifying majors, each of which examines law in the context of various policy challenges. Students also choose from a selection of elective units, enabling them to pursue their particular interests.

Besides equipping students with the doctrinal knowledge needed to practise law, the LLB seeks to develop skills and personal attributes required to succeed not only in legal practice but in other areas of professional life, as well as further academic study. These include communication and problem-solving skills, as well as analytical and critical thinking, plus qualities such as empathy and integrity. Macquarie Law School approaches the study of law as more than mere vocational training, viewing it as a rigorous intellectual endeavour in its own right. Hallmarks of the Macquarie LLB include its interdisciplinary nature and global focus, thus enabling students to appraise law and seek out innovative solutions in the broadest possible contexts.

Most units are taught by a combination of live or recorded lectures, set readings and various assessments designed to test and advance your learning. Increasingly, teaching is supported by innovative online technologies which deliver not only lecture content but an array of material, activities and potentials for interaction intended to develop your skills and understanding. While online learning permits students some flexibility in relation to when they study, internal students are generally expected to also attend a weekly tutorial for each unit, while external students normally come to the campus for a compulsory two-day intensive session, usually held during the mid-session break. Classroom-based activities provide you with the opportunity to consolidate your learning through interaction with teaching staff and fellow students.

In designing the program care has been taken to ensure that each stage of the student's learning is adequately supported by what the student has already covered. As you advance through your degree you will be expected to become increasingly self-reliant in your studies. In order to succeed you will need to look far beyond lectures and set readings. You should be proactive in developing your own pathways to learning, suitably supported by the research skills you will be taught. Besides independent study you will at times be required to work collaboratively with other students, engaging in such activities as group discussions, projects and presentations. The emphasis is on learning through doing, as opposed to passively absorbing material. An important feature of the program is the PACE (Professional and Community Engagement), during which students learn through a combination of practical experience and personal reflection.
Assessment Security Studies
The program utilises a variety of traditional and innovative assessments to assess both academic and vocational skills.

Traditional assessments used in the program include:
o Written assignments (essays and take-home exams) that assess core academic skills, such as critical analysis, content knowledge, research rigour, communication skills and scholarly conventions.
o Online quizzes that assess foundational content knowledge and develop familiarity with discipline-specific terms and conventions.
Innovative assessments used in the program include:
o Collaborative online activities (e.g. wiki assignments and online scenario participation), thatallow distance students to gain work-relevant team participation experience while also allowing individual contributions to be monitored and assessed independently of group outcomes.
o Audiovisual assignments (such as vodcasts) that allow internal and external students to develop public speaking skills and experience in a reduced-stress environment while also familiarising them with the use of web-conferencing technologies widely used in the industry.
o Workplace-based written assignments (including applying industry-based analytical tools, using industry relevant analysis software, preparing risk assessment reports and writing policy briefs) that develop industry-relevant skills.

Many of the new technologies available in the security studies field are not employed by any Australia university and represent a significant skills deficit in graduates attempting to enter the industry. The new assessments designed for the BSS program intend to address this shortfall and make BSS graduates the most prepared and desirable candidates across the sector.


Law
Each student graduating with the degree will receive a Grade Point Average calculated on the basis of that student's performance across all core units, as well as those other units undertaken by the student to meet the program requirements. A student's success in an individual unit is measured on the basis of at least three assessment tasks undertaken during the course of the academic session. Assessment tasks are designed to test students' acquirement of skills, attributes and knowledge, as well as to support and promote their ongoing learning and development.

Generally, assessment is on the basis of how well a student has completed a piece of written work. These may form part of a timed take-home examination, although some units require students to attend a formal sit-down exam. Written assignments can take many different forms, ranging from an essay, a research paper, an advice to an imaginary client in relation to a hypothetical problem, a reflective journal, a contribution to a discussion blog and so on. Through a combination of collective and individual feedback, as well as the mark awarded to the student's work, these assignments enable students to gauge their academic progress in individual units and in the degree program as a whole. At times students will be marked on how well they are proceeding with a piece of work, thus enabling them to complete it to a higher standard. In some units a student's grade will partly reflect that student's participation in classroom discussions or the quality of an oral presentation.

Students are assessed in relation to a unit on the basis of how well they meet its learning outcomes, which are set out in the unit guide at the beginning of each academic session. Rubrics are also provided to students in order to indicate what level of performance is needed in order to achieve each grade band. Students do not compete with each other for good marks. Indeed, marks may be awarded on the basis of group work. Mostly, however, a student's grade will be determined on the basis of that student's individual work or individual contribution to a collaborative project.

While it is vital that all students graduating with an LLB degree demonstrate a broad and coherent knowledge of legal doctrine as required by the profession, the units of study that they undertake will cumulatively assess the student's performance in relation to the entire range of skills and attributes referred to in the program's learning outcomes. For instance, in the early years of the program emphasis is placed on basic skills such as finding relevant sources of knowledge, while in later years the focus shifts more to the student's competence in evaluating those sources and employing them to generate appropriate responses to real-world problems.
Recognition of Prior Learning

Macquarie University may recognise prior formal, informal and non-formal learning for the purpose of granting credit towards, or admission into, a program. The recognition of these forms of learning is enabled by the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Policy (see www.mq.edu.au/policy) and its associated Procedures and Guidelines. The RPL pages contain information on how to apply, links to registers, and the approval processes for recognising prior learning for entry or credit. 


Domestic Students
For undergraduate RPL information visit www.goto.mq.edu.au/nonschoolrpl
For domestic postgraduate RPL information visit www.goto.mq.edu.au/pgrpl


International Students
For RPL information visit www.mq.edu.au/international/rpl

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Support for Learning

Macquarie University aspires to be an inclusive and supportive community of learners where all students are given the opportunity to meet their academic and personal goals. The University offers a comprehensive range of free and accessible student support services which include academic advice, counselling and psychological services, advocacy services and welfare advice, careers and employment, disability services and academic skills workshops amongst others. There is also a bulk billing medical service located on campus.

Further information can be found at www.students.mq.edu.au/support/

Campus Wellbeing contact details:
Phone: +61 2 9850 7497
Email: campuswellbeing@mq.edu.au
www.students.mq.edu.au/support/wellbeing

Program Standards and Quality

The program is subject to an ongoing comprehensive process of quality review in accordance with a pre-determined schedule that complies with the Higher Education Standards Framework. The review is overseen by Macquarie University's peak academic governance body, the Academic Senate and takes into account feedback received from students, staff and external stakeholders.

Graduate Destinations and Employability Graduates may find employment across a range of Government agencies and professional bodies, including policing, intelligence, defence, and policy based institutions and associations. Corporate sector employment opportunities also exist with a boom focus on global interests, particularly where security and offshore assets are involved.

Many Law graduates will pursue careers as either barristers or solicitors. However, a broad range of rewarding careers are open to Macquarie Law School graduates. Employment can be found in a wide variety of organisations, including:
o community legal centres
o diplomatic service
o education
o financial institutions
o health services
o in-house counsel
o legal practice
o media organisations
o NGO advocacy bodies
o public service
o trade unions.
Assessment Regulations

This program is subject to Macquarie University regulations, including but not limited to those specified in the Assessment Policy, Academic Honesty Policy, the Final Examination Policy and relevant University Rules. For all approved University policies, procedures, guidelines and schedules visit www.mq.edu.au/policy.

Accreditation This is an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) accredited qualification.

2017 Unit Information

When offered:
S1 Day
Prerequisites:
Permission of Executive Dean of Faculty
Corequisites:
None
NCCWs:
HSC Chinese, CHN113, CHN148