The DSSC is a year-long, full-time course for O-6 level officers from the ADF, the APS (both from Defence and from other Australian Government agencies) and selected allied and regional defence forces. It prepares officers and public service executives for key command and staff appointments where they are able to lead at the strategic levels of the organisation, including formation level command.
The DSSC provides military and government security professionals with the nuanced understanding of national security and strategy required to operate successfully in the increasingly complex and contested regional strategic environment. It also provides them with a series of analytical frameworks, tools and practical insights. Grounded in the National Defence Strategy, the DSSC emphasises the importance of deterrence, resilience, and force projection in an era of strategic competition, reducing warning times and grey-zone threats.
DSSC course members (CM) also critically engage with the interdependence of military, economic, and diplomatic instruments of power, examining how regional alliances, technological advancements, and the evolving nature of warfare shape security postures. Course members graduate with a Master of National Security and Strategy awarded by Deakin University. A capstone research unit required CMs to submit a thesis paper on a national security and strategy issue that aligns with Australian Defence senior leadership priorities.
