Nuclear Weapons Law
This course offers discounted rates for University of Sydney alumni, staff, students and group enrolments. See the fees section below for more information.
Overview
The legal foundations of international order and peace are at risk in the current climate of geopolitical competition, particularly in respect to nuclear weapons and the risk of nuclear war.
This newly developed fully online short course explains that existing international law constrains states from seeking, preparing to use, or using nuclear weapons in all but the most extreme of circumstances.
International law, especially the laws of armed conflict, will be an essential building block of a new post-hegemonic international order in the coming decades.
This course provides an expert overview of how international law shapes and constrains the ability of states to use nuclear weapons. The core aim is to equip you to understand and interpret this legal framework within your professional domain.
What you'll learn
By completing this course, you will be able to:
- Explain and synthesise core principles of nuclear weapons law and the relevant parts of international law (use of force and LOAC) to show how the framework operates in high-stakes contexts.
- Apply that framework to scenario-based problems to reach and justify defensible conclusions about legality, obligations, and potential responsibility.
- Critically evaluate and communicate a reasoned position on contested or evolving issues in nuclear weapons law (e.g., key treaties and major legal opinions), in a concise professional format.
Partnership
This course is a collaboration between the Centre for International Security Studies, the Nautilus Institute, and Sydney Law School. It's made possible thanks to funding from the Macarthur Foundation and the Ploughshares Fund.
- The Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability is a public policy thinktank as well as a community of scholars and practitioners who conduct research on strategies to solve interconnected global problems.
- The Centre for International Security Studies was established in 2006, along with the Michael Hintze Chair of International Security, to produce innovative research and education programs on the enduring and emerging security challenges facing Australia, the Asia-Pacific and the world.
- At Sydney Law School, leading scholars, educators, and practitioners come together with exceptional students to pursue rigorous study and pioneering research in law, and to work together to advance law’s positive impacts in the world.
Content
The self-paced online course is designed to take students through the diverse elements of the applicable international law, showing how that law can make sense in the extreme circumstances of nuclear war. Comprised of 25 hours of self-paced modules with an additional 25 hours of additional reading material.
- Module 1 - The legal architecture for nuclear weapons contexts
Examine the core international legal framework that governs nuclear weapons issues, building foundational concepts needed to analyse legality and responsibility in high-stakes scenarios. - Module 2 - Conduct of nuclear operations: LOAC rules in practice
Understand how the LOAC operationalises legal constraints and questions about accountability. - Module 3 - Contested and evolving law: authorities, treaties, and change over time
Here, you will compare competing interpretations and craft a defensible view on where the law on nuclear weapons currently is, and where it might be going. - Module 4 - Decision-making, command systems, and professional responsibility
In the final part of the course, you will consider how law interfaces with real decision-making, command and control structures, and individual and professional duties. - Module 5 - Epilogue: Will we see a nuclear weapon used in our lifetime?
Will we see a nuclear weapon used in our lifetime? In this final module, leading experts confront one of the most consequential questions facing humanity today. In The Shadow of the Next Bomb: Nuclear War in Our Time, commentators examine the growing risks of nuclear conflict, the devastating consequences of escalation, and the alternatives that could help prevent catastrophe.
This course is suitable for:
- Military and policy professionals: this includes military commanders, operators, policy staffs, and anyone involved at any stage with nuclear weapons or Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3)
- Legal professionals: the material is also designed for legal advisors and individuals who already possess some working knowledge of international law
- Academics and civilians: the course is highly accessible to academics, students, civilian personnel, and general audiences who simply have a broad interest in nuclear weapons and the laws governing them
This is a self-paced course delivered via our learning management system, Canvas. The structure of the course is intentionally designed to be accessible, logical, and closely aligned with its primary text, The Law on Nuclear Weapons: An Introductory Commentary.
Standard enrolments:
- New enrolments: $400
Discounted enrolments:
- University of Sydney staff & students: $320
- University of Sydney alumni: $320 ( Register for an alumni discount now.)
Interested in group discounts? Please contact us for more information
There are no prerequisites for enrolling in this course.
Materials
All course materials are provided electronically through our Learning Management System (LMS) called Canvas 2. After enrolment, you will receive an email with instructions on how to access the LMS. If you have been enrolled in Canvas 2 before, log in using the email address you enrolled with.
Software
We recommend using a desktop computer or laptop. Ensure compatibility by accessing Canvas on the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.
Viewing on a mobile device? If you're using the Canvas app, please download the latest version and adjust your app settings to access all images and videos on the site.
To be eligible for a statement of completion you must achieve a passing mark of 50% in each module quiz. Quizzes are online, consisting of multiple-choice or yes/no questions, and are designed to let students verify their understanding of the material before advancing to the next lecture.
All courses must be paid in advance of commencing your course. We accept the following payment methods:
- Mastercard
- Visa
- American Express (only available for enrolments made through the Sydney Short Courses website)
- Electronic Funds Transfer (for company invoices only)
- Journal Transfer (for University of Sydney Staff only)
Please see our Payment Options for further information.
I have enrolled in a Sydney Short Courses course, what happens now?
Once your enrolment has been processed, you will receive the following emails:
- Enrolment confirmation: you will receive this immediately after your enrolment has been processed.
- Tax invoice: the payer of your enrolment will receive this immediately after your enrolment has been processed.
For some courses, you may also receive the following:
- Course reminders: you will receive emails from Sydney Short Courses in the lead up to the course starting. These include information about the course and, if required, the schedule for online or face-to-face sessions.
- Course materials: if you are enrolled in a course that provides reading or other downloadable materials, you will get access to these materials prior to the class commencing.
- Online session links: you will receive reminder emails the day before and the day of each live session containing the meeting link and meeting ID.
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