Master of Arts in Statecraft and National Security Affairs
This degree is designed for students currently in the intelligence or national security communities or for those who wish to enter one of these career fields. It provides a comprehensive study of the theory and practice of intelligence and national security policy, process, and implementation, both in historical and contemporary perspectives. Significant attention is directed toward vital current policy issues as well as understanding foreign cultures and the practices of foreign powers. Please click here to view a brochure about this program.
Candidates for this degree are required to complete a minimum of 52 credit hours of coursework: 36 credit hours in the Core Curriculum and 16 credit hours in a specialization. A majority of the Core Curriculum courses should be completed prior to those in the specialization.
Candidates for this degree are not required to pass a language proficiency examination, but may elect to do so in order to add an important skill to their academic credentials and marketability. Such students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the same language training opportunities made available to candidates in the Statecraft and International Affairs degree program. To learn more about the foreign language requirements, please click here.
CORE CURRICULUM
(36 credits required; all courses are four credits unless noted otherwise)
Core Courses (all required)
- IWP 642 Economics for Foreign Policy Makers (2 credits)
- IWP 634 Geography and Strategy (2 credits)
- IWP 627 International Relations, Statecraft and Integrated Strategy
- IWP 620 Twentieth Century Politics and Diplomacy
- IWP 615 Western Moral Tradition and American Foreign Policy
Course in Political Philosophy (one of the following is required)
- IWP 608 American Founding Principles and Foreign Policy
- IWP 606 Ideas and Values in International Politics
Courses in Statecraft (four of the following are required)
- IWP 636 The Art of Diplomacy
- IWP 609 Economic Statecraft and Conflict
- IWP 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions and Policy OR IWP 637 Public Diplomacy and Political Warfare
- IWP 605 Intelligence and Policy
- IWP 648 Military Strategy: An Overview of the Theorists of Warfare
- IWP 601 National Security Policy Process
- IWP 625 Peace, Strategy and Conflict Resolution
In addition to the Core Curriculum, students in this degree program must also select one of the following three specializations:
SPECIALIZATION in INTELLIGENCE
(16 credits needed; all courses are four credits)
Required Courses
- IWP 605 Intelligence and Policy
- IWP 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions and Policy
Elective Courses (Choose two)
- IWP 659 Al-Qaeda's Enemy Threat Doctrine
- IWP 646 American Counterintelligence and Security for the 21st Century
- IWP 612 American Intelligence and Protective Security: An Advanced Seminar
- IWP 647 Case Studies in Counterintelligence Operations
- IWP 622 Comparative Intelligence Systems: Foreign Intelligence & Security Cultures
- IWP 610 Counterintelligence in a Democratic Society
- IWP 640 Cultural Implications for Strategy and Analysis
- IWP 652 Estimative Intelligence Analysis and Epistemology
- IWP 654 History of FBI Counterintelligence
- IWP 618 Information Operations and Information Warfare
- IWP 656 Intelligence Collection
- IWP 648 Military Intelligence and Modern Warfare
- IWP 641 Political Warfare: Past, Present, and Future OR IWP 637 Public Diplomacy and Political Warfare
- IWP 644 Spies, Subversion, Terrorism, and Influence Operations
- IWP 655 Technology, Intelligence, Security and Statecraft
- IWP 632 U.S. Intelligence in the Cold War and Beyond
SPECIALIZATION in NATIONAL SECURITY AND DEFENSE STUDIES
(16 credits needed; all courses are four credits)
Required Courses
- IWP 601 National Security Policy Process
- IWP 616 U.S. National Security Strategy and Emerging Threats
Area-study course (Chose one)
- IWP 630 Chinese Grand Strategy: Foreign and Military Policy
- IWP 653 The Contemporary Balkans
- IWP 658 The Geopolitics of the Iranian Plateau and South Asia
- IWP 604 Islam and Geopolitics in Eurasia
- IWP 645 Islam in Contemporary Global Politics
- IWP 603 Russian Politics and Foreign Policy
- IWP 639 U.S.-African Relations
- IWP 623 U.S.-Latin American Relations
Elective Courses (Choose one)
- IWP 659 Al-Qaeda's Enemy Threat Doctrine
- IWP 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions, and Policy
- IWP 611 Immigration and National Security
- IWP 618 Information Operations and Information Warfare
- IWP 605 Intelligence and Policy
- IWP 648 Military Intelligence and Modern Warfare
- IWP 628 Military Strategy: An Overview of the Theorists of War
- IWP 607 Nuclear Weapons Proliferation: History, Technology, and Policy
- IWP 641 Political Warfare: Past, Present, and Future OR IWP 637 Public Diplomacy and Political Warfare
- IWP 633 Terrorism and Counterterrorism
- IWP 657 Theory and Practice of U.S. Counterinsurgency
SPECIALIZATION in PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND POLITICAL WARFARE
(16 credits needed; all courses are four credits)
Required Courses
Area-study course (Choose one)
- IWP 630 Chinese Grand Strategy: Foreign and Military Policy
- IWP 653 The Contemporary Balkans
- IWP 658 The Geopolitics of the Iranian Plateau and South Asia
- IWP 604 Islam and Geopolitics in Eurasia
- IWP 645 Islam in Contemporary Global Politics
- IWP 603 Russian Politics and Foreign Policy
- IWP 639 U.S.-African Relations
- IWP 623 U.S.-Latin American Relations
Elective Courses (Choose one)
- IWP 606 Ideas and Values in International Politics
- IWP 618 Information Operations and Information Warfare
- IWP 619 Mass Media and World Politics
- IWP 641 Political Warfare: Past, Present, and Future
- IWP 629 Problems of Promoting Regime Change and Democracy
- IWP 901/902 Directed Study in Public Diplomacy or in Political Warfare
Learning Objectives, M.A. in Statecraft and National Security Affairs
Skills:
1. Students must demonstrate knowledge of the various aspects of intelligence (military strategy; the diplomatic art; economic strategy; intelligence; counterintelligence; public diplomacy and related fields; defense against foreign propaganda, deception, and influence operations; psychological strategy and political warfare; internal security; and the methods of leadership).
2. Students must demonstrate the ability to address foreign policy and national security problems by integrating the various instruments of statecraft.
3. Students must demonstrate the ability to think strategically and integrate tactical work with strategic goals.
Knowledge:
1. Students must demonstrate knowledge of basic terms, historical events, theories, economics, and geography related to the international relations field.
2. Student must demonstrate knowledge of the chosen field of specialization: e.g. National Security Affairs; Intelligence; or Public Diplomacy and Political Warfare.
3. Students must demonstrate knowledge of the statecraft of foreign powers.
4. Students must demonstrate knowledge of the main ideological currents of the modern era and the role of ideas and values in world politics.
5. Students must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of the American founding and the American political economy and their relevance to U.S. foreign policy.
Values and Principles:
1. Students must demonstrate a knowledge and appreciation of the Western moral tradition (particularly the natural law and the dialog between reason and revelation) and its application to foreign policy and strategy.
2. Students must demonstrate knowledge of the building blocks of statesmanship and moral leadership, including various personal and civic virtues as: honesty; integrity; the ability to see the truth and tell it to power; courage; perseverance' independence of thought and the capacity to resist peer pressure and the "conventional wisdom"; respect for the rule of law; prudence; justice; discernment of the national interest; respect of the dignity of the individual human person regardless of their background or condition.
Christopher C. Harmon