Master's Degree Program
The Institute currently offers three Master's degrees: M.A. in Statecraft and National Security Affairs, M.A. in Statecraft and International Affairs, and M.A. in Strategic Intelligence Studies.
These are professional degrees designed for students who intend to pursue a career in the intelligence, national security, or international affairs fields. Students may be enrolled full-time (9 or more credit hours per semester) or part-time (less than 9 credit hours per semester), but must complete either degree in five calendar years or less. All three degrees require 52 credit hours of coursework. After successful completion of all coursework, each student will be required to pass a one-hour oral examination and a three-hour written comprehensive examination.
The Institute's curriculum has six major components:
1. The study of all of the elements of statecraft, including: the arts of war, peacemaking, and diplomacy; public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy; psychological strategy and political action; economic strategy; intelligence and counterintelligence; the exercise of intangible instruments of power such as moral leadership, will-power, courage, rhetoric, etc.; and the integration of such elements into overall national strategy.
2. The study of diplomatic history, salient elements of comparative political culture, ideology and religion, the practices of foreign powers, and developments that affect the security interests of the United States. This component focuses on the often-neglected role and consequences of ideas in international politics. It also includes the study of unpleasant realities of international affairs, such as: treaty violations; massive violations of human rights; terrorism; disinformation, strategic deception, and psychological warfare; economic warfare; espionage; and other instruments employed by authoritarian regimes, terrorist groups, and transnational movements that the United States is likely to encounter in the world.
3. The review of fundamental principles of American political philosophy, including: democratic republicanism, limited government, individual rights, private property, the rule of law, and morally-ordered political/economic liberty.
4. The study of the Western moral tradition and the application of ethics to policymaking and the use of power.
5. The study of economics, including economic statecraft and the salient elements of economic theory and history necessary for those working in the defense, intelligence, and foreign affairs communities.
6. Character-building education that encourages those who pursue public service to cultivate those qualities necessary for statesmanship and moral leadership.
Click here to download the 2010-11 Catalog and Student Handbook.
Areas of Specialization
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.
Master of Arts in Statecraft and International Affairs
The M.A. in Statecraft and International Affairs is designed for students who wish to focus on a broad understanding of the current world order, its history and trends, the theoretical and policy issues affected by international politics and culture, and the ideas and values that influence the behavior of state and non-state actors.
Master of Arts in Strategic Intelligence Studies
This degree is designed for students who seek careers in the intelligence field, as well as professionals whose agencies or clientele are charged with the acquisition and interpretation of intelligence. It features courses in fundamental intelligence disciplines, such as analysis and epistemology, intelligence collection, and deception. The program equips the student with all of the requisite tools and knowledge, required and anticipated, that are necessary for professional success in the field.
John J. Tierney, Jr.