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. For the M.A. in Strategic Intelligence Studies, 54 credit hours are required (i.e., 16 credit hours in the Core Curriculum, 22 credit hours in Intelligence and Statecraft, and 16 credit hours in a specialization). For the other degrees, 52 credit hours are required (i.e., 36 credit hours in the Core Curriculum and 16 in a specialization). 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 components:
1) The study of all of the elements of statecraft, including: national security strategy, the arts of war, peacemaking and diplomacy; public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy; psychological strategy and political action; economic strategy; intelligence and counterintelligence; and the exercise of intangible instruments of power such as moral leadership, will power, courage, rhetoric, etc.
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, many of which are frequently ignored, 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 that the United States is likely to encounter in the world.
3) The review of fundamental principles of the American political culture, including a review of: democratic republicanism, limited government, individual rights, private property, the rule of law, and morally-ordered political and economic liberty.
(4) The study of Western moral tradition and the application of ethi cs to policy.
(5) The study of economics, including economic statecraft and 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.
Download the Institute's 2009-2010 Catalog and Student Handbook
M.A. CORE CURRICULUM (for Statecraft and National Security Affairs and Statecraft and International Affairs only)
Core Courses
Economics for Foreign Policy Makers Required
Geography and Strategy Required
American Founding Principles and Foreign Policy Required
International Relations, Statecraft and Integrated Strategy Required
Western Moral Tradition and American Foreign Policy Required
Advanced Writing and Research Seminar Required
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.
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.
