Master of Arts in Statecraft and National Security Affairs

52 Credit Hours
Two years to complete with full-time student status

This degree is designed for students currently in the national security community or for those who wish to enter this career field. It provides a comprehensive study of the theory and practice of 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.

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. 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.

Students in this program 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 the degree in five calendar years or less. 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.

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Requirements

CORE CURRICULUM
(36 credits required; all courses are four credits unless noted otherwise)

Core Courses (all required)

• IWP 615 Western Moral Tradition and World Politics
• IWP 620 Contemporary Politics and Diplomacy 
• IWP 627 International Relations, Statecraft and Integrated Strategy
• IWP 634 Geography and Strategy (2 credits)
• IWP 642 Economics for Foreign Policy Makers (2 credits)

Course in Political Philosophy (one of the following is required)

• IWP 606 Ideas and Values in International Politics
• IWP 608 American Founding Principles and Foreign Policy

Courses in Statecraft (four of the following are needed; one of the four taken must be 601)

• IWP 601 National Security Policy Process (REQUIRED)
• IWP 605 Intelligence and Policy
• IWP 609 Economic Statecraft and Conflict
• IWP 625 Peace, Strategy and Conflict Resolution 
• IWP 628 Military Strategy: Theory and Practice
• IWP 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions and Policy OR IWP 637 Public Diplomacy and Strategic Influence
• IWP 635 History of American Foreign Policy
• IWP 636 The Art of Diplomacy

In addition to the Core Curriculum, students in this degree program must also select one of the following four specializations:

SPECIALIZATION in HOMELAND SECURITY
(16 credits needed; all courses are four credits unless noted otherwise)

Required Course

• IWP 664 Foundations of Homeland Security

SPECIALIZATION in INTELLIGENCE
(16 credits needed; all courses are four credits unless noted otherwise)

Required Courses

• IWP 605 Intelligence and Policy If this course is taken as one of the four required courses in Statecraft, then another Intelligence elective may be chosen.
• IWP 610 Counterintelligence in a Democratic Society
• IWP 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions and Policy OR IWP 637 Public Diplomacy and Strategic Influence OR IWP 641 Political Warfare: Past, Present and Future If 631 or 637 is taken as one of the four required courses in Statecraft, then another Intelligence elective may be chosen. 

Elective Courses (Choose courses for a total of 4 credits)

• IWP 612 American Intelligence and Protective Security: An Advanced Seminar
• IWP 618 Information Operations and Information Warfare
• IWP 622 Comparative Intelligence Systems: Foreign Intelligence & Security Cultures
• IWP 632 U.S. Intelligence in the Cold War and Beyond
• IWP 640 Cultural Intelligence for Strategy and Analysis 
• IWP 637 Public Diplomacy and Strategic Influence OR IWP 641 Political Warfare: Past, Present, and Future If 637 or 641 is taken as a required course for this specialization, or if IWP 637 is taken as one of the four required courses in Statecraft, it cannot also count as the elective.
• IWP 644 Spies, Subversion, Terrorism, and Influence Operations
• IWP 647 Case Studies in Counterintelligence Operations
• IWP 648 Military Intelligence and Modern Warfare
• IWP 650 Writing for National Security Professionals (2 credits)
• IWP 652 Estimative Intelligence Analysis and Epistemology
• IWP 654 History of FBI Counterintelligence
• IWP 655 Technology, Intelligence, Security and Statecraft
• IWP 656 Intelligence Collection
• IWP 659 Enemy Threat Doctrine of Global Jihadism
• IWP 662 Surprise, Warning, and Deception
• IWP 663 Cyber Statecraft (2 credits)
• IWP 667 Forecasting and Political Risk Analysis
• IWP 668 The Role and Importance of Human Intelligence
• IWP 676 A Counterintelligence Challenge: The Enigmas and Benefits of Defectors
• IWP 678 Covert Action and National Security
• IWP 681 Intelligence and the Law
• IWP 682 International Organizations and Multilateral Diplomacy (2 credits)
• IWP 683 Violent Non-State Actors in Today’s Security Environment (2 credits)
• IWP 684 Nuclear Deterrence and Arms Control (2 credits)
• IWP 686 Terrorist Advocacy and Propaganda (2 credits)
• IWP 691 Cyber Strategy Development (2 credits)
• IWP 692 Cyber Terrorism and Intelligence (2 credits)

SPECIALIZATION in NATIONAL SECURITY AND DEFENSE STUDIES
(16 credits needed; all courses are four credits unless noted otherwise)

Required Courses

• IWP 616 U.S. National Security Strategy and Emerging Threats
• IWP 679 Defense Strategy, Planning and Budgeting
• An area study course (choose one)
  • IWP 603 Russian Politics and Foreign Policy
  • IWP 604 Islam and Geopolitics in Eurasia
  • IWP 623 U.S.-Latin American Relations: Threats and Opportunities
  • IWP 630 Chinese Grand Strategy: Foreign and Military Policy
  • IWP 639 U.S.-African Relations
  • IWP 645 Islam in Contemporary Global Politics
  • IWP 653 The Contemporary Balkans
  • IWP 658 Contemporary Conflict in the Greater Middle East
  • IWP 671 The United States and China in Power Transition: Geography, History and Ideology
  • IWP 677 Chinese Military Thought and History
  • IWP 680 Modern China
  • IWP 685 The Turks and MENA in History and Today
  • IWP 689 North Korea and the Geopolitics of Northeast Asia

Elective Courses (Choose courses for a total of 4 credits)

• IWP 605 Intelligence and Policy
• IWP 607 U.S. Nonproliferation and Nuclear Policy
• IWP 609 Economic Statecraft and Conflict
• IWP 611 Immigration and National Security
• IWP 618 Information Operations and Information Warfare
• IWP 628 Military Strategy: Theory and Practice
• IWP 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions, and Policy
• IWP 633 Terrorism
• IWP 637 Public Diplomacy and Strategic Influence OR IWP 641 Political Warfare: Past, Present, and Future 
• IWP 648 Military Intelligence and Modern Warfare
• IWP 650 Writing for National Security Professionals (2 credits)
• IWP 657 U.S. Approaches to Irregular Warfare (2 credits)
• IWP 659 Enemy Threat Doctrine of Global Jihadism
• IWP 663 Cyber Statecraft (2 credits)
• IWP 664 Foundations of Homeland Security
• IWP 669 Counterterrorism and the Democracies
• IWP 670 Counterterrorism through Cultural Engagement and Development
• IWP 672 Crisis Management and Decisionmaking
• IWP 678 Covert Action and National Security
• IWP 682 International Organizations and Multilateral Diplomacy (2 credits)
• IWP 683 Violent Non-State Actors in Today’s Security Environment (2 credits)
• IWP 684 Nuclear Deterrence and Arms Control (2 credits)
• IWP 686 Terrorist Advocacy and Propaganda (2 credits)
• IWP 687 U.S. Bilateral Security Agreements (2 credits)
• IWP 691 Cyber Strategy Development (2 credits)
• IWP 692 Cyber Terrorism and Intelligence (2 credits)

SPECIALIZATION in PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND STRATEGIC INFLUENCE 
(16 credits needed; all courses are four credits unless noted otherwise)

Required Courses

• IWP 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions and Policy
• IWP 637 Public Diplomacy and Strategic Influence
• An area-study course (Choose one)
  • IWP 603 Russian Politics and Foreign Policy
  • IWP 604 Islam and Geopolitics in Eurasia
  • IWP 623 U.S.-Latin American Relations: Threats and Opportunities
  • IWP 630 Chinese Grand Strategy: Foreign and Military Policy
  • IWP 639 U.S.-African Relations
  • IWP 645 Islam in Contemporary Global Politics
  • IWP 653 The Contemporary Balkans
  • IWP 658 Contemporary Conflict in the Greater Middle East
  • IWP 671 The United States and China in Power Transition: Geography, History and Ideology
  • IWP 677 Chinese Military Thought and History
  • IWP 680 Modern China
  • IWP 685 The Turks and MENA in History and Today
  • IWP 689 North Korea and the Geopolitics of Northeast Asia

Elective Courses (Choose courses for a total of 4 credits)

• IWP 606 Ideas and Values in International Politics
• IWP 618 Information Operations and Information Warfare
• IWP 621 Stabilization and Nation-Building: History and Policy
• IWP 640 Cultural Intelligence for Strategy and Analysis
• IWP 641 Political Warfare: Past, Present, and Future
• IWP 650 Writing for National Security Professionals (2 credits)
• IWP 670 Counterterrorism through Cultural Engagement and Development
• IWP 673 Human Rights and Counter-Radicalization
• IWP 678 Covert Action and National Security
• IWP 682 International Organizations and Multilateral Diplomacy (2 credits)
• IWP 683 Violent Non-State Actors in Today’s Security Environment (2 credits)
• IWP 684 Nuclear Deterrence and Arms Control (2 credits)
• IWP 686 Terrorist Advocacy and Propaganda (2 credits)
• IWP 901/902 Directed Study in Public Diplomacy or in Political Warfare

REGIONAL STUDIES SPECIALIZATION
(16 credits needed)

Students may select one of three regional specializations: Asia, Europe, or the Middle East.

Asia (16 credits are are required.)

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of basic terms, concepts, history, theories, and geography related to national security policy, process and implementation.
2. Students will demonstrate the ability to integrate military strategy, the diplomatic art, economic strategy, intelligence, counterintelligence, public diplomacy, and strategic influence into a coherent whole.
3. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the statecraft of the U.S. and foreign powers.
4. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the main ideological currents of the modern era and their impact on US and foreign behavior.
5. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the principles of the American founding and their relevance to U.S. national security and foreign policy.
6. Students will demonstrate a knowledge and appreciation of the Western moral tradition and its applicability to national security and foreign policy, including the ethical conduct of statecraft and the ingredients of moral leadership such as the development and exercise of personal and civic virtues.
7. Students will demonstrate the ability to assess arguments, identify logical flaws, and obtain supporting or corrective information.
8. Students will demonstrate the use of clear, effective and persuasive written communications.
9. Students will demonstrate the use of clear, effective, and persuasive oral communication.

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