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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I chose IWP because it offered what no other school did – an education in all the tools of statecraft. What I did not realize at the time was how well it would prepare me for my career in the FBI.

—John Russo (’06), Recipient of the “Director’s Award for Excellence” from the FBI

Requirements

CORE CURRICULUM

(36 credits required)

Core Courses

(all required)

• IWP 606 Ideas and Values in International Politics (2 credits)
• IWP 608 Sources of American Political Thought (2 credits)
• IWP 615 Western Moral and Political Thought (2 credits)
• IWP 620 Contemporary Politics and Diplomacy (4 credits)
• IWP 627 International Relations, Statecraft and Integrated Strategy (4 credits)
• IWP 634 Geography and Strategy (2 credits)
• IWP 642 Economics for Foreign Policy Makers (2 credits)
• IWP 799 Capstone course (2 credits)

NOTE: All MA students admitted prior to Fall 2020 are exempted and may follow the previous curriculum. Please contact the Office of Student Affairs if you have any questions (jjohnsrud@iwp.edu).

Courses in Statecraft

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

• IWP 601 National Security Policy Process (4 credits) (REQUIRED)
• IWP 605 Intelligence and Policy (4 credits)
• IWP 609 Economic Statecraft and Conflict (4 credits)
• IWP 625 Peace, Strategy and Conflict Resolution (4 credits)
• IWP 628 Military Strategy: Theory and Practice (4 credits)
• IWP 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions and Policy (4 credits) OR IWP 637 Public Diplomacy (4 credits)
• IWP 635 History of American Foreign Policy (4 credits)
• IWP 636 The Art of Diplomacy (4 credits)

Specializations

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

SPECIALIZATION in HOMELAND SECURITY

(16 credits needed)

Required Course

• IWP 664 Foundations of Homeland Security (4 credits)

Elective Courses

(Choose courses for a total of 12 credits)

• IWP 610 Counterintelligence in a Democratic Society (4 credits)
• IWP 616 U.S. National Security Strategy and Emerging Threats (4 credits)
• IWP 650 Writing for National Security Professionals (2 credits)
• IWP 663 Cyber Statecraft (2 credits)
• IWP 669 Counterterrorism and the Democracies (4 credits)
• IWP 682 International Organizations and Multilateral Diplomacy (2 credits)
• IWP 683 Violent Non-State Actors in Today’s Security Environment (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)
• IWP 695 American Domestic Terrorism in the Modern Era (2 credits)

SPECIALIZATION in INTELLIGENCE

(16 credits needed)

Required Courses

• IWP 605 Intelligence and Policy (4 credits) 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 (4 credits)
• IWP 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions and Policy (4 credits) OR IWP 637 Public Diplomacy (4 credits) OR IWP 641 Political Warfare: Past, Present and Future (4 credits) If IWP 631 or IWP 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 622 Comparative Intelligence Systems: Foreign Intelligence & Security Cultures (2 credits)
• IWP 632 U.S. Intelligence in the Cold War and Beyond (4 credits)
• IWP 640 Cultural Intelligence for Strategy and Analysis (4 credits)
• IWP 637 Public Diplomacy (4 credits) OR IWP 641 Political Warfare: Past, Present, and Future (4 credits)
  If IWP 637 or IWP 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 (4 credits)
• IWP 647 Case Studies in Counterintelligence Operations (4 credits)
• IWP 650 Writing for National Security Professionals (2 credits)
• IWP 652 Estimative Intelligence Analysis and Epistemology (4 credits)
• IWP 654 History of FBI Counterintelligence (4 credits)
• IWP 656 Intelligence Collection (4 credits)
• IWP 659 Enemy Threat Doctrine of Global Jihadism (4 credits)
• IWP 662 Surprise, Warning, and Deception (2 credits)
• IWP 663 Cyber Statecraft (2 credits)
• IWP 667 Forecasting and Political Risk Analysis (4 credits)
• IWP 668 Espionage (4 credits)
• IWP 676 A Counterintelligence Challenge: The Enigmas and Benefits of Defectors (4 credits)
• IWP 678 Covert Action and National Security (4 credits)
• IWP 681 Intelligence and the Law (4 credits)
• IWP 682 International Organizations and Multilateral Diplomacy (2 credits)
• IWP 683 Violent Non-State Actors in Today’s Security Environment (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)
• IWP 701 Geospatial Intelligence (2 credits)
• IWP 703 The Theory and Practice of North Korea Espionage (2 credits)

SPECIALIZATION in NATIONAL SECURITY AND DEFENSE STUDIES

(16 credits needed)

Required Courses

• IWP 616 U.S. National Security Strategy and Emerging Threats (4 credits)
• IWP 679 Defense Strategy, Planning and Budgeting (4 credits)
• An area study course (choose one)
  • IWP 603 Russian Politics and Foreign Policy (4 credits)
  • IWP 639 U.S.-African Relations (4 credits)
  • IWP 645 Islam in Contemporary Global Politics (4 credits)
  • IWP 658 Contemporary Conflict in the Greater Middle East (4 credits)
  • IWP 671 The United States and China in Power Transition: Geography, History and Ideology (4 credits)
  • IWP 685 The Turks: Relations with the MENA, Europe and America, Then and Now (4 credits)
  • IWP 689 North Korea and the Geopolitics of Northeast Asia (4 credits)
  • IWP 693A/B: The European Union (4 credits)
  • IWP 694A/B: Intermarium: Politics and History of Central and Eastern Europe (4 credits total)
  • IWP 703 The Theory and Practice of North Korea Espionage (2 credits) (If you choose this course, please take two additional credits of electives.)

Elective Courses

(Choose courses for a total of 4 credits)

• IWP 605 Intelligence and Policy (4 credits)
• IWP 609 Economic Statecraft and Conflict (4 credits)
• IWP 628 Military Strategy: Theory and Practice (4 credits)
• IWP 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions, and Policy (4 credits)
• IWP 637 Public Diplomacy (4 credits) OR IWP 641 Political Warfare: Past, Present, and Future (4 credits)
• 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 (4 credits)
• IWP 663 Cyber Statecraft (2 credits)
• IWP 669 Counterterrorism and the Democracies (4 credits)
• IWP 670 Counter-Terror through Full Spectrum Cultural Engagement (4 credits)
• IWP 672 Crisis Management and Decisionmaking (4 credits)
• IWP 678 Covert Action and National Security (4 credits)
• IWP 682 International Organizations and Multilateral Diplomacy (2 credits)
• IWP 683 Violent Non-State Actors in Today’s Security Environment (2 credits)
• IWP 686 Terrorist Advocacy and Propaganda (2 credits)
• IWP 687 U.S. Bilateral Security Agreements (2 credits)
• IWP 688 Energy Security and the New Geopolitics of Energy (4 credits)
• IWP 691 Cyber Strategy Development (2 credits)
• IWP 692 Cyber Terrorism and Intelligence (2 credits)
• IWP 695 American Domestic Terrorism in the Modern Era (2 credits)
• IWP 696 Diplomacy and War in the Ancient World (2 credits)
• IWP 698 The Rise and Fall of Athens (2 credits)
• IWP 705 Maritime Strategy in Great Power Competition (2 credits)

SPECIALIZATION IN PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND STRATEGIC INFLUENCE 

(16 credits needed)

Required Courses

• IWP 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions and Policy (4 credits)
• IWP 637 Public Diplomacy (4 credits)
• An area-study course (Choose one)
  • IWP 603 Russian Politics and Foreign Policy (4 credits)
  • IWP 639 U.S.-African Relations (4 credits)
  • IWP 645 Islam in Contemporary Global Politics (4 credits)
  • IWP 658 Contemporary Conflict in the Greater Middle East (4 credits)
  • IWP 671 The United States and China in Power Transition: Geography, History and Ideology (4 credits)
  • IWP 685 The Turks: Relations with the MENA, Europe and America, Then and Now (4 credits)
  • IWP 689 North Korea and the Geopolitics of Northeast Asia (4 credits)
  • IWP 693A/B: The European Union (4 credits)
  • IWP 694A/B: Intermarium: Politics and History of Central and Eastern Europe (4 credits total)

Elective Courses

(Choose courses for a total of 4 credits)

• IWP 606 Ideas and Values in International Politics (2 credits)
• IWP 640 Cultural Intelligence for Strategy and Analysis (4 credits)
• IWP 641 Political Warfare: Past, Present, and Future (4 credits)
• IWP 650 Writing for National Security Professionals (2 credits)
• IWP 670 Counter-Terror through Full Spectrum Cultural Engagement (4 credits)
• IWP 678 Covert Action and National Security (4 credits)
• IWP 682 International Organizations and Multilateral Diplomacy (2 credits)
• IWP 683 Violent Non-State Actors in Today’s Security Environment (2 credits)
• IWP 686 Terrorist Advocacy and Propaganda (2 credits)
• IWP 696 Diplomacy and War in the Ancient World (2 credits)
• IWP 698 The Rise and Fall of Athens (2 credits)
• IWP 901/902 Directed Study in Public Diplomacy or in Political Warfare (4 credits)

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.

Perspectives from Alumni of this Program

“What IWP has really helped me with is to get in the mind of what a policy maker or senior official has to deal with on a day to day basis. Knowing that you are able to tailor information so that they are able to do their jobs with the timely, accurate information they need to make informed decisions is indispensable.”
Moises Benhabib, (’15)
Special Assistant to the Executive Secretariat Staff within the Office of the Secretary of State
Meet Moises

“All of the classes I took at IWP help with my work.”
Karissa Brauer, (’13)
Intelligence Analyst with the U.S. Air Force
Meet Karissa

“So many of the professors are either current or former senior analysts or senior officials with DoD, intelligence agencies, and other parts of government… the professors were able to use their own careers to guide us.”
Caleb Crim (’16)
Senior Analyst Manager at Bulletin Intelligence
Meet Caleb

“Dr. Streusand’s Geography and Strategy and General Jajko’s Military Strategy courses both provided an opportunity to explore the Marine Corps’ operational and even strategic role as force projector throughout the world.”
Major Jeff Brewer, (’14)
USMC Intelligence Officer
Meet Jeff
Please note: These are Jeff’s personal views and do not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Department of Defense or U.S. Marine Corps. 

“My only regret is not finding IWP sooner.”
Kelly Zug (’19)

Contact an Admissions Officer

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