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; all courses are four credits unless noted otherwise)
Core Courses (all required)
- 606 Ideas and Values in International Politics (2 credits)
- 608 Sources of American Political Thought (2 credits)
- 615 Western Moral and Political Thought (2 credits)
- 620 Contemporary Politics and Diplomacy
- 627 International Relations, Statecraft and Integrated Strategy
- 634 Geography and Strategy (2 credits)
- 642 Economics for Foreign Policy Makers (2 credits)
- 6xx Capstone course (2 credits) Under development
NOTE: These Core Courses are currently provisional but all new Fall 2020 MA students should expect to follow this plan. All returning MA students are exempted and may follow the prior 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)
- 601 National Security Policy Process (REQUIRED)
- 605 Intelligence and Policy
- 609 Economic Statecraft and Conflict
- 625 Peace, Strategy and Conflict Resolution
- 628 Military Strategy: Theory and Practice
- 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions and Policy OR 637 Public Diplomacy and Strategic Influence
- 635 History of American Foreign Policy
- 636 The Art of Diplomacy
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; all courses are four credits unless noted otherwise)
Required Course
- 610 Counterintelligence in a Democratic Society
- 611 Immigration and National Security
- 612 American Intelligence and Protective Security: An Advanced Seminar
- 616 U.S. National Security Strategy and Emerging Threats
- 650 Writing for National Security Professionals (2 credits)
- 663 Cyber Statecraft (2 credits)
- 669 Counterterrorism and the Democracies
- 682 International Organizations and Multilateral Diplomacy (2 credits)
- 683 Violent Non-State Actors in Today’s Security Environment (2 credits)
- 684 Nuclear Deterrence and Arms Control (2 credits)
- 686 Terrorist Advocacy and Propaganda (2 credits)
- 691 Cyber Strategy Development (2 credits)
- 692 Cyber Terrorism and Intelligence (2 credits)
SPECIALIZATION in INTELLIGENCE
(16 credits needed; all courses are four credits unless noted otherwise)
Required Courses
- 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.
- 610 Counterintelligence in a Democratic Society
- 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions and Policy OR 637 Public Diplomacy and Strategic Influence OR 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)
- 612 American Intelligence and Protective Security: An Advanced Seminar
- 618 Information Operations and Information Warfare
- 622 Comparative Intelligence Systems: Foreign Intelligence & Security Cultures (2 credits)
- 632 U.S. Intelligence in the Cold War and Beyond
- 640 Cultural Intelligence for Strategy and Analysis
- 637 Public Diplomacy and Strategic Influence OR 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.
- 644 Spies, Subversion, Terrorism, and Influence Operations
- 647 Case Studies in Counterintelligence Operations
- 648 Military Intelligence and Modern Warfare
- 650 Writing for National Security Professionals (2 credits)
- 652 Estimative Intelligence Analysis and Epistemology
- 654 History of FBI Counterintelligence
- 655 Technology, Intelligence, Security and Statecraft
- 656 Intelligence Collection
- 659 Enemy Threat Doctrine of Global Jihadism
- 662 Surprise, Warning, and Deception (2 credits)
- 663 Cyber Statecraft (2 credits)
- 667 Forecasting and Political Risk Analysis
- 668 The Role and Importance of Human Intelligence
- 676 A Counterintelligence Challenge: The Enigmas and Benefits of Defectors
- 678 Covert Action and National Security
- 681 Intelligence and the Law
- 682 International Organizations and Multilateral Diplomacy (2 credits)
- 683 Violent Non-State Actors in Today’s Security Environment (2 credits)
- 684 Nuclear Deterrence and Arms Control (2 credits)
- 686 Terrorist Advocacy and Propaganda (2 credits)
- 691 Cyber Strategy Development (2 credits)
- 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
- 616 U.S. National Security Strategy and Emerging Threats
- 679 Defense Strategy, Planning and Budgeting
- An area study course (choose one)
- 603 Russian Politics and Foreign Policy
- 604 Islam and Geopolitics in Eurasia
- 623 U.S.-Latin American Relations: Threats and Opportunities
- 630 Chinese Grand Strategy: Foreign and Military Policy
- 639 U.S.-African Relations
- 645 Islam in Contemporary Global Politics
- 653 The Contemporary Balkans
- 658 Contemporary Conflict in the Greater Middle East
- 671 The United States and China in Power Transition: Geography, History and Ideology
- 677 Chinese Military Thought and History
- 680 Modern China
- 685 The Turks and MENA in History and Today
- 689 North Korea and the Geopolitics of Northeast Asia
- 693A/B: The European Union
- 694A/B: Intermarium: Politics and History of Central and Eastern Europe
Elective Courses (Choose courses for a total of 4 credits)
- 605 Intelligence and Policy
- 607 U.S. Nonproliferation and Nuclear Policy
- 609 Economic Statecraft and Conflict
- 611 Immigration and National Security
- 618 Information Operations and Information Warfare
- 628 Military Strategy: Theory and Practice
- 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions, and Policy
- 633 Terrorism (2 credits)
- 637 Public Diplomacy and Strategic Influence OR 641 Political Warfare: Past, Present, and Future
- 648 Military Intelligence and Modern Warfare
- 650 Writing for National Security Professionals (2 credits)
- 657 U.S. Approaches to Irregular Warfare (2 credits)
- 659 Enemy Threat Doctrine of Global Jihadism
- 663 Cyber Statecraft (2 credits)
- 664 Foundations of Homeland Security
- 669 Counterterrorism and the Democracies
- 670 Counterterrorism through Cultural Engagement and Development
- 672 Crisis Management and Decisionmaking
- 678 Covert Action and National Security
- 682 International Organizations and Multilateral Diplomacy (2 credits)
- 683 Violent Non-State Actors in Today’s Security Environment (2 credits)
- 684 Nuclear Deterrence and Arms Control (2 credits)
- 686 Terrorist Advocacy and Propaganda (2 credits)
- 687 U.S. Bilateral Security Agreements (2 credits)
- 691 Cyber Strategy Development (2 credits)
- 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
- 631 Foreign Propaganda, Perceptions and Policy
- 637 Public Diplomacy and Strategic Influence
- An area-study course (Choose one)
- 603 Russian Politics and Foreign Policy
- 604 Islam and Geopolitics in Eurasia
- 623 U.S.-Latin American Relations: Threats and Opportunities
- 630 Chinese Grand Strategy: Foreign and Military Policy
- 639 U.S.-African Relations
- 645 Islam in Contemporary Global Politics
- 653 The Contemporary Balkans
- 658 Contemporary Conflict in the Greater Middle East
- 671 The United States and China in Power Transition: Geography, History and Ideology
- 677 Chinese Military Thought and History
- 680 Modern China
- 685 The Turks and MENA in History and Today
- 689 North Korea and the Geopolitics of Northeast Asia
- 693A/B: The European Union
- 694A/B: Intermarium: Politics and History of Central and Eastern Europe
Elective Courses (Choose courses for a total of 4 credits)
- 606 Ideas and Values in International Politics (2 credits)
- 618 Information Operations and Information Warfare
- 621 Stabilization and Nation-Building: History and Policy
- 640 Cultural Intelligence for Strategy and Analysis
- 641 Political Warfare: Past, Present, and Future
- 650 Writing for National Security Professionals (2 credits)
- 670 Counterterrorism through Cultural Engagement and Development
- 673 Human Rights and Counter-Radicalization
- 678 Covert Action and National Security
- 682 International Organizations and Multilateral Diplomacy (2 credits)
- 683 Violent Non-State Actors in Today’s Security Environment (2 credits)
- 684 Nuclear Deterrence and Arms Control (2 credits)
- 686 Terrorist Advocacy and Propaganda (2 credits)
- 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.)
- 630: Chinese Grand Strategy: Foreign and Military Policy
- 671: The United States and China in Power Transition: Geography, History and Ideology
- 677: Chinese Military Thought and History
- 680: Modern China
- 689: North Korea and the Geopolitics of Northeast Asia
Europe (All courses below are required.)
- 603: Russian Politics and Foreign Policy
- 604: Islam and Geopolitics in Eurasia
- 693A/B: The European Union
- 694A/B: Intermarium: Politics and History of Central and Eastern Europe
Middle East (Please choose courses equaling 16 credits. If you take IWP 688, you may reach 16 credits by taking a 2 credit directed study.)
Program Learning Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of basic terms, concepts, history, theories, and geography related to national security policy, process and implementation.
- 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.
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the statecraft of the U.S. and foreign powers.
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the main ideological currents of the modern era and their impact on US and foreign behavior.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the principles of the American founding and their relevance to U.S. national security and foreign policy.
- 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.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to assess arguments, identify logical flaws, and obtain supporting or corrective information.
- Students will demonstrate the use of clear, effective and persuasive written communications.
- Students will demonstrate the use of clear, effective, and persuasive oral communication.
Perspectives from Alumni
“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.” |
“All of the classes I took at IWP help with my work.” |
“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.” |
“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.” |
“My only regret is not finding IWP sooner.” |