Program Overview

This program is designed to provide students the ability to explore and combine aspects of the theoretical foundations of national security, intelligence, international affairs/politics and develop competency across a broad range of methodologies supporting national security concepts. It will develop in students a working knowledge of the most prominent features of the global security construct with an emphasis on the United States’ national security enterprise and key global states, concerns, and concepts. The program will examine the components of national security as it ranges from security policy development process, operations, the legal authorities that support and constrain both of these, the politics and international affairs that drive the process and the intelligence that informs the decision-makers. The program will have an international focus and will encourage study abroad. Graduates of this program will be leading candidates for future employment or continued education.

Program Outcomes:

• Develop a working knowledge of the most prominent features of the global national security construct with an emphasis on the United States’ (U.S.) national security enterprise.
• Convey key security studies concepts, along with the language, logic and legal foundations of national security with an emphasis on the U.S. program and key individual actors within it.
• Apply, using qualitative and/or quantitative methods, knowledge of DIME-FIL approaches and Objective/Ends, Ways, Means, and Risks approaches to historical and current national security issues.
• Create, using qualitative and/or quantitative methods, a research design paper, a policy analysis brief, or a national security brief about the implementation of national security policy and practices.
• Conceptualize potential solutions to contemporary problems and anticipate future national security challenges and threats.