| | Master of Arts in National Security Studies | |
The Master of Arts in National Security Studies provides professional, graduate-level academic education in national and international security issues. In the program's required and core courses, students obtain substantive knowledge and analytic skills required by all professionals in the security community. Through the general program or specialized concentrations, students can focus on contemporary transtate and regional security issues and in further developing their analytic skills. Student learning is greatly enhanced by the diversity of program professors with strong professional and academic backgrounds in security studies and through opportunities to interact in the online classroom with military and civilian students from across the national and international security community. The Master of Arts in National Security Studies prepares students for mid and senior level positions in national and international security policy, security and intelligence analysis, and related fields. Graduates of the program can be found across the national and international security community as civilian and military policy-makers, action-officers, analysts, instructors, and consultants. The program is an excellent substitute for military or civilian personnel unable to attend a staff or war college, but who require a strong background in the substantive knowledge and analytic skills required of security specialists. The program is also excellent preparation for those who will eventually attend a staff or war college as it incorporates instruction in advanced security analysis not normally taught in senior military schools. Degree Program Objectives
In addition to the institutional and degree level outcome objectives, the Master of Arts in National Security Studies seeks the following specific learning outcomes of its graduates. Graduates in this degree program will be able to: - Appraise classic and contemporary theories, strategies, doctrines, and procedures related to the causes, conduct, and termination of armed conflict and the maintenance of peace.
- Assess and predict traditional and non-traditional threats to national and international security.
- Compare the structures, functions, capabilities, and activities of national and international security community members.
- Conduct advanced research and compose professional and academic analyses on issues critical to national and international security.
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Degree Program Requirements
| Core Courses (18 semester hours) | | | | | - RC508 / NSEC500 - Research Methods in Security and Intelligence Studies
- NS503 / NSEC501 - Institutions of National Security
- NS505 / NSEC502 - Concepts of National Security
- NS500 / NSEC503 U.S. National Security
- NS504 / NSEC504 - International Security
- NS508 / NSEC505 - Foreign Policy and Security Analysis
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| Major Courses (9 semester hours) | | | | | All National Security Studies students must complete three courses within the major. Students enrolled in a general program must take three courses from the General Program list. Students enrolled in a concentration must choose three courses from within the concentration list. General Program - for students who do not wish to seek a concentration.
(select 9 semester hours) - CR506 / CMRJ506 - International Crime
- LC524 / CMRJ526 - Drug Cartels and the Narcotics Threat
- NS610 / INTL604 - Interagency Operations
- OC503 / INTL630 - Security and Intelligence Data Analysis
- IN527 / INTL640 - Intelligence and National Security
- LC514 / INTL651 - Roots of Terrorism
- NS510 / HLSS501 - Homeland Defense
- LW574 / MILS560 - Joint Warfare Theory and Practice
- LW620 / MILS561 - Joint Warfare Planning and Implementation
- NS620 / NSEC610 - National Security and Globalization
- NS525 / NSEC611 - Covert Action and National Security
- NS630 / NSEC612 - National Security and Diplomacy
- NS690 / NSEC690 - Independent Study in National Security Studies
Concentration in Asian Studies
Concentration Objective
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to appraise the contemporary threats to Asian security; and the organizations, capabilities, and activities of regional and international security organizations in Asia. |
Concentration Requirements (9 semester hours) - LC517 / MILS672 - Counterinsurgency in Asia
- NS541 / HIST672 - History and Culture of Southeast Asia
- NS546 / IRLS631 - Government and Security in Korea
- GE531 / RELS531 - Buddhism
- GE534 / RELS532 - Hinduism
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Concentration in Conflict Analysis and Resolution
Concentration Objective
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to appraise the methods used for internal and international conflict analysis and strategies available to restore peace. |
Concentration Requirements (9 semester hours) - PS542 / IRLS611 - Conflict Analysis and Resolution: Theory and Practice (required in this concentration)
(select 6 semester hours) - PS540 / IRLS610 - Foundations of Peace
- PS544 / IRLS612 - Factors of Peace
- PS543 / IRLS613 - International Negotiation
- DM579 / IRLS614 - International Civil Order
- LC533 / IRLS615 - Peacekeeping: Structure and Process
- NS630 / NSEC612 - National Security and Diplomacy
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Concentration in Homeland Security
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to appraise the contemporary threats to the US Homeland; and the organizations, capabilities, and activities of the US homeland defense community. |
Concentration Requirements (9 semester hours) - NS510 / HLSS501 - Homeland Defense (required in this concentration)
(select 6 semester hours) - LC535 / HLSS522 - Weapons of Mass Destruction and the New Terrorism
- LC522 / HLSS523 - Domestic Terrorism and Extremist Groups
- NS610 / INTL604 - Interagency Operations
- IN547 / INTL613 - Intelligence and Homeland Security
- LC537 / INTL654 - Forecasting Terrorism
- IN544 / INTL655 - Intelligence and Weapons of Mass Destruction
- DM645 / HLSS645 - Port Security
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Concentration in Middle Eastern Studies
Concentration Objective
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to appraise the contemporary threats to Middle Eastern security; and the organizations, capabilities, and activities of regional and international security organizations in the Middle East. |
Concentration Requirements (9 semester hours)
(select 9 semester hours) - IN512 / INTL660 - Middle East Intelligence Issues
- NS553 / IRLS661 - Politics and Security in the Persian Gulf
- NS551 / IRLS662 - Middle Eastern Culture
- NS552 / IRLS663 - Islam
- MS670 / MILH667 - Arab-Israeli Conflict: Contemporary Politics/Diplomacy
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Concentration in Security and Intelligence Analysis
Concentration Objective
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to apply advanced security and intelligence analysis methods in composing professional and academic analyses on issues critical to national and international security. |
Concentration Requirements (9 semester hours) - IN520 / INTL503 - Analytic Methods / Intelligence Analysis (required in this concentration)
- OC503 / INTL630 - Security and Intelligence Data Analysis (required in this concentration)
(select 3 semester hours) - IN635 / INTL632 - Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Analysis I
- IN636 / INTL633 - Georgraphic Information Systems and Spatial Analysis II
- IN517 / INTL634 - Threat Analysis
- IN529 / INTL636 - Regional Threat Analysis
- IN528 / INTL637 - Intelligence Profiling
- LC537 / INTL654 - Forecasting Terrorism
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Concentration in Terrorism Studies
Concentration Objective
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to appraise the causes of and threats from domestic and international terrorism; and the organizations, capabilities, and activities of the international security community in the Global War on Terrorism. |
Concentration Requirements (9 semester hours)
(select 9 semester hours) - LC535 / HLSS522 - Weapons of Mass Destruction and the New Terrorism
- LC522 / HLSS523 - Domestic Terrorism and Extremist Groups
- IN585 / INTL614 - Assassination: History, Theory, and Practice
- LC514 / INTL651 - Roots of Terrorism
- LC537 / INTL654 - Forecasting Terrorism
- IN525 / INTL650 - Counterterrorism
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| Graduate Electives (select 9 semester hours) | | | | | From courses not taken to fulfill the core and major requirements of the National Security Studies program. | | | | |
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| End of Program Requirement - Select either Comprehensive Exam OR Capstone | | | | | - NS700 / NSEC698 - Separate Comprehensive Examination [0 semester hours] - Taken once all other degree requirements have been met.
- NS701 / NSEC699 - Master’s Capstone Seminar in Security [3 semester hours] - The Capstone Seminar will satisfy an Elective requirement.
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Total Hours: 36 semester hours |
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