Website
Interim Dean
James J. Wirtz, Ph.D.
Naval Postgraduate School
Code 04, Herrmann Hall, Room 308
1 University Circle
Monterey, CA 93943
(831) 656-3781, DSN 756-3781, FAX (831) 656-1018
Associate Dean
Mark Huber, CAPT, USN
Code 04, Herrmann Hall, Room 307A
(831) 656-3782, DSN 756-3782, FAX (831) 656-1018
The School of International Graduate Studies includes:
Center for Homeland Defense and Security |
NS |
Department of National Security Affairs |
NS |
Defense Resource Management Institute |
DR |
Center for Civil-Military Relations |
CM |
Center for Contemporary Conflict |
NS |
Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies |
CM |
International Graduate Programs Office |
IGPO |
Overview
The School of International Graduate Studies (SIGS) conducts research and offers Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Security Studies. Its programs seek to identify and address current and emerging security challenges, and to strengthen multi-lateral and bilateral defense cooperation between the United States and other nations. SIGS offers innovative inter-disciplinary curricula, both in-residence and via distributed learning, in regional and international security studies, civil-military relations, defense resource management, and homeland security.
Programs Offered
Doctor of Philosophy in Security Studies
The Ph.D. in Security Studies awarded by the Department of National Security Affairs requires a minimum of two years of in-residence study beyond the Master's Degree.
Master of Arts in Security Studies (in-residence)
The Department of National Security Affairs offers Master of Arts degrees in a variety of regional and topical specialties within the field of Security Studies. MA programs require between twelve and eighteen months of in-residence study to complete.
Master of Arts in Security Studies (hybrid distributed learning)
The Department of National Security Affairs and the Center for Homeland Defense and Security offer a Master of Arts in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense), which may be obtained via a combination of web-based distance learning and brief periods of intense in-residence study.
Short Courses and Executive Education (in residence)
The Department of National Security Affairs, the Center for Civil-Military Relations, the Center for Homeland Defense and Security, and the Defense Resource Management Institute offer a variety of in-residence, non-degree short courses, ranging from one to four weeks length. Topics vary from year to year, and are chosen to provide senior leaders with a concise, academically-grounded understanding of matters of particular current importance.
Mobile Education Teams
Mobile education teams comprised of or led by SIGS faculty provide a wide range of off-site short courses, senior executive seminars, and lecture series, similar in character to our in-residence short courses. Such programs may be delivered overseas, at other locations in the United States, or afloat and in-country with deployed forces.
Website
Chairman
Harold Trinkunas, Ph.D.
Code NS, Glasgow Hall, Room 394
(831) 656-2863, DSN 756-2863, FAX (831) 656-2949
Donald Abenheim, Associate Professor (1985); Ph.D., Stanford University, 1985.
Anne Marie Baylouny, Assistant Professor (2003); Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, 2003.
Thomas C. Bruneau, Professor (1987); Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, 1970.
Mark Chakwin, COL, USA, Army FAO Chair (2008); M.A., Columbia University, 1992; MBA, Strayer University, 1998.
Anne L. Clunan, Assistant Professor (2002); Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, 2001.
Erik Dahl, CDR, USN (ret.), Assistant Professor (2008); Ph.D., Tufts University, 2008.
Timothy J. Doorey, CAPT, USN, Senior Intelligence Officer and Lecturer (2005); M.A., Naval War College, 2002; M.A., Naval Postgraduate School, 1986.
Sophal Ear, Assistant Professor (2007); Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, 2006.
Jeanne K. Giraldo, Visiting Instructor (1999); M.A., Harvard University, 1992.
Mohammed Hafez, Associate Professor (2008); Ph.D., London School of Economics, 2000.
Maiah Jaskoski, Assistant Professor (2008); Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, 2008.
Scott E. Jasper, CAPT, USN (ret.), Lecturer (2002); M.A., Naval War College, 1997; MBA, San Jose State University, 1988.
Abbas Kadhim, Assistant Professor (2005); Ph.D., University of California Berkeley, 2005.
S. Paul Kapur, Associate Professor (2008); Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1999.
Jeffrey W. Knopf, Associate Professor (2000); Ph.D., Stanford University, 1991.
Letitia Lawson, Visiting Assistant Professor (1996); Ph.D., University of California at Davis, 1995.
Ted Lewis, Professor (1993); Ph.D., Washington State University, 1971.
Robert Edward Looney, Professor (1979); Ph.D., University of California at Davis, 1969.
Michael Malley, Assistant Professor (2004); Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Jim McMullin, LCDR, USN, Program Officer (2008); MBA, Auburn University, 2002; M.A., Naval Postgraduate School, 2008.
Alice Lyman Miller, Senior Lecturer (1999); Ph.D., George Washington University, 1974.
James Clay Moltz, Associate Professor (2007); Ph.D., University of California Berkeley, 1989.
Daniel Moran, Professor (1994); Ph.D., Stanford University, 1982.
Edward Allan Olsen, Professor Emeritus (1980); Ph.D., American University, 1974.
Jessica Piombo, Assistant Professor (2003); Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002.
Douglas Porch, Professor (1996); Ph.D., Cambridge, 1972.
Maria Rasmussen, Associate Professor (1993); Ph.D., Yale University, 1990.
James Russell, Senior Lecturer; M.A. University of Pittsburgh, 1983
Zachary Shore, Associate Professor (2006); D.Phil., Oxford University, 1999.
Scott Siegel, Assistant Professor (2006); Ph.D., Cornell University, 2006.
Robert Springborg, Professor (2008); Ph.D., Stanford University, 1974.
Paul N. Stockton, Associate Professor (1990); Ph.D., Harvard University, 1986.
Harold A. Trinkunas, Associate Professor (1999); Ph.D., Stanford University, 1999.
Mikhail Tsypkin, Associate Professor (1987); Ph.D., Harvard University, 1985.
Christopher Twomey, Assistant Professor (2004); Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004.
Robert Weiner, Assistant Professor (2007), Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, 2003.
James J. Wirtz, Professor (1990); Ph.D., Columbia University, 1989.
David Scott Yost, Professor (1979); Ph.D., University of Southern California, 1976.
Brief Overview
The Department of National Security Affairs (NSA) specializes in the study and teaching of international relations, regional politics and security, international and military history, international political economy, and United States security policy. NSA brings together a faculty comprised of historians, political scientists, and economists, with students from all the U.S. armed forces, from various defense agencies, and officers and civilians from more than 60 countries around the world.
Requirements for Entry
Applicants for MA programs must have obtained a Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited academic institution. While NSA will accept applications from virtually all undergraduate major fields, admissions decisions will primarily be based on adequate performance in social science and humanities classes. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are not required for Navy and Marine Corps applicants, but Army and Air Force applicants must include scores from the GRE, taken within five years of the date of application. Ph.D. admissions requirements are described under curriculum 694, below.
International students whose native language, or language of prior instruction, was other than English, are required to have obtained a minimum score of 207 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Students with scores between 173 and 207 may be admitted on the understanding that they will undertake supplemental language training concurrent with their graduate study.
Degree
NSA offers Master of Arts and Ph.D. programs in Security Studies. Master of Arts degrees always entail concentration in a particular regional or topical specialty, which is noted as part of the degree.
Regional Security Studies
NSA Regional Security curricula meet the high standards set by the U.S. armed forces for Foreign Area Officer education. Students can specialize in the following four areas:
International Security Studies
NSA offers a number of degree programs focusing on topics or problems with broad application to international security generally:
Curricular Structure
All Master's degrees in the Department of National Security Affairs require that courses taken to satisfy relevant degree requirements must include a minimum of 16 hours of graded credit obtained in courses numbered 4000 or above. Degree candidates must also complete whatever courses, course sequences, electives, or other requirements are specified by their particular curriculum.
All NSA curricula share a common structure, which is designed to provide a firm foundation in the basics of security studies, along with in-depth exposure to a particular regional or topical specialty. This structure consists of five components, which vary slightly depending on whether or not a degree program requires a Master's Thesis.
1. Disciplinary core courses. All NSA students are expected to acquire a basic familiarity with the underlying academic disciplines that constitute the multidisciplinary field of security studies: history, international relations, comparative politics, and economics. All curricula incorporate specific required courses in each of these fields, as well as a course in the methods of historical and social-scientific research. In addition to providing a foundation for more specialized study, the disciplinary core courses afford all NSA students a common academic experience which they all share, independent of subsequent specialization. Because of their foundational purpose, disciplinary core courses should be completed early in a student's stay at NPS.
2. Curricular core courses. Curricular core courses provide an introduction to a student's area of specialization, and may also include advanced seminars on topics of particular importance. In the same way that the disciplinary core courses provide a common intellectual foundation for all students in National Security Affairs, curricular core courses provide a common foundation for all those specializing in a particular region or topical area.
3. Curricular electives. Curricular electives are courses that are directly relevant to a student's area of specialization, but are not required by name, as the curricular core courses are. Curricular electives take the form of a list of selected courses from which degree candidates must choose a minimum number. They afford students a range of choices within their area of specialization, while insuring that the Education Skill Requirements of the program, as specified by the curriculum sponsor, are all adequately addressed. The opportunity to choose electives means that students must take care that the resulting course of study satisfies minimum degree requirements. In particular, students must insure, in choosing their curricular and general electives (described below), that they complete at least 16 hours of work in courses numbered 4000 or higher.
4. General Electives. Degree programs in National Security Affairs usually afford some opportunity for students to take courses in subjects outside their area of specialization. Such courses are called "general" electives, and they may be chosen from among the full range of course offerings by NSA, or by any other department or program at NPS. General electives exist to provide students with an opportunity to take courses relevant to their thesis research, which may lie outside their particular regional or topical area of concentration. They may be freely chosen with this objective in mind, but they are not optional. Curricula that provide scope for general electives also require that a certain number must be taken in order to complete the degree. The number of general electives available to students in a given program will vary may vary somewhat, depending on sponsor requirements.
5. Thesis research. Most NSA curricula require a Master's Thesis, in which case blocks of time (designated by the place-holder course number NS0810, Thesis Research) are provided for independent research and writing. Students who write a thesis must take NS4080, Thesis Proposal, which will afford them time to develop a research proposal and identify an advising team. Note that NS4080, which is a prerequisite to NS0810, is a pass-fail course. It does not count toward the minimum of 16 credit hours of 4000-level course work described above.
5a. Comprehensive examination. Some NSA programs allow successful completion of language training at the Defense Language Institute to substitute for a Master's thesis. Others may allow students the option of substituting significant additional course work at the 4000-level in lieu of thesis research. In addition to either language training or additional course work, students who do not write a thesis also must take a comprehensive examination, for which they prepare by enrolling in NS0811.
Additional Requirements
1. SECNAV Requirement. The Secretary of the Navy has ordered that all DoN students at NPS take at least four hours of graduate-level course work addressing:
…the historical, current, and evolving elements of maritime strategy. Instruction in developments in naval warfare will include an analysis and comparison of present and emerging tactical and strategic naval doctrine as well as an analysis of emerging technical developments and their potential effect upon the prosecution of tactical and strategic naval warfare by the United States, our allies, and our potential adversaries.
Navy and Marine officers may satisfy this requirement by enrolling in NW3230, Strategy and Policy: The American Experience. Marine officers who either have attended or will attend the Command and Staff College may validate the requirement. Others may take the course at any time. Navy officers in the Regional Security curricula should take it during their first quarter, to ensure that they are able to complete the rest of the JPME requirement, described below, which includes this course as part of the required sequence.
2. Naval Intelligence Requirement. All Naval Intelligence officers in NSA are required to take NS3159, Principles of Joint Operational Intelligence, and NS4159, Intelligence Capstone Seminar. One of these courses may be used as a substitute for a curricular elective. The other must be taken in lieu of a general elective.
3. Strategic Studies Requirement. Navy officers in the four Regional Security curricula (681-84) must take one course in strategic studies. This requirement may be filled by taking one of the following strategy-related courses: NS4235, NS4280, NS4285, NS4669, NS4801 or NS4990.
4. JPME Requirement. Navy officers in the four Regional Security curricula (681-84) are required to complete a course sequence conveying Joint Professional Military Education Phase I certification. All four Regional Security curricula allocate five course slots, in addition to the SECNAV course, to complete the sequence. JPME courses are an independent requirement, and may not be used to validate other required courses.
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FL0001-9 Language As Required
This course is a generic identifier for a foreign language course taken at the Defense Language Institute (DLI). Prerequisites: None.
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NS0001 National Security Affairs Seminar (0-1) As Required
(No credit) Distinguished lecturer series. Lectures discuss matters and issues related to joint intelligence. Attendance is required by students every quarter. Prerequisites: None. Classification: TS/SCI.
NS0810 Thesis Research (0-8) Quarterly
Students conducting thesis research will enroll in this course. Prerequisites: NS4080, or permission of the Academic Associate.
NS0811 Preparation for Comprehensive Examination (0-8) Quarterly
Students preparing for comprehensive examinations will enroll in this course. Prerequisites: None.
NS2001 Comparative Politics (4-0) As Required
This course tries to explain why and how governments differ in what they do, and what their people prefer, by comparing the ways some nation-states in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America confronted modernity and industrialization, mediated conflicts among interest, religious and/or ethnic groups, constructed their national identities and developed political institutions. Prerequisites: None. Classification: for undergraduate.
NS2011 Research Methods (2-0) Quarterly
This course provides an overview of the methods/techniques used in social scientific inquiry. Students review various policy research designs, including hypothesis testing and comparative case studies. They also are introduced to measurement issues (such as sampling and scaling techniques) and to data analysis (such as analysis of elites, event data analysis, etc.). Prerequisites: None.
NS2012 History Colloquium (2-0) As Required
Overview of historical methods. Prerequisites: None.
NS2013 Policy Analysis and Research Methodology (2-0) Quarterly
Offered through the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. This course provides an overview of the steps of the research process and methods used in social-scientific inquiry. Students review various policy research designs, including hypothesis construction and comparative case studies. They also are introduced to literature review and the appropriate use of evidence and warrants. Prerequisites: None.
NS2024 Introduction to International Relations (4-0) As Required
Overview of the basic concepts of international relations. Prerequisites: None.
NS2401 Language Maintenance: Russian (2-0) As Required
This course is designed to maintain the language proficiency of intermediate and advanced Russian speakers during their studies at the Naval Postgraduate School. It is primarily aimed at students who have completed language training at DLI. Recent DLPT 2/2 or higher in Russian is a required for participation. Prerequisites: None.
NS2501 Language Maintenance: Spanish (2-0) As Required
This course is designed to maintain the language proficiency of intermediate and advanced Spanish speakers during their studies at the Naval Postgraduate School. It is primarily aimed at students who have completed language training at DLI. Recent DLPT 2/2 or higher in Spanish is a required for participation. Prerequisites: None.
NS2601 Language Maintenance: Japanese (2-0) As Required
This course is designed to maintain the language proficiency of intermediate and advanced Japanese speakers during their studies at the Naval Postgraduate School. It is primarily aimed at students who have completed language training at DLI. Recent DLPT 2/2 or higher in Japanese is a required for participation. Prerequisites: None.
NS2602 Language Maintenance: Mandarin Chinese (2-0) As Required
This course is designed to provide a structured environment for students to practice spoken Chinese Mandarin. Prerequisites: None.
NS2701 Language Maintenance: French (2-0) As Required
This course is designed to maintain the language proficiency of intermediate and advanced French speakers during their studies at the Naval Postgraduate School. It is primarily aimed at students who have completed language training at DLI. Recent DLPT 2/2 or higher in French is a required for participation. Prerequisites: None.
NS2801 Arabic Language Maintenance: Arabic (2-0) As Required
This course is designed to maintain the language proficiency of intermediate and advanced Arabic speakers during their studies at the Naval Postgraduate School. Major topic areas include: Reading: Level 2+ and higher Authentic Materials; Listening: Videotapes of news summaries and interviews translation to and from Arabic; Speaking; Current events. Prerequisites: None.
NS3000 War in the Modern World (4-0) Quarterly
This course provides an introduction to war as a political and social phenomenon, and as a force in the international system. Major themes include: the development of leading ideas about war; the mutual interactions of politics, society, and warfare; the impact of military doctrine on war fighting; allocation of resources and coordination of effort among land, sea, and air forces; national strategic cultures, and their implications for strategic practice. Prerequisites: None.
NS3001 War and Its Impact on Post-Conflict Reconstruction (4-0) Annually
The problem of post-conflict reconstruction is hardly a new one. In the past, victors in wars frequently had to manage and rebuild societies shattered by conflict. This course will examine historical examples of post-conflict reconstruction. War creates a competitive environment exploited by groups who seek political power. This competition begins while the war is under way. Competitors seek to place themselves in a position to take advantage of the new post-war environment by choosing allies and enemies, perhaps also arming themselves. On the new post-war playing field, old antagonisms assume new guises. Groups who might have been insignificant or repressed before the conflict can often exploit the new post-war environment to seek power. The military may also be strengthened by war, posing challenges to civilian governments or occupying powers. Social disorder, economic dislocation, and the de-legitimization of old political groups or ideas may invite chaos and even civil war. Prerequisites: None.
NS3011 Research and Writing for National Security Affairs (4-0) Quarterly
This course provides students with the basic tools to understand and produce research in relevant areas of history, social science and policy analysis. The general objectives of the course are to make you a more critical reader and thinker and better writer and researcher. The course is designed to help you with your other classes at NPS, which require you to read and write research papers. The course will also introduce students to basic elements of research design and methodology. In addition, the course will provide information on the thesis process at NPS. By the end of the course, every student should be able to produce a well-designed and well-written research paper or thesis. Prerequisite: None.
NS3020 The Operational Level of War (4-0) As Required
This course provides a theoretical and historical introduction to the operational level of war, with emphasis on the conduct of joint and combined operations by American and other armed forces in the modern era. Topics include: the application of military theory and 'principles of war' at the operational level; campaign planning; the operational art; decision-making at the operational level; the theoretical and practical relationship between operations, strategy, and tactics; the role of war aim. Prerequisite: None.
NS3021 Military Transformation (4-0) Annually
This course examines Joint and Service innovative concepts and experimentation programs for transforming the military to meet the operational challenges of the future security environment. The course will analyze emerging operational concepts, organizational configurations, technological capabilities, and doctrinal and training adjustments for shifting the character and conduct of warfare from both an historical and desired future capabilities perspective. The course will introduce revolutionary methods to improve command and control, fires, maneuver and logistics through concept development, field experiments, technology demonstrations, and war-games. The course will conclude with a glimpse of transformation-related initiatives to improve multinational and interagency coordination in operational planning and execution. Prerequisites: None.
NS3023 Introduction to Comparative Politics (4-0) Quarterly
This course is designed to introduce students to the major intellectual approaches to the study of comparative politics. Readings will be drawn from major theorists and leading schools of thought. Students will confront the central questions on the nature of economic, political, and cultural development. Prerequisites: None.
NS3024 Introduction to International Relations (4-0) Quarterly
This course provides an overview of the prominent theories of international relations. It surveys explanations based on decision-making, organizational behavior, domestic politics, international regimes and international systems, especially in terms of the insights they offer into the conduct of international relations in the post-Cold War world. Prerequisites: None.
NS3025 Introduction to Civil-Military Relations (4-0) Annually
This course introduces students to the basic concepts and issues in civil-military relations. It offers a historical and comparative analysis of different patterns of military participation in politics, defense policy making and national development. The course also introduces alternative models for structuring civil-military relations, and examines the problems associated with the models adopted by the United States and other nations. Prerequisites: None.
NS3026 Introduction to Post-Conflict Security Building (4-0) Annually
This course introduces students to the fuller program, intended to prepare them to work together in operations that build security in post-conflict environments. As such, it provides both conceptual tools for thinking about post-conflict security building and empirical referents to ground later study. Military strategists have written much about going to war, but have given less consideration to the movement from war to peace. How can one think strategically about the post-conflict environment? This course introduces students to characteristics of post-conflict environments and the diverse actors seeking to shape it. The course draws upon real-world cases to identify patterns of conflict and their consequences for post-conflict transition. In particular, the course will focus on interventions by external actors, civilian and military, in peace implementation. What are the typical components of post-conflict security building programs? This course covers practical issues in, and normative dimensions of, post-conflict security building. Prerequisites: None.
NS3028 Comparative Government for Homeland Security (4-0) Annually
Offered through the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. The objectives of the NS3028 course are: (1) to assess important counter-terrorism strategies employed by liberal democracies around the world; (2) to distill and extrapolate policy implications from these examples; and (3) to apply these lessons to the organizational and functional challenges faced by homeland security leaders and first responders in the United States. Prerequisite: None.
NS3030 American National Security Policy (4-0) As Required
An overview of U.S. national security policy formulation. Covers the processes and actors involved, both governmental and non-governmental. At instructor's discretion, course might also address recent developments in U.S. national security strategy. Prerequisites: None.
NS3037 The Role of Congress in U.S. National Security Policy (4-0) As Required
Survey of the roles, processes and orientations of the U.S. Congress in making national security policy. The course examines the powers and responsibilities granted to Congress by the Constitution, how the role of Congress has changed over time, and the way the role may evolve in the future. Specific topics include the budget process, War Powers, security assistance, and the problems of executive-legislative coordination in foreign and military policy making. Prerequisites: None.
NS3040 The Politics of Global Economic Relations (4-0) Quarterly
Examination of the world economy. Focuses on implications for the United States over changes in the world trading and financial systems. Topics covered include trade patterns, economic integration, trade blocs, new international economic order, and international economic organizations. Prerequisites: None.
NS3041 Comparative Economic Systems (4-0) As Required
Examination of the economic systems and development problems in developing countries, including post-communist states. The course focuses on the political and ideological bases of economic organizations, and the nature of basic economic problems in these regions. Special attention is given to the socio-economic strategies and tactics used in the management of the economy, and institutions and techniques of decision making. Attention is also given to problems of economic stabilization in the developing world. Prerequisites: NS3040.
NS3042 Economics of Insurgencies for Security Building (4-0) As Required
The course examines the economic issues related to civil wars and insurgencies, and reconstruction and development after conflict. Prerequisites: None.
NS3077 Practicum in Regional Security Studies (4-0) As Required
This course combines scholarly research with unique field experience. Under the direct supervision of the faculty, the student conducts research on selected topics in civil-military relations and regional security issues. The student subsequently participates with faculty in a Center for Civil Military Relations (CCMR) seminar, offered in Monterey or abroad, dealing with these topics in the region studied in the course. The student will write a paper of approximately 30 pages on the status of these civil-military topics in that country or region. The Practicum is open to all students enrolled in the curricula in Regional or International Security Studies (681-684 and 689), with preference for students who are foreign area officers (FAOs) or participants in National Guard state partnership programs. Prerequisites: Extensive course background in the region and competence in the relevant language.
NS3078 Post-Conflict Bosnia: The Role of The United States in Promoting Peace and Stability (4-0) As Required
This is a course based on a combination of distance learning and in resident seminar. The seminar is held twice a year, in the spring and fall, for a total of forty hours of lectures during a period of one week. It is preceded by twenty hours of delivery of course material by distance learning, primarily via the Web. The in resident course is followed by a Web-based continuing education program based on the analysis of relevant current events. The student, in order to receive course credit, will submit a research paper of approximately thirty pages that will be evaluated by a NSA faculty member. While the course is primarily designed for military officers prior to deployment to Bosnia, other students can petition for enrollment. Prerequisites: None.
NS3079 Directed Studies in National Security Affairs (4-0) As Required
(Credit 1-0 to 4-0) Format and content vary. Normally involves extensive assigned readings, individual discussions with the instructor, papers and/or examinations. Prerequisites: None.
NS3118 Strategies for Building Consensus (4-0) Annually
Post-conflict environments bring together representatives from different nations and organizations. In order to accomplish the goals of interest, these varying representatives must develop awareness, appreciation, and ability to collaborate with each other. There is no formal organization that provides structures or standards to guide the collaboration of these individuals; they must rely on informal mechanisms for collaborative post-conflict efforts. Because the goals and interests of the participating parties frequently are not in alignment, consensus building capabilities contribute importantly to success. Consensus is a decision process that makes use of all available resources and perspectives for the resolution of problems. Consensus is difficult to reach and requires a complex set of skills related to interpersonal and group dynamics, such as conflict management, trust building, perspective taking, and negotiation. Prerequisites: None.
NS3155 Intelligence and Democracy (4-0) As Required
This course examines the methods civilian authorities in emerging democracies can use to establish strong, effective controls over their intelligence agencies. The course begins by examining the intelligence process in the United States and the United Kingdom, and the potential problems that intelligence activities can pose to democratic governance. Next, students will analyze the mechanisms used by the U.S., the U.K., France and other long-established democracies to maintain control over their intelligence organizations. These instruments of control include use of the power of the purse, structural and organizational arrangements, legislative oversight, and legal mechanisms. Employing the case study approach, students will examine the recent efforts by democracies in Latin America, Central Europe, Africa, and Asia to establish their own democratic controls over intelligence, and the challenges that such nations will face in the future. Prerequisites: None.
NS3157 Intelligence and National Security (4-0) As Required
This course is an introduction to the history, structure, roles, and functions of the U.S. Intelligence Community. It is intended for non-intelligence specialists. Students will be introduced to the intelligence cycle and the roles of various intelligence organizations in the collection, analysis, production, and dissemination of intelligence to national foreign policy and homeland defense policy decision makers. The course also considers contemporary issues facing the Intelligence Community, such as combating terrorism, homeland defense, oversight and ethical questions, and structural reform. Prerequisites: None.
NS3159 Principles of Joint Operational Intelligence (4-0) As Required
This course examines the intelligence process, organizational structure and related C4I architecture within the context of intelligence support to the planning and conduct of joint and combined operations at the operational level of war. This course addresses the conduct of intelligence to include the development of requirements, collection management, threat analysis, assessments, and dissemination of intelligence to the decision maker. The course includes an overview of intelligence data systems and associated connectivity. Students are required to prepare and present intelligence briefings and staff intelligence studies, incorporating the knowledge gained in the course. Classification: U.S. citizen holding a TOP SECRET clearance with eligibility for access to SCI.
NS3160 Human Intelligence (4-0) As Required
This course familiarizes students with the concepts, principles, and methodology of Human Intelligence collection. Additionally, students will comprehend the capabilities and limitations of various collectors and programs, learn the organizational architecture and understand the collection management process of Human Intelligence. This course is a requirement for all students in the Regional Intelligence Track of the Joint Intelligence Curriculum. Classification: Student must be a U.S. citizen holding a TOP SECRET clearance with eligibility for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information.
NS3161 Principles of Open Source Intelligence (4-0) As Required
This course examines open source intelligence (OSINT) with a focus on the following areas: definition and nature of OSINT, OSINT policy and management, history and development of OSINT, current OSINT trends, OSINT-focused organizations, challenges, reform, and future prospects. Classification: SECRET NOFORN. Prerequisites: None.
NS3180 Introduction to Homeland Defense (4-0) Winter
Offered through the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. This course provides an overview of the essential ideas that constitute the emerging discipline of homeland security. It has two central objectives: to expand the way participants think, analyze and communicate about homeland security; and to assess knowledge in critical homeland security knowledge domains. Prerequisites: None.
NS3181 Introduction to Homeland Defense and Security (4-0) Annually
This course surveys the distinctive features and challenges of homeland defense and security, with emphasis on the interagency process by which the contributions of the armed forces and defense agencies are integrated with those of civilian federal agencies and state and local governments.
NS3225 Civil-Military Relations and Defense Budgeting (4-0) As Required
This course provides a detailed analysis of the budget process used by the United States and other democracies to allocate defense resources. Students will become familiar with the planning, programming and budgeting system (PPBS) and other budgeting models and techniques. Students will also examine the sources of civil-military conflict in defense budgeting, and analyze different structures to resolve those conflicts. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
NS3230 Strategic Planning and the Military (4-1) Annually
Introduction to strategic planning approaches and methods inherent to national security policy formulation and, specifically, military defense planning. Includes long-range strategic planning, scenario building and forecasting of macro-trends affecting defense policies and capabilities, and the military dimensions of those factors. Theory and process meet through case study/analysis of U.S. defense planning practices and the evolution of the Joint Strategic Planning System (JSPS), including the changing roles of the Joint Staff, Unified CINC and Component, Joint Task Force, and Service staffs following passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Act and post-Cold War international security developments. This course covers various learning objectives specified by the CJCS to meet Phase One Program for Joint Education (PJE) criteria. Prerequisites: NS3000, NS3159 (may be taken concurrently). Classification: U.S. citizen holding a SECRET clearance.
NS3260 Drug Control Strategy and Policy (4-0) As Required
This course provides an overview of the challenges posed by the production, trafficking, and consumption of illegal drugs, both in the U.S. and abroad, and evaluates government drug control efforts. It addresses the presidential, congressional, and bureaucratic politics that shape the formulation of domestic and international drug control policies. The challenges of implementing drug control policies will be analyzed, in particular the need for interagency coordination and international cooperation to address this complex threat. Both supply-side and demand-side policies will be discussed in detail and their effectiveness assessed. Prerequisites: None.
NS3280 Nuclear Strategy and National Security (4-0) As Required
This course surveys the history of U.S. nuclear weapons policies and explores deterrence and arms control theories. The course also evaluates the challenges posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and advanced delivery systems. Prerequisites: none.
NS3300 Islam (4-0) Annually
Islam is one of the great monotheistic faiths of the modern world. This survey course examines the history and tenets of Islam and the breadth of Muslim cultures and civilizations. Prerequisites: None.
NS3301 African History and Cultures (4-0) Annually
This course provides a broad overview of African history, with an emphasis on understanding the historical foundations of important contemporary issues. In addition, it examines the process of cultural change in Africa over the course of the twentieth century, through an in-depth study of the fiction of Chinua Achebe. Prerequisites: None.
NS3310 Survey of Middle East History to 1914 (4-0) Annually
A broad survey of Middle East history prior to World War I. While some earlier history may be covered, the emphasis in this course is primarily on the late Ottoman and Persian empires, and on the rise of colonialism in the Middle East. Prerequisites: None.
NS3311 Government and Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa (4-0) Annually
This course is designed for graduate students with little or no background in the study of African government and politics. It introduces students to the main structures and processes of contemporary African politics, and to important theoretical debates in the field of African studies. The emphasis is less on formal institutions of government and more on the informal practices that comprise the primary arena of African government and politics. Prerequisites: None.
NS3320 U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East (4-0) Annually
The course reviews the historical background and current status of American interests and policies in the Middle East. The course focuses on how different U.S. administrations in the post-World War II era defined American interests in the Middle East, and on the major policies enacted to pursue those interests. Prerequisites: None.
NS3330 The Middle East in World Affairs (4-0) Annually
Focuses on the Middle East region's role in world events in the post-World War I era, including the impact of great power rivalries in the region, transnational movements, and environ-strategic considerations. Prerequisites: None.
NS3340 Middle East in the International Economy (4-0) As Required
This course explores timely international and regional economic development issues. We will examine both international and regional economic interactions and possibilities, including regional trade agreements, negative and positive international agreements (sanctions, foreign aid, the WTO, etc.) and shared international resources such as water. We will tackle the problem of late development, the effects of oil, labor migration, and tax regimes on the economies and business-government relations, privatization moves, and current prospects for employment and poverty-alleviation. Prerequisites: None.
NS3351 Anthropology of Africa (4-0) As Required
Examines various facets of African anthropology. Prerequisites: None.
NS3360 Politics and Security in North Africa (4-0) As Required
A survey course on the politics and security of North Africa in the post-World War I era. The geographic focus is on the countries of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Prerequisites: None.
NS3361 Politics and Security in Levant (4-0) As Required
A survey course on the politics and security of the Levant in the post-World War I era. The geographic focus is on the countries of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine. Prerequisites: None.
NS3362 Politics and Security in the Northern Tier (4-0) As Required
A survey course on the politics and security of the Northern Tier in the post-World War I era. The geographic focus is on the countries of Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan. Prerequisites: None.
NS3363 Politics and Security in the Persian Gulf (4-0) As Required
A survey course on the politics and security of the Persian Gulf in the post-World War I era. The geographic focus is on the countries of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the UAE. Prerequisites: None.
NS3367 Politics and Security of The Arabian Peninsula (4-0) As Required
Examines the twentieth century history of the Persian Gulf, the evolution of U.S. regional strategy and policy, and summarizes threats to regional security in the new century. The course will also provide students with general background behind security issues in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, and cover some of the more recent policy debates surrounding the war with Iraq. Prerequisites: None.
NS3400 History of Russia and Eurasia (4-0) Annually
An examination of the history of Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asian nations. The emphasis is on historical influences, political institutions, ethnic and social problems, and the economy. Prerequisites: None.
NS3401 Contemporary Politics of Russia (4-0) Annually
This course introduces students to the contemporary politics of Russia focusing on the post-Soviet. Prerequisites: None.
NS3410 Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia in World Affairs (4-0) As Required
This course is concerned with the international conduct and security policies of Russia, the other countries of Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. It examines their major geopolitical, historical, demographic, and economic influences. Prerequisites: None.
NS3412 Government and Security in the Central Asian Republics (4-0) As Required
With China and Russia taking an ever-increasing greater interest in central Asia, U.S. policy makers face the challenge of maintaining an influential presence in the region. Over a decade since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the five Central Asian Republics have emerged as a critical security issue as WMD, terrorists and hard-line regimes have come to dominate the landscape. In a land where Islam is more cultural than religious, communism more trusted than capitalism, and ethnic divisions a Soviet invention, how can stable democracies emerge? This course will represent a comprehensive assessment of the newly formed states of central Asia that were formerly parts of the Soviet Union. Through examination of the complex historical, ethnic, religious, and linguistic factors that unite and divide the Central Asian Region, we will better understand the challenges of political modernization, economic reform, and integration into the international community. The course topics will include: the history of the region; the relationship between Islam and Central Asia; environmental issues; economic development and emerging energy markets in the region; the contemporary political scene; and the role of the region in world affairs. Special emphasis will be placed on the contemporary crises in the region. Prerequisites: None.
NS3450 Military Strategy in Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia (4-0) As Required
The course examines the international factors that condition military strategy and doctrine in Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. It focuses on contemporary strategic concepts and strategy: conventional war fighting capabilities, strategy for nuclear war, roles played by the fleets in military strategy, threat and net assessment, and arms control. Emphasis is on the strategic and operational levels of warfare. Prerequisites: None.
NS3460 Government and Security in Eastern Europe (4-0) As Required
This course examines the countries of east central Europe that fell in the Soviet sphere of influence after World War II. It is concerned in particular with the complex relationship of Marxism and nationalism, the nature of communist revolution from abroad, revolutions against communist states including Hungary in 1956 and Poland in 1980, and the present situation of the Central European states in the transition from communism to democracy. Prerequisites: None.
NS3501 History and Cultures of Latin America (4-0) Annually
This introductory course examines the heritage of Latin America from pre-Columbian Indian traditions and Iberian colonial patterns, through the independence movements of the early 19th century, and the global economic relationships that re-oriented the region toward Northwestern Europe and the United States. Prerequisites: None.
NS3510 Government and Politics in Latin America (4-0) Annually
This introductory course is designed to familiarize students with the politics of contemporary Latin America. The course will cover such topics as the various types of political systems found in Latin America, the political economy of development and the issue of regime transition. Prerequisites: None.
NS3520 Latin America International Relations and Security (4-0) Annually
This course surveys the international relations of Latin American nations. It analyzes the relations of Latin America with the United States and other nations, both within and outside of the region. Attention is given to political, security, economic, and cultural issues. Prerequisites: None.
NS3600 History and Cultures of East Asia (4-0) Annually
This course addresses the historical development of the peoples of East, South, and Southeast Asia. It emphasizes their economic, political, and military development through the late nineteenth century. Prerequisites: None.
NS3601 History and Cultures of Southeast Asia (4-0) As Required
This course addresses the historical development of the peoples of mainland and island Southeast Asia from their origins to the end of the nineteenth century. It focuses on the political, military, social and economic development of these societies and on their belief systems, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. Prerequisites: None.
NS3602 U.S.-Asian Relations: 18th Century to WWII (4-0) As Required
Examines U.S. Asian relations during the 18th Century through WWII. Prerequisites: None.
NS3605 Geography, History, and Culture of Asia (4-0) As Required
This course offers a general introduction to the history and cultures of China, Japan and Korea down to the early 19th century. It presumes no previous acquaintance with this subject. It highlights those themes that are useful for understanding these countries' modern development, and it focuses in particular on the foundations for modern state-making in these traditional societies. It also provides a glimpse of the historiographic controversies that carry implications for interpretations of these countries' behavior today. Prerequisites: None.
NS3620 Survey of Asian Politics (4-0) Annually
This course surveys the major themes of Asian politics. The goals of the course are to introduce students to major debates and various modes of political interaction and patterns of political development in Asia. Half of the course is devoted to Northeast Asia and the other half to Southeast Asia. Prerequisites: None
NS3621 International Relations of Southeast Asia (4-0) Annually
This course focuses on the contemporary international relations of South East Asia, to include Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Oceania. Prerequisites: None.
NS3635 Asian Civil-Military Relations (4-0) As Required
This course addresses the political, economic, and societal roles of the armed forces in the nations of East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia from the mid-twentieth century to the contemporary era. It focuses on civil-military relationship successes and failures, as well as prospects for the future. Prerequisites: None.
NS3640 Asian Human Rights (4-0) As Required
This course examines trends in Asia that support or undermine the establishment of more democratic political forms and the protection of human rights. Topics include the relationship between political development and economic development, transformation of political cultures, evolving state-society relations, and the impact of regional institutions and international norms on domestic practices. Prerequisites: None.
NS3645 Political Economy of Asia (4-0) Annually
This course explores the reasons for the different timing and paths of economic development in Japan, China, Taiwan and South Korea. It examines the reasons for the lateness of development of East Asia relative to the West, and especially the lateness of development of China compared to Japan. Emphasis will be on the evolution of institutions in the course of state building, and the international geopolitical context of Asian development. Prerequisites: None.
NS3661 Government and Security in China (4-0) As Required
An examination of the rise of the Chinese Communist Party and the establishment of the Communist state; its domestic achievements and problems; the special problem of Taiwan; changing foreign policies and the current role of the People's Republic of China in world affairs. Includes an examination of U.S. relations with China. Prerequisites: None.
NS3662 Government and Security in Japan (4-0) As Required
An examination of Japan in the contemporary world, focusing on Japan's political dynamics, economic evolution, social transformation, the National Self Defense Forces and alternatives for ensuring national security. Includes examination of U.S. relations with Japan. Prerequisites: None.
NS3663 Government and Security in Korea (4-0) As Required
An examination of the division of the Korean nation into two states; the aftermath of the Korean war; domestic political, economic and social problems of North Korea and South Korea; the prospects for reunification; the military balance and the changing strategic environment; and the relations of Pyongyang and Seoul with their key allies. Includes an examination of U.S. relations with Korea. Prerequisites: None.
NS3664 Government & Security in Southeast Asia (4-0) Annually
This course examines the development of Southeast Asian politics from decolonization to the present day. Prerequisites: None.
NS3667 Chinese Foreign Policy (4-0) As Required
This course provides a systematic examination of contemporary Chinese foreign policy. It reviews the evolution of Beijing's international goals and policies since 1949, but focuses of Beijing's contemporary foreign policy goals, its policy-making process, and the foreign relations instruments at its disposal including military force. Prerequisites: NS3661 or consent of instructor.
NS3668 Politics and Security in South Asia (4-0) Annually
This course traces the history and evolution of South Asian politics leading up to the partition of the Subcontinent. It familiarizes students with the key debates and future trajectories in contemporary South Asia. This course creates a sound base for advance seminars on NS4668, which should be a logical follow-up and other regional security seminars. Prerequisites: None.
NS3700 History of Modern Europe (4-0) Annually
Review and analysis of the political and military history of Europe, including Russia, from the Congress of Vienna to the present. Prerequisites: None.
NS3710 Government and Security in Western Europe (4-0) Annually
Survey and analysis of government and security issues in contemporary Western Europe. The course emphasizes the political systems and security policies of Britain, France, Italy, and Germany. Prerequisites: None.
NS3720 European Security Institutions (4-0) Annually
Survey and analysis of the main international institutions dealing with European security, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), the Western European Union (WEU), and the European Community (EC). The survey will include selected challenges facing each organization, particularly NATO, and their relation to specific European countries and to U.S. foreign and defense policy. Prerequisites: None.
NS3730 The Balkans: History & Politics (4-0) Annually
A survey of the historical background of and contemporary developments in the Balkans region, with a special focus on the collapse of the former Yugoslavia, the various conflicts that followed, including that in Kosovo, the role of other regional actors in these events, and the prospects for future stability and progress in the region. Prerequisites: None.
NS3801 Introduction to Terrorism (4-0) Annually
This course provides an in-depth examination of the origins, nature, and political/military roles of contemporary international terrorism. It briefly examines the early history of terrorism, the contending theories that purport to explain the sources of terrorist behavior, the different types of terrorism and terrorist actions, and the challenge international terrorism poses for American interests and foreign policy. Functional topics, such as the special problems posed by state-sponsored terrorism, the relationship between terrorism and the media, and the range of possible military responses to terrorism are also examined. The course will conclude by comparing and contrasting different national responses to the problem of international terrorism, and examining the difficulties faced by the United States in its efforts to find an effective policy response. Prerequisites: NS3023 or consent of instructor.
NS3802 Counterterrorism Policy in Comparative Perspective (4-0) Annually
This course studies counterterrorist policy in a variety of countries, including the United States. It considers the means by which policies are formulated, and their effectiveness evaluated, as well as the implementation of counterterrorist policies as they affect human rights, civil liberties, and the population at large. We also look at issues such as oversight of institutions charged with internal security, executive power, and the impact of international law on domestic politics. Prerequisites: None.
NS3900 International Law and Organizations (4-0) Annually
An introduction to the principles of international law including origins, sources, sovereignty, states, territory, jurisdiction, persons, treaties, settlement of disputes and the Law of the Sea. The course also traces the evolution of international organizations from the Concert of Europe, through the League of Nations, United Nations, European Economic Community, NATO, and various forms of multi-national and transnational organizations. Prerequisites: None.
NS4020 Seminar on the Chinese People's Liberation Army (4-0) As Required
This course examines the evolution of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Prerequisites: None.
NS4021 Special Topics on Europe: Europe and the United States (4-0) As Required
A historical-political advanced seminar on the evolution of U.S. policy towards Europe from the end of the 19th century until the present; the character of anti-European ideas in U.S. political and strategic culture; the role of leading personalities in the formulation of U.S. policy towards Europe in the critical periods of the twentieth century; the character of anti-U.S. sentiment in continental Europe; U.S. alliance cohesion and cultural diplomacy in continental Europe. The seminar analyzes readings in common and requires a larger independent research project. Prerequisites: None.
NS4022 Special Topics on CMR: Soldiers and Politics in the Euro-Atlantic Region (4-0) As Required
A comparison in an advanced seminar format via historical case studies of the evolution of the soldier and the state in the Anglo-Saxon countries and their continental European counterparts. The evolution of civil-military relations from dynastic, absolutist Europe to the era of total war in the twentieth century, with special attention to the German, British and U.S. cases of the evolution of state, national and military institutions, alliance cohesion, and wars of ideology. Further attention is also paid to the proliferation of warfare, ideology, and mass politics and the professional soldier in modern history. An analysis of common readings as well as an independent research paper round out the seminar. Prerequisites: None.
NS4023 Special Topics on European Nations: State, Nation, and Nationalism. 1500-1945. (4-0) As Required
An advanced seminar on the evolution of the state, nation, and nation-state in western, central and eastern Europe from the seventeenth century until the middle of the twentieth. Special emphasis falls on the rise of national ideas in the eighteenth century, case studies of nation building and the propagation of nationalism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as the transformation of nationalism into a force of total war and genocide in the twentieth century. An analysis of the common readings as well as an independent research project is required. Prerequisites: None.
NS4024 Special Topics on Asia: Political Economy of China (4-0) As Required
This course explores how state, society and politics impinge on the Chinese economy in its transition from planned to market economy; and examines what political and economic adjustments China has to make as the country becomes increasingly integrated with the world economy. Prerequisites: None.
NS4025 Special Topics on Asia: Comparative Market Reform (4-0) As Required
We use a paired comparative method in order to assess some of the leading theories on market transformation, and examine the geopolitical context, the strategies, process of institutional adjustment, and the coalition of interests formed to support or resist change as Japan, North and South Korea, China and Russia undertake market reform. Prerequisites: None.
NS4026 Capstone Seminar: Reconstruction of Civil Society (4-0) As Required
This course pulls together empirical, experiential and theoretical student learning in the post-conflict security building track. It explores multiple approaches to reconstruction and the conditions under which they tend to work in post-conflict transitions. Fundamental questions are addressed. From the perspective of international financial institutions, how can societies experiencing humanitarian emergencies make transition from relief to development? From the perspective of external actors, civilian and military, what patterns of interventions emerge in peace implementation? Considering perspectives of the host nation and external implementers of peace agreements, what are the costs and benefits of outside intervention? How can program responsibility shift effectively from military officials to civilians? What institutions and processes are vital to reconstruction of civil society, and how might military demobilization, reconstitution programs and police reform programs fit with those institutions and processes? How can indigenous stakeholders "own" the reconstruction in the face of outside intervention? Students participating in this course will share their insights from case analyses and build a data set for future students and researchers. Prerequisites: None.
NS4027 Special Topics in Asia: Democratization in East and Southeast Asia (4-0) As Required
As in most other regions, the past few decades have been a period of unexpected democratic dynamics for East and Southeast Asia. When the "Third wave of Democratization" began in 1974, only one country (Japan) could be categorized as a "liberal democracy." Thirty years of "Third Wave" latter, at least five more political regimes have achieved some level of democratization since the mid 1980s; however, democratization in Asia is still a fragile process. Only a small number of regimes in Asia are clearly en route to becoming successful, well-functioning democracies, or at least have made some democratic progress and still enjoy a positive dynamic of democratization. Others have not achieved a relatively well-functioning democracy. Although de jure political rights, civil liberties, and the institutions of constitutionalism and the rule of law are found in many countries, a whole battery of de facto restrictions, usually informal ones, curb the effective working of the formal rules and significantly distort their value. In a small number of countries (e.g., Burma, Cambodia) initial political openings have failed and authoritarianism seems to re-solidify. Finally there is a number of "hybrid regimes," combining autocratic with democratic elements of governance (for example, Singapore). Prerequisites: None.
NS4030 Special Topics in National Security Policy (4-0) As Required
This course will focus on special topics in national security policy. The list of topics to be analyzed for the seminar is announced at least one quarter prior to the offering of the seminar. Advanced study and research is conducted on topics not covered in other seminars. A major, graded research paper is required. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
NS4031 Special Topics in International Security Affairs (4-0) As Required
This course will focus on current topics in international security affairs. The list of issues to be analyzed for the seminar is announced at least one quarter prior to the offering of the seminar. Advanced study and research is conducted on topics not covered in other seminars. A major, graded research paper is required. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
NS4032 Special Topics in International Relations (4-0) As Required
This course will focus on current topics in the broader international system. The list of issues to be analyzed for the seminar is announced at least one quarter prior to the offering of the seminar. Advanced study and research is conducted on topics not covered in other seminars. A major, graded research paper is required. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
NS4033 Special Topics in U.S. Foreign Policy (4-0) As Required
This seminar focuses on contemporary topics in U.S. foreign policy. The list of issues to be analyzed for the seminar is announced at least one quarter prior to the offering of the seminar. Advanced study and research is conducted on topics not covered in other seminars. A major, graded paper research paper is required. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
NS4034 Special Topics in American Government (4-0) As Required
This course will focus on special topics in American government. The list of issues to be analyzed for the seminar is announced at least one quarter prior to the offering of the seminar. Advanced study and research is conducted on topics not covered in other seminars. A major, graded research paper is required. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
NS4035 Special Topics in Joint Intelligence (4-0) As Required
This seminar will focus on contemporary topics involving joint intelligence and related areas. The list of issues to be analyzed for the seminar is announced one quarter prior to the offering of the seminar. Advanced study and research is conducted on topics not covered in other seminars. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. Classification: U.S. citizen holding a TOP SECRET clearance with eligibility for access to SCI.
NS4036 Comparative Strategic Cultures (4-0) As Required
Overview of strategic cultures around the world and the manner in which they affect defense/military strategies.
NS4037 NATO (4-0) As Required
This advanced seminar is a colloquium on the past and present policy and strategy of NATO via an examination of its leading crises from 1949 until 2003 in an effort to understand the nature of alliances in the Euro-Atlantic world, their strategies and issues of cohesion amid crisis. The class examines such themes as: a.) the evolution of ideas in the formulation of alliance statecraft and strategy; b.) the dimension of burden sharing in alliance statecraft and bi-lateral relations; c.) the problems of defense and military transformation in the past, especially connected with alliance politics and political biography; d.) the past instances of severe discord in national strategy and alliance statecraft with enduring importance for the essence of NATO; the modalities of NATO enlargement in the era 1989-1999 and beyond; the post-1990 shift from forward defense in central Europe to the rise of peace enforcement operations in S.E. Europe. Finally, attention is also given to the issues of the present connected with the role of NATO in ongoing security operations on a wide front. This class is taught in a colloquium format; further, it requires an additional book report and the preparation of large synthetic essay on the sum of the readings. Prerequisites: None.
NS4040 Conflict in Africa (4-0) As Required
This course examines multiple aspects of ethnic conflict in Africa. In the first half, we consider theoretical approaches to ethnicity, ethnic conflict, cross border contagion, and regional conflict. The second half of the course is dedicated to case studies, to be prepared and presented by the students. Prerequisites: None
NS4079 Advanced Directed Studies in National Security Affairs (V-0) As Required
(Variable credit, from 1-0 to 4-0.) Format and content vary. Normally involves extensive individual research under direction of the instructor and submission of a substantial paper of graduate seminar quality and scope. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
NS4080 Thesis Proposal (0-8) Quarterly
This course is intended to assist students in the preparation of their Master's thesis proposals. A completed proposal, endorsed by the thesis advisors, the Academic Associate, and the department chair, is required to pass this course. Grading: Pass/Fail. Prerequisites: None.
NS4081 Research Colloquium (2-0) Quarterly
Offered through the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. This course provides an overview of the steps of the research process and methods used in social-scientific inquiry. Students review various research methods, including policy options analysis, modeling, qualitative data analysis, and case study. The primary deliverable of the course is the thesis proposal. Prerequisites: NS2013.
NS4133 The Psychology of Fear Management and Terrorism (4-0) Winter
Offered through the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. This course serves as an introduction for homeland security professionals to terrorism as a psychological phenomenon. Government agencies involved in homeland security need to understand the psychological consequences of mass-casualty terrorist attacks and other disasters. This course provides a broad overview of psychological effects of terrorism. Prerequisite: NS3180.
NS4152 Joint Warfare: Intelligence Analysis (4-0) As Required
Advanced seminar on intelligence support to military commanders and national-level officials. Using case studies, the course examines concepts of individual and organizational decision making, factors in threat analysis, and issues in intelligence activities. Prerequisites: NS3159 or consent of instructor. Classification: U.S. citizen holding a TOP SECRET clearance with eligibility for access to SCI.
NS4156 Intelligence for Homeland Security: Organizational and Policy Challenges (4-0) Spring
Offered through the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. This course examines key questions and issues facing the U.S. intelligence community and its role in homeland security and homeland defense. Students will have the opportunity to fully address policy, organizational and substantiative issues regarding homeland intelligence support. Prerequisites: None.
NS4157 Intelligence for Homeland Defense and Security (4-0) Annually
This course will provide students with a fundamental knowledge of U.S. operational intelligence capabilities to detect and deter terrorist and other unconventional threats to the United States. Topics will include the structure and function of U.S. intelligence organizations, systems, architecture, and capabilities. Issues in intelligence oversight, joint and inter-agency intelligence sharing, intelligence community administration, and intelligence support to national decision-making will be discussed. Classification: SECRET. Prerequisites: NS3181 or consent of the instructor.
NS4159 Seminar on Joint Intelligence Support to Crisis Operations (4-0) As Required
Advanced seminar on intelligence support to military commanders and national-level policy makers. Using case studies, the course examines concepts of individual and organizational factors affecting the analytic process. Students will identify near-to mid-term regional events with force employment implications, develop associated intelligence support requirements, and create collection plains in support of indications and warnings, crisis shaping and identified operational mission areas. Prerequisites: NS3159, or consent of instructor. Open to intelligence specialists. Classification: U.S. citizen holding a TOP SECRET clearance with eligibility for access to SCI.
NS4160 Foreign Intelligence Services (4-0) As Required
This course examines selected foreign intelligence services. It emphasizes their organization, missions, and functions. This course is intended for students in the Joint Intelligence Curriculum and others upon consent of instructor. Prerequisites: NS3160 or consent of instructor. Classification: U.S. citizen holding a TOP SECRET clearance with eligibility for access to SCI.
NS4200 Seminar on the National Interest (4-0) As Required
An advanced study of the underlying assumptions and objectives of American security and foreign policy. The core of the course is an in-depth analysis of approaches to understanding the American national interest in the international context. Students are required to write a major seminar paper on American national interest in a specific country or region. Prerequisites: NS3030.
NS4225 Civil-Military Relations and Transitions to Democracy (4-0) As Required
A seminar which reviews selected cases of transitions from authoritarian rule in the post-1945 period. The course compares the various roles played by the military and other actors in these transitions, examines the participation of the military in the consolidation of democracy and the problem of democratic consolidation. Students will also examine different theories and concepts of democratic transition and consolidation. Prerequisites: NS3025 or consent of instructor.
NS4230 Seminar on Joint Strategic Planning (4-0) As Required
Advanced study in the concept and methods of strategic planning and analysis, particularly with respect to Department of the Navy and other services, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Department of State, the National Security Council, White House, and the Congress. This course covers various learning objectives specified by the CJCS to meet Phase One Professional Joint Education (PJE) criteria. Prerequisites: NS3000 or NS3030 or consent of instructor. Classification: U.S. citizen holding a SECRET clearance.
NS4231 Seminar on Terrorism Financing and State Response (4-0) As Required
This course examines exactly how far we have come in understanding how terrorists raise, store, and transfer funds. It also evaluates challenges facing the U.S. government and international community in responding to this problem. In each module, we use a mix of official reports, academic papers, and other works to explore the subject and identify problems with the received wisdom about terrorist financing. Prerequisites: None.
NS4232 Knowledge into Practice: A Homeland Security Capstone Course (4-0) As Required
Offered through the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. This course is intended to provide participants the opportunity to expand their ability to enact the knowledge and technical learning acquired in the courses leading up to the capstone. This course will provide students with the motivation and skills to perform their professional roles in new ways, ways that will initiate and sustain change even at the level of the broader institutional context of governance in which they must function. Prerequisites: NS4156, CS3660, SO3210.
NS4235 Seminar on Peace Support Operations (4-0) As Required
This seminar examines the problems of military alliances in the post-Cold War era, and the civil-military relation issues raised by defense cooperation, including operations other than war. Prerequisites: None.
NS4236 Stability Operations (4-0) As Required
The theme of this course is the nexus of policy, doctrine and operations in stability operations. In the first part of the course, we will discuss the policy in which doctrine and operations are embedded, and the considerations for translating policy into doctrine and operations. In the second part of the course, we directly address the challenges of war termination, occupation, counterinsurgency and coalition stability operations. This course focuses primarily on the American approach to stability operations. These military operations have been variously described as 'small wars,' 'low intensity conflict,' and in current joint doctrine JP 3-07 (1995), 'military operations other than war' (MOOTW). Prerequisites: None.
NS4239 Special Topics in American Government for Homeland Security (4-0) Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Offered through the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. The purpose of this course is to provide students with an extra focus on two or three major issues that have current visibility in debates about homeland security. Currently, those topics focus on dilemmas in the evolving relationships between civil and military authority and between government and community. Prerequisites: NS4156, NS3180, and SO3210.
NS4240 Seminar on Regional Security Planning Problems (4-0) As Required
This seminar, which is the national security policy capstone course in the Resource Planning for Management and International Defense (RePMID) curriculum, provides advanced study of regional and inter-regional security problems which are likely to confront emerging democracies in the immediate and mid-range future. Potential roles of individual countries and coalitions are explored to develop new and innovative strategies for dealing with both common and unique security problems in diverse regions. Through the course readings, students critically analyze the implications of the most likely future security environment challenges and opportunities for each region. Prerequisites: Completion of previous RePMID courses, or consent of instructor.
NS4251 Seminar on Net Assessment (4-0) As Required
The seminar examines the methodology of comparative threat analysis (net assessment), including: security policies, forces, the RMA, and capabilities of the world's military superpowers. The course introduces the student to original source material. Prerequisites: NS3024. Classification: U.S. citizen holding a TOP SECRET clearance with eligibility access to SCI.
NS4253 Seminar on Technology and Strategic Planning (4-0) As Required
This course is intended to develop an understanding of the interrelationship of technology and strategic planning. Issues include technological risk, affordability, institutional impediments to innovation, and a strategy for long range technology investments. Prerequisites: consent of instructor.
NS4254 Air and Maritime Defense for Homeland Security (4-0) As Required
This course focuses on challenges of air and maritime defense of the United States.
NS4255 Naval History and Maritime Strategy (4-0) As Required
This course examines the role of naval power and maritime strategy during the period when global warfare conducted on and from the high seas was a central element of the international system; that is, from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries. Topics include: naval armaments, arms races, and arms control; economic warfare; "gunboat diplomacy"; neutral rights and the law of the sea; naval power projection. Prerequisite: prior completion of NS3000, or consent of instructor.
NS4261 Survey of Strategic Studies (4-0) As Required
Survey of the classical and contemporary literature on strategic thinking: national objectives and strategic alternatives; deterrence, counterforce, arms control, counter insurgency; components and rules of the international strategic system; and arms competitions, nuclear proliferation, and terrorism. Prerequisites: NS3030 or consent of instructor.
NS4280 Nuclear, Biological and Chemical: Proliferation and Non-Proliferation (4-0) As Required
This advanced research seminar examines the origins of nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons proliferation, and its impact on U.S. and international security. The course investigates the causes and consequences of proliferation; studies central debates and key case-studies on the subject; and evaluates policy responses designed to impede, discourage, and cope with the spread of NBC weapons. This course is unclassified. The seminar presumes familiarity with U.S. national security approaches to proliferation, and prefers, though not require-prior participation in NS3280. The seminar refers to and draws upon topics that are covered in NS3280: nuclear strategy, deterrence theory, and strategic arms control. Prerequisites: NS3280.
NS4282 The Politics of Nuclear Nonproliferation (4-0) As Required
Examines the main political issues surrounding nuclear nonproliferation.
NS4285 Counter-proliferation (4-0) As Required
This course will prepare students to counter nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons threats in future operational or staff assignments by improving their understanding of the causes and consequences of NBC weapons proliferation and use and the strategies and capabilities available to counter these threats. Prerequisites: None. Classification: U.S. citizen holding a TOP SECRET clearance with eligibility access to SCI.
NS4287 Special Topics in WMD (4-0) As Required
Advanced course on the politics and strategy governing weapons of mass destruction. Topics vary.
NS4300 Seminar in Middle Eastern Politics (4-0) As Required
A research seminar on politics in contemporary Middle East. Students conduct and present original research on selected issues concerning Middle Eastern politics. Since the topic of the seminar will vary, the registrar will be provided with the full title each quarter the course is taught. Sample subject areas include the Arab-Israeli conflict, the politics of oil, and the revolution in the Middle East. This course may be repeated as long as the subject material and title of the class is different. Prerequisites: Two 3000-level Middle East courses or consent of instructor.
NS4301 African Political Economy (4-0) Annually
This course examines economic development issues in Sub-Saharan Africa from a very broad perspective. We will consider how political and social as well as economic structures impact economic growth and development, assess policy and performance in the postcolonial period, and discuss the challenges for the twenty-first century. Prerequisites: None.
NS4305 Military, Polity and Society in the Middle East (4-0) As Required
Seminar in Middle East military affairs, politics and society. Prerequisites: None.
NS4310 Seminar on Middle Eastern Security Issues (4-0) As Required
A research seminar on security issues in the contemporary Middle East. Students conduct and present original research on selected issues concerning Middle Eastern security. Since the topic of the seminar will vary, the registrar will be provided with the full title each quarter the course is taught. Sample subject areas include the domestic security implications of Middle East peace, environmental security in the Middle East, and terrorism in the Middle East. This course may be repeated as long as the subject material and title of the class is different. Prerequisites: Two 3000-level Middle East courses or consent of instructor.
NS4311 Contemporary Issues in African Politics (4-0) As Required
This course will survey the major issues confronting African states today: the HIV/Aids epidemic, endemic civil wars, dimensions of ethnicity and ethnic conflict, issues of democratization and authoritarian rule, the nature of states and the phenomenon of state collapse, and patterns of trade and economic development. The focus will cover the entire sub-Saharan region, while utilizing country case studies to elaborate each of the main issue areas. Designed as an upper-level seminar, the course will focus on discussion and debate of weekly reading assignments. Prior coursework in African Politics is desired, but not required.
NS4313 Government and Security in West Africa (4-0) As Required
This course introduces students to government and politics in West Africa, with an emphasis on political, economic, and social change since the end of the Cold War. Why are some countries in the sub-region making peaceful progress toward democratic consolidation while others are dissolving into violent conflict? How does the coexistence of zones of conflict and peace affect regional security? Prerequisites: None.
NS4315 Security and Politics in Iran (4-0) As Required
Iran has been one of the most important countries in the Middle East region. It is located strategically, connecting the Caucasus and Central Asia to the Persian Gulf on the one side, and South Asia to the Arab Middle East on the other. Iran is home to one of the principal languages and cultures of the region. It is also one of the most populous countries in the Middle East with one of the largest economies. Iran has been a politically and strategically significant country for most of the past century. It was a frontline state during the Cold War. It was the scene of a major revolution that changed the face of the Muslim world and the relations between the United States and regional powers. Since 1979, Iran has been an avowedly Islamic state that has been engaged in a protracted war with the West. However, Iran has also witnessed profound political, social, and cultural changes that can be consequential for the future of the region. This course provides an overview of Iranian politics. It also uses social science theory to examine what factors have determined the evolution of Iranian politics, and how those developments in turn change our views on political change in the Muslim world and beyond. Prerequisites: None.
NS4320 Islamic Fundamentalism (4-0) Annually
A research seminar on the ideology and practice of Islamic fundamentalists in the Middle East. Students read primary source translations of major fundamentalist ideologues, such as Ayatollah Khomeini and Sayyid Qutb, in addition to focusing on the strategies and histories of specific fundamentalist groups. Students will conduct and present original research on this topic. Prerequisites: NS3000 or consent of instructor.
NS4321 U.S. Interests and Policies in Africa (4-0) Annually
This course examines U.S. foreign policy in Sub-Saharan Africa since 1960, with emphasis on the post-Cold War period. Prerequisites: None.
NS4322 Seminar on U.S. Security Strategy in the Middle East and Persian Gulf (4-0) As Required
Examines current United States security strategy in the Middle East and Persian Gulf region. Prerequisites: None.
NS4325 War in the Middle East (4-0) As Required
This course studies the international history of the Middle East and North Africa since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, with a particular focus on the origin, conduct, and consequences of the region's major wars. Prerequisites: Prior completion of NS3000 and at least one 3000-level Middle East course, or permission of the instructor.
NS4326 Social Mobilization and Conflict in the Middle East (4-0) As Required
This course analyzes the organization, incentives, and goals of non-state actors. Subjects include protest and mobilization of civil society and their relations with violent actions, how available alternatives shape the form for opposition action takes, and the effects of repression and political inclusion. Prerequisites: Prior completion of at least one 3000-level Middle East course, or permission of the instructor.
NS4327 Southern African Politics (4-0) As Required
The countries of the Southern African region are closely linked by economics, social demographics, and history. This course will examine the dynamics of Southern Africa combining detailed studies of individual countries with themes that cross the region, such as migration, trade, regional security, economic development, and post-conflict reconstruction. Some of the topics we will cover include attempts by Southern African countries to strengthen regional integration; the role of South Africa as local hegemony; how recent events in Zimbabwe have impacted on regional dynamics; democratization and demobilization in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique, and the peace process in Angola. Designed as an upper-level seminar, the course will focus on discussion and debate of weekly reading assignments. Prior coursework in African Politics is desired, but not required. Prerequisites: None.
NS4328 Government and Security in the Horn of Africa (4-0) As Required
Addresses government and security issues in the Horn of Africa. Its main focus is on how conflicts in the region -- persistent civil war in Sudan, state collapse in Somalia, contentious ethnic politics and secessionist movements in Ethiopia and Djibouti, state formation processes in (internationally recognized) Eritrea and (internationally unrecognized) Somaliland -- interact to produce a particularly challenging regional security environment. We conclude with a consideration of what this regional security environment means for the War on Terrorism, as well as how the War on Terrorism is impacting the regional security environment. Prerequisites: None.
NS4332 Ethnicity and Ethnic Conflict in the Developing World (4-0) As Required
The goal of this course is to examine issues of ethnicity and ethnic identity as they relate to conflict and democracy in the non-Western world. This course will be offered as an elective that will fit in with the regional studies curricula for students in the Africa, Latin America, Middle East, and Asian curricula in the NS department. The course will provide students with the theoretical tools and approaches to the study of ethnicity and ethnic conflict in multiple-country contexts. The course is divided into three main subject areas: (1) the nature of ethnicity, (2) the nature of and explanations for ethnic conflict, and (3) solutions to ethnic conflict. Weekly course readings present a mix of theoretical approaches and case studies, and will cover all the major areas of the world: Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe. Prerequisites: None.
NS4361 Politics in Egypt (4-0) As Required
Course investigates contemporary Egyptian politics, including the roles of institutions, personalities and external forces, and the socio-economic context. Prerequisite: None.
NS4410 Seminar on Security Issues in Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia (4-0) Annually
This advanced seminar addresses the security problems of the successor states to the former Soviet Union, focusing on the military, the security environment, political culture, Russian and non-Russian nationalism, and the relationship between domestic and foreign policies. Prerequisites: NS3400 or NS3410, or NS3450, or consent of instructor.
NS4415 Seminar on Security Issues in Central Asia (4-0) As Required
For the purpose of this course, Central Asia refers to Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The seminar will consist of three parts. In the first part, the students will gain a general background in history of Central Asia. In the second part, the students will survey the current situation in Central Asia. The seminar sessions in the third part of the course will be dedicated to presentations of students' research. Prerequisites: None.
NS4425 Russian Foreign Policy (4-0) Annually
This advanced seminar introduces theoretical approaches to the study of foreign policy and focuses on the content of post-Soviet Russia's foreign policy. Students will learn what Russia's foreign policy consists of and who or what makes it. The course aims to give students a greater ability to analyze the critical determinants of foreign policy and an in-depth understanding of the various aspects of contemporary Russia's foreign policy interests. Prerequisites: None.
NS4501 Politics, Film and Fiction in Latin America (4-0) As Required
This course explores how Latin American film and fiction has portrayed politics. Specific novels, short stories and films (all with a political context) will be compared with social scientific readings analyzing the same topics. All movies will be in Spanish with English subtitles. All readings will be available in Spanish and English versions. Prerequisites: NS3501.
NS4502 Russian Film and Fiction (4-0) As Required
Examination of Russian culture through that country's film and fiction. Prerequisites: None.
NS4510 Seminar on Latin America Government and Politics (4-0) As Required
An advanced seminar on Latin American politics in government. The topics analyzed include those of most current relevance including political transitions, the changing role of different political movements and institutions, and the prospects for economic growth and political stability. Prerequisites: NS3510 or NS3520, or consent of instructor.
NS4540 The Political Economy of Latin America (4-0) As Required
This course examines the complex relationship between politics and economics in Latin America. The course is structured around two overarching sets of questions. First, how can political science help us understand the economic development strategies that Latin American countries have pursued at different points in time? How have political actors and forces shaped the paths of economic development and what national patterns have emerged in the conflict over economic policy making? Second, reversing the direction of causation, when these economic development strategies succeed or fail, what is the impact on politics across Latin America? How has the pursuit of different economic ideologies, ranging from Marxism to neo-liberalism, altered politics in the region? Prerequisites: None.
NS4560 Seminar on Latin American Security Issues (4-0) Annually
A research seminar on security issues in contemporary Latin America. Students focus on challenges to regional security, regime stability, and public safety. Students conduct and present original research on selected issues concerning Latin American security. Prerequisites: NS3510 or NS3520, NS3024 or consent of instructor.
NS4610 Asian Seminar: United States-Asian Relations (4-0) As Required
Overview of the current state of U.S.-Asia relations. Prerequisites: None.
NS4620 Seminar on the Chinese People's Liberation Army (4-0) As Required
This course is a reading seminar on the evolution of the PRC's military and its domestic and foreign policy roles. It reviews the evolution of Maoist and post-Mao security strategies, military decision making, professionalism versus politicization of the army, the calculus of deterrence and the use of force in PRC foreign policy, and party-army and civil military relations. Prerequisites: None.
NS4621 Political and Ethnic Violence in Southeast Asia (4-0) As Required
The course will examine the sources, evolution and outcomes of political violence in Southeast Asia in the post-World War II period. We will explore the reasons for violence, its manifestations, and the various instruments that might be used to hasten its end. Readings will include classic works on violence and war in the region, along with important contemporary analyses of ongoing conflicts. Throughout the course, we will investigate the evolution of war and other forms of large-scale violence, especially within states and as perpetrated by states against citizens. We will focus on Cambodia, Indonesia, Burma, Thailand and the Philippines. Prerequisites: None.
NS4630 Seminar on Northeast Asian Security (4-0) Annually
Advanced research on national, regional, and global security dynamics among the states of Northeast Asia. The course explores policy options facing North Korea, South Korea, Russia, Japan, and China, their regional interaction, and the likely implications for the United States. Non-traditional security topics such as energy and space will be covered along with questions of military modernization, weapons, proliferation, alliance behavior, and deterrence. Prerequisites: Prior completion of at least one course in Asian politics and security (NS3620, NS3661, NS3662 or NS3663) or consent of the instructor.
NS4640 Seminar on Wars in Asia (4-0) As Required
This course studies the history of war and international relations in South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It emphasizes the relationship between military action and political developments within the region, and also seeks to explore the impact of regional developments on the larger world system. Students will write an independent research paper in this class. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
NS4641 Political and Ethnic Violence in Southeast Asia (4-0) As Required
This course will examine the sources of political and ethnic violence in the Southeast Asia region. Prerequisites: NS3620.
NS4645 Asian Security: Theory and Practice (4-0) As Required
East Asia contains four "great powers," three-plus nuclear powers, two countries still divided since WWII, and several of the most dynamic economies on the globe. This course considers the prospects for war and peace in this complex constellation of powers in the current era. Will the United States and China become rivals? What are the prospects for stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Taiwan Strait? Will Japan become a "normal" nation? What role do nuclear and other WMD play in shaping regional affairs? Why are security institutions so few in East Asian Security affairs? Is international cooperation fundamentally different in East Asia? What is the nature of civil-military relations across the countries of the region? Each of these questions will be addressed. The course will begin with a brief discussion of international security theory before turning toward specific regional security topics. Throughout the quarter we will make use, however, of theoretically informed arguments regarding East Asian security issues. Prerequisites: Prior completion of NS3024, plus at least one course on Asian politics and security, numbered NS3600-3667; or permission of the instructor.
NS4660 Seminar on Asia in World Affairs (4-0) As Required
Advanced study of Asia's contemporary economic, security, diplomatic and cultural roles in world affairs, with special emphasis on the policy interaction of China, Japan, India and other key states with the United States, Russia, Europe, and the developing world. Prerequisites: A NS3000-level course on Asia or consent of instructor.
NS4661 Contemporary Afghan Politics (4-0) As Required
This seminar examines the complex historical, ethnic, religious, and linguistic factors that unite and divide Afghanistan as it struggles with the challenges of political modernization, economic reform, and integration into the international community. The seminar places a fundamental emphasis on current Afghan politics as well as questions of U.S. interests and policy options. Prerequisites: None.
NS4662 Seminar on the Politics of Southeast Asia (4-0) As Required
Advanced seminar on the contemporary politics of South East Asia. Prerequisites: None.
NS4663 Politics and Security in South-West Asia (4-0) As Required
This seminar is focused on the political and security dynamics of three countries: Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. No other region in recent history has undergone greater or more rapid transformation than these three contiguous countries, tied through history, geography, politics, and the nature of people. Internal schisms — ethnic and religious — have posed challenges to the state power in the past five decades. And as each state grapples with several internal challenges, each poses security challenges to the others. This complex interplay — of intrigues, proxies, and the involvement of outside regional and global powers — has made the region a hotbed for instability, a focal point and conduit for global terrorism, drug production and trafficking, and weapons proliferation and, consequently, a challenge for international security. Prerequisites: None.
NS4664 Religious Activism in South Asian Politics (4-0) As Required
The events of September 11 have underscored the importance of religious activism in South Asian politics. These movements have impacted regional politics and international security and are likely to continue to do so in the years to come. This course aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the role of religion in South Asian politics by familiarizing them with the historical context for religion's involvement in South Asian politics, introducing the important actors, key ideas and major events. The course will deal with both Islamic and Hindu religious movements in the Afghanistan-Pakistan-India arc. This will provide a comprehensive approach to the topic and will provide students with a comparative framework to analyze relevant issues. The course will use important works in the disciplines to provide a historical framework for the study of religion and politics in South Asia. Prerequisites: None.
NS4667 Political Development in South Asia (4-0) Annually
This course covers a selected range of topics for understanding current South Asian political developments and towards answering the larger question of why South Asia is the way it is: What are the internal and external structures and institutions in South Asian countries that shape their political activities and stance? In this course we study contemporary issues in the context of regional, national, and local political developments in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. This will assist in thinking relationally and comparatively across nations of the region, as well as provide an understanding of different movements and events that shape this region. Prerequisites: None.
NS4668 Security in South Asia (4-0) Annually
The seminar places particular emphasis on the conditions affecting the occurrence, conduct and aftermath of war in the region. Topics covered in the seminar include the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947 and the creation of political, ethnic, religious, and territorial disputes between the two countries; ethnic and religious sources of instability in the region; civil-military relations; South Asia during the Cold War; South Asia and the global war against terrorism; the foreign relations of India and Pakistan with the United States, Russia, China and neighboring countries; the origins and military conduct of the three India-Pakistan wars; and the acquisition of nuclear weapons by India and Pakistan and their impact on regional security and international stability. Depending on student interest, the course also will cover security dynamics of smaller South Asian states (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan). Prerequisites: None.
NS4669 Conflict and Cooperation in World Politics (4-0) As Required
This course introduces students to representative literature on key topics in the fields of strategic studies and security studies. The course is taught as a research seminar. It is organized around four main topic areas: the parameters of strategic studies and security studies, and alternative definitions of security; alternative approaches to maintaining order at a regional or global level, with the main focus on the prospects for stability when there is a hegemonic power; the concept of strategic culture; and the effectiveness of alternative strategies for influencing states in bilateral relations so as to reduce security threats and the chances of military conflict. Prerequisites: NS3024.
NS4677 Space and National Security (4-0) Annually
This course studies the political history of the space age from the perspective of U.S. national security, as well as U.S. relations with other major, space-faring countries. It also covers arms control treaties, legal issues, international negotiations, and space management questions from a current policy perspective. A significant independent research paper is required. Prerequisites: NS3011 and NS3024 or consent of instructor.
NS4690 Seminar on International Security Issues of Asia (4-0) As Required
Advanced study of Asian security issues with special emphasis on the balance of forces, regional and external alliances, prospects for conflict, and Asian concepts of security and strategy. Prerequisites: A NS3000-level course on Asia or consent of instructor.
NS4710 Seminar on European Politics (4-0) Annually
A research seminar on politics in contemporary Europe. Students conduct and present original research on selected issues concerning European politics, with an emphasis on defense and security problems. Prerequisites: NS3710 or consent of instructor.
NS4720 Seminar on European Security Issues (4-0) Annually
A research seminar on security issues in contemporary Europe. Students conduct and present original research on selected issues concerning European security. Prerequisites: NS3720 or consent of instructor.
NS4722 Special Topics in European Security Issues (4-0) As Required
Upper level seminar that debates advanced issues in European Security. Specifics topic vary by instructor. Prerequisites: None.
NS4755 Strategic Planning and Budgeting for Homeland Security (4-0) Summer
Offered through the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. Homeland security requires programs in such disparate areas as counter-terrorism, information security, border security, counter-drug activities, etc. This course will provide students with an analytical framework useful for translating long-term plans into programs and budgets. Prerequisites: NS3180.
NS4801 Seminar on Terrorism (4-0) As Required
This course attempts to provide a broad sweep of the field of terrorism. We explore general issues — the structure of terrorist groups, the motivation of those who join, the patterns of authority and decision making within groups, and the impact of different types of operations on governments and the public. In the second portion of the course, we discuss in greater depth the campaigns of a few selected terrorist organizations. We will also look at what some scholars call the "new" terrorism. Prerequisites: None.
NS4802 The Intelligence Dimension of Counterterrorism (4-0) Annually
This course examines the intelligence process, organizational structure and related policy issues at the operational level of counter-terrorism operations. The course addresses the conduct of intelligence collection, threat analysis, assessment, and dissemination. Particular attention is devoted to the inter-agency process, international (combined) intelligence sharing, data fusion, data mining, intelligence oversight, and legal issues.
NS4805 Modeling Terrorism: New Analytical Approaches (4-0) Spring/Summer
Terrorism and the groups that foment it are at the forefront of concern for policymakers and defense analysts worldwide. This seminar and associated lab will focus on applying a variety of proven analytic techniques to terrorism for the purpose of understanding it, building actionable models of it, and suggesting policy alternatives aimed at successfully deterring, disrupting and defeating it. The course will use as a test bed a particular global terrorist organization. Appropriate readings and background materials will be augmented with hands-on lab exercises analyzing group, organization, environment, process and narrative-related dimensions of terrorism. Instruction will be augmented by subject matter experts and guest speakers. Approaches to be covered include system dynamics, game theory, Bayesian analysis, cross-impact analysis, and rhetorical modeling and simulation. Prerequisite: None.