Graduate Security Studies Course Descriptions
SEC 6302 Introduction to Security Studies. This is a basic introduction to the field of security studies. This course will help students examine the recent history of security studies. Students will learn about many of the theoretical approaches and debates relating to world politics. Studies will include the origination and causes of conflict, deterrence and coercion (in both theory and practice), diplomacy and international dynamics, and an examination of the growing list of transnational issues. The course deals with many of the theoretical works in the field as well as numerous case studies that deal with the national security issues that impact current world politics and international security.
SEC 6305 Research Methodologies and Security Studies. This class will educate students in how to conduct both qualitative and quantitative research. Because this program is designed to give students skills that are directly related to national security positions, the research methodologies taught will be designed for a practical audience and one that needs skills necessary in places such as the State Department or the Pentagon. This class will give students the framework to conduct research as they gain comprehension of the strengths and weaknesses of the basic analytic methods commonly used in the national security community.
SEC 6309 Grand Strategy and National Security. This course will give students key insights into the basic elements of grand strategy and how they tie in to security studies. The course gives students a unique baseline of knowledge that will be important as they move into the other aspects of the security studies program. Key issues that will be addressed in detail include: the national security decision-making process – particularly as it relates to issues of international and homeland security; civil-military relations as applicable in the development of strategy and statecraft; an analysis of how nation-states develop military operational capabilities and readiness; and the differing strategies for international conflict, including both conventional and unconventional warfare.
SEC 6312 Globalization and International Security. This course will examine how globalization affects the policies, economics, societies and militaries of both state and non-state actors on the regional and world stages. While globalization has had many benefits since the end of World War II, it has also created “haves and have nots,” radical religious and political ideologies, and ethnic conflict in regions affecting the national security of the developed world. This course will conduct important studies that examine how the interconnected world creates differing realities for different nation-states and regions, and what the potential is for the future.
SEC 6313 Intelligence and National Security. The intelligence reform mandated following the attacks on 9/11 created the most fundamental structural change in the national intelligence community in its history. The National Intelligence Strategy (NIS), as updated, will provide the framework of analysis for this course. The integration of the national intelligence community, and the complexities this integration brings, will be analyzed. This course will cover the intelligence cycle (planning and direction, collection, processing, analysis and dissemination). It will also cover key aspects of intelligence, such as warning and surprise, denial and deception, covert action, oversight and civil liberties, the role of policymakers, and intelligence reform. Students will evaluate how changes in the national intelligence community are meeting the objectives of the war on terrorism and contributing to more effective intelligence.
SEC 6314 Terrorism and National Security. This course will examine the impact of terrorism on national security policy. The course will profile terrorists and terrorist groups, and will also analyze potential future forms of violent action that could be taken by non-state actors. The course will also examine and outline the past practices of counterterrorism in other countries. Finally, students will focus on United States policies and the roles and missions of both military and interagency commanders who are currently dealing with or have in the past dealt with terrorism as part of their assigned tasks.
SEC 6315 Rogue Nations and National Security. The end of the Cold War brought in a new era of world politics and security issues for the United States. But, with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Soviet Union also came a new phenomenon – rogue states. Countries such as Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba and others have refused to change their governments and continue to conduct policies that are hostile to the United States and its allies. This course will examine exactly what it is that makes up a rogue state, why the politics of rogue states are dangerous to the United States and its allies, and how these hostile policies can be countered. The course will also examine several important recent case studies.
SEC 6316 Peacekeeping and Stability Operations. Stability and peace operations have become an integral part of United States foreign and military policy. This course analyzes several concepts, including nation building, stabilization and reconstruction. It also examines the roles of various groups that have become important to these types of operations in the 21st century. These groups include nongovernmental, intergovernmental and governmental organizations. The course will examine the roles and missions of the many new players who have become integral to stability and peacekeeping operations.
SEC 6317 WMD, Proliferation, and National Security. As the United States looks to an uncertain future in the 21st century, control of weapons of mass destruction and the proliferation of these weapons has become one of the most important national security issues. Because many nations are not transparent about either their capabilities or intentions, this is also a very difficult issue to analyze for American policy makers and their staffs. This class will examine important case studies, such as the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), the role of the IAEA and other elements of the UN in countering WMD and proliferation, and key state actors that pose the greatest threat to American security because of their pursuit of WMD capabilities and/or proliferation.
SEC 6318 Weak and Failing States and National Security. For many years following the end of the Cold War, weak states, failing states and failed states failed to gain the attention of the United States. With the exception of the Somalia case study (a failed state), the United States tended to ignore states that were either weak or on the brink of being failed states. The events of 9/11 ended this, for the most part. Because Afghanistan was essentially a failing state and supported terrorism, this issue has now become one that is ripe for examination. What constitutes a weak state, a failing state or a failed state? Are failed states a threat to the U.S. security? If so, why? Who are these states, and what can be done to remedy their ominous and often distinctive situations? All of these issues will be examined in this course, which will provide current and recent case studies as a method for conducting analysis of an issue that has only recently come to the forefront of Washington’s foreign policy.
SEC 6319 Homeland Security Studies. This course will examine the key issues that the U.S. faces in protecting itself from terrorist attacks, and will also analyze how policy has been formulated and implemented since 2001. While homeland security involves many issues, the main focus for this class will be on the key challenges to American society and government at home that have ensued because of the long war against terrorism in the 21st century. In this class, we will define homeland security, conduct an examination of the homeland security threats that face the United States, and examine how the interagency and interstate aspects of government at various levels of jurisdiction (federal, state, local and private) interact to protect the United States.
SEC 6320 Human Rights and National Security. This course will give students a clear understanding of what constitutes human rights. The course will also explore why human rights and human security has become such a major player in policy, as well as an important aspect of the work that NGOs and other non-state actors conduct. Of particular importance to this course is conducting an analysis of the role of civil society (human rights NGOs, church groups and grassroots groups). The course will also feature important writings by practitioners and experts in the field.
SEC 6321 Energy Security Studies. This course will examine the relatively new concept of the importance of the relationship between energy and security in the 21st century. The course will conduct analysis of important policy challenges that include, but are not limited to, economic, geopolitical and environmental issues. The United States and its key allies (not to mention its competitors, such as China) have huge concerns about vulnerability to disruptions in supply, price volatility and environmental degradation. U.S. national security interests can also potentially be at peril if such issues as unequal access to energy sources and instability in key regions that are sources for energy arise.
SEC 6322 Transnational Issues and National Security. With the advent of more societies around the world and more open trade, a variety of transnational issues have become important for American national security. The role of NGOs in dealing with a variety of issues, the role of the many powerful transnational corporations, and the interesting aspect of transnational crime have changed the role of nation-states (somewhat) in how they deal with both state and non-state actors. This course will examine the key transnational issues that are important for U.S. policy, and will also analyze a series of case studies that deal with important issues, such as transnational crime, transnational corporations and other issues that cross borders between states and regions.
SEC 6323 Security Issues in Europe I. This course examines the historic, cultural, economic, social and geographic traits that distinguish this region and shape its domestic political processes and interstate relations. Students will critically compare the politics, governments and orientations of European states and important regional powers. The course will also cover contemporary regional issues, such as democratization, arms control and regional integration, with a particular emphasis on security concerns. This class will also examine the development of the Atlantic Alliance of 1949 into a military organization under United States leadership (NATO) and how that organization has affected security on both the regional and world stages. The course will conclude with an evaluation of NATO’s status in contemporary times and the role that it may play in the future.
SEC 6325 Security Issues in Europe II. This course focuses on current major issues within the European region. While engaging in critical analysis of current issues, it examines the broader European cultural context as an analytic framework explaining interaction within the region and the international arena. While the first European course focuses on many of the issues that led to the formation and continued existence of NATO, this course will discuss the formation and issues related to the European Union (EU). Because the EU is such an economic powerhouse, students will explore the theory and practice of how economic motives affect political decisions and how most political decisions have economic repercussions, both domestically and in Europe. This course reviews and explores the key themes of Europe’s contemporary political economy.
SEC 6327 Security Issues in Asia I. This course will cover contemporary regional issues, such as the influence of Japan, India, Korea and China on regional and global affairs, with a particular focus on regional security concerns. The focus of this course is on the changing dynamics of contemporary international security in Asia. This course will include several important case studies that are important to understanding regional security in Asia. These case studies will include, but not be limited to, the ongoing and hotly debated military rise of China and its implications for the region and the world; the nuclear stand-off on the Korean peninsula; contemporary security issues in Southeast Asia; the India-Pakistan conflict; and transnational security issues in Asia.
SEC 6329 Security Issues in Asia II. While Security Issues in Asia I focuses on issues of conflict and tension, this course is an introduction to the political economy of Asia. Students will explore the theory and practice of how economic motives affect political decisions and how most political decisions have economic repercussions, both domestically and in Asia. This course reviews and explores the key themes of Asia’s contemporary political economy. In doing so, it concentrates on Asia’s relationship with the global political economy, and raises questions about the nature of state action in Asian countries.
SEC 6331 Security Issues in Latin America I. This course will examine the dynamics of international security in Latin America. Key security issues the course will examine include, but will not be limited to, conflict between states, insurgency and counterinsurgency, transnational crime and terrorism. The course will also examine how the security environment in Latin America is seen in Washington – and what influences that perspective. The course will also closely examine the use of international organizations in addressing key security issues within the region.
SEC 6333 Security Issues in Latin America II. While Security Issues in Latin America I focuses on issues of conflict and tension, this course is an introduction to the political economy of Latin America. Students will explore the theory and practice of how economic motives affect political decisions and how most political decisions have economic repercussions, both domestically and in Latin America. This course reviews and explores the key themes of Latin America’s contemporary political economy. In doing so, it concentrates on Latin America’s relationship with the global political economy, and raises questions about the nature of state action in Latin American countries. While engaging in critical analysis of current issues, it examines the broader Latin American economic context as an analytic framework explaining interaction within the region and the international arena.
SEC 6335 Security Issues in the Middle East I. This course examines the implications of key security issues affecting U.S. national interests in the Middle East. The course gives insights into the history, cultures, religions, geography and demographics of the region. The course will also examine the dynamics of interaction between the Middle East and the West. Key security issues the course will address include, but are not limited to, the Middle East peace process, Persian Gulf security, access to Middle East petroleum reserves and the promotion of democracy. The course will explore the nature of jihad in the Middle East, the relationship between religion and state governments, and human rights issues.
SEC 6337 Security Issues in the Middle East II. While Security Issues in the Middle East I focuses on issues of conflict and tension, this course is an introduction to the political economy of Middle East. Students will explore the theory and practice of how economic motives affect political decisions and how most political decisions have economic repercussions, both domestically and in the Middle East. This course reviews and explores the key themes of the Middle East’s contemporary political economy.
SEC 6341 Security Issues in Africa I. This course will examine political, military and social issues of the states of Sub-Saharan Africa. The focus of the course will be on the impact these issues have on world politics and particularly United States national security interests in that region. The course will address issues of the colonial legacy, the rise of African nationalism and the emergence of independent Africa. It will also address many of the difficulties of the post-colonial legacy. Finally, the course turns to the place of Sub-Saharan Africa in Washington’s national security policy and potential outcomes for the future.
SEC 6343 Security Issues in Africa II. While Security Issues in Africa I focuses on issues of conflict and tension, this course is an introduction to the political economy of Sub-Saharan political decisions have economic repercussions, both domestically and in Africa. This course reviews and explores the key themes of Africa’s contemporary political economy. In doing so, it concentrates on Africa’s relationship with the global political economy, and raises questions about the natural of state action in African countries.
SEC 6381Special Topics. A seminar in selected security studies topics. May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.
SEC 6391 Research. A specialized course of directed reading or research in security studies. May be repeated once for credit.
SEC 6399 Thesis. A total of six semester hours is required for the thesis. This course must be repeated once. Studies have the option of enrolling in SEC 6699 to fulfill the thesis requirement in one semester.
SEC 6699 Thesis. A total of six semester hours required for thesis credit.
