Degree Requirements
| Required Courses |
Hours |
| SEC 6302 Introduction to Security Studies |
3 |
| SEC 6309 Grand Strategy and National Security |
3 |
| SEC 6312 Globalization and International Security |
3 |
Specialization Area
| Course |
Hours |
| Prescribed Electives |
9 |
| Students must choose nine semester credit hours from the national security or nine semester credit hours from the regional security specialization area. |
Electives*
| Course |
Hours |
| Electives |
18 |
| Elective hours may be taken from the national security or regional security specialization area, or in some combination of each. |
*Thesis Option
Students wishing to take the thesis option will be required to take the 9 hours of required courses, 9 hours of prescribed electives, a course for writing the thesis (SEC 6699), and an additional 12 semester credit hours of electives. The additional 12 semester credit hours must be taken in either the national security or regional security or in some combination of each.
*Non-Thesis Option
Students wishing to take the non-thesis option will be required to take the 9 hours of required courses, 9 hours of prescribed electives, and an additional 18 semester credit hours of electives. The additional 18 semester credit hours must be taken in either the national security or regional security or in some combination of each.
*Non-Thesis Option Comprehensive Exam
The comprehensive exam will be issued to students who have applied for graduation either in May (for Spring semester) or in December (for Fall semester). Students will be required to take and pass the exam during a window that will be April 1st to April 15th (for Spring graduation) or November 1st to November 15th (for Fall graduation). Students will be required to pick four questions from a list of questions provided by the Comprehensive Exam Coordinator and answer each question with a 750 word essay. Students will receive a grade of Pass or Fail on each essay. The student must pass at least three of the four questions in order to pass the comprehensive exam. Any student who does not pass the exam will be allowed to retake the exam the following semester. If the student fails the second examination, that student will be dismissed from the program unless a waiver is granted by the department chair and appropriate faculty. Exams during the summer will be by permission of the department chair and based on exceptional circumstances.
Areas of Specialization
National Security
| Elective courses include: |
Hours |
| SEC 6310 Civil-Military Relations |
3 |
| SEC 6313 Intelligence and National Security |
3 |
| SEC 6314 Terrorism and National Security |
3 |
| SEC 6315 Rogue Nations and National Security |
3 |
| SEC 6316 Peacekeeping and Stability Operations |
3 |
| SEC 6317 Weapons of Mass Destruction, Proliferation, and National Security |
3 |
| SEC 6318 Weak and Failing States and National Security |
3 |
| SEC 6320 Human Rights and National Security |
3 |
| SEC 6321 Energy Security Studies |
3 |
| SEC 6322 Transnational Issues and National Security |
3 |
| SEC 6324 Cold War Studies |
3 |
Regional Security
| Elective courses include: |
Hours |
| SEC 6323 Security Issues in Europe I |
3 |
| SEC 6325 Security Issues in Europe II |
3 |
| SEC 6327 Security Issues in Asia I |
3 |
| SEC 6328 Security Issues in North Korea |
3 |
| SEC 6329 Security Issues in Asia II |
3 |
| SEC 6331 Security Issues in Latin America I |
3 |
| SEC 6333 Security Issues in Latin America II |
3 |
| SEC 6335 Security Issues in The Middle East I |
3 |
| SEC 6337 Security Issues in The Middle East II |
3 |
| SEC 6341 Security Issues in Africa I |
3 |
| SEC 6343 Security Issues in Africa II |
3 |
