International Security and Intelligence Studies Degree - Master of Science
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree Overview
Political Science is concerned with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and behavior. You will learn about the pragmatic application of the art and science of politics, often defined as 'who gets what, when and how,' while also trying to elucidate the 'why.' Political Science is methodologically and theoretically diverse and has several subfields, including: political theory, public policy, American politics, international relations, and comparative politics. Political Science is about the big questions: what are the obstacles that prevent peace? What factors lead to war? How does culture affect our decisions? What is democracy? What is social justice? Are there such things as 'civilizations' and how do they impact the global community? Does the global community exist? Is government best when minimally active? Do local processes influence international trends?
Can there be something above the state? These and other issues are common fodder for discussion by students in Political Science as they try to understand the most basic question: what makes people think, fight, flee, love, and hate. Political Science is the discipline that wants to understand the world as it is, as it could be, and people as they are, and as they might be.
This major delivers a nuanced understanding of the emerging national security/intelligence field that is both broad and in-depth: you will be trained and equipped with theoretical, policy, and practical perspectives. This involves being proficient with the key concepts, functions, and operations of the national/international security infrastructure; being agile with complex global interrelationships; subtly comprehending the evolution and transformation of the international threat environment; and cogently synthesizing conflict/peace theory with national security policy and practical intelligence applications. International Security and Intelligence Studies graduates will exemplify adaptive, intuitive, and innovative learning. The depth and breadth of your expertise will uniquely position you for careers within the Intelligence Community.
