Global Security Leadership Online (MA)
Program Description
The Master of Arts in global security leadership. is a fully online, interdisciplinary program designed to equip students for leadership roles in national security, intelligence, homeland protection, and private sector organizations. The program is designed to meet the need for early to mid-career education and advanced degrees required for promotion in government and commercial national security organizations. The program is designed to be completed in one year, but students could take longer. The program consists of 30 credit hours beyond a bachelor’s degree, including 6 hours of core classes, 21 hours of elective courses, and one applied graduate project.
As an academic discipline, global security studies focuses on the study of
various parts of the national security system, including regional security,
strategy development, cyber security policy, and intelligence operations. Global
security studies explores the multifaceted challenges to international peace and
security, encompassing both traditional hard power threats and nontraditional
issues like cyber, climate change, and pandemics. It analyzes these issues
through the lenses of international relations, political science, economics, and
history to develop strategies for prevention, mitigation, and response.
The M.A. in Global Security Leadership will offer four concentrations, allowing students to tailor their studies to align with their professional goals. Students may earn a concentration if they complete 12 hours of elective work from one of the following concentrations.
1) The Global and Regional Security concentration examines critical issues surrounding near-peer competitors and regional conflict fault lines.
2) The Intelligence Operations concentration explores the role of intelligence in national security policy, the impact of emerging technologies on intelligence collection and analysis, and the challenges facing the intelligence community.
3) The Strategy Development concentration develops the skills needed to assess national security challenges, craft policy solutions, and effectively communicate them to senior decision-makers.
4) The Cybersecurity Policy and Planning concentration focuses on evolving cyber threats and how a nation can best build a whole-of-government approach to counter those threats.
Graduates of our Program will be able to
1) Articulate how nations translate their security goals into strategy.
2) Appraise governmental policy planning and execution.
3) Design policy proposals tailored to professional goals.
4) Develop institutional leadership skills.
5) Communicate and disseminate information to intended audiences.
The M.A. in Global Security Leadership is a 30-credit program. All students must
complete 6 hours of core courses, 21 hours of electives, and 3 hours of an
applied graduate project. Students may also earn a concentration in any of four
areas by completing 12 elective courses in that concentration.
Core Classes (6 credit hours)
INSS 6010: The National Security Structure and Process
INSS 6090: Creative Organizational Leadership
Electives (21 credit hours)
Elective courses are chosen from the concentration courses listed below. Students
who complete 12 hours of courses from a concentration will receive a certificate
in that specialization, in addition to their degree.
• Concentration 1: Global and Regional Security
INSS 6100: National Security Strategy
INSS 6110: Russia and Global Security
INSS 6120: European Security
INSS 6130: Middle Eastern & African Security
INSS 6140: China and Global Security
• Concentration 2: Intelligence Operations
INSS 6300: Intelligence and Global Security
INSS 6310 : Intelligence in the 21st Century
INSS 6320 : Technology and Intelligence
INSS 6330: Law Enforcement Intelligence
INSS 6340: Counterintelligence
• Concentration 3: Strategy Development
INSS 6500: War, Conflict, and Global Security
INSS 6510: Emerging Technology and the Future of War
INSS 6520: Terrorism, Insurgency, and Global Security
INSS 6530: Economic, Environmental, & Health Security
INSS 6540: Climate Security
• Concentration 4: Cybersecurity Policy and Planning
INSS 6700: Overview of Cyber Policy
INSS 6710: Cyber Threats and Trends
INSS 6720: Developing a Cyber Strategy
INSS 6730: Cyber & the Military Element of Power
INSS 6740: Cyber Law and National Security
Applied Graduate Project (3 credit hours)
INSS 6900: Capstone Policy Proposal