Master of Arts in Political Science - Intelligence and National Security Studies

The Master of Arts in Political Science Intelligence and National Security Studies will prepare students for the study and practice of national security. Thus, the degree track will help educate students for a career in international diplomacy, the Intelligence Community, the military, private intelligence and security contractors, law enforcement, business, as well as others. Through an interdisciplinary, practitioner-led curriculum, you’ll learn to anticipate emerging threats, make evidence-based decisions, and brief senior stakeholders with clarity and rigor. What you’ll learn; Intelligence cycle tradecraft: collection, analysis, and dissemination. Structured analytic methods and research design. Threat and risk assessment across cyber, geopolitical, and infrastructure domains. Policy development and evaluation grounded in legal and ethical frameworks. Clear, concise writing and oral briefings for decision makers. The Master of Arts in National Security Studies is a professionally oriented, interdisciplinary, graduate-level program housed within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The program is designed to develop an understanding of the substance and principles of strategic studies, including defense policy analysis, intelligence analysis, strategic planning, regional security, and terrorism in relation to the contemporary.Flexibility within elective courses permits the student to emphasize research in national security issues of their special interests. The program is relevant to established career personnel in foreign and defense policy, federal and regional law enforcement. Student will be able to Assess and predict traditional and nontraditional threats to national and international security. Compare the structures, functions, capabilities, and activities of national and international security community members 

Career Path 

Graduate career path includes National Security Policy Advisor, Counterterrorism Specialist, Cybersecurity Policy Analyst, Intelligence Analyst (Government Agencies, Defense, Security Services), Foreign Service Officer (Diplomatic Security, Political Affairs), Military Intelligence Officer, Homeland Security Specialist, Defense Policy Analyst (Think Tanks, Government, NGOs), Risk Analyst (Corporate Security, International Business), Crisis Management Specialist, Border Security & Immigration Policy Specialist, Geopolitical Analyst (International Relations, Strategic Forecasting), Law Enforcement Intelligence Officer (Police, Federal Agencies), Intelligence Collection Specialist, Academic Lecturer/Researcher (Political Science, Security Studies), Security Operations Manager (Private Sector, Critical Infrastructure), Defense Contractor Analyst (Private Firms Supporting Government Security), International Organization Officer.