Overview | Track | Qualifications | Cost | Spring 2023 Courses | Fall 2022 Courses
Resources | Calendar | NSI in DC Brochure
The Diana Davis Spencer Program in National Security allows students to earn a Master of National Security and Intelligence (NSI). This degree is designed for early career professionals with a desire to prepare themselves for an emerging career in the Intelligence Community. The degree aims to strengthen students’ ability to understand complex issues through rigorous coursework. Well-published scholars and seasoned practitioners lead in-depth classroom discussions, collaborate on research, and mentor students in and out of the classroom. The program seeks to expand students’ worldview and prepare them for careers in national security and intelligence.
Overview
The NSI program is a 42-credit-hour program with a final capstone project and a language requirement.
Language Requirement:
Many careers in national security and intelligence require languages. Bush School students are expected to acquire intermediate or better proficiency in a foreign language by the end of the degree program. Students do not receive credit for the language courses.
Capstone Project:
The capstone project takes place toward the end of the degree program. A group of three to five students work together on a project for a client. The project will allow students to gain real-world professional experience, including networking opportunities, while creating a final product that helps the client and can be shared with potential employers.
Curriculum:
The curriculum consists of six required courses:
- 605 – American Foreign Policy
- 606 – International Politics in Theory and Practice
- 608 – Global Economy
- 652 – Role of Intelligence in Security Affairs
- 689 – Research Methods
- 670 – Capstone
Students will also take:
- four track electives from Intelligence, National Security, and Area Studies and
- four additional electives
For information on application procedures, please contact our Admissions Office at 202-773-0022 or BushSchoolDC@tamu.edu.
Track
National Security
- 620 – International Security
- 650 – National Security Law
- 651 – National Security Policy and the Military
- 657 – Terrorism in Today’s World
- 689 – Strategy, Risk and Foresight in International Relations
- 689 – People, Regimes and Power
- 689 – Race and International Relations
- 689 – Culture and International Politics
- 689 – Foreign Policy Process
- 706 – Cyberspace implications for National Security
Intelligence
- 657 – Terrorism in Today’s World
- 689 – National Security Investigations and Operations
- 689 – Intelligence Surprises
- 696 – Analytic Tradecraft
- 700 – Counterintelligence
- 706 – Cyberspace implications for National Security
- 714 – Defense Intelligence
Area Studies
- 621 – Chinese Foreign Policy
- 672 – East Asian Security
- 676 – International Politics of the Middle East
- 686 – Russian International Politics
- 689 – Eurasian Security
- 689 – Rising Powers
- 689 – Eastern European Politics
- 689 – Culture and International Politics
- 689 – People, Regimes and Power
- 689 – Key Issues in European Politics
- 689 – The U.S. in the Middle East
- 689 – African Politics and Regional Affairs
- 689 – Intelligence Surprises
* – All courses subject to change
Qualifications
Students must have earned a bachelor’s degree by the start of their first semester. No professional experience required.
Cost
The Bush School of Government and Public Service is committed to supporting graduate students as they pursue careers in public service. The Bush School DC offers an affordable fixed rate tuition:
- Estimated yearly cost: $1,300 per credit hour (3-credit-hour course = $3,900)
Spring 2023 Courses
The following is a tentative schedule for classes in spring 2023. Students will register for classes through the Texas A&M “Howdy” portal.
All classes meet in Bush School DC location – 1620 L Street, NW.
Monday
Day: Monday | Instructor: Lemon | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023
Course Description:
Day: Monday | Instructor: Shim | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023 | Fall 2022 | Spring 2022 | Fall 2021 | Summer 2021 | Spring 2021
Course Description: Examines three fundamental pillars of the global economy: international trade, international finance and foreign direct investment (FDI); appreciation for the complexities of the international environment from both theoretical and policy perspectives.
Day: Monday | Instructor: Laurienti | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023 | Fall 2022
Course Description: TBD
Day: Monday | Instructor: Brown | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023
Course Description: Development of a working understanding of cyber-enabled systems; exploration of impact of cyber-enabled systems on policy and public administration.
Tuesday
Day: Tuesday/Thursday | Instructor: Weber | Time: 3-4:20pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023
Course Description: TBD
Day: Tuesday | Instructor: Lemon | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023 | Fall 2022
Course Description: The effects of international politics on the competing forces of global integration and disintegration are investigated and policy implications are considered, drawing upon theories of interstate politics.
Day: Tuesday | Instructor: Young | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023
Course Description:
Day: Tuesday | Instructor: Kelly | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023
Course Description:
Day: Tuesday | Instructor: King | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023
Course Description: Perform analysis in the U.S. Intelligence Community; hone writing, briefing and analytical skills; focus on fundamentals of critical thinking, the psychology of analysis and intelligence process.
Wednesday
Day: Wednesday | Instructor: Weber | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023 | Fall 2022
Course Description: An examination of American foreign policy from 1945 to the present; focus on decisions made by American elected and appointed officials at critical moments of the Cold War and after; theory provides a framework, but the focus is on practical matters that confronted decision-makers.
Day: Wednesday | Instructor: Shim | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023
Course Description: An institutional perspective to examine how politics structures development possibilities from the policymaker and citizen perspectives.
Day: Wednesday | Instructor: Shynkaruk | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023 | Fall 2022
Course Description: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 brought the East European region back into the spotlight of global politics and a new security reality raising the specter of a new Cold War. This course will review East European states’ history and political culture, state- and nation-building experiences, and the role of identities in shaping their geopolitical futures.
Day: Wednesday | Instructor: Ross | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023 | Fall 2022 | Spring 2022 | Fall 2021 | Summer 2021 | Spring 2021
Course Description: In-depth understanding of the arcane and often misunderstood world of counterintelligence.
Thursday
Day: Tuesday/Thursday | Instructor: Weber | Time: 3-4:20pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023
Course Description: TBD
Day: Thursday | Instructor: Ross | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023 | Fall 2022 | Spring 2022 | Fall 2021 | Summer 2021 | Spring 2021
Course Description: A survey of U.S. Intelligence operations, techniques, objectives and resources, with particular emphasis on how intelligence has contributed and continues to contribute to U.S. national security.
Day: Thursday | Instructor: Gause | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023
Course Description: Focus on critical issues including Great Power involvement in the region, and the regional and international effects of Arab nationalism, Zionism, Islamism, post-Islamism, oil and aid rents, ethnicity, religious minorities, gender and human rights.
Day: Thursday | Instructor: Daly | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023
Course Description: Focuses on terrorism as special case of political violence and on non-state actors as a specific category of players toward which the international system must adapt; develops underlying concepts of terrorism and core response strategies to terrorism; develops both national and international responses to terrorism, emphasizing need for complementary policy approaches.
Day: Thursday | Instructor: Shynkaruk | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Spring 2023 | Fall 2022
Course Description: This course offers an interdisciplinary view on the role of culture as socially shared ideas and meanings in international relations. In line with the constructivist paradigm in International Relations (IR), this course unpacks the explanatory value-added of the notions of culture and identity for a better understanding of international politics, foreign policymaking, and diplomacy.
Fall 2022 Courses
The following is a tentative schedule for classes in fall 2022. Students will register for classes through the Texas A&M “Howdy” portal.
All classes meet in Bush School DC location – 1620 L Street, NW.
Monday
Day: Monday | Instructor: Lemon | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Fall 2022 | Fall 2021 | Summer 2021 | Spring 2021
Course Description: Examines historical and contemporary defense intelligence capabilities as part of the military decision-making environment and how multiple capabilities and organizations work in this sphere. In depth study of individual services’ intelligence capabilities, proficiencies and unique contributions.
Day: Monday | Instructor: Shim | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Fall 2022 | Fall 2021 | Summer 2021 | Spring 2021
Course Description: Examines three fundamental pillars of the global economy: international trade, international finance and foreign direct investment (FDI); appreciation for the complexities of the international environment from both theoretical and policy perspectives.
Day: Monday | Instructor: Laurienti | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Fall 2022
Course Description: TBD
Tuesday
Day: Tuesday | Instructor: Shynkaruk | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Fall 2022
Course Description: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 brought the East European region back into the spotlight of global politics and a new security reality raising the specter of a new Cold War. This course will review East European states’ history and political culture, state- and nation-building experiences, and the role of identities in shaping their geopolitical futures.
Day: Tuesday | Instructor: Gentile | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Fall 2022
Course Description: Exposure to historical and contemporary defense intelligence capabilities as a part of the military decision making environment; examination of how multiple capabilities and organizations work together to inform leader; examination of the five major intelligence disciplines; exposure to a variety of scenarios involving an all source approach to intelligence; examination of the individual services’ intelligence capabilities, proficiencies and unique contributions to the Intelligence Community (IC).
Day: Tuesday | Instructor: Ross | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Fall 2022 | Spring 2022 | Fall 2021 | Summer 2021 | Spring 2021
Course Description: In-depth understanding of the arcane and often misunderstood world of counterintelligence.
Day: Tuesday | Instructor: Weber | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Fall 2022
Course Description: An examination of American foreign policy from 1945 to the present; focus on decisions made by American elected and appointed officials at critical moments of the Cold War and after; theory provides a framework, but the focus is on practical matters that confronted decision-makers.
Wednesday
Day: Wednesday | Instructor: Pino | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Fall 2022
Course Description: TBD
Day: Wednesday | Instructor: Peterlin | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Course Description: The course focuses primarily on the institutions and process by which the President and the executive branch determine (and execute) the diplomatic priorities of the nation and addresses the roles of Congress and the Courts.
Day: Wednesday | Instructor: Weber | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Fall 2022
Course Description: TBD
Day: Wednesday | Instructor: Lemon | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Fall 2022
Course Description: The effects of international politics on the competing forces of global integration and disintegration are investigated and policy implications are considered, drawing upon theories of interstate politics.
Thursday
Day: Thursday | Instructor: Shynkaruk | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Fall 2022
Course Description: This course offers an interdisciplinary view on the role of culture as socially shared ideas and meanings in international relations. In line with the constructivist paradigm in International Relations (IR), this course unpacks the explanatory value-added of the notions of culture and identity for a better understanding of international politics, foreign policymaking, and diplomacy.
Day: Thursday | Instructor: Ross | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Fall 2022 | Spring 2022 | Fall 2021 | Summer 2021 | Spring 2021
Course Description: A survey of U.S. Intelligence operations, techniques, objectives and resources, with particular emphasis on how intelligence has contributed and continues to contribute to U.S. national security.
Day: Thursday | Instructor: Shim | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Fall 2022 | Spring 2022
Course Description: Examination of international military, diplomatic and political dynamics in the Asia Pacific region; focus on contemporary security relations; examines a wide range of security challenges facing the region; familiarization with the strategic preferences of key actors in the major areas of potential conflict.
Day: Thursday | Instructor: Kanin | Time: 6:30-9:10pm | Room: TBD
Syllabus: Fall 2022
Course Description: Evaluates frameworks for understanding international conflict and then uses these perspectives to survey security problems across several regions, including East Asia, the Middle East and South Asia.
Academic Resources
Career Services:
Students will have access to dedicated one-on-one career counseling with our Director of Enrollment Management, Career and Student Services. Our goal at the Bush School DC is to help students find their chosen career path, whether that is advancing in their current position or pursuing new endeavors.
Writing Resources:
The Bush School DC provides writing services to help students with academic and professional writing. Appointments can be in person or online.
Bush School DC Library:
The Bush School DC provides an in-house librarian to help students with any research needs. In addition to our collection of library resources, students have access to Texas A&M’s vast digital and library collections.
Internships:
Internships are strongly recommended for students who do not have any experience in the Intelligence Community. Our Career Services staff will help students find an internship that best fits their needs. Credit is available for internships.
Academic Calendar
The following changes to the Texas A&M University’s 2022-23 Academic Calendar will apply to Bush School DC. They are occasioned by different holidays in the District of Columbia that will require the closing of the teaching site.
