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National Security and Diplomacy

Track Option for Master of International Policy – National Security and Diplomacy (NSD)

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Master of International Policy
Curriculum | View By Semester

The National Security and Diplomacy (NSD) track of study provides students with the knowledge and intellectual skills necessary for contributing to the protection of the national society in an anarchical international system. The program emphasizes the need for dynamic threat assessment capabilities (both intelligence collection and analysis), the role of strategy and the use of force in international politics, alternative means of addressing potential dangers and the concepts and tools necessary for resolving international disputes and conflicts. Instruction in the national security track recognizes that the security of the U.S. is intertwined with the security of other international actors. Therefore, the program addresses both international and national security issues, such as diplomacy, gender and security, transnational threats, intelligence, counterterrorism, military strategy and international organizations. Individuals selecting this track are expected to have some knowledge of international history and politics.

NSD Courses

How To Apply

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MIP – NSD Courses


The following course are all within the National Security & Diplomacy track of the MIP (listed by category to help differentiate between course topics). MIP students in the NSD track take any of the following five courses listed in any of the categories below.

  • INTA 603 American Diplomacy
  • INTA 609 International Law – Fall
  • INTA 613 Diplomatic Negotiations
  • INTA 640 The Politics & Practice of Democracy Promotion – Spring
  • INTA 646 Foreign Policy Analysis – Fall
  • INTA 674 US Foreign Policy in the Persian Gulf – Spring
  • INTA 689 Foreign Affairs and the Constitution – Spring
  • INTA 689 Indo-Pacific
  • INTA 689 International Sports and Diplomacy
  • INTA 704 American Grand Strategy – Spring
  • INTA 711 Briefing Tradecraft – Spring
  • INTA 719 US-Mexico Relations – Spring
  • INTA 721 History, Strategy, and American Statecraft – Spring
  • MGMT 639 Negotiations (MGMT faculty)

All students interested in taking any of the courses above should take either INTA 603 or INTA 613 before taking any of the other courses listed, but both courses are recommended.

International Law and Organizations related courses:
Faculty coordinator: Professor Ronald Sievert

  • INTA 612 US Law and Homeland Security – Fall
  • INTA 650 National Security Law – Spring
  • INTA 657 Terrorism in Today’s World – Fall
  • INTA 689 Foreign Affairs and the Constitution
  • INTA 705 Bioterrorism – Fall
  • INTA 706 Cyberspace Implications for National Security – Fall
  • INTA 719: US-Mexico Relations – Spring
  • PSAA 604 Emergency Management and Homeland Security
  • PSAA 605 Homeland Security
  • PSAA 608 Cyber Security for Managers
  • PSAA 640 Energy and Security
  • PSAA 655 Domestic Intel Operations
  • PSAA 656 Fundamentals of Homeland Security
  • PSAA 660 Domestic Terrorism
  • PLAN 616 Analyzing Risk/Hazard (PLAN faculty) (can take the place of PSAA 647 Risk and Public Policy)
  • PLAN 649 Organizational and Community Response to Crisis and Disaster (PLAN faculty)

Visit the Program on Cyber Policy, Strategy, and Security website for more information on the Cyber Policy area of study.

  • INTA 689 Internet Infrastructure: Platforms and Politics – Spring
  • INTA 712 Non-Technical Introduction to Cyber Policy – Fall
  • INTA 713 Advanced Cyber Policy – Spring
  • INTA 706 Cyberspace Implications for National Security – Fall
  • INTA 708 Data Science for Policy Analysis – Fall (689)
  • PSAA 608 Cybersecurity Issues & Operations
  • CSCE 702 Law & Policy Cybersecurity
  • ISTM 635 Business Information Security
  • ISTM 645 IT Security Controls
  • ISTM 655 Security Management & Compliance

Visit the Intelligence Studies Program website for more information on the Intelligence area of study.

  • INTA 650 National Security Law – Spring
  • INTA 652 Role of Intelligence –– Fall & Spring
  • INTA 657 Terrorism in Today’s World – Fall
  • INTA 659 Transnational Security Issues – Fall
  • INTA 696 Analytical Tradecraft – Fall
  • INTA 698 Advanced Analytical Tradecraft – Spring
  • INTA 705 Bioterrorism – Fall
  • INTA 706 Cyberspace Implications for National Security – Fall
  • INTA 710 Intelligence Collection Systems– Spring
  • INTA 711 Briefing Tradecraft – Spring
  • INTA 712 Introduction to Cyber for the Non-Technical – Fall
  • INTA 714 Defense Intelligence – Fall
  • INTA 718 Counter Terrorism Financing – Fall
  • INTA 723 Covert Actions – Fall & Spring

Visit the Albritton Center for Grand Strategy website for more information on the International Politics & Grand Strategy area of study.

  • INTA 617 Deterrence and Coercion– Summer & Spring
  • INTA 620 International Security (DC) – Spring
  • INTA 623 Grand Strategy – Fall
  • INTA 631 US Military Power – Fall
  • INTA 645 Women and Nations – Fall
  • INTA 646 Foreign Policy Analysis – Fall
  • INTA 648 Contemporary Civil Wars – Fall
  • INTA 650 National Security Law – Spring
  • INTA 654 Military Strategy – Fall
  • INTA 659 Transnational Security – Fall
  • INTA 661 NATO: From Military Alliance to Collective Security – Spring
  • INTA 665 National Security and Defense Planning – Fall
  • INTA 672 East Asian Security – Spring
  • INTA 674 US Foreign Policy in the Persian Gulf – Spring
  • INTA 676 International Politics of the Middle East – Spring
  • INTA 689 DoD: An Instrument of National Power– Fall
  • INTA 689 War or Peace in the Space Domain – Fall & Spring
  • INTA 704 American Grand Strategy – Spring
  • INTA 706 Cyberspace Implications for National Security – Fall
  • INTA 711 Briefing Tradecraft – Spring
  • INTA 714 Defense Intelligence – Fall
  • INTA 719 US-Mexico Relations – Spring
  • INTA 721 History, Strategy, and American Statecraft
  • HIST 634 Maritime History and Sea Power
  • HIST 645 Modern Military History
  • NUEN 650 Nuclear Non-proliferation
  • INTA 632 Advanced Economic Development – Spring
  • INTA 635 Great Famines – Fall
  • INTA 636 International Development in Theory and Practice – Spring
  • INTA 640 The Politics & Practice of Democracy Promotion – Spring
  • INTA 644 Post-Conflict Recovery and Development – Fall
  • INTA 645 Women and Nations – Fall
  • INTA 647 State-Building and State Failure in the Developing World – Spring
  • INTA 648 Contemporary Civil Wars – Fall
  • INTA 659 Transnational Security – Fall
  • INTA 671 Political Economy of the Middle East – Fall
  • INTA 689 SPTP African Politics – Fall
  • INTA 689 SPTP Women & Armed Conflict – Spring
  • INTA 701 Women, International Development and Environmental Conflict – Fall
  • INTA 703 Clientelism in the Developing World – Spring
  • INTA 719: US-Mexico Relations – Spring
  • INTA 720 Human Trafficking – Fall
  • PSAA 610 Comparative Public Administration and Management (PSAA faculty)

Pandemic Preparedness & Disaster Response related courses:
Faculty coordinator: Professor Andrew Natsios

  • INTA 635 Great Famines, War, and Humanitarian Assistance – Fall
  • INTA 689 Agricultural Bioterrorism 
  • INTA 702 Infectious Disease in the Developing World – Fall
  • INTA 705 Bioterrorism – Fall
  • TBD Outbreak: A One Health Field Investigation (Coats, Parker, Hamer)
  • ENTO 635 Vector-Borne Disease Management and Response in Human and Animal Systems (Entomology – Coates)
  • PHEB 615 Disaster Epidemiology (School of Public Health – Clendenin)

Women, Peace, and Security related courses:
Faculty coordinator: Professor Valerie Hudson

Visit the Program on Women, Peace, and Security website for more information on the Women, Peace, and Security concentration.

  • INTA 625 International Trade Policy – Spring
  • INTA 641 Globalization, Workers, and Development – Spring
  • INTA 644 Post-Conflict Recovery & Development – Fall
  • INTA 645 Women and Nations – Fall
  • INTA 659 Transnational Security – Fall
  • INTA 670 Capstone for WPS Students (prerequisite INTA 645) – Spring
  • INTA 689 Special Topics in Women, Peace, and Security
  • INTA 689 Classic Readings in Feminist IR/Political Science – Spring
  • INTA 689 Women & Armed Conflict
  • INTA 701 Women, International Development and Environmental Conflict – Fall
  • INTA 720 Human Trafficking – Fall
  • *COMM 634 Communication and Gender (COMM faculty)
  • *EHRD 634/WGST 634 Gender and Education (EHRD faculty)
  • *EHRD 649/WGST 649 Feminist Pedagogy (EHRD faculty)
  • *ENGL/WGST 680 Theories of Gender (ENGL faculty)
  • *HLTH 634 Women’s Health (HLTH faculty)
  • *LAW 652 Gender and the Law (LAW faculty)
  • *POLS 660 Diversity in Politics (POLS faculty)
  • *POLS 673 Seminar in Gender and Politics in Comparative Perspective (POLS faculty)
  • *SOCI 610/WGST 610 Reproduction, Birth, and Power (Morris, SOCI)
  • *SOCI 661/WGST 661 Sociology of Gender (SOCI faculty)
  • *WGST 650 Gender and International Education (EHRD faculty)

*NOTE: Instructors of these courses may require you to obtain their permission to enroll in these courses.

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