The Master of Arts in Strategy, Cybersecuirty and Intelligence (MASCI) is a one-year degree that will prepare future leaders and operators for sound decision-making at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels, by enabling them to task, parse, and prepare a wide range of data and raw intelligence.
Students will gain expertise in major strategy and intelligence topics such as terrorism, extremism, cybersecurity, disinformation, political warfare, covert operations, sanctions, special operations, and economic espionage. The program is designed to build the skills to work effectively in careers in the US Department of Defense, US Intelligence Community, and the related private and nonprofit sectors.
Degree Requirements
Campus: Washington, DC
Credits: 40
Duration: 11 Months, Full-Time
Course delivery: In-person
In order to graduate, students must fulfill all degree requirements and earn a cumulative GPA of 2.67 or above.
Sample Course Schedule
| Term | Courses | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Term | Bootcamp (2 credits) | 1 week |
| Fall | Strategy I (4 credits) | 15 weeks |
| Intelligence I (4 credits) | ||
| Elective (4 credits) | ||
| Elective (4 credits) | ||
| January Intersession | Capstone Research Seminar (2 credits) | 1 week |
| Spring | Strategy II (4 credits) | 15 weeks |
| Intelligence II (4 credits) | ||
| Elective (4 credits) | ||
| Elective (4 credits) | ||
| Summer | Capstone (4 credits) | 6 weeks |
Pre-Term Boot Camp
The Pre-Term Boot Camp is designed to be an identity-forming group experience for the cohort to take place in and around Washington, DC in late August. The boot camp will include an introduction to the program and topics in intelligence, strategy, covert action, military basics, open-source intelligence and policy making, exercises and simulations, an intelligence walk around Washington DC, and a staff ride to a nearby historical battlefield.
Sample Electives*
- Air Power and Strategy
- China's National Security Perspectives
- Conduct of Foreign Policy
- Defense Analysis
- Disinformation
- Economic Sanctions and Statecraft
- Geopolitics of the Middle East
- Global Cyber Threats
- Illicit Finance
- Information Security
- Insurgency and Irregular Warfare
- Intelligence and Cyberspace
- International Bargaining and Negotiation
- International Crises and International Law
- Military Adaptation under Fire
- Operations Analysis
- Psychology and Decision-making in Foreign Policy
- Russia and the West: After the Cold War
- Security Challenges and Military Modernization in South Asia
*subject to change
Capstone
Students will select one of two capstone options, either a thesis or an oral presentation focused on strategic intelligence and national security. Each student will be assigned an advisor early in the capstone process. The advisor will provide or facilitate supervision of the work leading toward the capstone requirement. The thesis is a thoroughly researched and well-sourced research paper. The oral presentation is a thoroughly researched presentation, using any presentation software, presented in a 15-minute briefing, followed by a 30-minute Q&A session with at least two faculty members to probe the briefing’s depth and quality. It must be accompanied by an executive summary, which should include a list of references to the best available sources. The Capstone Research Seminar will prepare students for both the capstone thesis and the oral presentation.