Courses
This course is an introduction to strategic studies, which deals with the preparation and use of military power to serve the ends of politics. Although the treatment is topical, two themes run throughout: (1) the nature of war based largely, but not exclusively, on Carl von Clausewitz's On War and (2) the evolution of warfare from the late nineteenth century to the present. There are no prerequisites for this course; nevertheless, students will require a basic grasp of 20th and 21st century history.The course is divided into three main parts: an introductory discussion of strategic theory focused on Clausewitz and alternatives to his theory of war; an examination of the paradigmatic form of mass warfare that emerged in the nineteenth through the mid- twentieth century; and, an examination of challenges that have emerged to that paradigm since World War II.The course is taught through a combination of lecture and discussion. By the course’s conclusion, students will have a fulsome understanding of the theory and history of strategic studies, and will be equipped to apply that knowledge to the major dilemmas animating international security affairs today.
Strategy II examines the current and future use of force to achieve national objectives, with particular emphasis on emerging domains of 21st century warfare. This course builds upon the courses "Strategy I" and "Strategy and Policy" that provide an introduction to strategic studies, which deals with the preparation and use of military power to serve the ends of politics. The course is structured to cover three broad areas: 1) US Strategy in a Changing World, 2) The Changing Character of War, and 3) Strategic Decision-Making. Lessons will include but are not limited to: Strategic Forecasting, Resource Tradeoffs, Surprise and Adaptability, Civil-Military Relations, Space and Space Warfare, Cyber and Information Warfare, Technology and Future Conflicts, and Asymmetric Vulnerabilities. At the end of the course, students will have a better grasp of the diverse and competing issues that confront today's strategists and policy-makers, with a particular focus on the security challenges facing the United States in the 21st century.
Prerequisite(s): SA.670.701[C]
This course is an introduction and overview of the discipline of intelligence. It is divided thematically into three parts: the context in which modern American intelligence services perform their missions, the actual practice of intelligence collection and analysis, and the enduring issues that have characterized the field for centuries. There are no prerequisites for the course other than a general understanding of international relations and politics.
This course follows from Intelligence I. Intelligence II offers students an introduction into the changing face of intelligence - the goals, methods, and actors - in the digital age. From open-source intelligence to cyber operations, we will explore the historical evolution of the ‘who, how, and why’ of intelligence (with a focus on signals) over the course of the semester.