National Defense University’s College of International Security Affairs offers a Master of Arts in Strategic Security Studies (MASSS) to students enrolled in the 10-month full time program from US departments and agencies, congressional staffs, and military and civilian representatives of the international community who operate in the Washington DC area. The MASSS curriculum offers a strategic perspective on the global threat environment, the rise of newly empowered and politicized ideological movements, the relationship between political objectives, strategy, all instruments of national power, and the roles of power and ideology. Through seminar participation, independent study, and the research and writing of a thesis, students develop strategies for working with other agencies, with the United States, and with members of the international coalition. Through a combination of theoretical and practical learning, the program prepares professionals to develop and implement national and international security strategies for conditions of peace, crisis, and war.
Students who complete the MASSS degree should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives:
(1) Analyze the 21st century geopolitical environment characterized by the rise of non-state armed groups and the uneven erosion of state sovereignty;
(2) Evaluate the roles of power and ideology, the rise of newly empowered and politicized ideological movements, and the bases for authority and legitimacy;
(3) Understand the relationship between political objectives, strategy, and all instruments of national power;
(4) Develop skills to think critically and strategically, to differentiate between policy and analysis, and to apply knowledge to practice in collaborative and complex circumstances with diverse partners.
Students select roughly 75% of their own curriculum including electives, Thesis topic, and Area of Concentration (AOC). The College of International Security Affairs currently offers five Areas of Concentration (AOC) in:
(1) Counterterrorism [ICTF Required AOC]
(2) International Security Studies
(3) Conflict Management of Stability Operations
(4) Homeland Defense
(5) Homeland Security Strategy and Leadership
Elective courses may be selected from the National Defense University "What’s Best Elective Catalogue."
To earn the MASSS degree, students must complete 35 graduate credit hours of coursework and a Master’s thesis. Students can accomplish this by attending courses over two semesters (Fall and Spring). Full time students will receive a laptop computer and full access to all National Defense University library resources. Full time students are assigned a faculty mentor to assist in the selection of courses and timely completion of the program.
Master of Arts in Strategic Security Studies (MASSS)
Part-Time Program
National Defense University’s College of International Affairs offers a Master of Arts in Strategic Security Studies (MASSS) to students enrolled on a part-time basis from US departments and agencies, congressional staffs, and military and civilian representatives of the international community who operate in the Washington DC area. The MASSS curriculum offers a strategic perspective on the global threat environment, the rise of newly empowered and politicized ideological movements, the relationship between political objectives, strategy and all instruments of national power, and the roles of power and ideology. Through seminar participation, independent study, and the research and writing of a thesis, students develop strategies for working with other agencies, with the United States, and with other members of the international coalition. Through a combination of theoretical and practical learning, the program prepares professionals to develop and implement national and international security strategies for conditions of peace, crisis, and war.
Students who complete the MASSS degree should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives:
(1) Analyze the 21st century geopolitical environment characterized by the rise of non-state armed groups and the uneven erosion of state sovereignty;
(2) Evaluate the roles of power and ideology, the rise of newly empowered and politicized ideological movements, and the bases for authority and legitimacy;
(3) Understand the relationship between political objectives, strategy, and all instruments of national power;
(4) Develop skills to think critically and strategically, to differentiate between policy and analysis, and to apply knowledge to practice in collaborative and complex circumstances with diverse partners.
Students select roughly 75% of their own curriculum including electives, Thesis topic, and Area of Concentration (AOC). The College of International Security Affairs offers five Areas of Concentration (AOC) in:
(1) Counterterrorism
(2) International Security Studies
(3) Conflict Management of Stability Operations
(4) Homeland Defense
(5) Homeland Security Strategy and Leadership
To earn the MASSS degree, students must complete 35 graduate credit hours of coursework and a Master’s thesis. Part-time students can accomplish this by attending courses over three semesters-per-year (Fall, Spring and Summer) for approximately two years of study.
