6700 - Field Studies

This capstone course integrates and synthesizes the fundamental themes from the entire curriculum. The course examines a series of strategic national security and homeland security challenges confronting the nation today. Students work in small groups to assess select transnational security issues, determine U.S. objectives, identify key assumptions, and develop a range of policy options that include evaluations of the risks and benefits of each option. Students will practice the critical thinking skills introduced in course 6100 and select the military instruments (6200) and non military instruments (6300) best suited to these security challenges. Each challenge also requires an assessment of key domestic and national decision making enablers and constraints (6400) as well as a keen appreciation for the global context (6500) in which the U.S. must develop and implement its strategy. In keeping with the goal of "putting theory into practice," students will produce a written policy options paper designed for senior decision makers and develop a briefing for "real world" senior officials.