Content Comparison

Fall Semester Courses

PAI 738 | US Intelligence Community: Governance and Practice, via VTC | Bob Murrett

This course meets Monday and Wednesday morning on SU's main campus and is only available in DC online

This course examines the evolution of the US Intelligence Community since its inception in 1947 through the present day. Key phases and specific events will be explored, including efforts during the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam Conflict, the Church Committee, the Balkans Conflict, pre- and post-9/11 operations, the 9/11 and WMD Commissions and the legislative overhaul mandated by Congress in 2004.  The course also will review governance and oversight of the intelligence community by the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and students will study the functional elements of intelligence tradecraft (human intelligence, signals intelligence, imagery analysis, etc.), and engagement with international counterparts. The class will participate in case studies that students will evaluate, provide briefings for, and make recommendations in regard to, both in terms of analysis- and intelligence-driven decision-making on policy and operations.

PAI 715  | Evolving Global Security Landscape: Robotics, Autonomous Systems, and Artificial Intelligence  | Keagle

Change brings with it challenges—at the individual, organizational, and systemic levels.  It involves behaviors and cultures with often deep-seated traditions.  This course will explore the scope and magnitude of the transformational forces at work in the U.S. and to a lesser extent the global security and defense establishments. By its nature the course will be about peace and war—how the nation goes about the business of preparing, equipping, and training itself to deter and if necessary to fight traditional wars and the new kinds of challenges that might lead to armed conflict as well as shaping the post war environment for an enduring peace—but do NOT think about this as a linear process.  It will also be about sociology, bureaucratic politics, the role of the media, economics, health care, power….   Most of all this semester it will be about the transformational nature and effects of robotics, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence (RAS/AI) on security and the budget pressures on the national security/ defense budgets—and where to consider taking acceptable risks—geographically and functionally and force posture wise (for example, do we need a $1Trillion nuclear modernization program; or 2400+ F-35s; or 12 carrier battle groups?).  This agenda now is being shaped by governments and the private sector - commonly know at the 3rd offset.  

PAI 715 | Sustainable Development, Security and the Frontier of Finance | Bejoy DasGupta

This new course will focus on how the global financial revolution underway, the Fintech revolution, can help lead to sustained, inclusive and strong growth and enhance security, as elaborated in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The course will explore cutting edge themes at the intersection of finance, technology, policy, development and security, as well as cross-border dimensions. It will not be narrowly focused on technology, and is appropriate for students pursuing development, economic and security fields.

PAI 715 | Global Sustainability and Development: Evaluating Policy Impact at the National Level | Melinda Kimble

This course offers an overview of the concept of sustainability and its application in economic, environmental, social and development spheres from the perspective of policy practitioners.  It examines the issue through the perspective of three planetary ecosystems – water, land and air – and explores associated public policy issues – urbanization, globalization, depletion of ocean resources, land-based sources of marine pollution, deforestation, climate change and national security.  Drawing on a policy thinking tool developed for this class, the seminar will assess the evolution of international legal frameworks and related concepts since 1970 and apply the tool to identifying and analyzing current and future policy options at the local, state, national and global level. This course provides business and finance, economic development, national security as well as environmental majors a command of key concepts, analytic tools, and professional literacy for addressing sustainability issues across a range of disciplines.

PAI 715| China's Rise and Challenges to the Global Order |  Robert Daly

This master’s seminar focuses on contemporary challenges to the global order posed by China’s growing economic and political power.  The course charts China’s reform and opening, its development and integration into the global economy, and the challenges created for Western economic and security institutions and alliances. Specific topic areas covered include China’s non-market status and trade conflict, competition for technological leadership, ICT governance and standard setting, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the implications of China’s South China Sea activity.  The course will combine extensive background readings, lectures, and discussion.  Students will benefit from frequent guest lectures and discussions with experts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

PAI 715 | From Fragility to Resilience: New Approaches to Global Development | Erol Yayboke and Sara Reckless

While some countries move up the development ladder on the way to greater economic growth and stability, others struggle with cyclical fragility and the negative repercussions that come with it. The path from fragility to resilience is rarely linear, requiring a mix of security, stabilization, humanitarian aid, and development assistance. This course will look at causes of fragility and examine the non-kinetic tools deployed in fragile states, especially their utility and effectiveness in specific country and regional cases. Primarily discussion-based, the course will also include regular guest speakers who are regional experts and/or practitioners.

PAI 700 | Economic Statecraft in a Multipolar World | Mary Lovely

U.S. national security challenges are increasingly addressed by tools of economic statecraft.  This course examines the mechanisms, operation and outcomes of these economic tools.  The course focuses on five tools, including those designed to coerce change and those offered as incentives and positive inducements.  Planned for discussion in Spring 2021 are trade barriers and preferences, financial sanctions, export controls and investment restrictions, foreign lending, and development aid.

PAI 715 | Strategic Foresight for International Relations | Samuel Brannen

This course will provide graduate students with a structured approach to thinking about the future of the international environment. It is a foundation in qualitative foresight methodologies with direct application to national or organizational strategic planning. It also provides a tour du horizon of the global trends shaping the world 10-20 years into the future and beyond. Through real-world case studies and classroom exercises, the course exposes students to the practical application of foresight methodologies to policymaking and resource decision-making. These methodologies are routinely used by strategic planners in leading global intelligence organizations, national security ministries, multinational corporations, and non-governmental organizations. Strategic foresight is an under-appreciated “hard” international relations skillset, particularly useful in navigating the profound global transitions underway that affect risk and competitiveness for countries, companies, and individuals.

PAI 715 | Issues in Public Diplomacy | Shawn Powers

This course will provide a deep dive into the origins of information statecraft and explore case studies to provide a detailed understanding of the scope, sophistication, and significance of the geopolitics of information. Building on key theoretical models, including markets for loyalties, networks, and game theory, this course will provide an analytic framework for understanding the range of information statecraft activities, as well as the key variables likely to influence the success or failure of a public diplomacy campaign or program. Monitoring and evaluation techniques and best practices will also be covered, as well as the foundations of digital analytics and metrics. Classes will feature occasional guest speakers from the State Department, the Department of Defense, and the NGO community. At the end of the course, students will be subject matter experts on public diplomacy and global media strategy, the information statecraft toolkit, and the significance of these tools and tactics in international affairs.

PAI 715 | International Trade & Economic Negotiation | Bennett Caplan and Paul Fekete

This course looks at a variety of different types of negotiations concerning economic issues, including multilateral trade and investment negotiations, bi- and pluri- lateral trade negotiations, and negotiations aimed at the settlement of specific disputes. We will discuss the influence of domestic politics, and the role of international organizations and non-governmental stakeholders such as NGOs, labor, multinational corporations, and domestic interest groups. The course is particularly useful for those considering careers in international trade, business, markets and finance.

PAI 715 | Speechwriting and Effective Communicating for Policy Practitioners | Jamie Shea

How do you write a great speech that has impact in the international arena or helps move the policy agenda forward? From research to rhetoric, our new course PAI 715-M007, Speechwriting and Effective Communicating for Policy Practitioners will address that question and explore a range of techniques that speechwriters use to create memorable messages for the international stage. This course will be taught fully online in Fall 2021 by Dr. Jamie Shea, former Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges as well as the former NATO spokesperson. During the course you will study historic and contemporary speeches tied to significant international issues as well as learn how to craft and critique the language of international affairs. There will be regular writing assignments as well as, reading, listening assignments, and discussion, as well as guest lectures from seasoned practitioners. In the end you will understand how foreign policy ideas are communicated and perhaps find a speechwriting voice of your own. Dr. Shea will teach the course live from Brussels, BE hence the timing of the class on Fridays from 8am- 1040am.

PSC 783  | Comparative Foreign Policy | Joseph Collins

A survey and critique of approaches to understanding foreign policy decision-making from the perspective of the practitioner who must deal with problems of individual choice, small groups, bureaucratic politics, and organizational constraints in the conduct of foreign policy.

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PAI 715  | African Conflicts: Causes and Consequences | Constance Freeman

African nations gained their independence, the continent continues to be a disproportionate generator of conflict and instability. Simultaneously its global importance grows, due to external preoccupations with energy security, anti-terrorism efforts, emigration, and disease.

Despite these complex dynamics, the international community’s engagement with Africa continues to be largely focused on crisis management and humanitarian assistance.

This course explores the underlying reasons – historic, political, economic and cultural -- for Africa’s chronic weakness and dependency, as well as the West’s often myopic response to these pressing problems. It takes a close look at some of the most destructive developments in the post-colonial period, including state collapse, genocide, and HIV/AIDS.

We then seek to better understand the manifestations of crisis in Africa and how to more effectively tailor our responses. To that end, we delve into the world of humanitarianism, from its traditional charitable manifestations to more recent trends such as humanitarian intervention, R2P, and reconciliation.

Winter Intersession Courses

PAI 700  | Public Management of Technology Development | Sean O'Keefe

The objective of this course is to provide a survey of major public policy influences on the formulation and implementation of commercial technology and innovation strategies.

PAI 700  | Global Energy and Geopolitics | William Hederman

This course will provide a foundation for understanding current international relations regarding energy and for appreciating current international dynamics around energy and closely related environmental issues, providing students with the tools and information to become capable of analyzing a broad range of energy matters from an international policy perspective. 

PAI 700  | Follow the Money: Key Issues in Illicit Finance | Kris Patel

This course examines how US government agencies--law enforcement, regulators, national security organizations, and the military--collaborate with international partners, non-profit organizations, and the financial industry to identify, assess, and combat financial crime threats.  The course will develop the student's conceptual and practical understanding of how illicit actors exploit the financial industry, focusing on sanctions evasion, money laundering, organized crime, and terrorist financing, and consider the challenges faced by analysts, policymakers, and bankers to mitigate financial crime risks in an evolving industry.

Spring Semester Courses

PAI 895  | Executive Education Seminar: Leadership and Strategy in Global Affairs | Sean O'Keefe

Objectives are to establish an understanding of the schools of leadership thinking, especially current trends, to practice requisite skills, and to plan for additional learning and development through assessment and action planning.

Course readings focus on leadership theory and practice and their application in the changing organizational environment in a global workplace.

PSC 783  | Comparative Foreign Policy | Joseph Collins

A survey and critique of approaches to understanding foreign policy decision-making from the perspective of the practitioner who must deal with problems of individual choice, small groups, bureaucratic politics, and organizational constraints in the conduct of foreign policy.

Case studies and simulations are used to provide first-hand experience in policy decision-making in the United States and other countries.

PAI 700  | Global Energy and Geopolitics | William Hederman

This course will provide a foundation for understanding current international relations regarding energy and for appreciating current international dynamics around energy and closely related environmental issues, providing students with the tools and information to become capable of analyzing a broad range of energy matters from an international policy perspective. 

PAI 730 | US Defense Strategy, Military Posture & Combat Operations, 2001-Present, via VTC | Bob Murrett

This course examines the Defense Strategy of the US and its allies and its implementation by military forces from 2001 to the present. Students study national-level strategic guidance from the National Command Authority, and understand how national security is carried out by the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Combatant Commanders and subordinate units.

International security dynamics and military posture related to terrorism and proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass effect also will be examined. Students will participate in specific case studies of planning and execution of combat and humanitarian assistance operations with allied forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa, Haiti, the Far East, Colombia, and on the high seas.

PAI 708 | Issues in Public Diplomacy | Shawn Powers

This course will provide a deep dive into the origins of information statecraft and explore case studies to provide a detailed understanding of the scope, sophistication, and significance of the geopolitics of information. Building on key theoretical models, including markets for loyalties, networks, and game theory, this course will provide an analytic framework for understanding the range of information statecraft activities, as well as the key variables likely to influence the success or failure of a public diplomacy campaign or program. Monitoring and evaluation techniques and best practices will also be covered, as well as the foundations of digital analytics and metrics. Classes will feature occasional guest speakers from the State Department, the Department of Defense, and the NGO community. At the end of the course, students will be subject matter experts on public diplomacy and global media strategy, the information statecraft toolkit, and the significance of these tools and tactics in international affairs.

PAI 708 | Economic Statecraft in a Multipolar World | Mary Lovely

U.S. national security challenges are increasingly addressed by tools of economic statecraft.  This course examines the mechanisms, operation and outcomes of these economic tools.  The course focuses on five tools, including those designed to coerce change and those offered as incentives and positive inducements.  Planned for discussion in Spring 2021 are trade barriers and preferences, financial sanctions, export controls and investment restrictions, foreign lending, and development aid.

PAI 700 | Transatlantic Political - Military Issues | Michael Williams

This seminar will explore the historic foundations of NATO, dissecting current issues – including the challenge from Putin’s Russia, rising illiberalism in Europe, populism in the US and EU, migration pressures, terrorism and the role of China in Europe - and will assess possible future developments of what has been known as the “most successful alliance in history”. 

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PAI 996 | Master’s Application Project: Capstone Workshop in International Affairs | Barbara Petzen

This is the capstone course and a core requirement for the EMIR degree. Students complete substantive research projects while embedded in one of the thematic or regional programs at CSIS. Students work directly with CSIS experts on capstone projects designed to hone and showcase their capacity for both cogent analysis of real-world problems and effective policy communication.

Based on interest, working teams of master's candidates conduct research reports to craft actionable policy analysis and recommendations on a complex issue area. Since valuable policy recommendations may be lost if they are not communicated well, teams also learn to transform their policy analysis into an online project that communicates their results with clarity, creativity, and compelling multimedia storytelling.

Professional development workshops on data collection, analysis, analytic writing, and presentation are covered to support students in the development of their projects and to help prepare them for personal career advancement.

Project teams receive mentorship and guidance from CSIS faculty and media advisors throughout the duration of their projects.  A final oral presentation and a written report to CSIS and the faculty advisor are the major course requirements.

EMIR candidates who successfully complete the capstone project will be able to:

• Understand complex and fast-changing international security and foreign policy issues;
• Analyze complex data sets to discern key patterns and trends;
• Formulate insightful analysis of an issue area and design appropriate policy recommendations or compare likely repercussions of different policies;
• Craft compelling policy narratives combining cogent analysis and creative data visualization;
• Communicate findings effectively both orally and across a range of multimedia platforms;
• Collaborate effectively on diverse teams to produce a high-impact product.

Maymester Courses

PAI 703 | Current Issues in US-Latin American Relations | PAI 703 | Philip French

This intensive one-week seminar in Washington introduces students to the contemporary relationship between the U.S. and Latin America, offering the opportunity to discuss US policy in the region with current and former government officials, scholars, and non-governmental organization representatives. 

Beginning with an historical foundation from assigned readings, class lectures and discussions will focus on current policy issues:  How did U.S. narcotics, terrorism, trade and immigration policies shape relations with Latin America under the Trump administration, and what changes will the Biden administration bring?  What can/should the U.S. do to promote democracy in Venezuela, or security and prosperity in Bolivia, Haiti, and Central America?  What are China’s intentions in the region, and how should the U.S. respond?  Can the region escape the boom-and-bust cycle of commodity-based economies? What does the COVID-19 pandemic reveal about the region’s social and economic structures?  Students will discuss and challenge common approaches and assumptions, address major themes and current events, and explore possible responses to social and political change.  

PAI 730  | Central Challenges in National Security Law and Policy | James Baker

Using a series of case study modules that jump off the front page, the course examines critically the hardest U.S. national security law and policy challenges of the decades ahead. The case studies range from decisions to intervene and what laws apply if we do intervene in humanitarian crises, insurrections, or civil wars, and what laws should govern when we are involved; dealing with the Arab Spring; dealing with Iran and North Korea related to nuclear weapons; anticipating and controlling new technologies in warfare and surveillance; managing civil/military relations in protecting the homeland; countering the cyber threats to our infrastructure and cyber attacks waged by nation states, such as China and Russia; managing public health as a national security issue; resource depletion and global warming as a national security issue. Students will learn to integrate legal and policy analyses, and will gain lessons in how policy is made and implemented with significant legal guidance. 

PAI 700  | Rising Athena: Defense, Diplomacy and Development | Kathleen McInnis 

This course uses the deity Athena (the goddess of wisdom, war, and strategy) as a heuristic in order to critically engage the structure and substance of U.S. national security policy. Particularly after 9/11, U.S. national security and foreign policy has been dominated by the Department of Defense.  Arguably Ares, the god of war and tactics, has been ascendant.  Yet the U.S. has not been winning wars and it remains underprepared to use non-military instruments to achieve strategic success. The ancient Greeks knew that militarism without strategy was a losing proposition, which is why Athena - the multifaceted female god of art, war, empathy, protection, architecture and many other things besides - was the deity for victory.  Over the duration of the class, students will explore national security policy through the lenses of gender, creativity, storytelling, strategic empathy, and interagency structures in order to tease out how the U.S. might build better national security strategies and policies. 

PAI 700 | Sustainable Development, Security and the Frontier of Finance | Bejoy Das Gupta

Examines how the global financial revolution underway, the Fintech revolution, can help lead to sustained, inclusive and strong growth and enhance security, as elaborated in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The course will explore cutting edge themes at the intersection of finance, technology, policy, development and security, as well as cross-border dimensions. It will not be narrowly focused on technology, and is appropriate for students pursuing development, economic and security fields.

Summer Semester Courses

PAI 700 | Disinformation and Influence in the Digital Age |  TBA 

This course will explore how global actors have weaponized false or misleading information to shape public perceptions, achieve strategic geopolitical goals, make money, and pollute the information environment. Students will study the new tools being used by state and non-state actors and examine the reach/effectiveness of disinformation campaigns in shaping public dialogue. This course will further explore how the practice of disinformation has changed in the information age, how both state and non-state actors weaponize technology, social networks, and other tools for dissemination, and what makes human beings and societies vulnerable to information operations. In addition to covering state-sponsored information operations, this course will also dive into financially motivated operations, the role of the media and state media, and the inadvertent spread of viral false information, differentiating between different types of campaigns. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to study how to detect these campaigns using open-source investigative techniques and discuss the difficulties of attribution particular to the information operations space. Finally, this course will explore regulatory, diplomatic, technological, and societal mitigations and interventions aimed at protecting the information environment, assessing their effectiveness. 

PAI 700 | 21st Century Strategy | Sean McFate

The art of war and grand strategy is often invoked yet rarely understood, resulting in catastrophe. Too often policy makers, members of congress, academics, think tankers, journalists, pundits and even flag officers discuss strategy but remain ignorant of the concept. Consequently, strategy is frequently confused with tactics, bureaucracy, academic theory and other things — all to ruinous effect — as evidenced in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. You will learn universal strategies for the strong, the weak and most things in between. We will examine the ideas of Sun Tzu, Kautilya, Jomini, Clausewitz, Mao, T.E. Lawrence, Galula and other scholar-practitioners. Case studies include the Peloponnesian War, American Revolution, 2006 Lebanon War and African warlords. The course will teach you how to think strategically and builds on what senior U.S. military officers learn at war colleges, taught by a professor at such an institution. However, we will probe much deeper than what is usually taught at war colleges and civilian institutions so that you are equipped to fight and win 21st century warsThe Maxwell in Washington faculty page can be seen here.

Required Courses (EMIR-ONLY)

PSC 783 | Comparative Foreign Policy 

A survey and critique of approaches to understanding foreign policy and national security decision-making from the perspective of the practitioner who must deal with problems of individual choice, small groups, bureaucratic politics, and organizational constraints in the conduct of foreign policy. Case studies and simulations will help to provide first-hand experience in policy decision-making.

PAI 895 | Managerial Leadership 

This Washington DC taught iteration focuses on leadership and strategy in global affairs and is a requirement for the EMIR degree. Students will establish an understanding of the schools of leadership thinking, especially current trends, to practice requisite skills, and to plan for additional learning and development through assessment and action planning. Course readings focus on leadership theory and practice and their application in the changing organizational environment in a global workplace. Case studies, simulations/exercises, and guest speakers will augment group discussion.

PAI 996 | Master's Project Course (Capstone) 

A core requirement for the EMIR degree, the Capstone requires EMIR students to complete substantive research projects while embedded in one of the thematic or regional programs at CSIS. Students work directly with CSIS experts on capstone projects designed to hone and showcase their capacity for both cogent analysis of real-world problems and effective policy communication. Students will craft actionable policy analysis and recommendations on a complex issue area as well as learn how to transform their policy analysis into an online project that communicates their results with clarity, creativity, and compelling multimedia storytelling. A final oral presentation and a written report to CSIS and the faculty advisor are the major course requirements.

Elective Courses

PSC 719 | Fundamentals of Post-Conflict Reconstruction (Maymester)

The goal of this class is to familiarize students with the main concepts of post conflict stabilization and reconstruction, the various dimensions and goals of post-conflict work, the actors involved, the trade-offs and dilemmas they face, and the lessons learned from recent cases. The course address many of the key issues that frame debates in post-conflict reconstruction work: the tension between externally and internally generated recovery efforts; the challenges of civilian-military cooperation in post-conflict zones; the trade-offs between stability and liberty; the possibilities and weaknesses of peace and reconciliation efforts; and the quest for viable exit strategies for international actors. It will also examine the applied side of post-conflict reconstruction; the techniques and tools used by international intermediaries (states, IOs and NGOs) as well as local stakeholders to help societies in transition from violence to sustainable peace.

PAI 700 | Human Rights, National Security, and American Values 

This master's seminar focuses on human rights challenges, considerations and realities across the globe as they intersect with American values and United States national security. The course examines human rights as a topic, including key documents, processes and stakeholders, in addition to the way human rights plays a role in foreign policy through both public and private sector decision-making. Specific topic areas covered will include human rights institutions and documents; new trends and considerations in human rights including technology and human rights; human rights in the context of both inter- and intra-state conflict; geopolitical competition and human rights; human rights and identity groups; business and human rights; and human rights as an element of U.S. foreign policy. Students will benefit from frequent guest lectures from across the Washington policymaking community and discussions with experts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

PAI 700 | Foresight, Insight, and the Fiction of National Security 

While old paradigms seem to be failing us in war and peace, the creative management of national security challenges are more important than ever. We require new approaches – not reading the same, old texts, or using the same, old methodologies and theories.  It is primarily for this reason – the need for imaginative, strategic leaders – that this class uses fiction as the launching point for discussion. As the 9/11 Commission noted in their report, “The most important failure was one of imagination.” Students in this course will use fiction as a springboard will hone several key student skills including creativity, the ability to better empathize with complex situations and potential opponents, understanding unfamiliar or strange cultures in order to consider unseen challenges and potential solutions and, grappling with ambiguity, contradictions, complexity, and ambivalence – entertaining for fiction but critical when considering the real world. Perhaps most importantly, students will hone their ability to ask the right questions – a prerequisite to finding least bad options, which is increasingly their job as they move into higher leadership positions. Finally, students will emerge from this course changed readers – better able to deconstruct (and reconstruct) text, think critically about what is read, and know when, and when not to, apply these frameworks.

PAI 700 | Environmental Security 

This course focuses on the role of natural resources/environment/climate change in conflict and security, including its foundational role in economic and military security, from driving conflict and migration to being used as a tool in resolving conflict and peacebuilding.

PAI 700 | Disinformation and Influence in the Digital Age

Disinformation has always been a tactic of political and social influence, but the advent of social media and targeted advertising has increased its potency and efficacy. How are nation states and domestic actors using online disinformation to shore up power and profit, and how can policymakers address this threat to democracy while keeping its values intact? This course will examine the elements of foreign policy, tech policy and regulation, changes in the media environment, and government responses that affect digital disinformation and its success, and equip students to critically observe and analyze this fast-changing sphere. Students will engage in seminar style discussions, meet with policymakers handling these key issues, and have some hands-on time to better understand the dynamics driving disinformation. 

PAI 700 | 21st Century Strategy 

Effective 21st century strategy is not a product of new technology but high strategic IQ, and this course builds the foundation to accomplish it. You will consider the concept of strategy and how it differs from tactics, bureaucracy, and academic theory and why failure to do this ends up with ruinous effect — as evidenced in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. You will examine universal strategies for the strong, the weak and most things in between. We will consider the ideas of Sun Tzu, Kautilya, Jomini, Clausewitz, Mao, T.E. Lawrence, Galula and other scholar-practitioners. Seminars will be augmented by simulations and guest speakers and will provide students not just that they would gain at the national war colleges but go sufficiently deep to ensure students will understand what it would take to fight and win 21st century conflicts. 

PAI 700 | Assessing Strategic Risks and Trends in the National Security Context 

This course will provide graduate students with a structured analytic approach to assess national security and foreign policy risks and trends. The course will use case studies and hands-on exercises to demonstrate the practical application of fundamental structured analytic techniques and the use of diverse information sets to policymaking and resource decision-making. These techniques are used by strategic planners in leading global intelligence organizations, national security bureaucracies, multinational corporations, and non-governmental organizations as part of their strategic foresight and scenario generation activities. 

PAI 700 | Conflict and Migration 

This course will explore the juncture of migration and conflict. Using a case-study approach the course will delve into several recent conflicts that have had migration emergencies significant enough to have international impact. These will include the recent and persistent conflict in Syria, the end of conflict in Afghanistan, the migration challenge in Central America, and migration in the Sahel toward Europe. This course will also consider migration challenges from a U.S. perspective and provide students opportunities consider the laws, history, and rationale behind U.S. immigration policy. The course will be telescopic, focusing first on older migrations while quickly turning to more recent and even current events.   

PAI 700 | Economic Statecraft 

As the crisis in Ukraine makes clear, some national security challenges require the adept use of the tools of economic statecraft. This course examines the mechanisms, operations, and outcomes of these economic tools. The course focuses on tools designed to coerce change and those offered as incentives and positive inducements. Case studies may also address trade barriers and preferences, financial sanctions, export controls and investment restrictions, foreign lending, and development aid.

PAI 700 | Energy and Climate Geopolitics (3 credit January seminar) 

PAI 700 | Global Supply Chains for Sustainability:  Implications for Corporations, National Security and the Environment (3 credit January seminar) 

This course is focused on developing an understanding of the dynamics at play and strategies that both public and private organizations are enacting to minimize risks and unintended consequences during a rapid transition towards a new generation of energy, sustainable technologies, and organizational strategies. In addition to interactive lectures, students will engage with invited thought-leaders, work through case studies and be part of a project team working on an applied final project focused on the implications for an economic region, resource, or technology.

PAI 700 | Humanitarian Actions: Challenges, Responses, Results 

Via case studies and a review of relevant readings, assess major humanitarian challenges worldwide since 1992. Disasters caused by nature and man: conflicts and major economic stress. Challenges for women, children, refugees, displaced people. Involvement of government, UN agencies, NGO’s, militaries, donors, press, and others.

PAI 700 | Navigating the National Security Bureaucracy 

This course, taught by former Secretary of the Army, Ryan McCarthy, will use case studies to examine the complexities of policy formulation and implementation in the national security establishment with a special focus on the Department of Defense. Considerations such as organizational culture, personality, as well as bureaucratic politics will be examined.

PAI 700 | Transatlantic Relations in a Multipolar World 

The Transatlantic Relationship, formally embodied in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has been a cornerstone of international security since the end of the Second World War, ensuring that a war between the Soviet Union and the United States did not occur. It helped to pacify postwar Europe, reduce fear amongst European states, enabled European integration and the eventual development of the European Union (EU. This seminar explores the historic foundations of NATO and its post-Cold War role helping the transition to democracy in Eastern Europe. Students will also dissect current issues such as the challenge from Putin’s Russia, rising illiberalism in Europe, populism in the US and EU, migration pressures, defense industrial issues, terrorism, and the role of China. The course finishes by exploring possible future developments of what has been known as the “most successful alliance in history” in an emergent era of multipolarity.

PAI 700 | US Challenges in the Middle East 

This course will explore historical, current, and anticipated future US security challenges in the Middle East, exploring how policy makers have understood and understand threats and their options to address them. We will analyze how the US sets goals for its regional actions, how its actions in the Middle East fit into a broader global strategy, and how different global contexts shape different US responses. This course will have a policy focus and writing assignments will develop the ability to write short, forceful, and effective memoranda. 

HST 700| A Usable Past: Policymakers and the Lessons of History  

Can history really help us avoid the mistakes the past? This course offers a practical framework for how to integrate history into policymaking—and the perils, pitfalls and opportunities of doing so. From Congress to The White House, federal agencies to European Union member states, this course uses a series of modules, case studies and group exercises to understand how history has been, and can be, applied in meaningful ways to pressing policy questions; how to do so ethically and responsibly; and how to avoid pitfalls and shortcomings such as oversimplification, partisanship and misinformation and disinformation. Over the duration of the class, students will explore policymaking through a historical lens, engage in group reading and discussion exercises, and hear from an array of expert practitioners on how to formulate better national, regional and local policy agendas by utilizing historical thinking, historical sources, and historical research skills.

PAI 700/PSC 759| Challenges in Crisis and Disaster Management 

Crises and disasters are unwelcome but also unavoidable features of modern society.  They can emerge within any domain, may be of human or of natural origin, and can last anywhere from hours, to days, to months and beyond. While sometimes the crisis itself is the undoing of an organization or society, it is the way that we respond to crises that often makes the difference between catastrophe and resilience.  This course will examine the dynamics and processes that occur as policymakers, public administrators, first responders, and citizens work to cope with crisis and disaster situations. We will identify the reasons why crises and disasters are so difficult to deal with as well as identify skills and practices that have proven to be effective in forecasting, preparing for, managing, communicating about, and learning from crises. A wide range of crises will be examined across the course including: humanitarian emergencies, terrorism, natural disasters, industrial accidents, financial crises, and foreign policy dilemmas. The workshop is dynamic, offering a combination of seminars, group exercises, and site visits. The course will be led by specialists and practitioners in the field.

PAI 700 | Current Policy Issues in US-Latin American Relations

This seminar in Washington introduces students to the contemporary relationship between the U.S. and Latin America, offering the opportunity to discuss US policy in the region with current and former government officials, scholars, and non-governmental organization representatives. Beginning with an historical foundation from assigned readings, class lectures and discussions will focus on current policy issues:  Is U.S. policy interventionist or neglectful?  How are current populist trends different than those of the 20th century?  How do U.S. narcotics, terrorism, trade and immigration policies shape relations with Mexico and Latin America’s perception of the U.S. under the current administration?  What can/should the U.S. do to promote stability in Venezuela, or security and prosperity in Bolivia, Haiti, and Central America?  What are China’s interests in the region, and how should the U.S. respond?  Can the region escape the boom-and-bust cycle of commodity-based economies? Students will discuss and challenge common approaches and assumptions, address major themes and current events, and explore possible responses to social and political change.  

PAI 708 | Issues in Public Diplomacy 

This course will provide a deep dive into the origins of information statecraft and explore case studies to provide a detailed understanding of the scope, sophistication, and significance of the geopolitics of information. Building on key theoretical models, including markets for loyalties, networks, and game theory, this course will provide an analytic framework for understanding the range of information statecraft activities, as well as the key variables likely to influence the success or failure of a public diplomacy campaign or program. Monitoring and evaluation techniques and best practices will also be covered, as well as the foundations of digital analytics and metrics. Classes will feature occasional guest speakers from the State Department, the Department of Defense, and the NGO community. At the end of the course, students will be subject matter experts on public diplomacy and global media strategy, the information statecraft toolkit, and the significance of these tools and tactics in international affairs.

PAI 715 | African Conflicts: Causes and Consequences 

This course will be an overview of security issues from African and global perspectives. The course will begin with a historical look at colonial powers in Africa, the dynamics of the Cold War and how it shaped the wars of decolonization and the establishment of African liberation movements. The course will then address the fate of the post-colonial states and the emergence of US security assistance after the end of the Cold War as well as the emergence of transnational threats in the region.

PAI 715 | China's Challenge to the Global Order 

This master’s seminar focuses on contemporary challenges to the global order posed by China’s growing economic and political power. The course charts China’s reform and opening, its development and integration into the global economy, and the challenges created for Western economic and security institutions and alliances. Specific topic areas covered include China’s non-market status and trade conflict, competition for technological leadership, ICT governance and standard setting, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the implications of China’s South China Sea activity. The course will combine extensive background readings, lectures, and discussion. Students will benefit from frequent guest lectures and discussions with experts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

PAI 715 | Climate Change, Security, and Global Development 

This course will consider climate change as a “risk amplifier” and a national security challenge especially given its impact on food security, water access, and community displacement. Additionally, students will consider how great power competition and even the hard science of climate change may impact national security policy. Finally, students will examine how planetary changes require transforming the energy sector, redesigning our infrastructure, economic and political systems and how local, national, and international governance might respond to the profound changes ahead.

PAI 715 | From Fragility to Resilience: New Approaches to Global Development 

While some countries move up the development ladder on the way to greater economic growth and stability, others struggle with cyclical fragility and the negative repercussions that come with it. The path from fragility to resilience is rarely linear, requiring a mix of security, stabilization, humanitarian aid, and development assistance. This course will look at causes of fragility and examine the non-kinetic tools deployed in fragile states, especially their utility and effectiveness in specific country and regional cases. Primarily discussion-based, the course will also include regular guest speakers who are regional experts and/or practitioners.

PAI 715 | The Frontier of Finance: Digital Currencies, Security, & Development

This course will focus on how the global financial revolution underway, the Fintech revolution, can help lead to sustained, inclusive and strong growth and enhance security, as elaborated in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The course will explore cutting edge themes at the intersection of finance, technology, policy, development, and security, as well as cross-border dimensions to include the challenges posed by Cryptocurrencies. It will not be narrowly focused on technology, and is appropriate for students pursuing development, economic and security fields.

PAI 715 | Politics, Power, and Global Sport

This seminar explores the intersections of sports, politics, and society in an international context. Combining examinations of contemporary topics and historical case studies, the course addresses the enduring and complex links between sport and major issues in global affairs including cultural diplomacy, nationalism, and human rights.

PAI 715 | Strategic Foresight for International Relations 

This course will provide graduate students with a structured approach to thinking about the future of the international environment. It is a foundation in qualitative foresight methodologies with direct application to national or organizational strategic planning. It also provides a tour du horizon of the global trends shaping the world 10-20 years into the future and beyond. Through real-world case studies and classroom exercises, the course exposes students to the practical application of foresight methodologies to policymaking and resource decision-making. These methodologies are routinely used by strategic planners in leading global intelligence organizations, national security ministries, multinational corporations, and non-governmental organizations. Strategic foresight is an under-appreciated “hard” international relations skillset, particularly useful in navigating the profound global transitions underway that affect risk and competitiveness for countries, companies, and individuals.

PAI 715 | International Trade & Economic Negotiation 

This course looks at a variety of different types of negotiations concerning economic issues, including multilateral trade and investment negotiations, bi- and pluri- lateral trade negotiations, and negotiations aimed at the settlement of specific disputes. We will discuss the influence of domestic politics, and the role of international organizations and non-governmental stakeholders such as NGOs, labor, multinational corporations, and domestic interest groups. The course is particularly useful for those considering careers in international trade, business, markets and finance.

PAI 730 | Central Challenges in National Security Law and Policy 

Using case studies, this course examines critically the hardest U.S. national security law and policy challenges of the decades ahead. Cases range from decisions to intervene and what laws apply if the US intervenes in humanitarian crises, insurrections, or civil wars, and what laws should govern when we are involved; the Arab Spring; dealing with Iran and North Korea related to nuclear weapons; anticipating and controlling new technologies in warfare and surveillance; managing civil/military relations in protecting the homeland; countering the cyber threats to our infrastructure and cyber-attacks waged by nation states, such as China and Russia; managing public health as a national security issue; and resource depletion and global warming as a national security issue. Students will learn to integrate legal and policy analyses and will gain lessons in how policy is made and implemented with significant legal guidance. 

PAI 771 | Public Management of Technological Development (3 credit January seminar) 

This course provides a survey of major public policy influences on the formulation and implementation of commercial technology and innovation strategies including regulation, public financing, grants, and other support managed by public agencies. Students will consider drivers of productivity enhancement and improved service delivery as well as imperatives for innovation change as well as how public policy and public management practices can either facilitate or deter market incentives to achieve the objectives. For aspiring business managers and technical professionals in engineering or information systems, this course will provide a perspective of the applications of public policy and public management practices and will offer constructive avenues on how government actions on behalf of the public may be anticipated.

PSC 786 | Russian and Post-Soviet Politics 

This course is a graduate-level survey of the major issues in contemporary politics in the post-Soviet region in general, and Russia in particular. The seminar will very briefly examine the pre-Soviet and Soviet period, but the primary focus of the course is on developments since 1991. Topics to be examined include the Soviet collapse and transition, the nature of Putinism as a political and economic system, and Russian foreign and security policy, including US-Russian relations and the Russo-Ukraine War.  We will meet with multiple guests from the DC area community of Russia and Ukraine scholars and practitioners.  

PAI 715 | The Emerging Challenge of Disruptive Technologies

This course will examine how disruptive technology may impact a nation’s approach toward its use of diplomacy, information, military, and economic power to advance national objectives. Students will investigate key concepts and impediments to the adoption of technology by organizations and individuals, make educated predictions regarding the role technology could play in competition in the international arena, and assess ethical factors involved in the use of technology, both old and new.

PAI 715: Congress and the Making of U.S. Foreign Policy 

This course will examine the role that the United States Congress plays in the making of U.S. foreign policy whether as partners or adversaries with the White House and other Executive Branch agencies. Using historical and current case studies, this course will examine the sources and conduct as well as the actual process of making foreign policy to include addressing the political and bureaucratic dynamics shaping those decisions. Students will examine direct and indirect ways by which Congress impacts U.S. foreign policy action including the appointments clause, the approval of treaties, the authorization, and appropriations processes as well as through oversight and investigations. Students will examine current tensions and frictions between the branches and how that impacts the way the U.S. addresses contemporary challenges. The course will include short lectures, extensive seminar discussion, and will involve significant interaction with guest speakers who have experience addressing the issues raised during the course.

PAI 715 |Space, Policy and National Security 

Space, the final frontier of policy. From companies working with the military on space as a national security issue, to policymakers setting up new agencies and regulations to support their domestic space industry, space policy is a high-stakes global competition. This course surveys key national policy and organizational changes in the American and Chinese push for space dominance, while exploring how emerging space powers are navigating this competition. We will also discuss the globalization of space manufacturing and services, the constraints of the domestic industrial base, and the use of space technology for non-military purposes. The course examines these dynamics through case studies and offers a framework for evaluating spacepower in the Indo-Pacific.

PAI 715 | Tech Diplomacy 

Explore the rising field of Tech Diplomacy in this cutting-edge graduate course that examines the growing influence of technology in global geopolitics. As cybersecurity threats and digital policy debates increasingly shape international relations, this course equips students with the tools to navigate and lead in this high-stakes arena. Students will develop subject matter expertise in AI, digital infrastructure, and the integrated tech stack that powers today’s global economy. Gain practical skills in public speaking, policy analysis, and strategic decision-making around tech-related investments and innovation ecosystems. Whether you’re aiming for a career in diplomacy, technology policy, or global strategy, this course provides the insight and experience to lead the future of tech diplomacy.

Hybrid / Online

PAI 738 | US Intelligence Community: Governance and Practice 

This course examines the evolution of the US Intelligence Community since its inception in 1947 through the present day. Key phases and specific events will be explored, including efforts during the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam Conflict, the Church Committee, the Balkans Conflict, pre- and post-9/11 operations, the 9/11 and WMD Commissions and the legislative overhaul mandated by Congress in 2004.  The course also will review governance and oversight of the intelligence community and students will study the functional elements of intelligence tradecraft (human intelligence, signals intelligence, imagery analysis, etc.), and engagement with international counterparts. Students will evaluate case studies, provide briefings, to better understand analysis and  intelligence-driven decision-making processes to support policy and operations.

PAI 739 | US Defense Strategy, Resources, & Military Operations 

This course will examine the Defense Strategy of the U.S. and its allies, and its implementation by military forces with emphasis on events from 2001 to the present. Students will study national-level strategic guidance from the National Command Authority and evaluate how national security is carried out by the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Combatant Commanders, Military Services and subordinate units.  International security dynamics and military posture related to terrorism and proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass effect will also be examined.  Students will participate in specific case studies of planning and execution of the full range of combat and other operations by U.S. and allied forces.