Security Studies (M.A.)

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M.A. in Security Studies

This is a rigorous, interdisciplinary, and professionally-oriented program of graduate studies. The resulting degree provides a broad, analytical perspective on national and international security issues. Coursework concentrates on issues of strategy, politics, economics, and society from both historical and social science perspectives.

Course delivery and flexible scheduling

The new MA degree is designed with maximum flexibility in its course offerings, and is intended to be attainable within one calendar year of full-time study while maintaining academic standards in accord with existing MA degrees in History and Political Science. It will make maximum use of web-based, evening, and summer courses to provide this flexibility. A minimum of 30 credits is required with 6 to 8 research hours.

Committees

Each student will be supervised by a master’s committee consisting of three members of the Security Studies graduate faculty. As in any graduate program, adjunct professors are eligible to serve on committees.

For more information

For additional information and application materials please contact:
Security Studies Graduate Program Director
Institute for Military History & 20th Century Studies
Kansas State University
221 Eisenhower Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506-1002
Phone: 785-532-6333
E-mail: cjstap@ksu.edu
Home Page: http://www.k-state.edu/securitystudies/Welcome.html

Course requirements

Course requirements will consist of 30 hours of graduate-level work, up to 12 hours of which may be transfer credit from other graduate-level work. The masters programs admissions committee will evaluate the suitability of transfer credits. The remaining hours will consist of 18 hours of required courses and additional graduate-level electives as needed to total 30 hours.

1. Required: Fundamentals of Security (3 credit hours)

This course will introduce students to major themes covered in the M.A. program of study. It is designed to provide students with foundations for the other core courses and so must be completed in the first term of student enrollment. Students will read key texts on international security, military history, and strategy, as well as works on the theory and research practice of history and political science. They will write essays on the assigned readings, participate in on-line synchronous and asynchronous discussions, and compose a final paper or take a final exam on the issues raised by the course.

HIST 812 - Foundations of Security Studies Credits: (3)
POLSC 812 - Foundations of Security Studies Credits: (3)

2. Required: Security Studies Methodology (2 credit hours)

This course is a rigorous exploration of interdisciplinary methods in history and political science. It is typically offered as an eight-week course.

POLSC 810 - Security Studies Methodology Credits: (2)
HIST 810 - Security Studies Methodology Credits: (2)

3. Required: History and Security of Pivotal Regions (6 credit hours)

Students will take at least two courses on the history of regions of central importance to international affairs. These courses may focus on East Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, or other strategic areas.

HIST 850 - History and Security: East Asia Credits: (3)
HIST 851 - History and Security: Latin America Credits: (3)
HIST 852 - History and Security: the Middle East Credits: (3)
HIST 853 - History and Security: Russia/Central Asia Credits: (3)
HIST 854 - History and Security: South Asia Credits: (3)

4. Required: International Security and Transnational Security (6 credit hours)

Political Science will offer two courses. International Security will focus on traditional issues of the causes of war, deterrence, the relevance/role of international institutions, arms proliferation, the politics of international intervention, and conflict resolution. The second, Terrorism and Transnational Security, will cover security issues that have been given increasing emphasis over recent years. Examples include the unique context of security problems in the developing world, demographic developments and internal/external conflict, environmental issues and their relation to security, economic globalization and security, post-conflict reconstruction, and humanitarian emergencies.

POLSC 813 - International Security Credits: (3)
POLSC 814 - Terrorism and Transnational Security Issues Credits: (3)

5. Required: Research Design in Security Studies (1 credit hour)

This course is a study of research methods in history and political science culminating in a piece of original research in Security Studies.

HIST 815 - Research Design in Security Studies Credits: (1)
POLSC 815 - Research Design in Security Studies Credits: (1)