Great Power Competition Certificate - Curriculum 254 (Resident)

Program Officer

Adam Arndt, CDR

Code 38, Glasgow Hall, Room 336

[phone], DSN 756-3781

[e-mail]

Academic Associate

James (Clay) Moltz, Ph.D.

Code 38, Glasgow Hall - Room 394

[phone], DSN 756-1039

[e-mail]

Overview

The Certificate Program in Great Power Competition (GPC) will provide students timely academic knowledge on the political and strategic challenges posed for the United States by the emergence of GPC with China and its re-emergence with Russia. Upon completion of the certificate, students will be able to analyze the factors shaping the new era of geopolitical competition among the major powers and potential U.S. responses across all dimensions of power, including diplomacy, economic competition, influence campaigns, and traditional military force.

Students will take three graduate courses (12 credit hours) focusing on GPC, including at least one focusing on China and one on Russia, and also the one-unit introductory GPC lecture series, NS4000.  At least one of the courses in addition to NS4000 must be at the 4000-level.  The certificate is designed to be earned by currently enrolled master’s students.  The courses may be taken in any order, depending on when they are offered.  

Convenes

Spring

Program Length

12 months

Outcomes

• To understand the nature of great power competition historically and its current manifestations.
• To understand the core motivations behind Chinese and Russian political, economic, and military policies, as well as the challenges they pose to the United States.
• To understand the tools China and Russia use to further their interests in various regions of the world outside their borders and in critical competitive domains, such as cyberspace.
• To understand the range of possible U.S. and allied responses to Chinese and Russian behavior.

Typical course of study--begin any quarter

Quarter 1

Course Number	Title	Credits	Lecture Hours	Lab Hours
NS4000	Great Power Competition: Current Policy and Strategy		0	2
NS3005	Great Power Conflict in Modern History		4	0
NS4315	Security and Politics in Iran		4	0
NS3663	Government and Security in Korea		4	0

NS4000 is required, but may be taken during any quarter it is available. Students will also take one of the following courses:

NS3005 Great Power Conflict in Modern History (for non-NSA students; course is already required for NSA department students), or

NS4315 Security and Politics in Iran (NSA Dept. students only), or

NS3663 Government and Security in Korea (NSA Dept. students only)

Quarter 2

Course Number	Title	Credits	Lecture Hours	Lab Hours
NS3401	Contemporary Politics of Russia		4	0

If NS3401 is not available, then students will take one of the following courses:

NS3400 History of Russia and Eurasia

NS3450 Military Strategy in Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia

NS4410 Seminar on Security in Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia

NS4425 Russian Foreign Policy

Quarter 3

Course Number	Title	Credits	Lecture Hours	Lab Hours
NS3661	Politics in China		4	0

If NS3661 is not available, then students will take one of the following courses:

NS4024 Political Economy of China

NS4620 Seminar on the Chinese People's Liberation Army

NS4630 Seminar on Northeast Asian Security

NS4642 Chinese Foreign Policy

NS4643 Science, Technology, and Society in China

Although ESRs are not formally required for certificates, this program supports ESR-4, Great Power Competition:

• Analyze the factors shaping the new era of increasing geopolitical competition among the major powers.
• Understand Chinese and Russian activities and potential U.S. responses across all dimensions of power, including diplomacy, economic competition, influence campaigns, and traditional military force.