GOVT 384 Introduction to Strategic Studies

The course introduces undergraduate students to the traditional themes and questions that define the study of conflict and the uses of force in the pursuit of foreign policy goals. In addition to familiarizing students to the basics of strategic thinking, this course considers contemporary topics and challenges to international security, including nuclear weapons, WMDs, and types of warfare.

The purpose of this course is to understand the process for developing a comprehensive intelligence product which includes preparation of the environment; assessment of entities within that environment; solutions for support to allied activities; and converting intelligence into operations through targeting. This course takes the lessons learned and gained throughout the student’s undergraduate coursework and incorporates it into a comprehensive exercise. This course helps the student to realize the importance of his/her role as an intelligence-related specialist and demonstrates how critical the student is in helping his/her leadership to make effective operational decisions.  

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each thread must be 400 words, include 2 sources in current APA format, and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 200 words and include 1 source in current APA format.

The student will choose a strategic challenge from a provided list and write a research paper on that topic. The research paper will explain how U.S. national strategy approaches the chosen strategic challenge. The paper will be 6—8-pages and be in current APA format. A minimum of 5 sources is required.

The Midterm will cover the Learn information from the assigned Module(s): Week(s). The quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 2 essay questions, allow for 1 attempt, and have a 2-hour time limit.

The Final will cover the Learn information from the assigned Module(s): Week(s). The quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 2 essay questions, allow for 1 attempt, and have a 2-hour time limit.