Offered in a broad range of subjects, our graduate courses cover an entire semester’s worth of material at an accelerated pace. Take an in-depth look at a subject area in small, focused classes while learning from distinguished Georgetown faculty.
We reserve the right to cancel courses at any time. Although we do our best to run every course that is listed, we do occasionally have to cancel classes due to low enrollment, instructor schedule changes, or other circumstances beyond our control.
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The list of summer courses is updated in late December of each year. Click the down arrow to see course details.
Courses subject to change.
| Number | Course Name | Faculty | Time | Session | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOVT-4672-15 | Negotiating Middle East Peace |
Kacowicz, Arie |
AM | Main First Session | Click to read more about GOVT-4672-15 |
This course focuses upon the topic of negotiations and conflict resolution in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict since 1977 to the present. This course focuses upon the topic of negotiations and conflict resolution in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict since 1977 to the present. The course is divided into three parts. First, we will present the general theoretical framework for explaining and understanding negotiations in international relations. Second, we will refer in general terms to the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the main issues and patterns of negotiations. Third, we will address several case-studies of successes and failures of negotiations between Israel and its several Arab neighbors -- Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, the Palestinians,. and most recently, the Abraham Accords of September 2020. In this context, we will attempt to understand the failure of the peace process so far between Israelis and Palestinians. |
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| GOVT-4832-15 | Politics & Film |
Boyd, Richard |
PM | Main First Session | Click to read more about GOVT-4832-15 |
The important and long-standing interplay between politics and film is the focus of this course. Three general questions characterize this examination. First, what ideological, chronological, or cultural differences mark different films focusing on a common political object, such as the American Dream or war? What accounts for these differences? Second, how political is an individual movie? How expansive should the definition of political content be? Third, how effective is the specific genre in conveying the intended political message? Are propaganda films really more effective than the indirect messages found in mainstream blockbusters? We begin with a general overview of the film-politics relationship and a brief discussion of the various perspectives and theories that illuminate the connection. Next, we look at the most obvious political films: the propaganda movies Triumph of the Will and Birth of a Nation. Next we look at the documentary genre through a contemporary production Paragraph 175 and a classic, Wiseman’s Titicut Follies. A discussion of political satire follows, focused on Chaplin’s Great Dictator and South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut. The next section delves into Hollywood’s image of America and American politics. The first two films revolve around the presentation of the American Dream, exemplified by Citizen Kane, and Forrest Gump, movies separated by 50 years. Then we look at the more focused theme of the image of Washington politics through Capra’s classic Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Wag the Dog. On a different note, we discuss one of the most unexpectedly political films, Dangerous Liaisons, a study in political personality, power maximization and unadulterated competition. The last section thematizes war and genocide. In contrast to typical heroic representations of WWII, we look at a Japanese animated feature, Grave of the Fireflies, which reveals a substantially different cultural and political sensibility, as well as the Oscar-winning glimpse of Hitler’s last days, Downfall. For the Cold War we will analyze The Manchurian Candidate and From Russia with Love. Next comes The Deer Hunter, a masterpiece that best captures the pervasive malaise of the Vietnam War period, both at home and at the front. The final films delve into an historical theme with great contemporary political and ethical relevance: the Holocaust as depicted in Spielberg’s Schindler’s List and Holland’s Europa, Europa. |
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| MATH-658-30 | Survey Sampling |
Wright, Tommy |
PM | Cross Session | Click to read more about MATH-658-30 |
This course covers design and analysis of sample surveys. Sample designs include simple random sampling, systematic, stratified, cluster, double, and multistage sampling. Analytical methods include sample size determination, ratio and regression estimation, imputation for missing data, and nonsampling error adjustment. Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: MN or MC Graduate Must be enrolled in one of the following Majors: Mathematics and Statistics |
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| MATH-905-40 | Internship |
Arab, Ali |
AM | Full Term | Click to read more about MATH-905-40 |
MATH 905 - INTERNSHIP: Students who participate in the internship course will focus on applying the mathematical, statistical and computational skills acquired in the program courses to solving real world problems. This course will focus on applying skills such as data mining, optimization, numerical analyses, maximum likelihood, data visualization, data interpretation and other mathematical and statistical theory to solve industrial problems. The course will also allow students to develop and enhance other technical skills, such as defining client problems mathematically and communicating quantitative results to both technical and non-technical audiences. All students in the Mathematics/Statistics (MAST) graduate program are eligible for this course and must receive Program Director approval. Students will be evaluated on their ability to define the real-world problem in mathematical/statistical terms, solve the problem using numerical techniques, document their technical findings and communicate the results in a written and verbal manner. To be approved, students must have a verifiable internship with a job description that aligns with the program goals. Assignments are given throughout the semester and a final oral and/or written presentation is required. |
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| SEST-529-10 | Latin American Politics & Secu |
Greene, Samuel |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session I | Click to read more about SEST-529-10 |
This course examines the links between political context of Latin America and key issues of security in the region, with a focus on the post-Cold War era. In politics, the course will explore how democratization, the development of state institutions, the political economy, and social issues have shaped the region. In the area of security, the course will examine how this political context interacts with security at regional, state, and sub-state levels, considering both hard security topics at both the state and non-state levels as well as topics in human and environmental security. |
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| SEST-567-20 | Space Technologies & Security |
Johnson, Dana Weeden, Brian |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session II | Click to read more about SEST-567-20 |
This course examines the extent to which spacepower doctrine, concepts, and operations influence national security strategy and international security. It identifies key space policy issues facing the United States and places them in the larger context of technological advances and a changing international strategic environment. The course will briefly examine the historical and policy foundations for U.S. and international space programs and activities. Key documents to be assessed will include U.S. presidential policy directives, Executive Orders, national strategies and policies, and other high-level documents that provide guidance to U.S. space sectors and activities. U.S. space sectors are defined as national security (military and intelligence communities), civil, and commercial. Efforts to expand international space cooperation and to counter other nations’ diplomatic and military space strategies will also be examined. International space programs, including those of Russia, China, Japan, and India, as well as other emerging and established space-faring nations, will be assessed through classroom lectures and in the context of a future space wargame. Students will gain an understanding of: the fundamental characteristics of the space environment that define its national security and commercial utility and context; the interrelationships among U.S. spacepower, national security, and the international security environment; the role of space organizations and sectors in developing and implementing various space technologies, strategies, doctrines, and national policies; strategic choices facing other nations with respect to development and utilization of space capabilities, products, technologies, and services; and analyzing the contribution of space-based capabilities and technologies through a classroom exercise (space wargame) focusing on space and terrestrial foreign policy issues in an international security context. Emphasizing applied learning in preparation for students’ potential future careers, the class assignments are intended to expose students to different presentation and writing styles encountered in the national security community. Presidential directives, memoranda generation, and high-level but comprehensive presentations, as well as development and presentation of diplomatic positions are some of the knowledge and skills encountered in this course. Furthermore, similar to other operational environments such as air, land, and sea, students will also gain an understanding of the nature, terminology, and impact of the space environment and orbital mechanics as well as technology on national security policy and national interests. Some seats are reserved. |
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| SEST-568-10 | Human Behavior in War |
Connable, Alfred |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session I | Click to read more about SEST-568-10 |
War is fundamentally a clash of opposing human wills. This is true of conventional war, insurgency, nuclear war, and all other types of armed conflict. Understanding human behavior is central to understanding war. Many explanations of war focus on materiel: Who has the most tanks, the better planes, the most efficient logistics? Accepting the important role of materiel in war, this course explores human motivation, decisionmaking, and culture and their central roles in the nature and outcomes of armed conflict. Why do people choose to fight, to keep fighting, or to quit? Why do civilians pick up weapons to join insurgent movements? We begin the course by establishing a common understanding of human behavior, with readings and discussions focused on agentic choice and cultural influences on decisionmaking. The second part of the course focuses on historic examples from different types of conventional and irregular conflicts. Why did people choose to fight in World War I? In Vietnam? In Afghanistan and Iraq? If they wavered or quit, how did they reach that decision? Lastly, we will explore various ways of assessing human behavior in war through practical exercises and tabletop wargaming. Some seats are reserved. |
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| SEST-581-20 | Challenges of Chem/Bio Weapons |
Melley, Brendan |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session II | Click to read more about SEST-581-20 |
This course will provide an understanding of chemical and biological warfare (CBW) issues from primarily a policy perspective, including U.S. and international efforts to prevent and respond to the CBW threat. The course will address three main objectives: 1. Understand basic technical aspects of chemical and biological weapons and technology. 2. Understand the application of CBW in a historical context, including international agreements. Discuss when and why these weapons have been used; how U.S. CBW policy has evolved; and, how key events helped shape current policies and practices in mitigating the threat of CBW employment and proliferation. 3. Understand the challenges of responding to CBW threats, including: the contemporary issues with state and non-state actor employment of CBW; the impact of dual-use technology associated with advances in life sciences and bioengineering; and, the complexities of identifying and detecting biological and chemical weapons deployment and delivery. Some seats in this course are reserved. |
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| SEST-608-20 | DPRK Nuclear/Missile Programs |
Mansourov, Alexandre |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session II | Click to read more about SEST-608-20 |
This course examines critical policy issues concerning North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and has three purposes. The first is to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of the origins, evolution, and current status of the DPRK’s nuclear and missile programs. The goal is to enable students to make accurate and reliable assessments of the DPRK WMD capabilities and intentions, the main drivers and constraints, key issues and challenges shaping the development of North Korean nuclear and missile programs. An additional goal is to enable students to better understand what role the WMDs play in Pyongyang’s overall national security strategy, military strategy, and foreign policy and to determine what policy instruments North Korean decision-makers use to advance Pyongyang’s WMD programs in the context of international isolation and sanctions. The second purpose is for students to develop critical thinking and analytical tradecraft skills so that they can produce high quality analytical products for various types of consumers, using open source data and structured analytical techniques. The third purpose is to introduce main DPRK and North Korea-related open sources available online in the public domain for policy relevant research and analysis Some seats are reserved. |
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| SEST-610-10 | Civil Military Relations |
Wineman, Bradford |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session I | Click to read more about SEST-610-10 |
The study of civil-military relations addresses a simple puzzle: can we have a military strong enough to protect civilians yet not so strong as to ignore or subvert civilian direction? After all, a military that is strong enough to defend the state from its external enemies is also strong enough to seize power so as to rule for itself. How do you have a strong military capability without being swallowed by it? In this course, we will examine the variety of ways that the civil-military relationship can vary -- how political leaders, society and military organizations interact, and how their cultures overlap and diverge. This course will examine a broad range of topics regarding civil military relations to extend beyond just the relationship of the government and the army to include such issues as media, war crimes, and race/gender in modern warfare. It will help inform the statesman, professional military officer and citizen in creating a better understanding of his/her role in relation to their government and society. Some seats are reserved. |
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| SEST-659-10 | African Armed Movements |
Zenn, Jacob |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session I | Click to read more about SEST-659-10 |
In January 2020, France and the G5 Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger) declared that Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) was the most significant security threat in West Africa. ISGS, however, has never been the actual name of any group and the group known as ISGS merged with Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) in March 2019, which is commonly known as “Boko Haram.” Five years before the Pau meeting, the Islamic State was still new to Africa, but in a short time it has eclipsed the threat from al-Qaeda, whose roots on the continent date to Usama bin Laden’s 1991 arrival in Sudan. Nevertheless, al-Qaeda has its own affiliates in Africa, including in Somalia and Mali (near where so-called ISGS operates), as well as one in Nigeria that cooperates and conflicts with ISWAP. Besides the constellation of jihadist groups that also extend to Congo, Mozambique, and the fringes of littoral West Africa, there are also dozens of other armed movements in Africa that sometimes fight with or against national armies and often defend their land and livelihoods, their ethnic groups, and their political and economic rights. Sometimes their interests overlap with jihadist groups. Furthermore, there are mercenaries and proxies that receive wages for fighting and non-jihadist secessionist movements on the continent. Given these complexities, this course will examine how African armed movements, especially clandestine ones like so-called ISGS, can best be researched and analyzed and the extent to which there is anything distinctly “African” about them compared to armed movements on other continents. Further, the course will assess the advantages and limitations of militaristic, developmental, and other approaches to dealing with African armed movements, as well as structure and agency, geopolitical, historical, illicit commercial, and ideological factors behind armed militancy on the continent. Students in the course are expected to have a strong interest in Africa, willingness to participate extensively in class and conduct independent and original research, and familiarity with military, political, religious, economic, or human rights affairs in Africa either obtained through reading-up on these issues before the course begins or through previous professional and academic exposure. Some seats are reserved. |
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| SEST-668-10 | Nat Sec Crisis Decision Making |
Jones, Gregg |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session I | Click to read more about SEST-668-10 |
This course will introduce you to the theory and current practice of managing crisis in the National Security arena. After a brief orientation on the primary structures, actors and theories influencing National Security now, the course will examine in detail how a National leadership team operates and strives to respond and manage a significant crisis event. A theoretical construct will then be proposed and tested during the rest of the course. Using case studies of recent representative crises, students will assess how the primary National Security actors responded, whether the theoretical construct is applicable, and what, if any, lessons were learned. Along the way, students will also survey the record of predicting crises, and conclude with an adapted theoretical framework that can be used when observing or potentially participating in managing a crisis. Some seats are reserved. |
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| SEST-674-20 | Weapons of War |
Brown, Duncan |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session II | Click to read more about SEST-674-20 |
Modern warfare utilizes advanced weapons systems. This course will examine various weapon systems ranging from electronic warfare, artillery, cruise missiles, aircraft, aircraft launched weapons, ships, submarines, unmanned systems, and strategic and tactical nuclear weapons. In the examination, we will look at capabilities, concepts of operation, and issues surrounding their procurement and use. The course will also involve students working through a crisis scenario utilizing various weapon systems. No pre-existing technical knowledge is assumed nor is any required. Some seats are reserved. |
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| SEST-706-10 | Global Publics & Natl Security |
Brown, Katherine |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session I | Click to read more about SEST-706-10 |
This course will examine the role of global non-state actors – activists, journalists, terrorists, non-governmental organizations, etc -- in international relations and how states try to influence them to meet their national security objectives. Traditionally, the U.S. government has used foreign public engagement and information activities to build global networks to advance U.S. foreign policy goals. Today, it finds itself working to influence foreign citizens within a complex and unprecedented intersection of technological expediency, weaponized information, and simultaneous ideological and ground wars. Students will examine a diverse range of scholarship on the intersection of international politics, communication, technology, and culture. The course will bring together international relations theory with communications theory, looking specifically at social constructivism, nationalism and identity, international news production, disinformation, protest and social movements, and public diplomacy. Each class will connect theory with current events relating to national security issues. Depending on the topic and class time, a guest speaker working on the frontlines of the issues covered in class will be able to also share their experiences, illustrating for students the relevancy of various literatures and theories. Finally, through papers and active class participation, the course will challenge students to think deeply about the role global publics play in international relations, and strategically about how to effectively use communication tools to support U.S. national security objectives. Some seats in this class are reserved. |
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| SEST-709-10 | Cybrsec Strat: Pub/Priv Persp |
Brum, Pablo |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session I | Click to read more about SEST-709-10 |
Central to our daily lives and constantly in the news, some facets of cybersecurity follow the broader principles of international relations while others are substantially different to students of traditional national security issues. Designed for openness and collaboration, internet security is something we aspire to but is often an afterthought in terms of design. Throughout this course, we'll look at cybersecurity topics through the framework of balancing risk and stakeholder prerogatives across government, companies, and individuals. We will explore the disconnect between Westphalian legal structures and technology that makes borders invisible as well as how the human perspective of “where you stand depends on where you sit” gets in the way of better approaches. Although not designed for a technical audience, students will develop a sufficient understanding of the technical components of the internet to understand how attacks are mounted and will dabble with different tools over the course to gain familiarity. We will explore how states operate in the cyber domain and challenges with attribution and response. We will then progress to understanding the challenges facing defenders and how risk differs for government, companies, and individuals. Throughout the course, students will examine specific breaches and case studies for their significance to our understanding of cybersecurity risks. Prof. Pablo Brum |
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| SEST-728-10 | Russian Strategy in the MidEas |
Mansourov, Alexandre |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session I | Click to read more about SEST-728-10 |
This course examines Russia’s relations with major powers in the Middle East and has three purposes. The first purpose is for students to learn about the principal actors, main interests and drivers, and key issues shaping Russian foreign and national security policy in the Middle East. The second purpose is to provide students with a better understanding of the main instruments and mechanisms in the toolbox of Russian decision-makers and learn how they use them to defend Russian national interests and advance the Kremlin’s policy priorities in the Middle East. The third purpose is for students to develop critical thinking and writing skills so that they can produce high quality analytical products for various types of consumers, using open source information. Some seats are reserved. |
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| SEST-736-20 | Econ of Competitrs/Adversaries |
Troutman, Mark |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session II | Click to read more about SEST-736-20 |
In December 2017, the Administration published a National Security Strategy that outlined a different approach for the United States. The document outlined a security view that identified China and Russia as challengers to US power in a world of growing political, economic and military competition. The document characterized Iran and North Korea as active adversaries, seeking to challenge US and allied interests within their region. This course examines each of these actors from an economic viewpoint, proceeding from the premise that a national economic base provides the resources from which these nations provide for domestic living standards while at the same time resourcing their national security objectives. The course provides an overview of each nation in context to its reginal and the world economy, and in comparison to the US. The course will examine contemporary and projected trends for each nation and relate these to security and strategy. This is designed as an economics course for security professionals who are NOT economists. The instructor will familiarize students with basic macroeconomic concepts and provide a framework for inquiry which the seminar will apply to each of the actors. The seminar will then draw conclusions for strategy and decision makers. Assignments will consist of short presentations, a short decision paper for each nation and a medium length (8 – 12 page) paper on a national topic chosen by the student. Some seats are reserved. |
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| SEST-741-20 | Online Terrorism and Extremism |
Weiman, Gabriel |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session II | Click to read more about SEST-741-20 |
With the enormous growth in the size and use of the Internet, utopian visions of the promise of the online media were challenged by the proliferation of pornographic and violent content on the web and by the use of the Internet and online platforms by extremist organizations of various kinds. Terrorist groups started using online platforms to distribute their propaganda, to communicate with their supporters, to foster public awareness of and sympathy for their causes, and even to execute operations. After appearing with their own websites, terrorists and extremists added social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Telegram, 8Chan, TikTok and more to spread their messages, recruit members and gather intelligence. Recently the Dark Net, Cloud storage services and even the emerging Metaverse were added to their online arsenal. This course examines, from communications research perspective, the relationships between modern terrorists and the new media, how terrorists use the online platforms, how democracies can respond to the challenge, and what are the prices of various measures. Some seats in this class are reserved. Prof Gabriel Weimann |
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| SEST-750-20 | China, BRI,&Strategic; Comp |
Lynch, T |
PM | Summer 6-Week Session II | Click to read more about SEST-750-20 |
The course will examine the BRI in the larger framework of China’s foreign policy and strategic concepts and objectives, including the “Community of Common Destiny” and President Xi’s “New Asian Security Concept,” which casts BRI as a policy “means” to a larger strategic “end.” The course will begin by setting BRI in the context of China’s domestic development and the key drivers that have shaped its economic evolution. It will go on to evaluate how China’s global BRI activities have affected the interests of states participating in BRI projects as well as the interests of the U.S., its allies, and its strategic partners, especially in the Indo-Pacific region. It will also consider BRI’s expansion beyond the Indo-Pacific into the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and the Arctic again assessing its impact on U.S. strategic interests in those regions The course will lay out the evolution of competing visions of regional and international order, in particular the concept of a Free and Open-Indo Pacific (FOIP). Inspired in Japan initially, then-President Trump, in remarks to the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam in November 2017, set out his vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). In the context of Sino-American competition, the course will compare the economic and security elements of FOIP and the BRI in terms of support for regional economic development, stability, and security. Finally, the course will ask students to define an appropriate U.S. policy response to the BRI. |
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