PROFESSIONAL COURSEWORK
“If you are looking for something practical, there is a new, specialized school in Washington, DC and everyone there has a fundamentally practical approach to graduate studies.”
Shannon – DMGS Student – Class of 2019
Innovative teaching methods enhance our academic offerings.
National security is on everyone’s minds as the United States deals with threats from cyberattacks, intelligence leaks, terrorists, and various international crises. At Daniel Morgan Graduate School of National Security (DMGS), our goal is to educate, train and develop experts and leaders in the national security and intelligence communities. We focus on more engaging and innovative teaching methods to better prepare our students for their careers and to better protect our country.
Micahel Sharnoff gives a a snapshot of DMGS’ experiential and practical teaching methods.
NATIONAL SECURITY
MA Degree
Focuses on supporting the professional development of individuals seeking to advance and secure the interests and ideals of the nation.
INTELLIGENCE
MA Degree
Focused on the missions, methods, and organizational structure of public and private sector intelligence in the 21st Century.
REGIONAL STUDIES
Non-Degree Bearing
Regional Studies examines trends in areas that are important for U.S. interests such as Russia, Northeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Latin America.
Our M.A. Program Consists of Three Components:
1
A curriculum of 30 credit hours. Twenty-seven will be earned by taking nine regular courses, four of which must be from the student’s declared program pillar.
2
A publishable thesis worth 3 credit hours counted toward the 30 credit hour requirement. The thesis must push the boundaries of the field and affect an important aspect of national security. The thesis is to be written under the supervision of a faculty member who is the official thesis advisor. Each thesis candidate will then be assigned two additional professors who will also be available to mentor the student. Together they constitute the student’s thesis committee. Each professor will represent one of the three elements.
3
A final comprehensive two-hour oral examination based on student’s completed master’s thesis, which will be conducted by the student’s three mentors. This involves answering questions about the thesis topic that are posed by each of the committee members, as well as questions related but not limited strictly to that topic. Accordingly, this examination doubles as a final comprehensive examination that tests the student’s overall understanding of national security topics.
Required Courses for All Students:
- INT 610 Fundamentals of Intelligence
- NSC 601 Introduction to National Security
- NSC/INT/MDV 639* Research Methods for the Social Sciences
