2024-25 Catalogs

125 Jesse Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
Map and directions »
Phone numbers and e-mail »

Minor in Defense and Strategic Studies

The minor in Defense and Strategic Studies is designed for those students who wish to acquire the knowledge and analytical skills that are critical for working in a career field related to national security. The minor is appropriate for students of almost any major, particularly political science, economics, history, geography, journalism, and engineering. The program is also well suited for students in Army, Navy, or Air Force ROTC, providing a solid background for officers encountering the changing strategic environment of the twenty-first century.

The program affords students a unique opportunity to gain a broad perspective on security issues, allowing focus on areas where they may have additional educational requirements not offered in their chosen major field of study. Following graduation, students may work for the defense department, national intelligence agencies, other federal agencies, or any number of jobs related to security in the private and non-profit sectors.

Requirements

Fifteen (15) credits are required for the minor in defense and strategic studies, selected from the list below. Of these, six hours must be from political science. 

  • A minimum of 9 credits must be taken in residence, 6 of which must be in courses numbered 2000 or above.
  • A grade of C- or better is required for all courses taken for the minor, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in minor coursework.
  • A minor must be completed and awarded at the same time as the MU undergraduate degree

A minor consists of at least 15 credits, including at least 6 credits numbered 2000 or above, 9 of the required credits must be taken in MU course work. This requirement can be reduced from 9 to 6 at the discretion of an individual department. Students must meet the minimum GPA requirements for a minor, which in no case can be lower than 2.0. In addition, a student cannot receive a grade lower than a C- in any course applied towards a minor in the College. For more information, please see Requirements for Optional Minor.

Select from the courses below
POL_SC 2710Politics and the Military3
POL_SC 4410Politics and War3
POL_SC 4411Genocide, Terrorism and Civil War3
POL_SC 4412Strategy and Warfare3
POL_SC 4413Politics of Cyber-Security3
POL_SC 4415Peacekeeping and Intervention3
POL_SC 4430Global Human Rights3
POL_SC 4540American Foreign Policies3
POL_SC 4550Environmental Conflict3
POL_SC 4680Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy3
POL_SC 4690Korean Politics: North and South Korea3
MIL_SC 3163U.S. Military History in the Western Tradition3
HIST 2560Modern Military History3
HIST 3545World War II3
HIST 4260The Age of Ascendancy: U.S. Foreign Relations, 1945 - Present3
HIST 4480The History of Genocide and Atrocity3
GEOG 4130The Geospatial Sciences in National Security3

To declare a minor in Defense and Strategic Studies, fill out the online Minor Declaration form

For general questions about the minor, contact:
Stephen Quackenbush, Program Director
(573) 882-2082
quackenbushs@missouri.edu

Truman School of Government and Public Affairs Advising
(573) 882-2580
truman@missouri.edu

Back to Top