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. Students in the minor must maintain a B average (3.0 GPA) for courses in the minor.
- A minor must be completed and awarded at the same time as the MU undergraduate degree
- Once an A&S minor is awarded, a student cannot return to MU to complete a major in the same department
| Select from the courses below | ||
| POL_SC 2710 | Politics and the Military | 3 |
| POL_SC 4410 | Politics and War | 3 |
| POL_SC 4411 | Genocide, Terrorism and Civil War | 3 |
| POL_SC 4412 | Strategy and Warfare | 3 |
| POL_SC 4413 | Politics of Cyber-Security | 3 |
| POL_SC 4415 | Peacekeeping and Intervention | 3 |
| POL_SC 4430 | Global Human Rights | 3 |
| POL_SC 4435 | Nationalism and Democracy | 3 |
| POL_SC 4540 | American Foreign Policies | 3 |
| POL_SC 4550 | Environmental Conflict | 3 |
| POL_SC 4680 | Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy | 3 |
| POL_SC 4690 | Korean Politics: North and South Korea | 3 |
| POL_SC 4700 | America's Wars in Asia/War and Peace in Asia | 3 |
| MIL_SC 3163 | U.S. Military History in the Western Tradition | 3 |
| HIST 2560 | Modern Military History | 3 |
| HIST 3545 | World War II | 3 |
| HIST 4080 | American Foreign Policy from Colonial Times to 1898 | 3 |
| HIST 4250 | U.S. Foreign Relations, 1898-1945 | 3 |
| HIST 4260 | The Age of Ascendancy: U.S. Foreign Relations, 1945 - Present | 3 |
| HIST 4480 | War Crimes and Genocide | 3 |
| GEOG 4200 | Geopolitics | 3 |
| GEOG 4130 | The Geospatial Sciences in National Security | 3 |
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
Political Science Academic Advisor
(573) 882-2580
politicalscience@missouri.edu