Global Security Studies, Minor
A minor in global security studies (GSS) familiarizes students with the skills and background necessary for entry-level employment in the national security sector.
About the Global Security Studies Minor
A Global Security Studies (GSS) minor gives students the skills and background needed for entry-level positions in the national security and defence sector.
To prepare students for careers in national security, the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies emphasizes professional and practical skills such as writing and briefing for policy-making and working in collaborative, fast-paced teams.
The GiSS minor teaches students about the interagency process to include the National Security Council and supporting departments such as Defense, State, and Homeland Security. The minor also covers perennial threats, such as the proliferation of nuclear weapons, but also the rising global threat to the cyber domain. No application is required for admittance into the GSS minor; students must complete the introductory global security course, ISS 135.
The GSS minor is offered in a traditional classroom setting or online.
Want a future in global security? The GSS minor is the perfect place to start.
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Degree Requirements
The GSS minor is designed to familiarize students with the skills and background necessary for entry-level employment in the national security and defense sector.
- 18-hour minor consisting of six courses:
- ISS 135, Intro to Global and National Security Studies
- ISS 301, Survey of U.S. National Security Policy or POL 335, Int’l Politics of Nuclear Weapons
- ISS 351, Advanced Analytics I
- Elective (ISS 125, ISS 360, ISS 480,ISS 420, ISS 490, or courses offered by other departments related to global security topics such as foreign policy, war history, terrorism, and cyber)
Students must complete each course in the minor with a grade of “C” or better.
The GSS minor is offered in class and online.
How Can I Enhance My Global Security Studies Minor?
Internships are a great way to practice what you've learned in your GSS minor. GSS students aren't required to work as an intern, but an internship can be completed as an elective. Faculty and staff of the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies work with students to place them in an internship that will give them a chance to practice the analytic tradecraft that they have learned through the GSS curriculum and that will advance their professional ambitions.Since 2008, our students have successfully completed internships in the Intellgence Community, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of State, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms—just to name a few.
Government Agencies
Government Agencies often provide ideal internships for students to gain experience due to their high prestige. Here are a few Government Agencies students may consider.
- Director of National Intelligence
- Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence
- Central Intelligence Agency
- Coast Guard Intelligence
- Defense Intelligence Agency
- Department of Energy
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of State
- Department of the Treasury
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
- National Reconnaissance Office
- National Security Agency
- Air Force Intelligence
- Army Intelligence
- Marine Corps Intelligence
- Office of Naval Intelligence
Private Sector
Interning within the private sector can develop a students’ personal interests, research and briefing skills while the student experiences more focused intelligence tasks that match the company’s goals.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Global Security Studies Minor
GSS is an 18-credit interdisciplinary minor focused on the broader national-security and cybersecurity landscape — the interagency process, regional threats, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, and the rising cyber domain.
- It prepares students for entry-level roles across national security and cyber sectors. The ISS minor concentrates more narrowly on the U.S. Intelligence Community and analytic tradecraft, and includes a competitive admissions process.
GSS is also offered online and is open to a wider audience and does not require an application.
No. There is no competitive application for the GSS minor.
To enroll, complete ISS 135 (Introduction to Global Security) and declare the minor through your academic advisor.
The GSS minor requires three core courses plus three electives:
- ISS 135 — Introduction to Global Security
- ISS 301 — Survey of U.S. National Security Policy
- ISS 351 — Advanced analytics, and three elective courses
Any CISS course such as ISS 125, ISS 360, ISS 420, ISS 480, or ISS 490 counts as an elective.
You may also take up to one elective (3 hours) from another department on a national-security topic — e.g., foreign policy, international relations, conflict studies, history of war, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, or cyber.
You must earn a grade of C- or better in each GSS minor course.
Yes. ISS 490 (Internship) counts as a GSS elective and is strongly encouraged for students aiming at national-security careers.
CISS faculty assist GSS minors with placement just as they do for ISS minors, though IC agency internships typically prioritize U.S. citizens.
Generally, no — the two minors share substantial coursework and are designed as alternative pathways.
- If you are admitted to ISS, that is the recommended track.
Talk to the CISS program manager if you believe you have a unique reason to pursue both.
Yes. GSS is excellent preparation for the MA in Global Security Leadership program offered by CISS and for security/policy graduate programs elsewhere.
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