About this 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 “B” 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.
Next Steps
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