National Security Major and Minor
The Department of Political Science offers an interdisciplinary major in national security to prepare students to be leaders in a dynamic geopolitical environment. Through the study of the U.S. national security policy process, foreign affairs, and theories of conflict, as well as the development of skills in data science, computer science, or engineering, the major prepares students for many career paths. The program also emphasizes experiential learning, including a tabletop exercise course and a senior capstone course centered on an in-depth research project. Students minoring in national security complete a similar set of courses, developing knowledge of U.S. foreign policy and foreign affairs, as well as skills in data science, formal theory, or computer science.
Students may double major within the Department of Political Science (in political science and national security, for example) and they may major in political science and minor in national security. For each of these options the College’s rules for unique hours apply (24 for a major and 15 for a minor).
National security majors and minors also benefit from Vanderbilt’s Institute of National Security, which provides research, Immersion, mentorship, and internship opportunities, as well as events such as the Asness Summit on Modern Conflict. Graduates of the program will be well-positioned for careers in government, the private sector, the armed services, and research organizations.
Major | Minor | Declaring a Major or Minor
Major in National Security
The major consists of 12 credit hours of foundational courses, 12 credit hours in one skills track, 12 credit hours of electives (at least 3 credit hours must be in PSCI), and a 3‑credit senior capstone for a total of 39 credit hours.
Foundational Courses (12 credit hours)
- PSCI 1102: Introduction to International Politics
- PSCI 2234: Introduction to National Security
- PSCI 3229: Strategy and International Politics (prerequisite: PSCI 1102)
- PSCI 3275: National Security (prerequisites: PSCI 1102, PSCI 2234, PSCI 3105 Game Theory for National Security or CS 3250 or ENGM 3650)
Skills Tracks (12 credit hours)
Students select one of two skills tracks to develop analytical and technical competencies relevant to national security careers.
Track 1: National Security Analytics
- PSCI 1104: Introduction to Quantitative Political Science
- PSCI 2300 Quantitative Political Science I: Computing
- PSCI 2301: Quantitative Political Science II: Statistics (prerequisite: PSCI 1104)
- PSCI 3105: Game Theory for National Security (prerequisites: PSCI 1104 and PSCI 3229)
Track 2: National Security Technology
Students choose one of two focuses: Computing or Engineering.
Focus: Computing
Java Sequence
- CS 1101: Programming and Problem Solving
- CS 2201: Program Design and Data Structures (prerequisite: CS 1101)
- CS 2212: Discrete Structures (prerequisite: one CS course)
- CS 3250: Algorithms (prerequisites: CS 2201 or CS 2205, and CS 2212)
Python Sequence
- CS 1105: Programming and Problem Solving with Python
- CS 2205: Program Design and Data Structures (prerequisite: CS 1105)
- CS 2212: Discrete Structures (prerequisite: one CS course)
- CS 3250: Algorithms (prerequisites: CS 2201 or CS 2205, and CS 2212)
Focus: Engineering
- CS 2201 or CS 2205: Program Design and Data Structures (prerequisite: CS 1101 or CS 1105)
- CS 2212: Discrete Structures (prerequisite: one CS course)
- ENGM 3010: Systems Engineering (prerequisite: ENGM 2210)
- ENGM 3650: Operations and Supply Chain Management
Electives (12 credit hours; 3 must be PSCI)
Students complete 12 credit hours of electives, including at least 3 credit hours offered by the Department of Political Science.
Political Science Electives
- PSCI 2211: Terrorism and Intrastate Conflict
- PSCI 2220: Crisis Diplomacy
- PSCI 2221: Causes of War
- PSCI 2222: American Foreign Policy
- PSCI 2227: War and State Development
- PSCI 2235: The United States Military
- PSCI 2246W: Civil Conflict and Civilians
- PSCI 2253: Public Administration
- PPS 2101: Introduction to Public Policy
- PPS 2102: Advanced Public Policy
- PSCI 2259: Political Strategy and Game Theory
- PSCI 2273: Conflict Management
- PSCI 2274: Nature of War
- PSCI 2275: Politics and Strategy of Weapons of Mass Destruction
- PSCI 3272: The War in Iraq: 2003-2011
- PSCI 4277: Future of Warfare
Electives Outside the Department of Political Science
- ECON 2340: Plunder and Pillage: The Economics of Warfare and Conflict
- HIST 1730: The U.S. and the Cold War
- HIST 1735W: United States Intelligence Community, 1940 to the Present
- HIST 1740: The U.S. and the Vietnam War
- HIST 1702: History of Strategic Thought
- HIST 1700: Western Military History to 1815
- HIST 2110: Crisis Simulation in East Asia
- HIST 2111: China and the US: Intertwined Histories
- HIST 2457: Drug Trafficking and Society in Latin America
- HIST 2710: The U.S. as a World Power
- HIST 2720: World War II
- HIST 2723: The Pacific War
- ANTH 2121: Political Anthropology: States and Their Secrets
- ANTH 3261: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing
- ANTH 3371: Social and Health Consequences of Pandemics
- MHS 2250: War and the Body
- ULAW 2500: Foreign Relations and International Law
- ULAW 2540: International Protection of Human Rights
- One of the following three courses: NS 1690 Sea Power in History; NS 1691 Evolution of Warfare; MS 1510 Military History and the Principles of War.
Senior Capstone (3 credit hours)
PSCI 4280: Senior National Security Capstone (prerequisites: PSCI 1102, PSCI 2234, PSCI 3229, PSCI 3275)
Minor in National Security
The minor requires 18 total credit hours including 3 credit hours of required prerequisite coursework, 6 credit hours of analytical methods courses, and 9 credit hours of electives.
The prerequisite course options include (3 total credit hours required):
- PSCI 2234 (Introduction to National Security) OR PSCI 1102 (Introduction to International Politics). Note: PSCI 2234 may be used as an elective if a student takes PSCI 1102 and wants to take both courses.
Methods options include 3 potential tracks (6 total credit hours required):
Data Science
- PSCI 1104 Introduction to Quantitative Political Science
- PSCI 2300 or any Data Science course
Formal Theory
- PSCI 2105 Game Theory for National Security
- PSCI 3229 Strategy and International Politics
Computer Science (students will choose one option below)
- Option 1: CS 1105 Programming and Problem Solving with Python and CS 2205 Program Design and Data Structures for Scientific Computing
- Option 2: CS 1101 Programming and Problem Solving and CS 2201 Program Design and Data Structures
Elective courses include (9 total credit hours required):
- PSCI 2211: Terrorism and Intrastate Conflict
- PSCI 2220: Crisis Diplomacy
- PSCI 2221: Causes of War
- PSCI 2222: American Foreign Policy
- PSCI 2227: War and State Development
- PSCI 2234: Introduction to National Security (if PSCI 1102 is used as a pre-requisite)
- PSCI 2235: The United States Military
- PSCI 2246W: Civil Conflict and Civilians
- PSCI 2253: Public Administration
- PPS 2101: Introduction to Public Policy
- PPS 2102: Advanced Public Policy
- PSCI 2259: Political Strategy and Game Theory
- PSCI 2273: Conflict Management
- PSCI 2274: Nature of War
- PSCI 2275: Politics and Strategy of Weapons of Mass Destruction
- PSCI 3272: The War in Iraq: 2003-2011
- PSCI 4277: Future of Warfare
- ECON 2340: Plunder and Pillage: The Economics of Warfare and Conflict
- HIST 1730: The U.S. and the Cold War
- HIST 1735W: United States Intelligence Community, 1940 to the Present
- HIST 1740: The U.S. and the Vietnam War
- HIST 1702: History of Strategic Thought
- HIST 1700: Western Military History to 1815
- HIST 2110: Crisis Simulation in East Asia
- HIST 2111: China and the US: Intertwined Histories
- HIST 2457: Drug Trafficking and Society in Latin America
- HIST 2710: The U.S. as a World Power
- HIST 2720: World War II
- HIST 2723: The Pacific War
- ANTH 2121: Political Anthropology: States and Their Secrets
- ANTH 3261: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing
- ANTH 3371: Social and Health Consequences of Pandemics
- MHS 2250: War and the Body
- ULAW 2500: Foreign Relations and International Law
- ULAW 2540: International Protection of Human Rights
- One of the following three courses: NS 1690 Sea Power in History; NS 1691 Evolution of Warfare; MS 1510 Military History and the Principles of War
Declaring a Major or Minor
Complete the Declaration of Major/Minor Form. You can access the student user guide here. When you turn in your form, you will be assigned an advisor who will be available to answer your questions about the curriculum. Please email katherine.carroll@vanderbilt.edu with questions.