Master of Arts in Military Studies-Capstone Option

This course is an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of leadership common to great military leaders. It focuses on those personalities and decision making skills that are inbred and/or learned by the great leaders. Students compare and contrast the characteristics of great military leaders and choose a specific leader to assess the persona of that individual. Special emphasis is on investigating the biographical literature and what sources reveal about personality and leadership style.

This course addresses the application of strategy and process of the making of strategy, both of which deal with the preparation and use of military power to serve the ends of politics. The treatment is chronological, as determined by the various case studies, and two themes run throughout: the relationship of strategy and the strategic level of war to other levels of war, especially policy and the political level of war; and the difficulty inherent in the process of the making of strategy. Note: Not available for students who have previously taken MILS520.

This course is a comprehensive study that explores the strategic, operational, and tactical dimensions of war through an examination of military theory in the context of historical experience. Purpose is to promote critical thinking about war based on the clash of ideas and critical inquiry and analysis. Toward that end, students examine some of the masters in the art of war in terms of their ideas and influence regarding strategy, tactics, and especially operational art.

This course covers the theory and practice of joint warfare, by examining major conflicts since the mid-19th and joint warfare in the 1980s and 1990s. Students assess, through case studies, the impact of the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 on the Department of Defense and U.S. national security strategy.

RECOMMENDED AS FIRST PROGRAM COURSE. REQUIRED AS ONE OF FIRST THREE PROGRAM COURSES. Learn basic research methods skills for addressing security and intelligence studies problems and issues. You focus on the detailed procedures for conducting qualitative case studies, which is the foundation for most basic security and intelligence research conducted in academic, government, and business circles. You become well versed in research planning, secondary data collection, and qualitative data analysis methods and how these methods relate to the larger field of social science research. You will also learn the analysis of competing hypotheses approach to research design. You are also introduced to basic social theory which supports security and intelligence research. The course prepares you for later learning intermediate and advanced security and intelligence methods.

This course is an in-depth seminar in asymmetrical warfare in relation to the U.S. military history and operational experience. Students explore the changing nature of asymmetrical warfare in terms of current theory, conjecture, and definition. Key issues of asymmetry and adaptation are assessed in relation to insurgency, counterinsurgency force doctrine, and action-reaction-counteraction cycle. Special emphasis is on the value of approaches that employ innovative tactics, weapons, or technologies across the spectrum of military operations.

This course explores the advantages and disadvantages of special operations as an instrument of national policy by examining authorities in the field. Students explore the "theory" of special operations to critically examine the utility of special operations in national strategy. Key topics include determining whether Special Forces are critical to strategic levels of engagement in the post-Cold War security environment.

This course examines the history and mission of United States special operations forces and roles within operational and tactical environments. Students explore special operations doctrine and tactics from past to present in the global war on terror. Students compare and contrast the use of special operations forces for pre-conflict, operations, and post-conflict scenarios in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Philippines.

This course is a critical analysis of the origins and structures of insurgency and revolution. Various theories and analyses are presented and tested against the historical record. Students assess how these ideas have assisted or hindered the study of and interaction with specific groups of insurgents and revolutionaries. Special emphasis is on revolutionary movements as represented by the Bolsheviks, the Chinese Communists, the Viet Minh/Viet Cong, and militant Islamist insurgents.

This course considers the nature of future military conflict, the history of future war doctrine, and the impact of current conflict on the conceptualization of the "next war." Students examine current, past, and future low-intensity as well as high-intensity conflicts, and the appropriate use of military force in the power projection role to influence a diplomatic resolution to a conflict. Rogue nations, and related cultural clashes, and religious factors are related to planning for future war.

This course is a study of militant foreign ethnic/religious groups not outwardly affiliated with a sovereign state. Students address specific individuals and groups as case studies in order to draw out the implications and principles associated with actual non-state military, terrorist, events and actions. Focus is on the individuals and cells that carry out the military and terrorist plans to further insurgencies and revolutions.

This course explores the problem of insurgency and counterinsurgency in Asia during the 20th and 21st century in terms of lessons learned. Students examine insurgencies in the Philippines, the Vietnam War, the Soviet-Afghan War, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Key issues such as political awareness and social consciousness, coupled with dissatisfaction under the extant regime, are assessed as factors in insurgency and counter-insurgency.

This course is a comparative study of unconventional warfare in Africa. It begins with the European “Great Scramble” into the continent, addresses the 19th century anti-colonial insurgency of the Mahdiyya in the Sudan, and 20th century anti-colonial insurgencies such as the Mau Mau in Kenya, Angola and Mozambique and Robert Mugabe’s ZANU and Nelson Mandela’s ANC. Other insurgencies such in Ethiopia-Eritrea, Ivory Coast and “failed states” like Liberia are included as well as sub national insurgencies such as the Touareg Uprising in West Africa and the ongoing conflict in Sudan’s Darfur.

This course, when offered, is a one-time offering on an area of special interest that will vary. NOTE: Open to graduate students as an elective. Any substitution as a Concentration or Major course must have Dean Approval through your academic advisor.

This course is an opportunity for Military Studies students to pursue an independent research project or examine a specific area of history under the mentorship of a single professor. Students must complete 24 credits of study before taking this course. The course will typically involve a major research paper; there will be no examination. Students will submit a proposal prior to the start of the project, and a rough draft of the paper, both of which will count toward the final grade. Prerequisite: University approval and Upper Level standing. Prior to registering, students should first contact the professor with whom they wish to mentor their independent study, coordinate an agreement on the grading requirements, and then NOTIFY their academic advisor with the name of their professor.

This course is an opportunity for students to write a research proposal in their field of interest under the mentorship of a single professor who is an expert in the field. Students must contact their Academic Adviser at least thirty (30) days prior to registering for this course and must have completed all degree requirements excluding MILS699 – Master of Arts - Thesis. The Program Director will approve the statement of the topic so that the concept can be implemented into a complete syllabus with readings and activities to warrant academic credit. The selection of the professor depends upon the choice of topic and content area.

This is a 16 week course that must be taken after all other courses in your program are complete. Preparation for the Master of Arts in Military Studies Capstone (Thesis) seminar begins on day one of a student's graduate program of study. The theories, research methods and analytical skills, and substantive knowledge obtained through their master's curriculum provide the basis for the thesis project. Students are required to develop primary and secondary source materials on the research topic and address the writing requirements as described in the syllabus and classroom assignments. The thesis proposal must provide a clear description of a question or problem and a proposed method of answering the question or solving the problem. Guidance on the format of the research seminar proposal and a sample proposal are contained in the APUS Thesis Manual. Students take the research seminar after all other course completions.