Institute for World Politics

What you'll study

All courses are four credits unless otherwise noted. The degree combines required war studies courses, elective war studies offerings, and a set of core courses drawn from international politics, political thought, and related areas.

• War Studies Requirements (16 credits, all required)
  • IWP 628 Military Strategy: Theory and Practice
  • IWP 657 U.S. Approaches to Irregular Warfare
  • IWP 679 Defense Strategy, Planning and Budgeting
  • IWP 684 Nuclear Strategy and Arms Control
• War Studies Electives (16 credits)

  Students may apply any IWP course toward electives, though faculty recommend the following to round out war studies training:

  • IWP 601 National Security Policy Process
  • IWP 616 U.S. National Security Strategy and Emerging Threats
  • IWP 641 Political Warfare: Past, Present, and Future
  • IWP 663 Cyber Statecraft
  • IWP 677 Chinese Military Thought and History (listed as IWPO 677)
  • IWP 678 Covert Action and National Security
  • IWP 705 Maritime Strategy in Great Power Competition (2 credits)
• Core Requirements (20 credits)
  • IWP 606 Ideas and Values in International Politics (2 credits)
  • IWP 608 Sources of American Political Thought (2 credits)
  • IWP 615 Western Moral and Political Thought (2 credits)
  • IWP 620 Contemporary Politics and Diplomacy
  • IWP 627 International Relations, Statecraft and Integrated Strategy
  • IWP 634 Geography and Strategy (2 credits)
  • IWP 642 Economics for Foreign Policy Makers (2 credits)
  • IWP 799 Capstone Course (2 credits)

Entry requirements

The programme description does not list specific admission prerequisites on the provided page. Students may enroll full-time (9 or more credits per semester) or part-time (fewer than 9 credits), and must complete the degree within five calendar years. Language proficiency testing is optional; candidates may elect to take a language proficiency exam and are encouraged to use language training opportunities available to related degree programmes. After finishing coursework students must pass a one-hour oral examination and a three-hour written comprehensive examination. For application steps and formal entry criteria contact an admissions officer or apply online.

Career prospects

Graduates have gone into a wide range of government, defense, intelligence, industry, and policy roles. Organizations where IWP alumni have worked include:

• Amazon Web Services
• BAE Systems
• Booz Allen Hamilton
• Central Intelligence Agency
• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• General Dynamics
• Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
• Lockheed Martin Corporation
• Morgan Stanley
• National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
• National Intelligence University
• Naval Criminal Investigative Service
• Northrop Grumman
• Office of Naval Intelligence
• Office of the Director of National Intelligence
• Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy
• SAIC
• Stimson Center
• The Joint Staff
• Thomson Reuters Special Services
• U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency
• U.S. Department of Defense
• U.S. Department of State
• U.S. Department of the Treasury
• U.S. House of Representatives
• U.S. Secret Service
• U.S. Senate
• United States Naval Academy

The programme highlights alumni working in government, military services, intelligence, defense industry, and policy research—roles that align with the degree’s strategic and operational focus.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

The programme page does not specify scholarships. Prospective students should inquire with admissions about institutional funding, external scholarships, military education benefits, and employer support. Exploring fellowships, government tuition assistance, and defense-related training funds is advisable for those already employed in security and defense sectors.