Introduction to the National Security Studies Course
The National Security Studies course is designed to promote the development of students as strategic thinkers
and national security policymakers. Students selected for ICAF already are experienced with the operational level
of thinking about “how” to do something (e.g., how to effectively and successfully implement an operation or a policy
determined by someone else). A crucial objective of ICAF and the National Security Studies course is to enable
students to effectively operate at the strategic level of crafting national-level policies and deciding “why” one policy
is more likely to secure the nation’s interests than another. More importantly, students (as future policy advisors
or policymakers) must be able to select and integrate a wide range of policy decisions across diverse areas such
as domestic and international politics, military strategy, economics, and informational and technological capabilities.
As policymakers, they must be adept in the art and science of developing, applying and coordinating the instruments
of national power to achieve objectives that ensure national security. In order to do this, students must understand the
foundations, elements, and critical considerations for developing a national security “grand strategy.”
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