International Security and Law (BA)

Who should apply?

Students interested in the dynamic interplay between national security, international governance, human rights, and diplomacy should choose the International Security and Law major. The program is for students who want careers that assess risk and propose solutions to traditional security threats (such as war) and non-traditional threats (such as cyber attacks, migration crises, and climate change). Graduates will be able to interpret data and communicate their findings for organizations involved in ensuring domestic and international peace and security.

Why choose George Mason?

• The Schar School’s security studies programs have made US News and World Report’s top ten list for five years straight, number seven in 2022.
• Faculty include former Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency Director Michael Hayden, former Vice Chair of the National Intelligence Council Ellen Laipson, former Deputy Director of the CIA Michael Morrell, and former Deputy Director of the FBI Andrew McCabe.
• Learn directly from experts impacting the policy conversation: in a fairly typical week, Schar School faculty were featured in the Associated Press, Reuters, the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, TIME, USA Today, the Hill, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, CNN, and the BBC.

https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/policy-government/#programstext

Total: 120 credit hours

Program requirements may change; please refer to the Mason Course Catalog for the most up-to-date requirements. The program may be completed on a full- or part-time basis.

Mason Core (General Education) Requirements: 28 credits

Written Communication: Lower and Upper Divisions (6 credits)

Oral Communication (3 credits)

Literature (3 credits)

Quantitative Reasoning (3 credits)

Arts (3 credits)

Western Civilization/World History (3 credits)

Natural Science (7 credits)

Global Understanding (3 credits) (GOVT 132 is required)

Information Technology and Computing (3 credits) (GOVT 300 (4 credits) is required)

Social and Behavioral Science (3 credits) (GOVT 103 is required)

Mason Core Writing-Intensive and Synthesis/Capstone (GOVT 490 is required)

Core Courses: 40 credits

GOVT 103: Introduction to American Government (3 credits)

GOVT 132: Introduction to International Politics (3 credits)

GOVT 133: Introduction to Comparative Politics (3 credits)

GOVT 134: Grand Challenges to Human Security (3 credits)

GOVT 300: Research Methods and Analysis (4 credits)

GLOA 387: Human Security, Globalization, and Development (3 credits)

GOVT 342: Diplomacy (3 credits)

GOVT 346: American Security Policy (3 credits)

GOVT 347: International Security (3 credits)

GOVT 441: Grand Strategy (3 credits)

GOVT 443: Law and Ethics of War (3 credits)

GOVT 446: International Law and Organization (3 credits)

Capstone

GOVT 490: Senior Seminar International Law, Security and Policy (3 credits)

Applied Skills Requirement: 6 credits

The purpose of the applied skills requirement is to provide students with practical experience to prepare them for careers in international security and law. Students must complete competence-based coursework, chosen in consultation with the program director. With permission of the program director, students may substitute study abroad coursework from other academic units for GOVT 398.

GOVT 398: Study Abroad (3 credits)

GOVT 480: Internship (3 credits)

Foreign Language Requirement

Students must demonstrate intermediate-level (200-level) proficiency in one foreign language. Proficiency may be demonstrated by completing coursework at the 200-level or above, or by achieving a satisfactory score on the placement test administered by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. This requirement is not a credit-bearing requirement.

Students may apply up to six (6) credits from advanced level (300 or above) foreign language coursework to satisfy the Applied Skills requirement.

Professional Skills Requirement: 6-7 credits

The purpose of the professional skills requirement is to provide students with an understanding of quantitative methods and their practical application using statistical software. Students will learn practical tools for organizing and conducting original empirical research. Students will learn to communicate effectively and be able to present information to different audiences.

GOVT 435: Data Analysis for Comparative and International Relations (3 credits)*

Restricted Electives: 3-4 credits

Students select courses from the list of courses.

CDS 101: Introduction to Computational and Data Sciences (3 credits)

    and CDS 102: Introduction to Computational and Data Sciences Lab (1 credit)

CDS 230: Modeling and Simulation I (3 credits)

CDS 292: Introduction to Social Network Analysis (3 credits)

CDS 301: Scientific Information and Data Visualization (3 credits)

CDS 302: Scientific Data and Databases (3 credits)

CDS 303: Scientific Data Mining (3 credits)

COMM 204: Introduction to Public Relations (3 credits)

COMM 350: Mass Communication and Public Policy (3 credits)

COMM 362: Argument and Public Policy (3 credits)

GOVT 400: Issues in Political Analysis (1-3 credits) Topic sections must be approved by the program director.

STAT 350: Introductory Statistics II (3 credits)

STAT 463: Introduction to Exploratory Data Analysis (3 credits)

Restricted Electives: 12 credits

A minimum of two courses (6 credits) must come from Government courses. Students may select all 12 credits from Government courses.

GOVT 319: Issues in Government and Politics (1-3 credits): Must be approved by the program director.

GOVT 331: Government and Politics of Latin America (3 credits)

GOVT 332: Government and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa (3 credits)

GOVT 333: Government and Politics of Asia (3 credits)

GOVT 334: Government and Politics of Europe (3 credits)

GOVT 338: Government and Politics of Russia (3 credits)

GOVT 340: Central Asian Politics (3 credits)

GOVT 341: Chinese Foreign Policy (3 credits)

GOVT 344: American Foreign Policy (3 credits)

GOVT 345: Islam and Politics (3 credits)

GOVT 348: Political Violence and Civil War (3 credits)*

GOVT 361/EVPP 361: Introduction to Environmental Policy (3 credits)

GOVT 362/EVPP 362: Intermediate Environmental Policy (3 credits)

GOVT 444: Issues in International Studies (1-3 credits): Must be approved by the program director.

GOVT 445: Human Rights (3 credits)

GOVT 447: Revolution and International Politics (3 credits)

GOVT 448: Ethics and International Politics (3 credits)

Additional Courses

Students may select up to six (6) credits from the following courses.

CONF 335: Justice and Reconciliation (3 credits)

CONF 340: Global Conflict Analysis and Resolution (3 credits)

CONF 345: Social Dynamics of Terrorism, Security, and Justice (3 credits)

CONF 394: Human Rights and Inequality (3 credits)

CRIM 230: Intro to Homeland Security (3 credits)

CRIM 308: Human Rights and Justice (3 credits)

CRIM 310: Introduction to the Intelligence Community (3 credits)

CRIM 350: Counterintelligence (3 credits)

CRIM 405: Law and Justice Around the World (3 credits)

CRIM 475: Theory and Politics of Terrorism (3 credits)

GCH 205: Global Health (3 credits)

GLOA 101: Introduction to Global Affairs (3 credits)

GLOA 450: Topics in Global Affairs (1-3 credits)

INTS 210: Sustainable World (4 credits)

INTS 314: Conflict, Trauma and Healing (6 credits)

INTS 362: Social Justice and Human Rights (3 credits)

INTS 417 Human Trafficking and Smuggling (3 credits)

PHIL 112: Ethics and the Cybersociety (1 credit)

PHIL 243: Global Environmental Ethics (3 credits)

Electives: 27-28 credits

Students select general elective coursework to bring the degree total to 120 credits.

Professional Skills Requirement: 6-7 credits

The purpose of the professional skills requirement is to provide students with an understanding of quantitative methods and their practical application using statistical software. Students will learn practical tools for organizing and conducting original empirical research. Students will learn to communicate effectively and be able to present information to different audiences.

And

GOVT 400: Issues in Political Analysis (1-3 credits) Topic sections must be approved by the program director.

https://studentaccounts.gmu.edu/tuition-fees/

Financial Aid

For information on loans, scholarships, and other types of financial aid, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Career Descriptions

The BA in international security and law prepares students for entry-level positions in government, business, and nongovernmental organizations. Examples of jobs include:

• Junior Security Intelligence Analyst, Global Expansion Intelligence and Risk
• Food Security Analyst
• Foreign Service Officer
• Multi-discipline Security Officer
• Crisis, Conflict, and Governance Program Associate

Application Materials

• Undergraduate application