Certificate of Advanced Study in National Security & Counterterrorism Law

Program Overview

The Certificate of Advanced Study in National Security and Counterterrorism Law is a 15-credit program designed for law and graduate students seeking specialization in national security, counterterrorism, and related fields. The interdisciplinary program provides students with diverse perspectives from experts in law, public policy, international affairs, and other disciplines. Graduates may pursue careers in national security policy, counterterrorism, homeland security, cybersecurity, and other related fields.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Certificate of Advanced Study in National Security and Counterterrorism Law is a 15-credit program of study designed for law and graduate students seeking specialization in national security, counterterrorism, homeland security, cybersecurity, and related fields. The program's interdisciplinary approach provides students with diverse perspectives from College of Law professors and faculty in public policy, international affairs, information studies, computer science, engineering, and other disciplines. Students engage in group research projects, simulations, field trips, and study abroad opportunities. Additionally, they have the option to join the SPL-supported National Security Student Association.

Objective:

The program aims to equip students with the following outcomes:

• Determine applicable legal rules from multiple sources of law in national security contexts.
• Locate and evaluate research materials specific to national security.
• Draft law and policy memoranda.
• Solve security problems requiring solutions from non-law disciplines.

Outline:

Required Courses (6 credits):

• Central Challenges in National Security Law & Policy
• Counterterrorism and the Law
• Cybersecurity Law and Policy/Information Security Policy
• Foreign Relations Law
• Homeland Security Law & Policy
• National Security Law

Elective Courses (9 credits):

• Climate Change
• Comparative Civil-Military Relations
• Comparative Foreign Policy
• Computer Crimes
• Crisis Management
• Culture in World Affairs
• Economic Dimensions of Global Power
• Emerging Technologies & Global Security
• Federal Courts
• Federal Criminal Law
• Fundamentals of Conflict Studies
• Fundamentals of Postconflict Reconstruction
• Health Law and Policy
• History of International Relations
• Homeland Security
• Humanitarian Action: Challenges, Responses, Results
• Immigration Law
• International Human Rights Law
• International Law
• International Law & Organizations
• International Security
• International Security Theory
• Internet Law
• Law, Courts, & Human Rights
• Law of the Global Commons
• Middle East Anthropology
• Perspectives on Terrorism
• Political Leadership
• Privacy Law
• Responding to Proliferation of WMDs
• Rule of Law in Postconflict Reconstruction
• Smart Grid: Security, Privacy, & Economics
• Theories of International Relations
• The Modern Presidency
• Transnational Crimes, Drugs, & Terrorism
• UN Organizations: Managing for Change
• US Defense Strategy, Military Posture & Combat Operations
• US Intelligence Community: 1947 to the Present
• US National Security & Foreign Policy
• Veterans Legal Clinic
• Women, War, & Peace

Assessment:

• Students must maintain an overall 3.0 GPA in required CAS courses.
• Classes taken pass/fail may not be counted towards the CAS.
• Students must complete a writing requirement, which can be satisfied by an academic paper on a security topic or by taking a course that requires a significant written product on a security topic.
• Students must complete a capstone project, which can be a research paper, clinical work, an externship, or a substantial collaborative project, or by taking one or both of two classes whose cumulative work constitutes a capstone project.

Teaching:

The program is taught by a faculty of experts in national security and counterterrorism law. The interdisciplinary nature of the program allows students to benefit from diverse perspectives and expertise from across the university. The program also offers opportunities for students to engage with practitioners in the field through guest lectures, field trips, and internships.

Careers:

Graduates of the program may pursue careers in various fields, including:

• National security policy and law
• Counterterrorism
• Homeland security
• Cybersecurity
• Intelligence analysis
• Law enforcement
• Government and non-profit organizations