Advanced Graduate Certificate in Global Security Studies

While state-centric security concerns such as arms races, security dilemmas, and balance of power continue to feature on the international political landscape, professionals working within the private and public sectors also must identify, assess, and respond to other forms of insecurity, including conditions of economic deprivation and inequality, population displacements and movements, and environmental and health crises.

The program:
Fordham’s 12-credit Advanced Certificate in Global Security Studies embraces the global and human dimension of security studies and equips students with the necessary knowledge and competencies to effectively navigate cross-cultural security perspectives, conflict assessment and management approaches, and security ethics. By focusing on comparative skills in areas such as analytical thinking, scenario assessment, and global risk analysis, graduates will be well-prepared to lead and manage rewarding careers in the public or private global security sectors.

Key Features:

  • Concise, 12-credit curriculum allows students to complete the program in as little as one semester.
  • Cutting-edge courses explore the human dimension of global security in both their theoretical and applied/policy relevant forms.
  • Recasts the traditional course of security studies and its emphasis on law enforcement, military power, and intelligence capacities by adding broader dimensions that are now considered to be vital, strategic components of security.

Who should pursue this advanced credential?

This certificate is ideal for those who work or aspire to work in global crisis response, international development, human security, humanitarian response and venture capital/country risk management.

The program would also be appropriate for military personnel, veterans, diplomats, staffers at organizations like the UN, FBI, DOD.

Our program is geared toward those who wish to advance into leadership/decision-making roles. With a selective intake, the program connects you to a powerful network of like-minded professionals.

The curriculum: Four courses (2 required/core; 2 elective)

Core courses deepen and reinforce learning in the areas of risk analysis, theoretic framing of complex security issues and transnational threats to national, regional, and global security.

Elective courses expand your expertise in global security issue areas such as international human rights and protection frameworks; global order/disorder; cybersecurity; the role of international institutions in addressing contemporary global security challenges; and new forms of multilateral engagement across the landscape of global security.

See bulletin listing here.

  • ECON 6490 - Foreign Aid and Development (3 Credits)
    This course examines both the economic and the political role of foreign aid in development. Economic topics may include economic growth, agricultural development , food aid, the environment, health, education, and emergencies. Political topics may include alliance building, conflict resolution, and governance.

    HUST 5200 - Protecting Vulnerable Populations (3 Credits)
    This course will provide students with a comprehensive introduction to international practices and norms concerning the protection of vulnerable populations in humanitarian emergencies. The past 20 years of international humanitarian interventions has given rise to standardization of humanitarian activities, with a particular emphasis on protection practices. Students will gain an understanding of the landscape of organizations and entities involved in designing these frameworks and assess their efficacy and continued relevance to protecting vulnerable groups.

    POSC 5500 - Comparative Political Analysis (3 Credits)
    Problems of stability and change in the First, Second, and Third Worlds are examined with relation to socioeconomic factors that affect, and are affected by, institutions, processes, and policies.

    POSC 5600 - Analysis of International Politics (3 Credits)
    Designed to stimulate and clarify our theorizing about foreign policy and global politics; also it presents a critical overview of many of the key perspectives and problems that characterize such analysis.

  • CISC 6860 - Cybersecurity: Technology, Policy, and Law (3 Credits)

    ECON 6480 - Environmental and Resource Economics (3 Credits)

    HUST 5205 - Children in Armed Conflict (3 Credits)

    HUST 5400 - Disaster Risk Reduction (3 Credits)

    POSC 5560 - Conflict Resolution (3 Credits)

    POSC 6530 - Political Economy of Development (3 Credits)

    POSC 6640 - Politics of Global Economic Relations (3 Credits)

     

Class Format and Location

The program is offered in person at Fordham University’s picturesque Rose Hill campus in the Bronx borough of New York City. Classes are held in the evenings to accommodate working professionals. The Rose Hill campus is easily accessible via the D and B subway lines and the Metro North.

  • The preferred deadlines to apply for Fall 2023 is May 1, 2023 for international students and June 30, 2023 for domestic students. Successful applicants will meet admissions requirements through a portfolio approach, including the following:

    • Completed application.
    • Applicants must submit an official transcript confirming undergraduate degree completion.  (Our Admissions team will review your application if you submit an unofficial transcript, but all accepted applicants must submit an official transcript by the start of their first term). We welcome applicants in cognate disciplines to global security, but we also encourage applicants from other academic and professional backgrounds. Although we do not have a GPA requirement and will assess all applications, students with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better have shown the strongest performance in the program. We recognize that there are differences in grading structures by country and by academic discipline.
    • Current resume/CV
    • Statement of interest
    • Two (2) letters of recommendation, academic and/or professional, are welcome 
    • For international applicants whose native language is not English, demonstrated English-language proficiency.
    • GRE results are recommended, but optional
    • You will be invited for an interview with a member of our team once your application is complete and submitted. We will gladly accommodate virtual interviews.

    Questions about your application? Please email [email protected] or call 718-817-2600. We would be happy to connect you to an advisor.

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