MA Interdisciplinary Studies in War and Military in Society

War and the Military in Society (WMS) equips students with skills and knowledge to evaluate, analyze, and solve problems related to the use of organized violence, including questions of national security and national strategy, international relations, defense policymaking, and domestic, fiscal, legal, and social policy surrounding the instruments of national defense. Students will engage in interdisciplinary coursework, using historical and contemporary case studies to better understand the dilemmas and opportunities facing policymakers and military professionals in their efforts to think strategically about a variety of challenges. Recent events have demonstrated the degree to which military issues affect social groups, global politics, and the world economy. The ways that armies are raised and funded, the reasons troops serve, the conditions military personnel and civilians endure during wartime, and the ways that nations conceive their military apparatus all have direct bearing on future policy decisions.