{"id":10201,"date":"2026-03-20T15:37:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T15:37:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/?page_id=10201"},"modified":"2026-04-28T21:37:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T21:37:04","slug":"courses","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/online-master-of-science-in-strategy-in-security-and-defense-technologies\/courses\/","title":{"rendered":"Courses\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n    <div  class=\"purdue-home-diagonal-hero has-none-background\">\n        <div class=\"section has-padding-top-large has-padding-bottom-large\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-home-diagonal-hero__content\">\n                                    <p class=\"purdue-home-hero__subheader tagged-header tagged-header--gold purdue-home-diagonal-hero__subheader\">Online Master of Science<\/p>\n                \n                                                        <h1 class=\"second-level-page-heading purdue-home-diagonal-hero__header\">Courses and Curriculum in Defense Strategy<\/h1>\n                \n                                    <div class=\"purdue-home-diagonal-hero__subtext\">\n\n                        \n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Explore the curriculum for Purdue\u2019s online MS in Defense Strategy, including courses in national security, artificial intelligence and emerging defense technologies.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                \n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"image\">\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2162147997.jpg\"\/>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<div  class=\"purdue-home-custom-container has-black-background full-width-bleed container\">\n    <div class=\"section has-black-background has-padding-top-small has-padding-bottom-small has-no-sidepadding\">\n            \n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Are you ready to Be a leader in security,&nbsp;strategy&nbsp;and defense technologies?<\/h5>\n\n\n<div  class=\"purdue-home-buttons \">\n    <ul class=\"purdue-home-button-list\">\n                    <li class=\"\"><a class=\"purdue-home-button \" href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/online-master-of-science-in-strategy-in-security-and-defense-technologies\/courses\/\" target=\"_self\" >Courses<\/a><\/li>\n                    <li class=\"\"><a class=\"purdue-home-button \" href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/academics\/ogsps\/admissions\/how-to-apply\/?utm_source=College+Page&amp;utm_medium=traffic+website&amp;utm_campaign=apply+now+msssdt\" target=\"_self\" >Apply now<\/a><\/li>\n                    <li class=\"\"><a class=\"purdue-home-button \" href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/online-master-of-science-in-strategy-in-security-and-defense-technologies\/admissions\/\" target=\"_self\" >Admissions<\/a><\/li>\n                    <li class=\"\"><a class=\"purdue-home-button \" href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/online-master-of-science-in-strategy-in-security-and-defense-technologies\/tuition\/\" target=\"_self\" >Tuition<\/a><\/li>\n                    <li class=\"\"><a class=\"purdue-home-button \" href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/online-master-of-science-in-strategy-in-security-and-defense-technologies\/virtual-events\/\" target=\"_self\" >Virtual events<\/a><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"purdue-home-custom-container has-gold-background remove-color container\">\n    <div class=\"section has-gold-background has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column padding-right-cs is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"tagged-header\"> Program\u00a0curriculum\/plan\u00a0of\u00a0study <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Purdue&nbsp;University\u2019s online courses prepare students to lead at the intersection of national security, emerging&nbsp;technology&nbsp;and strategic decision-making. The curriculum blends strategy, policy,&nbsp;ethics&nbsp;and advanced technologies and culminates in a capstone project that allows students to apply their learning to a real-world security or defense challenge.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Total&nbsp;credit&nbsp;hours&nbsp;required:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/th><th><strong>30 credit&nbsp;hours<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Required&nbsp;courses&nbsp;credit&nbsp;hours:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/td><td>18 credit hours&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Selective&nbsp;core&nbsp;credit&nbsp;hours:&nbsp;<\/td><td>6 credit hours&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Elective&nbsp;credit&nbsp;hours:&nbsp;<\/td><td>6 credit hours&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AdobeStock_755527611-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10180\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AdobeStock_755527611-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AdobeStock_755527611-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AdobeStock_755527611-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AdobeStock_755527611-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AdobeStock_755527611.jpeg 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Required&nbsp;core&nbsp;courses&nbsp;(18&nbsp;credit&nbsp;hours)&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students&nbsp;are required to&nbsp;complete all courses. No transfer credits are available.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h4 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-3e567aec-f856-4002-8831-499234930fd2\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-3e567aec-f856-4002-8831-499234930fd2\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong>SCLA\u00a050500:\u00a0Technology, War, And\u00a0Strategy\u00a0(3\u00a0credit\u00a0hours)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/button>\n                <\/h4>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-3e567aec-f856-4002-8831-499234930fd2\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This course blends history with social science theory and policy concerns in a study of the theoretical underpinnings of strategy and its intersection with technology. The course examines several historical case studies in which technological innovations&nbsp;intersected&nbsp;with history-making demands. The course also analyzes contemporary issues related to technology and strategy, focusing on U.S. defense policy in the post-World War II era.\u202fThe overriding idea of the course is that no technology is strategic by definition.\u202fIt is the way technology is&nbsp;used&nbsp;and continually reinvented&nbsp;that makes it strategic.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-fc62a932-9498-4a25-96a9-60f6dcbb7ab0\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-fc62a932-9498-4a25-96a9-60f6dcbb7ab0\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong>SCLA\u00a050700:\u00a0Grand Challenges\u00a0In\u00a0Defense Engineering\u00a0(3 credit hours)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-fc62a932-9498-4a25-96a9-60f6dcbb7ab0\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This course examines challenges in energy,&nbsp;logistics&nbsp;and information processing, and rapid offensive and defensive systems in the context of the past, the present and the future to develop new conceptual insights, research priorities, system&nbsp;integration&nbsp;and&nbsp;timely&nbsp;methods to meet emerging national defense engineering needs. The curriculum considers such topics as the Manhattan Project, the development of containerized shipping, artificial intelligence,&nbsp;hypersonics, railgun&nbsp;technology&nbsp;and more. Each module covers different topics while prompting students to examine creative solutions inspired by the past and use the lessons learned to stimulate thinking needed for solving future challenges.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-96b373eb-33fc-4d55-9a76-9cc4d9b06edc\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-96b373eb-33fc-4d55-9a76-9cc4d9b06edc\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong>SCLA\u00a051400:\u00a0Ethical Reasoning in Technology\u00a0(3 credit hours)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-96b373eb-33fc-4d55-9a76-9cc4d9b06edc\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In today&#8217;s rapidly evolving technological landscape, ethical decisions are increasingly crucial for technology developers, entrepreneurs,&nbsp;policymakers&nbsp;and consumers alike. This course explores the principles of ethical reasoning and their application to complex technological dilemmas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through a structured learning approach, we examine key concepts in ethics, including Deontological,&nbsp;Consequentialist&nbsp;and Virtue Ethics, and apply these frameworks to analyze tradeoffs in various technological contexts. Students will engage with real-world case studies that highlight the importance of context-sensitive thresholds and principled reasoning in technology decision-making.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We delve into the nuances of tradeoff analysis, exploring how competing values such as autonomy, justice, trust, benevolence, non-maleficence&nbsp;and transparency must be weighed against one another. Through a combination of theoretical foundations, experiential&nbsp;learning&nbsp;and critical analysis, this course aims to develop students&#8217; ability to think critically about ethical issues in technology and make informed decisions that balance competing values.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-4e2ee9b1-8ebb-4582-9aa1-67105c755952\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-4e2ee9b1-8ebb-4582-9aa1-67105c755952\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong>SCLA\u00a051500:\u00a0Legislative Policy and Defense Technologies\u00a0(3 credit hours)\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-4e2ee9b1-8ebb-4582-9aa1-67105c755952\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This course examines how U.S. defense technologies move from concept to capability through the interplay of law,&nbsp;politics&nbsp;and strategy. Framed around the policy levers of Congress&nbsp;\u2014authorizations,&nbsp;appropriations&nbsp;and oversight&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;it traces how the National Security Council, Department of Defense&nbsp;and the legislative branch define requirements,&nbsp;allocate&nbsp;risk and&nbsp;resources&nbsp;and shape the innovation ecosystem that delivers warfighting advantage. Students analyze historic and contemporary cases (from interwar armor and airpower to the F-14\/F-16 debate and the nuclear enterprise) to understand why some innovations flourish while others stall. By the end, participants will be able to (1) describe the institutional and political structures that govern U.S. warfighting innovation, (2) evaluate case evidence to draw lessons for future programs, (3) identify key actors and mechanisms in the NSC, DoD&nbsp;and Congress that influence policy, (4) analyze how military need, political interest&nbsp;and technological feasibility intersect across acquisition&nbsp;and (5) develop policy-relevant insights to improve or reform the defense innovation pipeline.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The course explores how AI technologies can&nbsp;optimize&nbsp;business processes, improve&nbsp;efficiency&nbsp;and transform operational models across all sectors, including warfighting. It highlights human-AI interaction within organizational contexts. No programming skills are&nbsp;required, but it does require computer and digital literacy&nbsp;appropriate for&nbsp;managing organizations with extensive IT environments.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-8f6e5106-16b3-452f-bca0-b440f06b0b79\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-8f6e5106-16b3-452f-bca0-b440f06b0b79\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong>SCLA\u00a053000:\u00a0Strategic Foresight\u00a0And\u00a0Leadership\u00a0(3 credit hours)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-8f6e5106-16b3-452f-bca0-b440f06b0b79\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This course provides learners with strategic foresight tools and skills to understand and make decisions\u202fregarding\u202fthe future. Strategic foresight is the ability to create and sustain a variety of high-quality, long-term views and apply insights in adaptive ways.&nbsp;Strategic foresight produces forward-looking views, commonly referred to as scenarios.&nbsp;These are used to broadly describe what a future world would look like&nbsp;and how it would feel to live in that world. These scenarios form the basis for strategies and&nbsp;plans&nbsp;to help organizations\u202fremain\u202fcompetitive&nbsp;in&nbsp;the\u202fforeseeable future. Students in the course will use strategic foresight to create their own scenarios.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-70752879-8f81-41f0-9681-daeb4ac334ca\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-70752879-8f81-41f0-9681-daeb4ac334ca\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong>SCLA 55000:\u00a0Strategy for Security and Strategy Technologies Capstone\u00a0(3 credit hours)\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-70752879-8f81-41f0-9681-daeb4ac334ca\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The capstone course&nbsp;provides&nbsp;students with the opportunity,&nbsp;supported by a faculty mentor,&nbsp;to bring together the learning and practical experiences they&nbsp;encountered&nbsp;throughout the course of the program in a practical,&nbsp;impact research product.&nbsp;The project&nbsp;highlights how well&nbsp;students&nbsp;master&nbsp;strategic thinking and doing competencies that undergird the philosophy of the course, as described in the foundational paper&nbsp;<em>What Should a Strategist Know and Do and Why?<\/em>&nbsp;by Matei,&nbsp;Graves&nbsp;and Benson. The capstone project is expected to be rooted in a practical case study inspired by the&nbsp;students\u2019&nbsp;professional activity or interests. A set of directive questions is offered as guidance for selecting the topic and working with the mentor. The final format of the project can take a variety of forms, all with practical impact.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Selective&nbsp;required&nbsp;core&nbsp;(6&nbsp;credit&nbsp;hours)&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Choose&nbsp;two&nbsp;of the courses below.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-7b0456bf-4d41-4df5-99db-0445bed262c7\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-7b0456bf-4d41-4df5-99db-0445bed262c7\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong>SCLA\u00a050600:\u00a0Space\u00a0Strategy\u00a0\u00a0(3 credit hours)\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-7b0456bf-4d41-4df5-99db-0445bed262c7\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This course analyzes the origins,\u202ftensions\u202fand promises embedded in&nbsp;space-focused strategies. The course material discusses these issues from\u202fthe\u202fnational and strategic\u202finterests\u202fperspective, focusing on how competition and conflict in space&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;the most recent domain in which nations and great powers dispute political, military, economic&nbsp;and legal interests&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;could and should be handled. That question is examined in the context of grand strategy, defined as the harnessing of military,&nbsp;economic&nbsp;and political power over decades and centuries to advance the nation. Space is the ultimate high ground&nbsp;and if the United States wants to continue in its preeminent position, it must&nbsp;remain diligent.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-e9d03b43-5552-4551-8e65-ea609d2f44cd\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-e9d03b43-5552-4551-8e65-ea609d2f44cd\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong>SCLA\u00a050800:\u00a0Cyber\u00a0Strategy\u00a0\u00a0(3 credit hours)\u00a0<\/strong><\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-e9d03b43-5552-4551-8e65-ea609d2f44cd\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cybersecurity is a crucial domain upon which individuals, organizations, communities, states,&nbsp;nations&nbsp;and great powers rely to protect cyber-based personal, business, economic, infrastructural, community, legal, strategic political&nbsp;and military interests. The course analyzes the policies, issues,&nbsp;risks&nbsp;and opportunities embedded in the cyber strategies of organizations. The course will discuss these issues from the perspective of the U.S. national and strategic interests, focusing on how cyber issues and conflicts could and should be handled.&nbsp;Among the cyber strategy key considerations to be discussed are: Understanding and assessing an organization\u2019s cyber threat landscape; Assessing an organization\u2019s cybersecurity maturity; Organizational cyber strategy goals; Cyber strategy policy-making process; Examination of strategies for strengthening, defending&nbsp;and maintaining an organization\u2019s cyber infrastructure&nbsp;\u2014 models, requirements,&nbsp;frameworks, and&nbsp;best practices; Management commitment and responsibilities to an organization\u2019s cyber strategy and policies; Cyber strategy staffing, training, and budgeting; Global and domestic cyber business relationships in governmental and private industry; Promoting awareness of historic, ongoing, and emerging cyber threats and actors; Promoting awareness of domestic, global and insider cyber threats and actors; Cyber risk management; Cyber incident management.<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-c49ce7b0-d78a-4d2b-aa77-5fad7c7044ca\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-c49ce7b0-d78a-4d2b-aa77-5fad7c7044ca\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong><strong>SCLA\u00a050900:\u00a0Strategic Intelligence: Organizations, Technologies, Procedures, Policies\u00a0(3 credit hours)\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-c49ce7b0-d78a-4d2b-aa77-5fad7c7044ca\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Strategic Intelligence refers to the collection of organizations, technologies,&nbsp;procedures&nbsp;and policies that great powers, particularly the United States, use to provide the supreme political leadership&nbsp;with&nbsp;the understanding needed to plan and execute future national security strategies.&nbsp;A significant portion&nbsp;of the strategic intelligence process is conducted by specialized organizations that use advanced technologies.&nbsp;The intelligence&nbsp;can, in turn, focus on the technological capabilities of the country hosting the strategic intelligence organization or&nbsp;its&nbsp;adversaries. Thus, strategic intelligence has a significant technological&nbsp;component, both as a tool for and as a domain for investigation. The&nbsp;course will examine all&nbsp;facets&nbsp;of strategic intelligence, anchoring the investigation around specific organizations and processes&nbsp;from the major civilian to the major military-strategic intelligence agencies, the legislation that directs their work, and the supervisory bodies. The course will also include case studies that analyze and operationalize how intelligence agencies contribute to national security. The course aims to provide&nbsp;students with a rounded and practical education in strategic intelligence, describing who&nbsp;is responsible for&nbsp;its deployment and exploitation and what its benefits are for national security.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-e47c06f2-554b-4acb-98e4-10df28447b88\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-e47c06f2-554b-4acb-98e4-10df28447b88\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong><strong><strong>SCLA\u00a051000:\u00a0Data and AI Storytelling\u00a0(3 credit hours)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-e47c06f2-554b-4acb-98e4-10df28447b88\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This course centers around understanding and communicating data in a way that informs,&nbsp;compels&nbsp;or reassures&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;a core personal and professional skill for anyone who wants to be a successful member of the 21st century community. Telling effective data stories\u202fcombines elements\u202fof rhetoric, data science,&nbsp;visualization&nbsp;and storytelling, with artificial intelligence now becoming a prominent tool in the process. The course is subdivided into six modules.&nbsp;The first&nbsp;module&nbsp;covers the&nbsp;basics of storytelling with the following five modules diving deeper into each step of building a data story that surprises, provides a new, more convincing&nbsp;alternative to time-worn ideas&nbsp;and proposes a course of action. The goal of the class is to train learners in making memorable,&nbsp;teachable&nbsp;and&nbsp;data-driven arguments in the form of stories.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-20d82cfb-6d0f-4860-b848-16f7ebb40912\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-20d82cfb-6d0f-4860-b848-16f7ebb40912\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>SCLA\u00a051200:\u00a0AI Organizational Transformation for Security\u00a0and\u00a0Defense\u00a0(3 credit hours)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-20d82cfb-6d0f-4860-b848-16f7ebb40912\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This course equips organizational leaders to understand and govern AI as an operational capability that improves process performance,&nbsp;efficiency&nbsp;and mission outcomes across sectors, including defense. It frames AI primarily as predictive decision-support built on statistical and probabilistic inference, then shows how real organizations industrialize AI&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;using Uber\u2019s Michelangelo platform as a case in disciplined scaling that reduces duplicated engineering, controls infrastructure&nbsp;costs&nbsp;and ensures AI systems deliver measurable value. Building on that foundation, the course focuses on evaluation,&nbsp;monitoring&nbsp;and lifecycle management (from pilot to enterprise deployment), emphasizing risk,&nbsp;accountability&nbsp;and performance at scale. The defense segment applies these same principles to warfighting organizations, examining how AI can shape information advantage and command-and-control&nbsp;and then compares contemporary AI doctrines and operational approaches across the U.S., China, Russia,&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;and other actors to surface tradeoffs,&nbsp;constraints&nbsp;and&nbsp;likely near-term&nbsp;scenarios. The course concludes by applying a structured uncertainty lens (Johari window) to future human\u2013AI teaming&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;highlighting where AI is reliable, where it is brittle&nbsp;and where \u201cunknown unknowns\u201d create strategic surprise&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;before culminating in a capstone in which participants design and critique AI-enabled solutions for realistic defense cases. No coding is&nbsp;required, but participants should be comfortable navigating the digital realities of IT-intensive organizations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-66e008d6-f315-4829-994a-2425c5828ec6\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-66e008d6-f315-4829-994a-2425c5828ec6\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>SCLA\u00a051300:\u00a0Game Theory Strategy\u00a0And\u00a0Defense\u00a0(3 credit hours)\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-66e008d6-f315-4829-994a-2425c5828ec6\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This course explores the intersection of strategic decision-making and national defense through the lens of game theory. Participants will develop analytical and strategic skills by studying three interconnected modules: (1) Game Theory Foundations: understanding the fundamentals of strategic interactions, Nash equilibria&nbsp;and applications to competitive and cooperative settings, (2) Mechanism Design: Crafting systems to incentivize desired outcomes, with a focus on resource allocation and strategic interactions in defense, (3) Social Choice: analyzing how groups can make collective decisions in a way that balances fairness, efficiency&nbsp;and strategic behavior. A final module of the course will apply the concepts developed in a family of games called Attacker-Defender games, which model scenarios involving adversarial interactions, including cybersecurity, physical&nbsp;security&nbsp;and military strategy. The course connects theoretical frameworks with real-world defense challenges, analyzing past,&nbsp;present&nbsp;and future applications. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped to apply these concepts to complex, rapidly evolving strategic environments in national and global defense.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Electives&nbsp;(6&nbsp;credit&nbsp;hours)&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students choose\u202f<strong>a minimum of 6&nbsp;<\/strong>credit hours&nbsp;from the&nbsp;elective list. Students may also select courses from the Selective Required Core if not previously completed.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-a2190501-3bcd-42c4-aab1-65cb5371193a\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-a2190501-3bcd-42c4-aab1-65cb5371193a\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>CNIT\u00a051000:\u00a0Data Literacy\u00a0(3 credit hours)\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-a2190501-3bcd-42c4-aab1-65cb5371193a\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This course examines concepts,&nbsp;models&nbsp;and methods useful for applying data analytics in business environments. Focusing on hypothesis generation,&nbsp;capturing, storage and expression of data&nbsp;and&nbsp;analysis for research and visualizations.\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-34020d05-842a-40fa-bb4d-bc71f3260910\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-34020d05-842a-40fa-bb4d-bc71f3260910\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>POL\u00a052601:\u00a0Technology, AI, And Ethics in Public Policy and Public Administration\u00a0(3 credit hours)\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-34020d05-842a-40fa-bb4d-bc71f3260910\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Examines how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), automated decision&nbsp;systems&nbsp;and digital platforms are being adopted in the public sector. It explores the benefits as well as ethical risks and challenges associated with implementing these technologies in areas like healthcare, education, child&nbsp;welfare&nbsp;and criminal justice. Students will analyze governance strategies,&nbsp;policies&nbsp;and administrative procedures to promote responsible technology use in government.\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-11f32607-d13c-48e5-b124-0350dc93c3d1\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-11f32607-d13c-48e5-b124-0350dc93c3d1\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>POL 55801: Tech Diplomacy in International Affairs\u00a0(3 credit hours)<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-11f32607-d13c-48e5-b124-0350dc93c3d1\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This course provides an overview of the role of tech diplomacy in international relations and foreign policy, focusing on how emerging technologies can disrupt global power structures and create both risks and opportunities. Students will study core theories, analyze case studies, and develop skills in applied research and communication.<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-d0c0f9ca-4a70-42ec-8691-1061971cab08\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-d0c0f9ca-4a70-42ec-8691-1061971cab08\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>POL 55901: Emerging Technology in International Affairs\u00a0(3 credit hours)<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-d0c0f9ca-4a70-42ec-8691-1061971cab08\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This course focuses on understanding contemporary emerging technologies and their implications for tech diplomacy, national security, and foreign policy. Students develop skills through analyzing case studies and developing applied projects that assess threats and opportunities in an area of emerging technology.<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion has-no-bottomborder\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-4d605141-8a48-4320-90b6-3f870932aac5\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-4d605141-8a48-4320-90b6-3f870932aac5\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>SCLA\u00a052000:\u00a0Social and\u00a0Digital Media Analytics for Strategic Communication\u00a0(3 credit hours)\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-4d605141-8a48-4320-90b6-3f870932aac5\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This course provides an overview of how to transform social media and digital media information into business intelligence and actionable&nbsp;insight. Although students are not expected to know a programming language prior to taking the course, students are expected to understand basic statistics and to have a desire to learn the processes, procedures and vocabulary used by data analysts in modern organizations. The goal is not to train them as practicing data scientists&nbsp;but as knowledgeable data analytics consumers and as informed teammates and leaders of cross-functional teams tasked to make decisions using data.<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"purdue-accordion-wrap  purdue-accordion-wrap--small\">\n    <div class=\"section has-none-background has-padding-top-none has-padding-bottom-none has-no-sidepadding\">\n        <div class=\"container is-narrow\">\n            <div class=\"purdue-accordion\">\n                <h3 class=\"accordion__heading purdue-accordion__title  purdue-accordion__title--small\" id=\"title-6649f4ab-ac1a-430a-bb12-fda436248273\">\n                    <button aria-controls=\"content-6649f4ab-ac1a-430a-bb12-fda436248273\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>SCLA 59000: Special Topics (1-6 credit hours)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/button>\n                <\/h3>\n                <div class=\"accordion__content purdue-accordion__content\" id=\"content-6649f4ab-ac1a-430a-bb12-fda436248273\" hidden aria-hidden=\n                \"true\">\n                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This course, whose specific topics might change, focuses on strategy and military studies on a global scale. The course will be rooted in all the elements of strategy (political, military, economic and cultural), plus strategic theory and technology\u2019s impact on it. The course exposes students to a set of historical and contemporary strategic dilemmas that involved difficult trade-offs, costly investments, wild risks, incredible victories and crushing defeats. This is a multidisciplinary course that focuses on several core ideas and principles that cut across schools of thought and examples from past,&nbsp;present&nbsp;and future.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":10054,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-10201","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Ryan M Olson","author_link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/author\/rolson\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":null,"rttpg_excerpt":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10201"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10800,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10201\/revisions\/10800"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}