Part 4 · Program curriculum
Class of 2027 Defense and Strategic Studies Major
2027 Defense and Strategic Studies Major Curriculum
- Dept
- MACC-DMI
- Code
- DSS2
- Short description
- Defense and Strategic Studies
- Description
- Defense and Strategic Studies Major
- Transcript description
- Defense and Strategic Studies
- Required courses
- 4
- Optional courses
- 9
| Subject area | Description | Credit hours |
|---|---|---|
| Departmental Description | ||
| The Defense & Strategic Studies (DSS) Major is an interdisciplinary major that combines military science, history, economics, political science, geography, leadership, psychology, information technology, ethics, and law to understand the nature of conflict and the role of the military as an instrument of national power. Using a foundation in strategic theory and historical case studies, cadets examine issues relating to the different levels of conflict, military decision-making, defense policy and changes in warfare. | ||
| Required Courses | Choose 4 of 4 | |
| DS320 | INTRO TO STRATEGIC STUDIES | 3.0 |
| DS370 | US STRATEGY AND POLICY | 3.0 |
| DS455 | COMPARATIVE DEFENSE POLICY | 3.0 |
| DS495 | RESEARCH METHODS STRAT STUDIES | 3.0 |
| AND | ||
| DSS Specific Electives | Choose 3 of 14 | |
| Cadets will only select DS496A from this list if enrolled in a 2-course thesis integrative experience with DS496, or DS497A if enrolled in a 2-course capstone integrative experience with DS497. | ||
| DS345 | MILITARY INNOVATION | 3.0 |
| DS350 | STRAT & PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATN | 3.0 |
| DS360 | SPECIAL OPS: THEORY & PRACTICE | 3.0 |
| DS399 | STRATEGIC STUDIES INTERNSHIP | 3.0 |
| DS460 | IRREGULAR WARFARE THEORY & PRA | 3.0 |
| DS475 | FORECAST & GAM IN DECISION-MAK | 3.0 |
| DS485 | DOMAINS OF WAR | 3.0 |
| DS489 | ADV IND STUD-DEF/STRAT STUDIES | 3.0 |
| DS490 | SPECIAL TOPICS: STRAT STUDIES | 3.0 |
| DS496 | STRATEGIC STUDIES THESIS | 3.0 |
| DS496A | STRATEGIC STUDIES THESIS - A | 3.0 |
| DS497 | STRATEGIC STUDIES CAPSTONE | 3.0 |
| DS497A | STRATEGIC STUDIES CAPSTONE - A | 3.0 |
| DS498 | LEADERSHIP IN FUTURE WAR | 3.0 |
| SS364 | COMPETITION AND STRATEGY | 3.0 |
| AND | ||
| Electives | Choose 2 of 62 | |
| AI380 | FOUNDATIONS ARTIFICIAL INTEL | 3.0 |
| CY460 | CYBER POLICY, STRATEGY, & OPNS | 3.0 |
| DS345 | MILITARY INNOVATION | 3.0 |
| DS350 | STRAT & PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATN | 3.0 |
| DS360 | SPECIAL OPS: THEORY & PRACTICE | 3.0 |
| DS399 | STRATEGIC STUDIES INTERNSHIP | 3.0 |
| DS460 | IRREGULAR WARFARE THEORY & PRA | 3.0 |
| DS475 | FORECAST & GAM IN DECISION-MAK | 3.0 |
| DS485 | DOMAINS OF WAR | 3.0 |
| DS489 | ADV IND STUD-DEF/STRAT STUDIES | 3.0 |
| DS490 | SPECIAL TOPICS: STRAT STUDIES | 3.0 |
| DS496 | STRATEGIC STUDIES THESIS | 3.0 |
| DS497 | STRATEGIC STUDIES CAPSTONE | 3.0 |
| EV365 | GEOGRAPHY OF GLOBAL CULTURES | 3.0 |
| EV482 | MILITARY GEOGRAPHY | 3.0 |
| GE340 | GEOGRAPHY OF GLOBAL CULTURES | 3.0 |
| GE491 | MILITARY GEOGRAPHY | 3.0 |
| HI301 | HIST OF MILITARY ART TO 1900 | 3.0 |
| HI338 | WARFARE IN AGE OF REVOLUTIONS | 3.0 |
| HI347 | ASIAN WARFARE AND POLITICS | 3.0 |
| HI355 | WARFARE, INDUSTRY, & EMPIRE | 3.0 |
| HI357 | ARMED CONFLICT IN THE COLD WAR | 3.0 |
| HI359 | ERA OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR | 3.0 |
| HI370 | ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL WARFARE | 3.0 |
| HI376 | EARLY MODERN WARFARE | 3.0 |
| HI381 | HISTORY OF IRREGULAR WARFARE | 3.0 |
| HI385 | WAR & ITS THEORISTS | 3.0 |
| HI394 | REVOLUTIONARY AMERICA | 3.0 |
| HI395 | HIST OF CIVIL WAR AMERICA | 3.0 |
| LA476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - ARABIC | 3.0 |
| LC476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - CHINESE | 3.0 |
| LF476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - FRENCH | 3.0 |
| LG476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - GERMAN | 3.0 |
| LP476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - PORTUGUESE | 3.0 |
| LR476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - RUSSIAN | 3.0 |
| LS476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - SPANISH | 3.0 |
| LW474 | LAW OF ARMED CONFLICT | 3.0 |
| LW481 | INTERNATIONAL LAW | 3.0 |
| LW482 | NATIONAL SECURITY LAW | 3.0 |
| LX300 | 3RD SEMESTER FOREIGN LANG | 0.0 |
| LZ476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - PERSIAN | 3.0 |
| MA367 | MATH FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES | 3.0 |
| PL482 | ARMED FORCES AND SOCIETY | 3.0 |
| PY325 | MILITARY ETHICS | 3.0 |
| PY326 | ETHICS OF TECHNOLOGY | 3.0 |
| SE385 | DECISION ANALYSIS | 3.0 |
| SE485 | COMBAT MODELING | 3.5 |
| SS366 | COMPARATIVE POLITICS | 3.0 |
| SS368 | ECONOMETRICS I | 3.0 |
| SS370 | MASS MEDIA & AMER POLITICS | 3.0 |
| SS464 | HOMELAND SECURITY | 3.0 |
| SS465 | TERRORISM: NEW CHALLENGES | 3.0 |
| SS472 | THE AM STATE & THE SOLDIER | 3.0 |
| SS473 | AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY | 3.0 |
| SS475 | DEMOCRACY AND DICTATORSHIP | 3.0 |
| SS476 | CIVIL WARS | 3.0 |
| SS486 | STATE BUILDING | 3.0 |
| WS385 | WAR AND ITS THEORISTS | 3.0 |
| XE492 | DISRUPTIVE INNOVATIONS | 3.0 |
| XH405 | THE HOLOCAUST AND ITS LEGACY | 3.0 |
| XH415 | GENOCIDE AND MASS ATROCITY | 3.0 |
| AND | ||
| Complementary Support Courses | Choose 3 of 12 | |
| CY460 | CYBER POLICY, STRATEGY, & OPNS | 3.0 |
| EV365 | GEOGRAPHY OF GLOBAL CULTURES | 3.0 |
| EV482 | MILITARY GEOGRAPHY | 3.0 |
| GE340 | GEOGRAPHY OF GLOBAL CULTURES | 3.0 |
| GE491 | MILITARY GEOGRAPHY | 3.0 |
| HI301 | HISTORY OF THE MILITARY ART | 3.0 |
| HI347 | ASIAN WARFARE AND POLITICS | 3.0 |
| HI357 | ARMED CONFLICT IN THE COLD WAR | 3.0 |
| LW482 | NATIONAL SECURITY LAW | 3.0 |
| LX300 | 3RD SEMESTER FOREIGN LANG | 0.0 |
| MA376 | APPLIED STATISTICS | 3.0 |
| SS366 | COMPARATIVE POLITICS | 3.0 |
| AND | ||
| Integrative Experience for the Major | Choose 1 of 3 | |
| DS496 | STRATEGIC STUDIES THESIS | 3.0 |
| DS497 | STRATEGIC STUDIES CAPSTONE | 3.0 |
| DS498 | LEADERSHIP IN FUTURE WAR | 3.0 |
| AND | ||
| Science Depth | ||
| Cadets may choose any one of the courses that are accepted as fulfilling this requirement. | ||
| CH102 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY II | 4.0 |
| CH275 | BIOLOGY | 4.0 |
| PH202 | PHYSICS II | 4.0 |
| PH252 | ADVANCED PHYSICS II | 4.0 |
| PH275 | PHYSICS II: SPACE | 4.0 |
| STEM Depth | ||
| Cadets in this major must take CY305/355 to satisfy the STEM Depth requirement. | ||
| CY305 | CYBER FOUNDATIONS | 3.0 |
| CY355 | CYBER FOUNDATIONS - COMPUTING | 3.0 |
| AND | ||
| Curriculum Requirements | ||
| This section describes how cadets in this major satisfy various curriculum requirements. | ||
| IT/CYBER Requirement | ||
| Cadets in this major will satisfy the IT/CYBER requirement by successfully completing the IT/CYBER content in the core curriculum and CY305/355. | ||
| CY305 | CYBER FOUNDATIONS | 3.0 |
| CY355 | CYBER FOUNDATIONS - COMPUTING | 3.0 |
| Core Engineering Sequence | ||
| Cadets in this major may choose any approved three-course Core Engineering Sequence. | ||
| Writing-in-the-Major | ||
| Cadets in this major satisfy the West Point Writing Program requirement by successfully completing writing requirements in the core curriculum and this course in the major. | ||
| DS495 | RESEARCH METHODS STRAT STUDIES | 3.0 |
2027 Defense and Strategic Studies Major w/ Thesis Curriculum
- Dept
- MACC-DMI
- Code
- DSS2T
- Short description
- Defense/Strategic Studies w/ Thesis
- Description
- Defense and Strategic Studies Major w/ Thesis
- Transcript description
- Defense/Strategic Studies w/ Thesis
- Required courses
- 0
- Optional courses
- 1
| Subject area | Description | Credit hours |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Research Requirement | Choose 1 of 4 | |
| Cadets completing the Defense and Strategic Studies Major with Thesis must take one additional course above the base major, from the list below, for an overall total of 41 courses at graduation. DS497 must include a thesis component if it is being used for the Defense and Strategic Studies major with Thesis (DSS2T). | ||
| DS496 | STRATEGIC STUDIES THESIS | 3.0 |
| DS496A | STRATEGIC STUDIES THESIS - A | 3.0 |
| DS497 | STRATEGIC STUDIES CAPSTONE | 3.0 |
| DS497A | STRATEGIC STUDIES CAPSTONE - A | 3.0 |
2027 Defense and Strategic Studies Major w/ Thesis (Honors) Curriculum
- Dept
- MACC-DMI
- Code
- DSS2H
- Short description
- Defense/Strategic Studies w/ Thesis (Honors)
- Description
- Defense and Strategic Studies Major w/ Thesis (Honors)
- Transcript description
- Defense/Strategic Studies w/ Thesis (Honors)
- Required courses
- 0
- Optional courses
- 2
| Subject area | Description | Credit hours |
|---|---|---|
| Cadets completing the Defense and Strategic Studies Major with Thesis (Honors) must take two additional courses above the base major, for an overall total of 42 courses at graduation, as well as complete the grade requirements listed below. | ||
| Elective | Choose 1 of 62 | |
| Take one additional 300- or 400-level approved elective course from the base major. | ||
| AI380 | FOUNDATIONS ARTIFICIAL INTEL | 3.0 |
| CY460 | CYBER POLICY, STRATEGY, & OPNS | 3.0 |
| DS345 | MILITARY INNOVATION | 3.0 |
| DS350 | STRAT & PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATN | 3.0 |
| DS360 | SPECIAL OPS: THEORY & PRACTICE | 3.0 |
| DS399 | STRATEGIC STUDIES INTERNSHIP | 3.0 |
| DS460 | IRREGULAR WARFARE THEORY & PRA | 3.0 |
| DS475 | FORECAST & GAM IN DECISION-MAK | 3.0 |
| DS485 | DOMAINS OF WAR | 3.0 |
| DS489 | ADV IND STUD-DEF/STRAT STUDIES | 3.0 |
| DS490 | SPECIAL TOPICS: STRAT STUDIES | 3.0 |
| DS496 | STRATEGIC STUDIES THESIS | 3.0 |
| DS497 | STRATEGIC STUDIES CAPSTONE | 3.0 |
| EV365 | GEOGRAPHY OF GLOBAL CULTURES | 3.0 |
| EV482 | MILITARY GEOGRAPHY | 3.0 |
| GE340 | GEOGRAPHY OF GLOBAL CULTURES | 3.0 |
| GE491 | MILITARY GEOGRAPHY | 3.0 |
| HI301 | HIST OF MILITARY ART TO 1900 | 3.0 |
| HI338 | WARFARE IN AGE OF REVOLUTIONS | 3.0 |
| HI347 | ASIAN WARFARE AND POLITICS | 3.0 |
| HI355 | WARFARE, INDUSTRY, & EMPIRE | 3.0 |
| HI357 | DECOLONIZATION & THE COLD WAR | 3.0 |
| HI359 | ERA OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR | 3.0 |
| HI370 | ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL WARFARE | 3.0 |
| HI376 | EARLY MODERN WARFARE | 3.0 |
| HI381 | HISTORY OF IRREGULAR WARFARE | 3.0 |
| HI385 | WAR & ITS THEORISTS | 3.0 |
| HI394 | REVOLUTIONARY AMERICA | 3.0 |
| HI395 | HIST OF CIVIL WAR AMERICA | 3.0 |
| LA476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - ARABIC | 3.0 |
| LC476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - CHINESE | 3.0 |
| LF476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - FRENCH | 3.0 |
| LG476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - GERMAN | 3.0 |
| LP476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - PORTUGUESE | 3.0 |
| LR476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - RUSSIAN | 3.0 |
| LS476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - SPANISH | 3.0 |
| LW474 | LAW OF ARMED CONFLICT | 3.0 |
| LW481 | INTERNATIONAL LAW | 3.0 |
| LW482 | NATIONAL SECURITY LAW | 3.0 |
| LX400 | 4TH SEMESTER FOREIGN LANG | 0.0 |
| LZ476 | MILITARY SPKG/RDG - PERSIAN | 3.0 |
| MA367 | MATH FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES | 3.0 |
| PL482 | ARMED FORCES AND SOCIETY | 3.0 |
| PY325 | MILITARY ETHICS | 3.0 |
| PY326 | ETHICS OF TECHNOLOGY | 3.0 |
| SE385 | DECISION ANALYSIS | 3.0 |
| SE485 | COMBAT MODELING | 3.5 |
| SS366 | COMPARATIVE POLITICS | 3.0 |
| SS368 | ECONOMETRICS I | 3.0 |
| SS370 | MASS MEDIA & AMER POLITICS | 3.0 |
| SS464 | HOMELAND SECURITY | 3.0 |
| SS465 | TERRORISM: NEW CHALLENGES | 3.0 |
| SS472 | SOLDIER & STATE: AM CIV-MIL RE | 3.0 |
| SS473 | AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY | 3.0 |
| SS475 | DEMOCRACY AND DICTATORSHIP | 3.0 |
| SS476 | CIVIL WARS | 3.0 |
| SS486 | STATE BUILDING | 3.0 |
| WS385 | WAR AND ITS THEORISTS | 3.0 |
| XE492 | DISRUPTIVE INNOVATIONS | 3.0 |
| XH405 | THE HOLOCAUST AND ITS LEGACY | 3.0 |
| XH415 | GENOCIDE AND MASS ATROCITY | 3.0 |
| AND | ||
| Individual Research Requirement | Choose 1 of 4 | |
| DS497 must include a thesis component if it is being used for the Defense and Strategic Studies major with Thesis for Honors (DSS2H). | ||
| DS496 | STRATEGIC STUDIES THESIS | 3.0 |
| DS496A | STRATEGIC STUDIES THESIS - A | 3.0 |
| DS497 | STRATEGIC STUDIES CAPSTONE | 3.0 |
| DS497A | STRATEGIC STUDIES CAPSTONE - A | 3.0 |
| AND | ||
| Grade Requirements | ||
| Complete the requirements of the major as shown above, and attain an APSC of at least 3.0 in the core curriculum and an APSC of at least 3.5 in the major. Earn at least an A- in DS496 or DS497. | ||
| SS364 | COMPETITION AND STRATEGY | 3.0 |