Global Security Studies Minor

Terrie Northrup, Minor Coordinator
225 Eggers Hall
315-443-2306
northrup@syr.edu

The minor in Global Security Studies (GSS) is an interdisciplinary program designed to help students explore the global, international, national, and human dimensions of security, conflict, and conflict resolution in contemporary international relations using the analytic tools provided in different social science disciplines. The minor is administered by the International Relations Program and is open to all Syracuse University undergraduate students in good academic standing.

International relations majors whose topic concentration is international security and diplomacy (ISD) are not eligible to take the Global Security Studies minor. In addition, for students majoring in International Relations who wish to undertake the Global Security Studies minor, a maximum of three (3) lower division (below 300 level) credits may be shared between the major and the minor.

Minor Requirements

In order to declare the minor, a student must receive a B grade or better in one of the two required lower division courses. The Global Security minor consists of six (6) courses, eighteen (18) credits. These include

two required introductory-level courses:
1. either PSC 124 - International Relations (or PSC 139 Honors section) or HST 122 - Global History 1750 to Present to contextualize state security issues, and
2. either ANT 185 - Global Encounters:Comparing World Views & Values Cross-Culturally or GEO 171 - Human Geographies to highlight human and environmental security issues, plus
12 credits in courses numbered 300 or above. To maintain a balanced focus on the different dimensions of security, these upper division courses must include two (2) courses from List A, which focus on traditional issues of state security and two (2) courses from List B, which focus on human and environmental security.

This is not a complete list of courses that can be applied to the minor. A full list of on-campus courses that are approved each semester for the minor (including special and selected topics) as well as courses through Syracuse Abroad and Maxwell in Washington can be found by going to the International Relations website.

Course Catalog

Global Security Studies Minor

Minor Requirements

List A: Traditional Issues of State Security

List B: Human and Environmental Security