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MSFS-597 Strategy: Security/Development/Business
Spring only
In an international environment characterized by scarce resources with which to confront complex problems, strategic decision-making is a necessity. Students planning to enter the field of international affairs, therefore, must be nimble in terms of strategic thought and action. This course will focus on building this strategic capacity.
The course is interdisciplinary and is designed for students from all 3 MSFS concentrations. It will address the strategy-making process in the national security, development and business worlds, and will use cases from all 3 of these sectors. The course will start with the question of how to define strategy, what are the logics of strategy and why strategy is important. From there the course will deconstruct the strategy-making process into 4 parts: setting strategic goals, assessing strategic resources, mapping strategic environments, and choosing among strategic options. In order to expose students to how strategy is actually conducted, practitioners from each of the sectors will visit the class to review actual strategic successes and failures.
The course will then transition from the “analyzing strategy” phase to the “making strategy” phase. In this section students will confront current security, development and business scenarios, and will be required to establish strategic goals, present their environmental analyses, and then come up with strategy proposals. Strategic scenarios will include the U.S. strategy towards Iran, the surge strategy for Iraq, poverty reduction strategies, and Apple Computer’s strategy. The course will culminate in a strategy simulation, involving governments, development organizations and businesses.
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
Course syllabi
The following syllabi may help you learn more about this course (login required):
Spring '10:
Harrison R
(description, file download)
Additional syllabi may be available in prior academic years.
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More information
Look for this course in the schedule of classes.
The academic department web site for this program may provide other details about this course.
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