SEST-543 Crisis Decision-Making and Simulation

Faculty:

Mazarr, Michael

In this course we will design and build a crisis simulation exercise open to the entire student body of the Security Studies Program, and in the process learn as much as we can about both the process of decision-making in general and designing such exercises in particular. It will call on your creativity as well as your self-discipline; we'll be able to add any and all of our ideas to the simulation, both in its design and in its content, but we'll also be running said game during the ninth week of our course-which will demand a good deal of focused work in the early weeks to make sure we're on track. The course is built around some of the best literature on decision-making as a discipline. Some of the literature will come from the international relations tradition, but much of it is general, and the disciplines we'll learn can apply to any decisions at all-not only ones about international security issues, but business, social, or personal decisions as well. Learning objectives include a good sense of how to make a good decision, the limits of effective decision-making strategies, and the design and execution of strategic-level wargames. The course is built around some of the best literature on decision-making as a discipline. Some of the literature will come from the international relations tradition, but much of it is general, and the disciplines we'll learn can apply to any decisions at all-not only ones about international security issues, but business, social, or personal decisions as well. Learning objectives include a good sense of how to make a good decision, the limits of effective decision-making strategies, and the design and execution of strategic-level wargames.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: None

Course syllabi
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Fall '06: Mazarr, M. (file download)

Additional syllabi may be available in prior academic years.

Other academic years
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• 2005-2006 Fall and Spring
• 2007-2008 Fall and Spring
• 2008-2009 Fall and Spring
• 2009-2010 Fall and Spring
• 2010-2011 Fall and Spring
• 2011-2012 Fall and Spring
• 2012-2013 Fall and Spring
• 2013-2014 Fall and Spring

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