Master of National Security Policy

The Duke MNSP is an accelerated program designed to accommodate the needs of working professionals through its hybrid format, convenient meeting times, and flexible degree options. You can take courses over a rigorous 12-month period or stretch the same courses over 20 months.  The difference is 3-4 courses per term versus 2-3 courses per term.

Every course in the MNSP program has been imagined from the ground up, allowing faculty to build off the collective work experience of the cohort to take material beyond traditional courses in national security.

The streamlined curriculum centers on fundamental knowledge and skills needed for executives in the national security sector. Within each course, students pick and choose topics for their assignments, ensuring the connection between work and school.  Students benefit from diving into topics of their choosing while also learning perspectives of students in the program working in other fields within national security.

The application of material is also a foundation of this program. Students will not only learn theories, methods, and frameworks but will be tasked with creating products that showcase their ability to successfully use skills required for executive jobs in the field.

This program does not require a master's thesis. Your experience will culminate in two courses in which you apply our curriculum to your professional practice. All students will work in a team-based learning experience where you and members of your cohort will work together to solve a real national security work problem with the guidance of a faculty supervisor. This experience will be replicated, but at the individual level in our Professional Practice course where you will work with a faculty supervisor to solve a problem or complete a project related to your own work environment.

As an accelerated, hybrid program in which many students will continue working while earning their degrees, the Duke MNSP does not require internships, teaching assistantships, or research assistantships as a degree requirement. Our academic and career services advisors are available to work with students who are interested in pursuing off-campus internships or on-campus research or teaching opportunities in conjunction with their degree.

The Duke MNSP combines in-person residencies with state-of-the-art online instruction, providing opportunities for networking and cohort development along with the flexibility of remote learning.

Classes meet primarily online with a mix of asynchronous and synchronous material, allowing for some work to be completed at your own pace along with set meeting times each week.

Sanford’s Office of Digital Learning works with every instructor in the program to help them incorporate the latest advances in remote learning pedagogy into their courses. Our goal is to ensure the program meets Duke’s rigorous standards of academic excellence, while also meeting the needs of working professionals.

Students join us on campus for two (separate) weeks in the first summer. In addition to the immersion weeks, students join us for two long weekends each term (fall and spring).  Students take courses online for the rest of the term.

At the beginning of the semester, the professors provide a syllabus, online content, and a class meeting schedule. In addition to reviewing materials, lectures and doing assignments on your own schedule we will also hold some synchronous sessions so you can work with your classmates and professor in real time.  Your courses will continue in this model throughout your program, where you do “pre-work” and assignments on your schedule and come together for live sessions so you can apply the material with your cohort and instructor.

While the MNSP program allows flexibility each week in terms of when the student can complete preparatory work for class, it requires a significant commitment by the students—many of whom are also employed full or part-time.

During the semester, a commitment of at least 15-20 hours, spread out through each week, would be the minimum necessary for success.

Students will write papers, take exams, participate in weekly classes (evening) with faculty, work in virtual groups, and give presentations.

While this program offers the flexibility of an online/hybrid format, we strive to create a true learning community where students have the time and opportunity to share during formal and informal learning (what you might do before/ after class, during breaks, etc.).  Also, technology has allowed for more opportunities for collaborative work with others, though most assignments will be related to you and your professional practice.

The campus immersion events (summer, fall, spring) will also have dedicated time for each of you to get to know others in your cohort, network, meet with faculty, and when allowed opportunities to interact with campus students and faculty who teach outside this program.

Each course will necessarily be different, much like face-to-face classes, but every class will be offered on our Canvas Learning Management System with a similar template so students will have familiarity across classes. Students will open a new module at the start of each week, and the requirements, readings, lectures, assignments, and live elements will be clearly defined. You will have the week to complete the work at your own pace. Any materials for the class will either be preloaded in the course itself or may require you to purchase them through an identified vendor (Amazon).