Why SSP?

Career Placement
A degree from the SSP is described by alumni as a ‘must have’ credential for those wishing to enter the security field.  Mid-career graduates report receiving promotions and new professional opportunities after graduation. Over 1, 400 SSP graduates have gone on to assume important and rewarding positions in the U.S. and other governments, international organizations and non-profit institutions, and consulting firms.

Curricular Strength
The SSP combines theory and practice and provides students with both academic rigor and policy relevance.  Over 80 courses are taught per year by leading academics and distinguished practioners.

The SSP offers seven concentrations: Intelligence, International Security, Military Operations, Technology and Security, Terrorism and Substate Violence, Unconventional Weapons and Non-Proliferation, and U.S. National Security Policy. Customized concentrations are possible for those interested in a particular regional or functional area of security.

Diverse Student Body
Students from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds enroll in the SSP. Most have undergraduate degrees in political science, history, international relations, or a related discipline. Other students completed degrees in biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Approximately 25% percent of the student body brings 3 to 4 years of work experience to the SSP and roughly 35% percent of the students enroll directly after completing undergraduate study.

Faculty Experience
SSP faculty members are the nation's leading scholars and analysts in domestic and international security affairs. They have many years of distinguished service consulting, shaping, and implementing security policy and thus enrich classroom instruction with practical experience.

History and Tradition
The SSP has been educating security professionals for over thirty years.   Today the SSP is the largest graduate program of its kind.

Since 1977 the SSP curriculum has been reflective of contemporary and emerging security issues.  The flexibility of full time or part time study accommodates students' professional obligations and extracurricular interests. The value in the SSP is its unique academic specialization, the blending of theory and practice, and the gateway it provides to career success.

Location, Location, Location
The SSP’s location in Washington, D.C. exposes students to the center of the U.S. security  community. The city offers countless opportunities to attend conferences, hearings, and events hosted by institutions such as the United States Congress, National Defense University, the Brookings Institution, the National Democratic Institute, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The possibilities for social, cultural, professional, and academic growth are unlimited and make Washington an ideal place for graduate study.