A quick glance at the news reveals no shortage of threats confronting the international order, national security, and humanity. As the concentration head for Transnational Security, I am excited to share with you the vast array of opportunities the Center for Global Affairs offers. Students in the program grapple first-hand with pressing security issues including the implications of Russia’s ongoing actions in Ukraine, the exploitation of technology and social media by state and non-state actors, foreign fighter flows, refugee crises, a proliferation of failed states, intelligence reform, drug and human trafficking, homegrown radicalization, international intervention, proxy wars, and post-conflict reconstruction.
Our curriculum is frequently updated to reflect the latest trends and issues in the field and our faculty are comprised of a combination of scholars and practitioners. In addition to the wealth of applied experience our adjunct faculty bring to the classroom, our full-time faculty have leveraged their scholarly accomplishments and expertise to work with government agencies, international organizations, NGOs, and the private sector. These connections, along with a robust alumni network, allow us to keep up with the latest developments in a rapidly changing field, identify industry gaps, and help our students hone in on innovative and effective solutions to some of the most pressing security threats. Students benefit from our emphasis on a small class setting and quality teaching and have a great deal of flexibility in designing their curriculum around their particular interests. Many in the security concentration often choose courses that overlap with another concentration including IR Futures, Gender, Peacebuilding, and Energy and the Environment.
Employers find our students possess not only the academic knowledge and analytic and technical skills necessary to excel, but also practical experience and connections in the security field. Most students participate in a combination of Global Field Intensives, credit-bearing internships, independent studies, or consulting practicum in which they obtain resume-ready experience working in New York City or abroad. A number of students have traveled through the Global Research Initiative to conduct research for their theses or capstone projects and many have published their course or thesis work in highly regarded peer-reviewed journals. Our Initiative on Emerging Threats has allowed students the opportunity to take part in strategic negotiation exercises with the US Army War College and to network with top scholars in the field and present and publish their own work through the hosting of events such as the Society for Terrorism Research Conference and the production of a special issue of the Journal of Strategic Security.
I am always delighted to see where our graduates land. Some are working on the frontlines of counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and national defense for government agencies. Some of our graduates identify, monitor, and analyze terrorist behavior on the Internet and Dark Web for companies such as Dataminr, Flashpoint, SITE Intelligence Group, and Facebook. A number find employment as researchers and analysts at top-notch think tanks including the Council on Foreign Relations, The Soufan Center, RAND, and New America. Others work in the private sector in risk assessment, anti-money laundering, or private intelligence and investigations for companies such as Kroll, Exiger, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, Teneo Intelligence, RANE, and AIG – just to name a few. Finally, others put their skills to use working for NGOs or the UN and several have used the Masters as a pathway into PhD programs and are now professors in the field.
Dear Prospective Student,
A quick glance at the news reveals no shortage of threats confronting the international order, national security, and humanity. As the concentration head for Transnational Security, I am excited to share with you the vast array of opportunities the Center for Global Affairs offers. Students in the program grapple first-hand with pressing security issues including the implications of Russia’s ongoing actions in Ukraine, the exploitation of technology and social media by state and non-state actors, foreign fighter flows, refugee crises, a proliferation of failed states, intelligence reform, drug and human trafficking, homegrown radicalization, international intervention, proxy wars, and post-conflict reconstruction.
Our curriculum is frequently updated to reflect the latest trends and issues in the field and our faculty are comprised of a combination of scholars and practitioners. In addition to the wealth of applied experience our adjunct faculty bring to the classroom, our full-time faculty have leveraged their scholarly accomplishments and expertise to work with government agencies, international organizations, NGOs, and the private sector. These connections, along with a robust alumni network, allow us to keep up with the latest developments in a rapidly changing field, identify industry gaps, and help our students hone in on innovative and effective solutions to some of the most pressing security threats. Students benefit from our emphasis on a small class setting and quality teaching and have a great deal of flexibility in designing their curriculum around their particular interests. Many in the security concentration often choose courses that overlap with another concentration including IR Futures, Gender, Peacebuilding, and Energy and the Environment.
Employers find our students possess not only the academic knowledge and analytic and technical skills necessary to excel, but also practical experience and connections in the security field. Most students participate in a combination of Global Field Intensives, credit-bearing internships, independent studies, or consulting practicum in which they obtain resume-ready experience working in New York City or abroad. A number of students have traveled through the Global Research Initiative to conduct research for their theses or capstone projects and many have published their course or thesis work in highly regarded peer-reviewed journals. Our Initiative on Emerging Threats has allowed students the opportunity to take part in strategic negotiation exercises with the US Army War College and to network with top scholars in the field and present and publish their own work through the hosting of events such as the Society for Terrorism Research Conference and the production of a special issue of the Journal of Strategic Security.
I am always delighted to see where our graduates land. Some are working on the frontlines of counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and national defense for government agencies. Some of our graduates identify, monitor, and analyze terrorist behavior on the Internet and Dark Web for companies such as Dataminr, Flashpoint, SITE Intelligence Group, and Facebook. A number find employment as researchers and analysts at top-notch think tanks including the Council on Foreign Relations, The Soufan Center, RAND, and New America. Others work in the private sector in risk assessment, anti-money laundering, or private intelligence and investigations for companies such as Kroll, Exiger, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, Teneo Intelligence, RANE, and AIG – just to name a few. Finally, others put their skills to use working for NGOs or the UN and several have used the Masters as a pathway into PhD programs and are now professors in the field.
Description
The Transnational Security concentration addresses the growing necessity for a multilateral approach to security issues that face the international community as a whole. It explores the heightened need for coordination between international agencies when confronting emerging global threats. Courses explore such topics as security policy, transnational crime, counter-terrorism, homeland security, and economic security.
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This concentration prepares students for rewarding careers assessing and mitigating security threats, and researching and crafting security policy, at a range of institutions, from government agencies and think thanks to private businesses and NGOs.
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Goals
To educate leaders in the Transnational Security field and provide them with the necessary knowledge, abilities, and connections to succeed in their career. Graduates are well-versed in assessing and mitigating security threats and researching and crafting security policy. Students are able to identify and understand the key threats to transnational security and how they have evolved and may change over time. They are also able to comprehend the potential consequences of certain security policies and appreciate how security threats are determined and addressed across government and non-governmental sectors. As such, graduates are able to offer innovative and more effective ways of identifying and tackling existing or emerging security threats.
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Outcomes
Alumni graduating with a concentration in Transnational Security find careers at a range of institutions, from government agencies and think tanks to private businesses and NGOs. Some students use the Masters as a launchpad into a PhD. Previous Transnational Security concentrators operate in all of these sectors.
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Requirements
Concentration: Transnational Security
The Transnational Security concentration addresses the growing necessity for a multilateral approach to security issues that face the international community as a whole. It explores the heightened need for coordination between international agencies when confronting emerging global threats. Courses explore such topics as security policy, transnational crime, counter-terrorism, homeland security, and economic security.
This concentration prepares students for rewarding careers assessing and mitigating security threats, and researching and crafting security policy, at a range of institutions, from government agencies and think thanks to private businesses and NGOs.
Students in the Transnational Security concentration are required to take the first course listed below. Students must then select five concentration elective courses (3 credits each) that are offered on a regular basis.
The Asymmetrical Warfare class challenged my simplistic assumptions on the nature of terrorism and the challenge of using hard power in the modern world.
Sean Hackett, NYU Global Security Operations Center
Professional Outcomes
I found that the curriculum and philosophy at CGA was perfectly suited to someone such as myself who was seeking to transition from the military and non-profit international work to a career in intelligence.
Classified GEOINT Analyst at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency