Security Studies offer fellows an intensive learning experience focused on the most difficult national security challenges the United States faces today. Each seminar will provide a practitioner’s view of national security, led by faculty who have direct experience forming and advising American policy.

This summer’s offerings provide students the flexibility to create their ideal summer experience – by applying for a four-week summer fellowship or choosing among one-week seminars to create their own individualized course of study.

All fellows will have the opportunity to hear from senior policymakers and national security experts. Past guest lecturers include longtime State Department official Elliott Abrams, Senator Tom Cotton, strategist Jacqueline Deal, historian Victor Davis Hanson, former NSC director Rush Doshi, and Ambassador Victoria Nuland.

How do you think like a policymaker?

Grand Strategy Fellows

Those who attend the full program will be recognized as Grand Strategy Fellows. Grand Strategy Fellows will gain a comprehensive understanding of grand strategy both in theory and in action. They will take courses dedicated to the three most important theaters to the United States—Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East—and engage in simulations and case studies that reflect real-world decision-making.

One-Week Seminars

Students seeking a more specialized experience can apply directly to the one-week courses within the Security Studies Program that best fit their interests and knowledge level. This option is also ideal for students and young professionals who have other internships, jobs, or commitments during the summer.

Summer 2025

Generalship: High Command in War

Examine what it means to command at the very highest levels of war with a former CENTCOM commander.

A Return to Rivalry: U.S.-Russia Relations

Study the trajectory of U.S. policy towards Russia from the Soviet collapse to the invasion of Ukraine.

U.S.-China Strategy: Containment Then & Now

Explore the comprehensive statecraft required to counter the Chinese Communist Party.

2024 Courses

China Beyond Beijing

Study the fundamentals of the behavioral & cultural aspects of China’s government & military forces.

Utopia vs. Reality in American Grand Strategy

Apply the insights of classical geopolitical analysis to America's actions today.

How China Confronts Crisis

Examine three major hinge-points in China’s history & how China responds to crisis.

A Return to Rivalry: U.S.-Russia Relations

Study the trajectory of U.S. policy towards Russia from the Soviet collapse to the invasion of Ukraine.

Kissinger & the Yom Kippur War

Learn how Henry Kissinger's strategy changed the future of the Middle East.

China

How China Confronts Crisis

Examine three major hinge-points in China’s history & how China responds to crisis.

China Beyond Beijing

Study the fundamentals of the behavioral & cultural aspects of China’s government & military forces.

China at War: Past, Present, & Future

Examine China’s past and current use of force in the context of its strategic culture and traditions.

America’s Forgotten War & Confronting China Today

Study the Korean War and the lessons it offers for U.S.-China competition.

U.S. Defense Strategy & the China Challenge

Assess U.S. defense strategy to counter China’s rise.

Nixon in China: Did We Get China Wrong?

Study Nixon’s strategic opening to Beijing in 1972 and how it shaped U.S.-China relations today.

Debating U.S.-China Strategic Competition

Explore contemporary views on U.S.-China strategic competition alongside a variety of prominent instructors.

Chinese Grand Strategy

Explore the implications of China’s global rise for U.S. primacy and the liberal international order.

Rising China & U.S. Foreign Policy

Explore the future of rising China and alternative U.S. policy approaches for coping with it.

Russia

Julian Jackson’s De Gaulle

Study Charles de Gaulle, the mythic general who rallied the Free French during World War II.

Russia: A Return to Rivalry

Examine U.S.-Russia relations since the end of the Cold War.

Russian Hybrid Warfare

Study Russian hybrid warfare strategy and how the U.S. should counter Putin's expansionism.

U.S.-Russia Strategic Competition

Consider the nature of the Russian challenge to the United States.

Middle East

Kissinger & the Yom Kippur War

Learn how Henry Kissinger's strategy changed the future of the Middle East.

The Yom Kippur War: A Case Study in Strategy, Power, & Character

Explore the Yom Kippur War, one of the great understudied hinge points of history.

The War in Iraq: A Study in Decision-Making

Examine key strategic decisions during one of the most dynamic confrontations of the late 20th and early 21st centuries: the U.S. and Iraq.

The Challenges of the Middle East

Understand the Arab Spring and how, together with its aftermath, it has changed American priorities and strategies.

The Iranian Challenge

Consider the strategic options for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program.

Is Israel Alone?

Explore the past, present, and future of the America-Israel strategic relationship.

Lessons of the Iraq War

Examine how the United States grappled with the challenges presented by Iraq.

Statesmanship

Ronald Reagan: The Peacemaker

Examine how Ronald Reagan confronted the Soviet Union and won the Cold War.

Julian Jackson’s De Gaulle

Study Charles de Gaulle, the mythic general who rallied the Free French during World War II.

Presidential Command & National Security Leadership

Analyze case studies to better understand presidential control over foreign policy and the meaning of executive power.

Great Figures: David Ben-Gurion

Assess the visionary leadership of David Ben-Gurion, founding father and first prime minister of Israel.

Great Figures: Ronald Reagan

Chart the dramatic rise of the modern conservative movement by studying the political career of Ronald Reagan.

Great Figures: Margaret Thatcher

Learn how Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady of British politics, set Britain on a new course and helped end the Cold War.

Great Figures: Winston Churchill

Consider the challenges of statesmanship through the words and deeds of Winston S. Churchill.

Deadlines & Eligibility

 

Who Should Apply? Advanced undergraduates, recent graduates, and young professionals are all eligible to apply. Fellows may apply for, and participate in, multiple seminars.

Dates & Times: Each Security Studies course meets in-person in Washington, DC for one week. See the individual course pages for full details.

Commitment: In-person courses meet for morning seminars, with afternoon guest speakers and some evening activities. Fellows are expected to attend all sessions and activities.

Housing, Stipend, & Course Materials: Our programs are provided at no charge to participants. Residential programs offer hotel or dormitory accommodations and a stipend to offset travel and living expenses. All fellows receive books and course materials.

Deadline: Deadline: Applicants who apply by the Early Decision deadline (01/13/25) will receive priority consideration. Early Decision applicants are expected to participate in the fellowship if admitted and to withdraw applications from other opportunities. If not admitted in the Early Decision round, applicants may defer to Final Decision to be reviewed again.

The Final Decision deadline is February 24, 2025.

APPLICATION MATERIALS

  1. A CV OR RÉSUMÉ

  2. PERSONAL STATEMENT

    Describe, in 1,000 words, or less the political questions you find most interesting, your future ambitions, and how these relate to your preferred program(s).

  3. ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT

    Unofficial; required only for currently enrolled students & recent graduates.

  4. ACADEMIC OR PROFESSIONAL WRITING SAMPLE

    12 pages maximum; double-spaced. Please send academic writing that best showcases your ability to invent and sustain a persuasive argument, no matter the subject-matter.

  5. RECOMMENDATION LETTER & REFERENCE

    Provide the name and contact information of a professor, mentor, or supervisor. (Letter not required for nominated applicants.)

Other Courses You Might Be Interested In

Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War

Discover what Thucydides can teach us about the permanent questions of political life.

Debating U.S.-China Strategic Competition

Explore contemporary views on U.S.-China strategic competition alongside a variety of prominent instructors.

Presidential Command & National Security Leadership

Analyze case studies to better understand presidential control over foreign policy and the meaning of executive power.

Nuclear Strategy & World Order

Explore the ways nuclear weapons have transformed the world we inhabit today.

America’s Forgotten War & Confronting China Today

Study the Korean War and the lessons it offers for U.S.-China competition.