Program Review - Missouri State University

[EliEverIsAHero]

I'm now studying Defense/National Security Policy at Missouri State instead.

What is it like there today? A 2011 blog post from "Militarist Monitor" describes the department as a den of Republican foreign policy hawks (as Republican hawks were at the time, Reagan-Bush era, pre-Trump).

I just completed the graduate certificate with them and am looking to continue towards a doctorate. I personally think it is an amazing program. 

Now I can see where the blog opinion comes from, due to the simple fact that literally everyone teaching in the program is either a current or former DoE/USAF nuclear officer, a current or former state department staffer, or a current or former Professional Staffer from the UN or Capitol Hill. So without anyone teaching merely from a theory standpoint I can see an outsider confusing it for hawkish behavior. ... personally though, I was thrilled to have professors who are been there-done that professionals (as opposed to pure theory academics)

But I completely agree with Eli that the actual mindset is a realist point of view. These are all experienced folks with decades of knowing what works, what doesn't, and what is propaganda. Differing opinions are welcome,but require you to defend your stance with verifiable proof.

Like I said, a realist mindset. No obvious warmongers, but no obvious pacifists either. And no room for "theory" or anything that cannot be proven. Just cold hard results. As a first responder I understand that mindset and can respect it, to get through an otherwise mentally exhausting job. Pretty appropriate when talking about national defense... ymmv

Following up that I would disagree that DSS has "no room for theory". One of their recent Doctoral grads just published a fairly compelling book on Christian Realism and Just War Doctrine with the DSS-affiliated National Institute for Public Policy think tank, and I am currently enrolled in a course they offer on the Ethics of WMD that engages with various philosophical and faith traditions. 

If you mean navel-gazing Critical Theories/Pomo type stuff that has no policy-relevance, or Marxian/Economic Structuralist theories that simply say "f- the system" without offering viable/realistic alternatives, however, I'd definitely agree that those are thankfully absent.