Program Review - Missouri State University

[FireMedic_Philosopher]

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.

That's what I meant...
The ethics theory stuff that you cite for example, is definitely there. BUT it also definitely relates back to the rest of the material. This is not always true of other programs.

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I've moved a few posts about the Missouri State Defense and Security Studies program to this thread from a Liberty thread.

Thank you, I just want to know the difference between the master degree and phd program from Missouri State university.  I am studying my MBA now.

I'm in the Master's program but in the applicant pool for the Doctorate, along with a smattering of other at least tangentially similar Doctoral-level programs at other institutions in International Relations - Security and/or Peace/Conflict Studies track, Homeland Security, Public Policy/Admin with a strong focus in these subject areas etc. 

The Master's coursework qualifies as 36 out of 66 credits toward the Doctorate, and there is also an advanced standing option for applicants with a closely related degree (Security Studies, Homeland Security, Intelligence Analysis and Policy, Military/Defense Studies, IR, etc.) that shortens the timespan of the Doctorate to 30 credit hours including Capstone. 

Someone else brought up funding. There is an internal process for applying for per-semester departmental scholarships, and the DSS program tends to be pretty generous with these. Less certain are Missouri State institutional funding options through various specific scholarship programs and affiliated foundations, which require the applicant to apply about a year in advance.

Tacking onto this, I completed the graduate certificate to "test drive" the program. I had initially attempted to apply for the advanced standing doctorate, but they deemed my MS (Public Safety Admin, with an Homeland Security/Emergency Management focus) to be too unrelated to qualify for the accelerated/ advanced standing option.

Meaning that in my case I would have to do all 66 hours. I figured I'd do their MS and then the doctorate. Since one can stack to the other, I thought it wise in case I ever lose focus or have to deal with a family emergency... I have to say though, that their decision to not accept my MS for transfer credit into the doctorate didn't upset me as much as my wife feared it would. 

In fact, the department graciously offered me a partial scholarship. Assuming I do not lose focus and barring a family emergency, I will see DSS through to the completion of the MS if not the doctorate.

One final word about their scholarships ... if for any reason you do not complete the DSS degree (either the MS or DSS) that you are enrolled in, you must pay back all scholarship money you had received to that point.