• Government service in an agency with responsibilities for nonproliferation (including, in the United States, the Departments of State, Energy, Defense, or Homeland Security, and their counterparts in other countries)
• Diplomatic service, particularly in the area of disarmament diplomacy
• Military service
• Law enforcement and public safety agencies, particularly those with responsibilities for combating terrorism with weapons of mass destruction and enforcing nonproliferation export controls
• Legislative staff with responsibilities for national and international security
• International civil service with organizations in the nonproliferation or disarmament fields, including the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and others
• Private policy analysis, consulting, and contracting firms working in nonproliferation, disarmament, or cooperative threat reduction
• NGOs specializing in nonproliferation and disarmament
• Academic research and higher education in nonproliferation, disarmament, and international security

Non-degree Option
Individuals who wish to complete a course of study to receive the Certificate in Nonproliferation Studies may do so within a period of two semesters. These students are considered non-degree, as they are not enrolled in a master’s degree program, and thus do not need to meet the Admissions requirements. Working professionals, recent undergraduate students, and individuals who already hold an advanced degree can be considered.

GSIPS students learn from the world's foremost nonproliferation experts, working on research projects utilizing the The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) multiple databases, which cover nuclear, missile, chemical and biological weapons, and terrorism topics with a special emphasis on the former Soviet Union and East Asia.

The Center is recognized internationally for its unique WMD expertise and is the only organization in the world dedicated exclusively to graduate education and research in the field of nonproliferation. Professor William Potter, Director of CNS, and senior members of the CNS staff are active participants in international negotiations, preparing students for nonproliferation careers with on-the-job training and exposure to visiting scholars and specialists from other countries.

Certificate in Nonproliferation Studies: Study Plan (degree and non-degree)
The certificate in nonproliferation studies provides focused, professionally-oriented training in the technologies and domestic and international politics related to the spread of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and the means for their control. It offers unique preparation for a variety of professional careers in the arms control and nonproliferation fields, including positions in government, academia, corporate research, journalism, public interest groups, and international organizations.

Students in the MAIPS degree may choose the Certificate in Nonproliferation as their specialization.  

Students wishing to specialize in this field will want to develop a sequence of coursework which exposes them to each area. The certificate in nonproliferation studies is comprised of at least 20 credits with a grade of B or better in each course from the following list. In addition, students are encouraged to gain professional development experience in nonproliferation.  The specialization is to be designed by the student in conjunction with his/her advisor.

Required Courses
IP 573 Survey of Chem-Bio Weapons
IP 574 Survey of Nuclear/missile Proliferation

And at least 12 credits from any of the following courses
IP 510 Security and Arms Control Issues in Northeast Asia
IP 526 Export Controls (2 credits)
IP 531 Arms Control Simulation
IP 536 Comparative National Security Policy
IP 606 Seminar: Chinese Nonproliferation and Security Policy
IP 631 Seminar: Nuclear Proliferation: Trends and Trigger Events
IP 641 Seminar: Nonproliferation in the NIS
IP 654 Seminar: Security and Nonproliferation Issues in the Middle East
IP 657 Seminar: Technology and International Security
IP 658 Seminar: Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction
IP 667 Seminar: WMD Proliferation in South Asia
WKS 529 Assistance and Protection Against Chemical Weapons
WKS 548 Bio-Terrorism Tabletop Exercise
WKS 561 Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes
WKS 568 WMD & Intelligence
WKS 595 Emerging WMD Supply Networks

Language courses can qualify as specialization courses if they are NOT also being counted as a language credits:

• Contemporary Issues in Nonproliferation (4 unit Monterey Model Language course taught in Chinese, Japanese, and Russian; counts as 2 units toward the nonproliferation certificate)

Students specializing in this field should also pursue opportunities for training and professional development, such as the International Organizations of Nonproliferation internship, or the International Professional Service Semester, or one semester working as a graduate research assistant with CNS.

For additional information about the Certificate in Nonproliferation Studies, please contact:

Dr. Jing-dong Yuan
jing-dong.yuan@miis.edu