Arms Control and Nonproliferation Certificate

This certificate program reflects the enduring importance of arms control and nonproliferation in U.S. national security strategy and policy, and the need to improve arms control and nonproliferation education so as to help our leaders better address future challenges.  

This certificate program will provide students with a foundation in the field, helping equip them to evaluate the prospects of and challenges facing arms control and nonproliferation in the current and the future environment. The certificate program will provide students with a comprehensive perspective on the legal, technical, human, strategic, and policy issues associated with the control of weapons of mass destruction, including a robust overview of:

• The role and history of international law as a constraint upon state behavior, and its limitations.
• The myriad challenges and complex dynamics of international negotiation across a range of historical circumstances.
• How states have approached arms control issues during the Cold War, during the period of post-Cold War institution-building beginning in the 1990s, and in the period of arms control’s gradual decay since the late-2000s.
• The development of deterrence theory and its complex relationship with challenges of arms control and disarmament.
• How complex technical issues of weapons research and development (R&D), testing, production, and deployment have affected arms control negotiations.
• Challenges of verifying arms control agreements and enforcing compliance with their strictures.

This certificate could be completed in one year and consists of four courses (12 credit hours) to be chosen from among five options.  No technical background or prerequisites beyond a bachelor’s degree are required. Once completed, the courses could also be credited towards a DSS Master’s or Doctoral degree.