MAS-IA Career Track: Security of the Asia-Pacific
This career track cultivates professionals’ critical thinking tools and ability to navigate current debates about the security of states. You will examine the relationships between key actors such as China, Japan, Korea and the U.S. as well as issues like territorial disputes, military build-ups, regional alliances and non-traditional security threats. By integrating perspectives from international relations, political science and security studies you will gain a better understanding of the complex security challenges in the Asia-Pacific region.
Faculty Spotlight
Meet Professor Tai Ming Cheung who teaches a course on Chinese International Relations and Security (GPPS 407). In this interview, he explains how his new book titled “Innovate to Dominate” connects the complexities of China’s economic and military capabilities – and how policymakers can use this nuanced understanding to craft effective policy.
Curriculum
The MAS-IA program offers a comprehensive and highly personalized curriculum. You’ll begin with two required core courses that give you a foundational understanding of global economies, as well as the systems and developments influencing policy creation. The core rounds out with a capstone workshop on policy issues. From there, you’ll choose nine courses depending on your professional path and regional interests.
See the general catalog for a complete listing.
Core and Capstone Courses
GPCO 481 - Politics of International and National Policy Making
This course provides an introduction to international political economies of the Pacific region and covers important international developments, such as regionalism, as well as domestic decision-making processes.
GPCO 482 - Global Economics and Markets
This course studies the major economies of the Pacific region by combining standard economic tools with each economy's institutional background. Special attention is given to the challenges that economic globalization poses to economic relations among those economies.
GPCO 483 - Workshop on Policy Issues in the Pacific Rim
This capstone class focuses on students collaborating on long-term projects and analyzing important political, economic and business issues in the Pacific region using the tools acquired through other school courses.
Additional Courses
Nine additional courses are required for this track. They are divided into courses focused on the track, electives and regional courses.
Below is a sample listing.
Three additional courses are required to fulfill the track requirement:
- GPPS 407 - Chinese International Relations and Security
- GPPS 442 - Foundations of Strategic Studies
- GPPS 469 - Comparative Grand Strategy and Defense Policy
- If a student selects only two of the courses listed, the third course must be chosen from the list of electives below
Four courses fulfill the electives requirement:
- GPCO 410 - International Politics and Security
- GPPS 400 - International Relations of the Asia-Pacific
- GPPS 401 - The New “New” Civil Wars
- GPPS 427 - International Law and Regulation
- GPPS 429 - Geopolitics, Insurgency, and Weak States
- GPPS 430 - Human Rights, Public Policy and International Politics
- GPPS 433 - Debating U.S. Security Policy
- GPPA 477 - Cyber Security
Two courses fulfill the regional electives requirement. At least one must focus on politics and are (*) below.
China
- GPPS 404 - Chinese Politics*
- GPPS 405 - U.S.-China Relations*
- GPIM 461 - Doing Business in China
- GPPA 467 - Chinese Environmental and Energy Policy
- GPEC 486 - Economic and Social Development of China
Japan
- GPIM 411 - Business and Management in Japan
- GPPS 416 - Postwar Politics in Japan*
- GPPS 460 - Politics of U.S.-Japan Economic Relations*
- GPEC 471 - Japanese Economy
- GPPS 478 - Japanese Foreign Policy*
Korea
- GPPS 408 - Korean Security*
- GPPS 484 - Korean Politics*
Southeast Asia
- GPEC 462 - Southeast Asian Economics
- GPPS 463 - Politics of Southeast Asia*
Some prerequisite(s) or the instructor's consent may be required for some classes. Course schedules are published quarterly and are subject to change without notice. Some courses that can be applied to meet requirements may not be offered in a given academic quarter or academic year.