This month, the Recruiting Department begins a campaign to promote the new Master’s in Nonproliferation and Terrorism (MANPTS) degree at the Monterey Institute. Devin Lueddeke and Carol Johnson spend an entire day last week at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) talking about the world’s first degree to combine the knowledge and skills needed to control weapons of mass destruction. Rob Horgan leaves for Brigham Young University this week to meet with key faculty and staff and to talk with prospective candidates about the new program. The Recruiting department’s team will also be promoting the program in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Seoul, Tokyo, New Delhi, and Beijing later in the year.
The new degree combines the strengths of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) and the Monterey Terrorism Research and Education (MonTREP) program. On the reputation of these two world-class institutions alone, the Admissions office has already begun to receive applications for the Fall 2010 cohort of students.
“The global reputation that CNS has cultivated, thanks to research and educational initiatives at both offices in Washington D.C. and Monterey, CA, means that there is a population of scholars and specialists to whom this degree is perfectly tailored,” explained Jill Stoffers, Director of Admissions at MIIS. “But we are also seeing interest from young professionals who may have done their undergraduate work in more general degrees such as international relations, global studies or area studies. They recognize that careers in anti-terrorism, nonproliferation and security issues are going to continue to be in demand in the future.”
The degree also has an appeal to students within the traditional hard sciences as well. “We would like to see a broad cohort of students; not just those with policy experience. We are very interested in receiving applications from candidates who may have majored in chemistry, physics, biology or other science concentrations,” explained Dr. Fred Wehling, Director of Education at CNS and a Senior Research Associate at MonTREP. Many of the career tracks in the field draw upon expertise and understanding of biologicaal agents, chemical compositions, and practical concerns related to nuclear engineering, propulsion, and technology. The first cohort of students will begin their coursework in September. Complete information on the new degree can be found on the MIIS website.