Georgetown Security Studies Program

Are you an undergraduate student interested in exploring fundamental issues of national and international security? Georgetown’s Security Studies Summer Institute is designed to give you a small dose of what it means to study and work in the field of security studies.

The 2025 ​​Security Studies Summer Institute for HBCU Students is now accepting applications! Spend a week in Washington, D.C. interacting with security experts and professionals from the public and private sectors.

⚡Fast Facts
Dates: June 8-14, 2025
Location: Georgetown University’s main campus, with site visits across the Washington, D.C. area
Eligibility: Current undergraduate students attending HBCUs
Cost: The program is free and includes housing, meals, travel to and from Washington DC, and a $600 dollar stipend.

🤔Who Is It For?
Most students apply in their sophomore year at an HBCU and complete the institute during the summer before their junior year. The only other requirement is an interest in the national or international security field. This program is appropriate for all majors and backgrounds, and there are no prerequisite courses or work experience. The content will reflect a diversity of topics in the security field.

💻Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, January 31, 2025. For more information and to apply, visit https://css.georgetown.edu/summer-hbcu/

In our second "Intel Speaker Series," Dr. Genevieve Lester sat down with Lieutenant General Tony Hale, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (G-2) of the U.S. Army.

The conversation covered a range of topics from artificial intelligence to the future of intelligence in warfare. Thank you to Dr. Lester and LTG Hale for joining us at the Mortara Center for International Studies for this cozy and insightful fireside chat.

🤔 Interested in more discussions on hashtag ? Join the Georgetown Center for Security Studies on April 2, 2025, for the Kalaris Intelligence Conference hosted in the historic Gaston Hall at Georgetown University. Save the date! ✨ kalaris.org

Student veteran Olivia McQuail (SSP’26) is putting experience into practice here on the Hilltop! McQuail is one of 1,200 military-connected students, including service members, veterans and military families at Georgetown University.

SFS Honors Student Veterans - SFS - School of Foreign Service - Georgetown University The School of Foreign Service recognizes and celebrates the contributions of some of our student veterans.

This fall's Gettysburg Staff Ride was a success!

Special thanks to Dr. Thomas McNaugher, Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program and former Senior Analyst at RAND and Director of its Center for Asia Pacific Policy, for leading an all-day tour of the battlegrounds last weekend.

Dr. McNaugher provided SSP students with insight into key battles and locations in the Battle of Gettysburg while also offering an opportunity to venture out from D.C. and to spend quality and educational time with peers.

We sincerely thank Rebecca Patterson, Susan Bryant, Jan “Ken” K. Gleiman, and Mark Troutman for joining us for a discussion on their *new* book, "Winning Without Fighting: Irregular Warfare and Strategic Competition in the 21st Century."

In a discussion moderated by Dr. Heidi Urben, the four authors expounded on to an audience of almost 70 in the beautiful Bioethics Research Library.

"Winning without Fighting" explores the historical context and theoretical underpinnings of irregular warfare, drawing on examples from China and Russia while highlighting the role of resilience as a foundation for national defense, alongside military, political, economic, and informational measures.

More CSS Speaker Series events are on the horizon! Find our upcoming events here: https://www.georgetown.edu/events/calendar/css/.

The Center for Security Studies was grateful to host Dr. John J. Klein, for a "CSS Speaker Series" earlier this week. 🚀 🌌

In this book talk on "Space Warfare: Strategy, Principles and Policy (Space Power and Politics)," Dr. Klein offered insights into strategic competition and conflict in the space domain, including the methods used and sound counterstrategies to thwart a competitor’s efforts.

More CSS Speaker Series events are on the horizon! Find our upcoming events here: https://www.georgetown.edu/events/calendar/css/.

We'll be in on Friday! Our Admissions Team is excited to meet with Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, and Morehouse College students to share about our Security Studies Summer Institute. Refreshments will be served.

🗓 Friday, October 11th
12:00 – 12:30: Program Presentation
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM: Drop by Hours

📍 Location: AU Consortium Center, Conference Room (2nd Floor), 660 Atlanta Student Movement Blvd

👋 Register ahead of time to let us know you're coming: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScw-ZT4i4LO41cw1InGinBgcsEdPPG2Vywwhv7BclPBaPg3pQ/viewform

This week's CSS Speaker Series, "A Region on the Brink," drew a full house!

Thank you to School of Foreign Service - Georgetown University professors Dr. Daniel Byman and Dr. Jennifer Jefferis for their insights and open discussion on war, conflict, and current efforts toward peace in the Middle East.

More CSS Speaker Series events are on the horizon. Find upcoming events here: https://www.georgetown.edu/events/calendar/css/

What an inspiring evening! We were thrilled to host David E. White Jr., Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, and Dr. Rebecca Patterson (his former professor!) for a thought-provoking fireside chat at Georgetown University at the end of last week.

Mr. White shared his incredible experiences from the U.S. Army to the White House, highlighting the importance of service and commitment. His insights on the intersection of public service and national security were both enlightening and motivating.

More CSS Speaker Series events are on the horizon. Find upcoming events here: https://www.georgetown.edu/events/calendar/css/

Join us for an engaging fireside chat with David E. White Jr., Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, and his former professor, Dr. Rebecca Patterson!

🗓 Date: Friday, 20 September 2024
📍 Location: Georgetown University Main Campus (exact location shared upon RSVP)
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM; Doors open at 4:45 PM

Registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1001439702107?aff=oddtdtcreator

David E. White Jr. will share insights from his distinguished career in public service and national security, from his roles in the U.S. Army and White House to his current position at the Peace Corps. Dr. Patterson, Associate Director of the Center for Security Studies, will guide this fascinating discussion.

Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable perspectives on leadership and service!

This summer, the Georgetown Security Studies Program at the School of Foreign Service - Georgetown University (SFS) welcomed its third cohort of students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) across the country as part of its annual Security Studies Summer Institute. Seventeen students from a range of universities — including Howard, Spelman, Morehouse, Alabama A&M, and Bethune-Cookman — were chosen to participate in this year’s program.

In its third iteration, the program offered an immersive exploration of national security, featuring insights from top experts like former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and distinguished fellow in the Security Studies Program, General Mark A. Milley (Retired), and exclusive site visits to places like the Pentagon and the Spy Museum.

Discover the impactful journeys of past participants like Mia Douglas (2022 Cohort, MSFS ‘26) and Isabella Munoz (2023 Cohort, SSP ‘26), and see how the institute is shaping the future of national security.

Read the full article on the CSS website.

The Transformative Journey for HBCU Students at Georgetown’s Security Studies Summer Institute - CSS Representing 17 students from a wide range of universities— including Howard, Spelman, Morehouse, Alabama A&M, and Bethune-Cookman — and running from June 9-15, 2024, the institute offers a week-long immersive experience designed to expose students to various facets of national security and poli...

SSP Alumni 👋 it’s that time of year again: you’re invited back to the Hilltop for the Fall Alumni Reception on Saturday, September 14! RSVP today, tickets are limited. See you there 😊

SSP Fall Alumni Reception Eventbrite - Center for Security Studies presents SSP Fall Alumni Reception - Saturday, September 14, 2024 at Alumni House, Washington, DC. Find event and ticket information.

Did you hear? We’ve been ranked #1 by Foreign Policy!

We are so proud to share our latest #1 ranking from Foreign Policy magazine and William and Mary's Global Research Institute! Our master's programs are ranked #1 across all three of the constituencies surveyed — international relations scholars, policymakers and think tank staff. Our undergraduate program is ranked #1 by policymakers and think tank staff, and #3 by international relations scholars just behind Princeton and Harvard. The rankings are based on a survey of over 1,500 foreign policy professionals, including nearly 1,000 international relations faculty members across the world.

"This is a remarkable testament to our reputation across the foreign policy and scholarly community. And, of course, that reputation is built upon our extraordinary faculty, dedicated staff, and impactful alumni. The entire SFS community can take tremendous pride in this achievement!" — SFS Dean Joel Hellman. https://shorturl.at/bnV5o

This past weekend, Adjunct Professor John Gordon led 34 SSP students on a visit to the United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia as part of our annual “Ship Trip.” This group photo was taken aboard the destroyer USS McFaul. We spent two great hours on the ship and it was truly a remarkable experience. Few of the students have ever seen, let alone toured, a U.S. warship. Being able to visit an active Navy surface combatant gives them the opportunity to experience what military equipment is really like, up close. In addition to seeing the ship, students were able to talk with the crew and discuss weapons, ship operations, and what life is like aboard an active warship. We are so grateful to the Navy for providing our students with this opportunity!

Stay tuned for future SSP field trips in the fall.

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We're grateful to CISA and Director Jen Easterly for hosting our summer security studies institute for HBCU students for the third consecutive year. Our students learned about career opportunities at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the important work that CISA does to protect our cyber and physical infrastructure.

We were thrilled to host PDDNI Dr. Stacey Dixon (Office of the Director of National Intelligence) for a discussion with our summer institute students about the Intelligence Community and careers in national security.