Wednesday, February 6, 2013

The Courses: Strategic Nuclear Doctrine

I had originally chosen to take Global Security Issues and Use of Force in International Law during the second semester. However, my Strategic Studies and International Law brethren had mixed (poor) reviews about the International Law course and its instructor from the first semester, so I made an executive decision to change my registration to Strategic Nuclear Doctrine. As with Global Security Issues, I come to this course at a bit of an advantage because I've already read the textbooks.

The course is structured similarly to last semester's Strategic Intelligence course. We aren't on the hook to lead one of the seminars/tutorials ("recitations" in American academic dialect), but we'll be turning in a five thousand word essay, and then taking a three hour exam at the end of the semester.

  • Strategic Nuclear Doctrine
  • Legal and Moral Issues
  • American Strategic Nuclear Doctrine
  • Russian Strategic Nuclear Doctrine
  • British Strategic Nuclear Doctrine
  • French Strategic Nuclear Doctrine
  • NATO Strategic Nuclear Doctrine
  • Chinese Strategic Nuclear Doctrine
  • Indo-Pakistani Strategic Nuclear Doctrine
  • Israeli Strategic Nuclear Doctrine
  • Conclusions & Prospects
  • Revision

    On the one hand, I'm not fascinated by strategic nuclear doctrine. On the other hand, I think that this course could wind up opening up some career doors for me down the line. Nuclear theory is ridiculously complicated, and if I can use this course and its readings to make me more conversant on nuclear doctrine, it could really help me down the line. It could also bolster my credentials on the Middle East and the Gulf Region, given that a great deal of global nuclear policy revolves around Israel and Iran. I think this course is going to be sort of reading-intensive, despite having read the main textbooks previously. I'm trying to pace myself, and have already read one of the key non-textbook readings.

    Should be a real barn-burner.
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