Offered at: Solano Campus
The International Strategy and Security (ISS) major offered by the Department of Philosophy is the only undergraduate major of its kind in the United States. Several of our courses are offered only at Cal Poly Maritime Academy and help provide the foundation for the newest degree program on campus. The ISS Program focuses on strategic, interdisciplinary studies across national, international and maritime domains—with an emphasis on the most relevant security challenges facing the nation and the global community today. Students will build skills in oral and written communication, critical thinking, problem solving, leadership development, policy analysis, research methods, and quantitative analysis.
- Articulate the breadth of national and international security, maritime policy and institutions, and strategic decision-making in public and foreign policy.
- valuate the historic foundations and evolution of approaches to national and international security.
- Analyze contemporary threats to international and national security through the application of social science research methodologies.
- Demonstrate critical thinking and strong written and oral communication for solutions to emerging national and international security challenges.
- Evaluate strategies and policies employed by states that impact global economic, human, and environmental security.
- Relate the complexity and interdisciplinary nature of geopolitical issues that occur in a cross-cultural and globalized context.
Degree Requirements and Curriculum
In addition to the program requirements listed on this page, students must also satisfy requirements outlined in more detail in the Minimum Requirements for Graduation section of this catalog, including:
- 40 units of upper-division courses
- 2.0 GPA
- Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR)
- U.S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP)
Note: No Major, Support or Concentration courses may be selected as credit/no credit. In addition, no more than 12 units of cooperative or internship courses can count towards your degree requirements.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MAJOR COURSES | ||
| GMA 1100 | International Relations (4B) 1 | 3 |
| GMA 1110 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| GMA 1115 | Introduction to Security Studies | 3 |
| GMA 2215 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| GMA 2240 | World Geography | 3 |
| GMA 2230 | United States Maritime Policy | 3 |
| GMA 2255 | Strategic Policy Leadership | 3 |
| GMA 3300 | U.S. Foreign Policy (Upper-Division 4) 1 | 3 |
| GMA 3320 | Ocean Environmental Management | 3 |
| GMA 3330 | Maritime Security | 3 |
| GMA 3370 | International Political Economy (Upper-Division 2/5) 1 | 3 |
| GMA 3375 | Research Methods | 3 |
| GMA 4415 | Strategy and War | 3 |
| GMA 4420 | Cybersecurity | 3 |
| GMA 4425 | Civil Conflict | 3 |
| GMA 4460 | Senior Thesis | 3 |
| Select any GMA course | 12 | |
| SUPPORT COURSES | ||
| CEP 3330 | International Strategy and Security Cooperative | 3 |
| ECO 1100 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECO 1101 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| EGL 1100 | English Composition (1A) 1 | 3 |
| EGL 2220 | Critical Thinking (1B) 1 | 3 |
| EGL 1110 | Speech Communication (1C) 1 | 3 |
| EGL 3300 | Advanced Writing (GWR) | 3 |
| GOV 2200 | American Government (4A) 1 | 3 |
| HIS 3300 | Maritime History of the United States | 3 |
| MTH 1101 | College Algebra | 3 |
| MTH 1107 | Elementary Statistics (2) 1 | 3 |
| MPM 1190 | TSGB/International Experience Preparation | 1 |
| MPM 1195 | TSGB/International Experience Special Topics | 3 |
| General Education (GE) | ||
| (See GE program requirements below) | 19 | |
| FREE ELECTIVES | ||
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Total Units | 120 | |
- 1
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.
General Education (GE) Requirements
- 43 units required, 24 of which are specified in Major and/or Support.
- If any of the remaining 19 Units is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
- See the complete GE course listing.
- A grade of C- or better is required in one course in each of the following GE Areas: 1A (English Composition), 1B (Critical Thinking), 1C (Oral Communication), and 2 (Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning).
| Lower-Division General Education | ||
| Area 1 | English Communication and Critical Thinking | |
| 1A | Written Communication (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| 1B | Critical Thinking (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| 1C | Oral Communication (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Area 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning | |
| 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Area 3 | Arts and Humanities | |
| 3A | Arts | 3 |
| 3B | Humanities: Literature, Philosophy, Languages other than English | 3 |
| Area 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | |
| 4A | American Institutions (Title 5, Section 40404 Requirement) (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| 4B | Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| Area 5 | Physical and Life Sciences | |
| 5A | Physical Sciences | 3 |
| 5B | Life Sciences | 3 |
| 5C | Laboratory (may be embedded in a 5A or 5B course) | 1 |
| Area 6 | Ethnic Studies | |
| 6 | Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Upper-Division General Education | ||
| Upper-Division 2/5 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning or Physical and Life Sciences (3 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| Upper-Division 3 | Arts and Humanities | 3 |
| Upper-Division 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) (3 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| Total Units | 19 | |
- 1
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.
Christopher Chiego
B.A. International Affairs, University of Georgia, 2009; B.A. History, 2010, University of Georgia, 2010; M.A. Political Science, University of California, San Diego, 2012; PhD., Political Science, University of Pennsylvania, 2020.
Amy Skoll
BA in Political Science, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 2012 MBA in Business Administration, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 2013 PhD in Political Science, University of California Davis, 2021.
Ryan Wade
B.S., Political Science, Santa Clara University, 1997; Ph.D., Political Science, University of California, Davis, 2009.