College of International Security Affairs Students

The College of International Security Affairs (CISA) educates over 100 students each academic year at its Ft. McNair and Ft. Liberty campuses. Upon completion of CISA’s ten-month, full-time program, students receive a Master of Arts in Strategic Security Studies demonstrating an understanding of national-level strategy, joint doctrine and operations in order to anticipate and manage complexity, uncertainty, change, and surprise in the contemporary security environment. Students then join an active alumni network of more than 1,800 irregular warfare practitioners from over 105 countries across the globe.

CISA’s curriculum is centered around the five pillars of leadership and practice; strategy and analysis; area of concentration; tailored electives; and thesis. As the Department of Defense flagship for the education and scholarship on irregular warfare, CISA prepares selected service and government personnel and foreign partners to lead, operate, and interact with the full range of joint, interagency, and multinational partners in the contemporary security environment.

CISA is proudly comprised of a diverse joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational (JIIM) student demographic on both of our campuses:  

• Ft. McNair: 69 students – 42% U.S., 58% International Fellows (AY2022-23)
• Ft. Liberty: 44 students – 3 International Fellows; 15 Enlisted, 27 Officers, 2 DoD Civilians (AY 2022-23)