National security issues have become highly important - an increasingly salient aspect of our daily lives - since September 11, 2001. The Graduate Certificate in National Security Studies offers a means for understanding more about this critical subject in the 21st century and provides skill enhancements for students interested in national security-related fields. This certificate is an excellent complement to many graduate disciplines. It may be awarded to degree-seeking students who complete the requirements.
The Course Catalog contains the FIU courses which count towards credit for the Graduate Certificate. Please check the FIU Public Class Search to verify which classes are offered during a specific semester. Students may submit other classes for approval by email to jgi@fiu.edu.
Certificate Requirements
A total of 18 credit hours of graduate course work with a grade of "B" or higher. Courses must come from the approved GCNSS course listing or be approved by the certificate adviser. Courses may include those in the student's departmental major, but must also be selected from at least two disciplines outside of the student's departmental major. With approval from the director, courses other than those listed may be substituted on a case-by-case basis.
A two-course introductory language sequence at FIU with a grade of "B" or higher. Exemption from this requirement may be obtained through a proficiency examination administered by the FIU Department of Modern Languages. Language courses may not be counted toward the fulfillment of requirement 1 above.
Note: Intermediate-high on the ACTFL exam (1-plus on the U.S. government scale) can normally be attained by students with two undergraduate semesters of basic language instruction and at least one undergraduate semester of intermediate (3000/4000) instruction. Attainment of the required language proficiency is the responsibility of the student, and extra courses to achieve the required proficiency level must be taken outside of the GCNSS curriculum.