Certificate in Nonproliferation Studies

The Certificate in Nonproliferation Studies is a non-degree graduate program designed for professional training in the control, reduction, and elimination of weapons of mass destruction (including chemical, nuclear, and biological weapons). Certificate students take courses, seminars, and workshops on nonproliferation taught by faculty in the Graduate School of International Policy and Management (GSIPM) and experts at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS). The Certificate requires a total of 16 credits and may be completed in one year or less in residence at the Monterey Institute.

CNS is recognized internationally as a leading center of expertise in controlling the spread of weapons of mass destruction and is the only organization in the world dedicated exclusively to graduate education and research in nonproliferation. In addition to teaching and research, CNS Director Professor William Potter and other CNS staff participate actively in international negotiations and prepare students for nonproliferation careers through on-the-job training and interaction with visiting scholars and specialists from other countries. Certificate students are also eligible to work as research assistants on a wide variety of CNS projects, including nonproliferation databases, in-depth studies of WMD programs and the international nonproliferation regime, and timely analyses of events and issues in WMD proliferation and control.

Admissions Requirements

Individuals holding advanced degrees (MA or above or the equivalent) or equivalent work experience in international relations, science, engineering, law, or related fields may apply for admission to the Certificate in Nonproliferation Studies. Please contact one of our Enrollment Managers for more details.

Monterey Institute students enrolled in degree programs (including the BAIS, MAIPS, MPA, MBA, MAIEP, and the MA degrees granted by the Graduate School of Translation, Interpretation, and Language Education) may also apply for admission for the Certificate in Nonproliferation Studies. Completing the Certificate requires a minimum of 16 credits in addition to those required for a degree. Students may not count the same credits toward both a degree and a non-degree Certificate.

Required and Optional Courses

To earn the Certificate in Nonproliferation Studies, students must complete at least 16 semester units with a grade of B or higher in each course.

Required Courses

All students earning the Certificate in Nonproliferation Studies must complete the following courses:

IPOL 8574 Introduction to WMD Nonproliferation (4 credits)

At least One of the following technical workshops (additional workshops may be included in optional courses)

• WKSH 8532 · Nuclear Weapons Technology (1 credit)
• WKSH 8525 · Biological Weapons Technology (1 credit)
• WKSH 8529 · Chemical Weapons Technology (1 credit)
• WKSH 8524 · Missile Proliferation and Missile Defense (1 credit)

Optional Courses

In addition to the above required courses, students earning the Certificate in Nonproliferation Studies must complete at least 11 credits from the following courses:

• IPOL 8510 · Security & Arms Control in Northeast Asia (4 credits)
• IPOL 8526 · Nonproliferation Tools: Export Controls (2 credits)
• IPOL 8586 · Arms Control Simulation (4 credits)
• IPOL 8606 · Seminar: Chinese Nonproliferation and Security Policy (4 credits)
• IPOL 8631 · Seminar: Nuclear Proliferation Trends and Trigger Events (4 credits)
• IPOL 8641 · Seminar: Nonproliferation in the NIS (4 credits)
• IPOL 8654 · Seminar: Security & Nonproliferation Issues in the Middle East (4 credits)
• IPOL 8658 · Seminar: Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction (4 credits)
• IPOL 8663 · Seminar: Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes (4 credits)
• IPOL 8675 · Seminar: The Nuclear Renaissance and Nonproliferation (4 credits)
• IPOL 8678 · Verifying Nuclear Arms Control (4 credits)
• IPOL 8683 · Seminar: South Asia & Weapons of Mass Destruction (4 credits)
• IPOL 8684 · Seminar: Chemical & Biological Weapons and Arms Control (4 credits)
• IPOL 8685 · Seminar: Cooperative Threat Reduction (4 credits)
• IPOL 8693 · Seminar: Practical Issues: Nuclear Disarmament (4 credits)
• WKSH 8523 · History of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Development (1 credit)
• WKSH 8568 · WMD Intelligence (1 credit)
• WKSH 8576 · Trafficking in Nuclear & Radioactive Materials (1 credit)
• WKSH 8591 · The Nuclear Difference: Nuclear Science for Policy Makers (1 credit)
• NPGS 8500 · Naval Postgraduate Agreement (credit varies)

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