2008-2009 Catalog - United States Air Force Academy

military strategic studies major
Your effectiveness as an Air Force leader will be shaped by your ability to think strategically and creatively when faced with the
complex operational challenges of the twenty-first century security environment. The Military Strategic Studies (MSS) major
prepares you to lead and operate across the spectrum of conflict. Whether you choose to make the Air Force a career, pursue
other public service, or enter the private sector, this versatile major has direct relevance for your chosen profession and will
help you develop the capabilities and mindset to compete successfully in a changing and challenging world.
The MSS major sharpens and expands upon the knowledge gained in your first MSS core course on military theory and
strategy. Building upon that foundation, you pursue courses related to the uniquely demanding context of the military
profession—morality and war, contemporary military threats, formulation of military strategy, theory of military transformation,
and the nature of contemporary air forces. You will learn to think as a strategist, identifying and framing the battle space,
evaluating theories and models applicable to air, information, and space power. You will also learn to plan and think as an
operator with multiple opportunities to simulate exploitation of the air, space, and cyberspace operating environments with
effects-based strategies, modern weapons technologies, and unconventional approaches.
In your second-class year, you will acquire a solid understanding of air, space, and information power theory. In your secondclass
year, you will select a research topic in our research methods course and, with the help of an advisor, design what will
become your senior thesis. As a first-class cadet, you will author your senior thesis and have an opportunity to publish your
findings in our Airman-Scholar Journal. You will also take the advanced version of the final MSS core course on joint and
coalition operations.
In addition to nine required major’s courses, you have the flexibility to choose one of two MSS contemporary threats courses
and three of four MSS functional domain courses. Whichever course of study you plan, the MSS major will strengthen your
problem solving and decision making skills, and directly prepare you to excel in executing the Air Force mission: to deliver
sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests—to fly and fight in Air, Space, and
Cyberspace.
Suggested Course Sequence
3rd-Class Year 2nd-Class Year 1st-Class Year
Biology 315 Academy Opt Astro Engr 410
Chem 200 Aero Engr 315 Elective
Econ 201 Beh Sci 310 English 411
English 211 El Engr 315 Functional Domain Opt
Engr Mech 220 Functional Domain Opt Functional Domain Opt
For Lang 3 History 302 Mgt 400
For Lang 4 MSS 365 MSS 410
Law 220 MSS 379 MSS 462
Math 300 MSS 382 MSS 463
MSS 200 Philos 310 MSS 490/491
Physics 215 Philos 311 MSS 498
Pol Sci 211 Sys Opt Geo 310 Soc Sci 412
130 United States Air Force Academy Catalog