American Statecraft and Great Power Competition (2025-2026)

Fall Semester

Fall Course: Robert M. Gates and the U.S. Exercise of Power: This course, taught by Dr. Stephen Hanson, will draw upon the greatest lessons and topics in statecraft Secretary Gates highlights in his most recent book Exercise of Power and with the annual Gates Forums. It will give students the opportunity to learn about pressing issues in national security from a leading practitioner of the Cold War and post-Cold War eras. This course will be centered around oral history interviews of Secretary Gates on key topic areas filmed in fall 2024 and spring 2025. The course will culminate in a research project based on the personal papers of Secretary Gates housed at William & Mary. Topics in the class will include those covered by the Gates Forums and broader questions in U.S. foreign policy, such as the roles of history, bipartisanship, and intelligence in policy making. 

*Winter: U.S. Statecraft in the World: This course, taught by Dr. Eric Brown, will take students abroad to India to study how U.S. statecraft is received - and shaped - by key international actors. India is a country on the front lines of great power competition, engaged in strategic cooperation with the U.S. on many levels. Students will visit government agencies, non-profits, and academic institutions that shape, interpret, and react to U.S. statecraft across issue areas they studied in their prior fall course. Students will hear directly from the policymakers, staff members, and thought leaders about their approach towards issues that matter most to the United States. Student exposure to practitioners will add a critical component to their studies and help them to better understand U.S. foreign policy from beyond the beltway.     

*This course occurs in January over students' Winter Break, but falls on students' fall transcript

Spring Semester

Spring: Foundations in American Statecraft and Applied Research: This course, taught by Dr. Eric Brown, is designed as a liberal-arts intensive “pathways” course around key topics/themes in the history of American statecraft. Students will undertake a larger research project based on topics and interests that emerged in the fall and winter courses. Applied research methodology will be taught in this course, while the instructor will continue to probe the questions and angles that matter most in American statecraft. Over spring break, students will travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with policymakers and meet with key experts related to their research projects.   

Summer Semester

• Internship Course (6 credits): one of three internship options: 
  • Washington, D.C. 
  • International 
  • E-internship

Pre-requisites/Co-requisites

To ensure all students have a common baseline, you will also need to have taken - or be concurrently enrolled during the program - in at least one of the following courses in “Core” and at least one of the following in “Methods.” 

*Other Core/Methods classes outside of the above list will be considered upon request. 

Core (either prior to program start or concurrently enrolled during fall semester)

• GOV 204 Introduction to International Politics
• PUBP 201 Introduction to Public Policy
• ENSP 101 Introduction to Environmental Science and Policy
• INRL 300 International Relations in Disciplinary Perspectives
• SOCL 205 Global Social Problems
• SOCL 313 Globalization and International Development

Methods (either prior to program start or concurrently enrolled during spring semester)

• DATA 146 Intro to Data Science 
• CSCI 140 Programming for Data Science
• CSCI 141 Computational Problem Solving
• GIS 201 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Analysis
• Any social sciences methods course
• Any statistics course

Graduating Seniors

As a graduating senior, you have two options for the summer internship course:

1. August diploma:
   • Use the Registrar's Notice of Candidacy for Graduation form (pdf) to indicate that you will receive your diploma in August instead of May.
   • Walk through the graduation ceremony in May.
   • Successfully complete the Global Scholars Program internship course.
   • Receive your diploma in August.
2. Post Baccalaureate Status:
   • Use the Registrar's Non-Degree Seeking (pdf) form to indicate that you plan to take W&M courses after graduation.
   • Use the Registrar's Notice of Candidacy for Graduation (pdf) form to indicate that you will receive your diploma in May.
   • Walk through the graduation ceremony in May and receive your diploma.
   • Successfully complete the Global Scholars Program course.
   • Financial aid does not apply in this scenario.
   • (Find more detailed instructions)