Security Studies Program website
This field focuses on the factors that shape national and international security agendas and policies. It is concerned with grand strategies, the structure of military forces, defense budgets, the components of military strength, and the politics affecting the use of military power. Core courses examine the analytical techniques used to study military forces, the processes by which national strategies are determined, and the attempts to control nationally and internationally the growth of military forces. The work is historical and comparative where appropriate. Particular strengths include the study of bureaucratic politics, the analysis of force structure, the formation of national strategies, defense industries and technologies, arms control, and the study of doctrinal innovation. The field is part of the Security Studies Program at the Center for International Studies and draws upon the interdisciplinary faculty of the Center as well as the staff of the Political Science Department.
Regional studies are intended for those students who wish to specialize in the politics of a given country or geographical area. Examples of regional fields are: Indian and South Asian politics, Chinese politics, American politics, African politics, West Europe, Russia and the former Soviet Union, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America. Several of these fields are described briefly below. A regional or country field may be taken in conjunction with the field of political economy, but the student's advisor may rule out combinations that appear unduly narrow. Students offering a regional or country field without the broader field, will be assumed to have a general familiarity with the body of political and social theory relevant to that country or region.
Students may offer as a field either the continent of Africa as a whole, or one of its subregions. Those offering Africa as a continent should acquire considerable knowledge of at least one important African subregion as well as a familiarity with the major political issues pertaining to most of the countries or peoples of the continent. Examples of subregional specializations are Tropical Africa, Southern Africa, Islamic Africa, Arab Africa, or Black Africa. The field is approached from an interdisciplinary standpoint, with students expected to be familiar not only with the political science literature but also with relevant sources in history, economics, sociology, or anthropology.
Students specializing in Chinese politics are trained in both the methods of modern social and political science analysis and in Chinese language and cultural traditions.Since the focus is on contemporary China as both a developing country and a Communist system, students frequently also do work in the area of political development and Communist studies. Opportunities exist to study with leading China specialists in neighboring universities.
The study of European politics at MIT has as a special focus a comparative approach to the politics and policies of advanced industrial societies. Because of this perspective, students with strong interests in American and urban politics, science and public policy, and East Asian studies may find the European field a useful adjunct to their principal field of concentration. Students who elect the European field are expected to develop a thorough understanding of the politics, history, and society of at least one European state. Students may work on West and East European countries. In addition, they should become sufficiently familiar with other advanced industrial states to permit comparative analysis. A solid grounding in modern European history and some understanding of the substantive issues of contemporary industrial societies are an essential part of preparation for this field. A student's program may include courses offered at Harvard as well as at MIT. MIT is a member of the Center for European Studies at Harvard University and students are able to complement formal course offerings with the Center's program of lectures and seminars.
This field examines the broad themes of comparative politics and political economy in the Latin American context. Topics of special importance include: the dynamics of regime change, the politics of the military, the role of political parties and the emergence of social movements, including the interaction between class, gender and ethnic identities. To focus the analysis of the state, there is also an emphasis on the determinants and consequences of public policies, including economic stabilization, industrial promotion, rural development, anti-poverty and environmental policies. Students are expected to develop a capacity for comparative analysis of political patterns in the region as a whole, as well as specialized competence in at least two countries.
Students interested in politics of the Middle East are expected to develop familiarity with the domestic political processes of the Middle East countries including the Arab states, Iran, Israel, and Turkey. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of political systems, adjustments to internal social changes, development of competing political regimes, and alternative political responses to international political issues as they affect the Middle East, including relationships with the outside powers. An understanding of the dynamics of conflict systems in the region is essential, including impacts of the end of the Cold War, inter-Arab conflicts, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Arab-Iranian conflict, and ethnic and religious conflicts. Related is an understanding of contemporary political problems resulting from a conjunction of the decolonization process, regime-building following World War II and, more recently, the impacts of oil prices, and of Islamic religious movements.In addition to knowledge of political processes and institutions in historical and contemporary contexts, students must develop a familiarity with the political economy of the region. Topics in political economy include development plans and programs, alternative investment strategies and allocations, mobility of labor across national boundaries, environmental problems, and economic and banking institutions, among others.
Students in this field seek to develop a firm grasp of the origins and evolution of the Soviet political system and its associated economic, ideological, social and cultural institutions and behavior patterns. The collapse of the Soviet Union, and the attendant struggle to develop a market economy and a democratic policy in Russian and other former Soviet Republics, has opened up a vast terrain for fresh research on both historical and contemporary topics. What was until recently the specialized andsomewhat insular realm of Communist Studies is now rapidly finding its place as a vital branch of the larger domain of comparative politics.
Students specializing in South Asian politics are expected to engage in the comparative analysis of the countries of South Asia-India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka-or, alternatively, to acquire a close familiarity with the politics of India. Emphasis is placed on such topics as: questions of political process and behavior; the role of religious, linguistic, regional, caste, tribal and class identities; the role of state institutions; development strategies and other public policy issues; the international dimensions of economic and political change. Students are expected to bring to bear on their political analysis a familiarity with the culture, social structure, and history of the region, and to develop competence in one of the languages spoken in South Asia.