MA in Applied Strategy and International Security

Find out more about this prestigious MA delivered through the Hellenic National Defence College, Athens
HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales

In 2009 The University of Plymouth, through the former Centre for Sea Power and Strategy (CSS) – formerly the Dartmouth Centre for Sea Power and Strategy (DCSS) – secured a prestigious contract to deliver an MA in Applied Strategy and International Security (MAAS) to the Greek Military and Senior Civil Servants. Delivered in English at the Hellenic National Defence College (HNDC), the course was been open to international students, along with civil servants from NATO and its global partners, from September 2018 to September 2021. 

You may also be interested in our range of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses delivered at the University of Plymouth.
The courses are designed to improve your knowledge of current security challenges, and enhance your skills to meet the demands of today's competitive security industry market. 

Distinctiveness of the MA programme

  • MAAS is open to HNDC students, graduates, as well as graduates of colleges of equivalent status to HNDC and has been developed with the needs of working professionals in mind, with teaching concentrated into week-long blocks.
  • MAAS reflects priorities in current security thinking, placing a particular emphasis of ‘cognitive capability’ and critical thinking. University of Plymouth staff focusing their teaching on enhancing cognitive capability and critical thinking, impart learning, and communications skills that apply across the programme.
  • The content is contemporary and policy focused, and the programme draws upon the academic modules of the HNDC International Senior Course in Applied Strategy Programme and expertise of policy makers and academics.
  • Students will attend two bespoke courses, one at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC) in Crete and the second at Multinational Peace Support Operation’s Training Center (MPSOTC), Kilkis, Greece.
  • Field trips and lectures to Financial, Maritime and EU Establishments.
  • This collaboration between HNDC, University of Plymouth and other Defence Colleges/Universities is unique. It aims to further enhance and strengthen both the academic and military collaboration between Greece, UK, NATO and Global Partners.

Learning Outcomes

  • Knowledge and Understanding – by the end of the programme, students will have developed an in depth knowledge of applied strategy.
  • Cognitive and Intellectual Skills – students will have developed a systematic ability to think in abstract terms about the key concepts, theories and methodologies used in strategy and security studies, and be able to apply these skills and abilities to investigations of new facts and cases, including in circumstances of complexity.
  • Key and Transferable Skills – students will be better able to manage time, marshal information, apply methodologies, take the initiative, and communicate verbally, visually, and in writing to academic and professional audiences.
  • Employment Related Skills – students will gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of team-working, the ethical considerations of professional practice, and the complex nature of operational contexts.
  • Practical Skills – students will gain knowledge of the tools and templates used to support learning, thinking, networking and professional development, including IT resources.
MAAS Modules
University of Plymouth will validate modules at the Respective Defence Colleges/Universities through accreditation of prior certificated learning (APCL)
(60 credits)
International Senior Course in Applied Strategy (ISCAS)
Academic Modules (60 credits):
  • Research methodology, critical thinking in strategic studies and cultural awareness (series of lectures).
  • Thucydidean Approach to applied strategy.
  • Strategic leadership and negotiations.
  • Applied international relations and foreign policy.
  • Regional geopolitical issues.
  • Countering the changing threat of international terrorism.
  • Managing maritime security threats, at NMIOTC, Crete (field trip, one week, series of lectures).
  • Introduction to Peace Support Operations and StratCom at MPSOTC, Kilkis (field trip and three days of lectures).
Dissertation
Strategy and International Security (60 credits)
MA in Applied Strategy and International Security(Total 180 credits).
Hellenic
The Hellenic National Defence College (HNDC), Athens

Details

Duration

Students will normally take the MAAS over a period of one-year’s full-time study. However, in consultation and agreement with UoP authorities, some students may be able to take the MAAS programme in a more flexible, incremental way, with a facility for extenuating circumstances allowing extended part-time study for a period of up to three years.

Fees

Fees are expected to be set at £3,000 (UK-EU fees) and £7,000 (Non-EU fees), which will include travel expenses for field trips in Greece, accommodation incurred for the trip to NMIOTC, Crete and to MPSOTC, Kilkis. Subsidised accommodation to the Army Resort in St Andreas – Attica together with transportation to and from the HNDC will also be provided.

Entry Requirements

The MA programme is offered to current students, graduate officers or civilians from the HNDC or respective Defence Colleges/Universities.
International applicants will be required to provide evidence of their English language ability, for example by achieving an IELTS score of 6.5 overall (with a minimum of 5.5 in each element) or equivalent.

Facilities to help you study

You will have electronic access to:
  • Free internet.
  • Over 500,000 books and audio-visual materials.
  • More than 3,000 current journal titles.
  • Various online information services.
  • Software libraries.
  • Expert Staff