There's still time to apply! Accepting applications for Fall 2026 with scholarship support available. Apply now!
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There's still time to apply! Accepting applications for Fall 2026 with scholarship support available. Apply now!
Skip the wait: get your graduate admissions decision in 24 hours at Instant Decision Day, July 15. Register today.
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Protected: Graduate Certificate in Emerging Technology and National Security
Build the technical and policy fluency to lead where AI, cybersecurity, quantum computing, autonomous systems, and biotechnology reshape national security. Designed for working professionals in government, defense, intelligence, and the private sector, this certificate develops the analytical skills, regulatory literacy, and strategic judgment to anticipate emerging threats and craft sound policy responses. Graduates leave prepared to shape strategy in an environment evolving faster than traditional institutions can adapt.
*The application will be available in Fall 2026.
Certificate Requirements
14 Credits
Course delivery
Online (with one in-person kick-off)
Open to
Individuals with a minimum of three years of experience in national/international security and a completed undergraduate degree
Contact
Dr. Lewis Griffith
Graduates with this certificate advance into leadership roles across government, defense, intelligence, and the private sector, where they shape strategy and policy at the intersection of technology and national security.
Curriculum & Sequencing
Enrollment Criteria
Tuition and Fees
The certificate is 14 credit hours delivered over three quarters (about 10 months). It opens with a required in-person skills intensive at Korbel, then moves online with synchronous evening courses.
| Course Number | Title | Credits | Dates | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTS 4101 | Professional Communications Skills | 2 | Jan 7-9, 2027 (in-person kick off session), follow-up through Feb 10, 2027 Follow-up sessions will be scheduled individually. | Builds the professional writing and briefing skills the field demands, centered on memo and report formats and using emerging-technology questions as the subject matter. Starts at the kick-off and continues online until products meet standard. |
| INTS 4102 | Technological Revolution and Security Transformations | 2 | Jan 12 - Feb 11, 2027 Tuesday & Thursday 5:30pm-7:00pm MT | Examines how military innovation reshapes state power and the international system, drawing on case studies that span drones, hypersonics, nuclear and space technology, and AI across platforms. |
| INTS/LAW 4103 | Technology, Security, and Law | 2 | Feb 16 - March 18, 2027 Tuesday & Thursday 5:30pm-7:00pm MT | Surveys a legal and regulatory landscape that emerging technologies have outpaced, and weighs the trade-offs of competing legal approaches nationally and internationally. |
| INTS 4104 | Political/Societal Implications of Emerging Technologies in National Security | 4 | March 30 - June 3, 2027 Tuesday & Thursday 5:30pm-7:00pm MT | Explores the political and social drivers and downstream effects of cyber and space warfare, drones, and AI, and how the reckoning with past operations shapes future conflict. |
| INTS 4106 | Emerging Technologies and National Security Strategy: Military/Strategic Options Practicum | 4 | June 15 - Aug 26, 2027 Meeting schedule determined by team | The capstone. A policy lab where participants develop and stress-test viable military and national security strategy options against real-world emerging-technology threats, examining the costs, risks, gaps, and trade-offs of each. |
This certificate is built for working professionals in government, defense, intelligence, and the private sector. To be eligible, applicants must have:
What do you hope to achieve in your career over the next several years, and how do you see the Specialized Certificate in Emerging Technologies and National Security helping you get there?
Be specific about the role, responsibility, or decision-making capacity you're working toward.
To help us understand your starting point, briefly describe your current work in the national/international security field and a moment when an emerging technology — AI, cyber, autonomous systems, biotechnology, space, or similar — shaped a decision, challenge, or opportunity you faced. What did that experience reveal about what you still need to learn?
We're especially interested in applicants who can connect this program to a concrete next step in their career, not just a general interest in the subject matter.
For more information and to begin your application, contact Dr. Lewis Griffith.
Tuition for the certificate is charged at $1,200 per credit hour. The table below shows a full breakdown of all tuition and applicable fees.
| Cost | |
|---|---|
| Base Tuition | $1,200 Per Credit |
| Deposit | $250 |
| Technology Fee | $8 Per Credit |
| Program Fee | $750 |
Total Program Cost: $17,662
*Travel, accommodations, and food will be covered by the $750 fee. Details will be provided post-matriculation.
The success of any country to improve its national security through emerging technologies rests only partially on the development, integration and deployment of the resultant systems across domains. The Certificate in Emerging Technology and National Security at the Korbel School centers on the legal, political, societal, and military realities that will determine whether emerging technologies can be utilized to create operational and strategic outcomes that improve national security so as to prepare national security professionals to successfully wield emerging capabilities.
Teaching Professor Dr. Lewis Griffith
Looking to add a certificate to your degree program? For more information about certificate enrollment and course requirements, please contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs.
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