Students are introduced to major themes and debates in the contemporary study of nuclear security, from historical, theoretical, practical, and international perspectives. This course will provide students with the technical and conceptual tools needed to understand the role nuclear weapons play in international politics. It will include a historical overview of the nuclear age, including a discussion on the evolution of nuclear strategy and the introduction of a new nuclear lexicon, the global nuclear arms race, and the development of the international nuclear nonproliferation regime. The course will cover a wide range of contemporary nuclear challenges, including nuclear security/terrorism, non-state actor nuclear challenges, international momentum behind nuclear disarmament (particularly, the evolution of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons), and the role of nuclear weapons in international politics, paying particular attention to future U.S.-Russia/U.S.-China relations, and India-Pakistan-China relations.
Schedule of Classes

Must be in the Rawlings Undergraduate Leadership Fellows Program. 

Students will engage in leadership-based learning and public service projects to examine contemporary issues in public policy. Leadership as a search for meaning, identity and purpose are explored. Major philosophical traditions, from the ancient world to the modern one, are introduced, encouraging students to ground their leadership interests and aspirations in a disciplined process of self-reflection, critical thinking and inquiry. Structured as a lecture and discussion series, this course will develop and apply student's understanding of leadership philosophy, policy, and social justice through active in class participation, simulations, group work, and structured discussion activities.
Schedule of Classes

The current U.S. education landscape including the role of federal, state, and local governments; current academic performance relative to international competitors and historical trends; opportunity and achievement gaps facing low-income students, students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities; policy decision- making, evidence of efficacy, "cost-benefit analysis", "opportunity cost" analysis, constituent/stakeholder politics, etc. The evolution of education policy debates including school integration, federal accountability, school finance reform, school turnaround initiatives, charter schools, vouchers, college & career-ready standards, teacher preparation & evaluation, bilingual education/dual language schools, early learning, equitable access to advanced coursework, and system resilience.