BSSDA - Strategic Studies & Defense Analysis

Program Manager: James Dalton

The program is designed to build upon the military education and experience of Special Operations Forces (SOF) in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The program develops a soldier’s knowledge in vital areas such as sociology-anthropology, geography, cultural awareness, regional politics, and international conflict.

Instruction in Strategic Studies and Defense Analysis is designed to be highly experiential through an integration of the operational and international experiences of SOF soldiers into the curriculum. A soldier will apply course work and study to initiatives and field exercises related to the student's deployment area. Students will conduct research concerning a region’s conflicts and opportunities and will incorporate both their research and field experiences into their program of study, thus potentially enhancing the Department of Defense's body of knowledge of that region. Principles of critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and leadership interweave throughout the curriculum.

The program is open to those who are active duty or retired from the U.S. Special Operations Forces, including reserve and National Guard components, as well as to other service members who are assigned to Special Operations Units.