The Department of Defence & Strategic Studies (DSS) was established in September 1980, with the dual aim of sponsoring academic studies in the field of strategic studies and promoting a culture of research amongst a mix of military and civilian students who will be trained in critical discourse development and policy analysis. Since its founding, the DSS has made a significant contribution in the development of a community of experts equipped with requisite academic knowledge and analytical ability to evaluate national, regional and international strategic environment, policies and security dynamics.

Over the years, the Department has awarded M.Sc. degrees to more than 1000 civilians and around 150 officers of the Armed forces. The graduates have produced more than 117 well researched and original M.Sc. theses and over 1200 Seminar Papers. The master’s level research has been written on wide-ranging subjects in the field of defense, strategic and security studies, with a vast majority of the theses dealing with policy-oriented issues of contemporary strategic importance. Since 1998, the Department has been running an M.Phil programme and produced two hundred M. Phils so far. In 2005, it also initiated Doctoral programme and produced fifteen PhDs so far. The Department initiated its B.S programe in 2020. Its first batches have successfully graduated in 2024.

During the course of their studies, students regularly interact through seminars, workshops, lectures and conferences organized by the department, or other research institutions. The students also undertake study tours to various institutions, leading research organizations, think tanks and higher defence organizations, such as the NHQ, AHQ, HIT, POF-Wah, JSHQ as well as to the SPD for briefings and learning. The department is also initiating an Institutionalized & formal Internship programme with leading national think tanks for its students.

The Department continues to work in close liaison with the armed forces and other national institutions in the related fields. The department faculty, in addition to its regular teaching, contributes research articles to various professional journals and delivers lectures at leading defence and security institutions such as the National Defense University, Foreign Services Academy, Joint Services Staff College Islamabad, Command and Staff College Quetta, Information Services Academy as well as leading think tanks both home and abroad. Their views are often solicited by national and global media.