General rules for the M.Sc. program in Defence & Strategic Studies are the same as for all the M.Sc. programs offered by QAU. The degree program of M.Sc. DSS is completed on earning of 60 required credits. Each M.Sc. course in the Department is worth 03 credit hours, however students in the 4th semester have an option to opt for a seminar course which is equivalent to two (2) MSc taught course i.e. 06 credit hours, or in lieu those student who have a 80% pass percentage in the three previous semesters have the option to take a 09 credit hours’ worth Masters’ thesis on a relevant topic. The students must show exceptional research and writing skills to opt for the thesis, however the option to register for the thesis is subject to the approval of the department.
The requirements for the M.Sc. degree shall normally be completed within four consecutive semesters. Besides the requisite 60 credits, students must also pass a non-credit but mandatory English Language course, to stand eligible for their degrees. A total of 30-36 credit hours are to be earned by passing 08 compulsory courses, along with the seminar (06 credits) or thesis (09 credits), while the remaining credit hours are to be earned by passing a selection of optional courses. Students opting for the Seminar or Thesis will be required to take a viva voce, after the completion of their Seminar / Thesis within the stipulated time frame. In case of the thesis, the chairperson of the department will appoint a panel of examiners consisting of the supervisor of the student concerned, along with an external examiner.
Students at Masters’ level will register only in 5 courses (15 credits) in each semester. Any student who registers courses worth more than 15 credits in any semester will have to give a written undertaking that he/she shall be responsible for the consequences of taking extra courses. However, the upper limit of the registration is not more than 6 courses (18 credits). After completing courses of the first two semesters, a student can register up to two courses worth 3 credits each (a total of 6 credits) in any department of the Faculty Social Sciences’ (FSS), other than their own, though it is preferred that the extra departmental course is relevant to their parent discipline. Registration of extra-departmental courses is conditional upon approval by the chairpersons of both the departments. In any particular semester not more than one course can be registered outside the Department.
Students are expected to finish their Masters’ degree in four consecutive semesters, i.e. within two years. However in case they do not fulfill the degree requirements in the stipulated time, they have up to a year to finish their Masters, after which they cease to be university students. The department and university also reserves the right to cancel the registration of any student found guilty of some grave moral or ethical misconduct or breach of departmental as well as university rules.
Compulsory Courses | Area Studies | Conflict Studies | Military Science & Arts
Basic English language communication skills .Inculcate the habit of regular reading The art of presentation. Elementary rules of English grammar. Developing confidence while speaking. How to omit the most common errors. The proficiency in writing CV ,precis, and articles.
Origin & evolution of Strategic thought, Clauswitzian; contemporary thinkers, Sun Tzu, Kutilya; modern thinkers: Marxist, Islamic Doctrines etc. Nuclear Weapons and strategic thought: conceptual and theoretical overview, revolutionary warfare; introduction to the strategic doctrines of great powers.
War as an analytical concept, sociopolitical and political phenomena, war as an instrument of policy. Approaches to the study of war, causation and types of war, level of analysis, contemporary theories of war. Types of war and their characteristics. Concepts and theories relating to the object of war.
Deals with the failure of the grand alliance and post-world war 2 international system. Evolution and characteristics of the post-war international political system, cold war, détente, balance of power, power politics, small powers; non-alignment; third world and internal politics. Role of UN in world politics and new world order.
Conceptual framework of power, national power and its elements, assessment, evaluation and limitations of national power; patterns of power; balance of power. Threat and its dynamics; threat perception, identification, misperception; decision-making process. Case studies.
Elements of scientific thinking, propositions, concepts, hypothesis, variables and indicators. Transformation of theoretical into research question and preparation of research design. Sources of knowledge; typologies of sources and their reliability.
Strategy, conceptual/ definitional issues, evolution of strategic studies as an academic discipline, contemporary military strategy; grand, military and operational strategy. Advent of nuclear weapons and their impact on strategy, theories / dynamics of deterrence. Use of force in the contemporary strategic settings. Contemporary strategic perspective with special reference to South Asia.
Defence as an economic problem, budgeting for defence, defence decision making, military industrial complex, economic theory of alliances, economic aspects of arms procurement.
Brief historical overview, determinants and objectives of Pakistan.s defence and foreign policies. The regional and global dynamics, decision making aspects, execution.