A major part of CREATE's mission is to develop the next generation of leaders in risk and economic analysis for homeland security. In addition to our research projects, CREATE is developing professional capacity in the field of homeland security. The ultimate goal of these programs is to augment the number of people qualified to practice within the government or private companies to improve homeland security.
CREATE's educational program focuses on workforce development through research assistantships, university courses, master's and certificate courses, professional short courses, internships, seminars and events.
CREATE's Education Structures
Course Descriptions and Associated Professors
The terms indicated are expected but are not guaranteed. For the courses offered during any given term, consult the Schedule of Classes.
AEST 400a Aerospace Studies IV (National Security forces in Contemporary American Society) (3) Military professionalism and the context in which defense policy is formulated and implemented; national security policy, political/social constraints, and military justice. Sean Marler
CSCI 543 Software Multiagent Systems (3, Sp) Investigate computational systems in which several software agents or software agents and humans interact. Milind Tambe
CSCI 567 Machine Learning (3, Fa) Statistical methods for building intelligent and adaptive systems that improve performance from experiences; focus on theoretical understanding of these methods and their computational implications. Recommended preparation: Undergraduate level training or course work in linear algebra, multivariate calculus, basic probability and statistics; an undergraduate level course in Artificial Intelligence may be helpful but is not required. Yan Liu
CSCI 585 Database Systems (3, FaSpSm) Database system architecture; conceptual database models; semantic, object-oriented, logic-based, and relational databases; user and program interfaces; database system implementation; integrity, security, concurrency and recovery. Cyrus Shahabi
CSCI 587 Geospatial Information Management (3, Fa) Techniques to efficiently store, manipulate, index and query geospatial information in support of real-world geographical and decision-making applications. Prerequisite: CSCI 485 or CSCI 585. Cyrus Shahabi
CSCI 599 Special Topics (2-4, max 9) ("Security and game theory") Course content to be selected each semester from recent developments in computer science. Milind Tambe
ENST 323 Politics of Global Environment (4) (Enroll in IR 323)
FSEM 180 First Year College Seminar (2, max 4, FaSp) A thematic seminar for entering students in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, exploring an area of academic study, research, or creative work. Graded CR/NC. Gary Wayne Glass
IR 211 International Relations: Approaches to Research (4, FaSpSm) Introduction to theoretically oriented research approaches and designs; emphasis on the logics of argumentation. Patrick James
IR 304 Espionage and Intelligence (4) The role and evolution of espionage and intelligence as tools of statecraft are examined. Open, covert, clandestine, counterintelligence programs and oversight processes are considered. Maura Godinez
IR 305 Managing New Global Challenges (4) Examines strategies for managing global issues in the post Cold War period. Explores ways that international institutions, national governments and non-state actors work separately and together to provide order and control over complex international issues areas. Issues that will receive attention could include financial and monetary relations, trade and foreign investment, preservation of the environment, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, population and migration, terrorism and ethnic strife. Maura Godinez
IR 318 Conflict Resolution and Peace Research (4) Processes of conflict, violence, change, integration, stability, and peace in world society, analyzed primarily through the literature of the peace research movement.
- Andrew Coe
- Rebuilding Rwanda: Memory, Testimony, and Living Together After Genocide Dan Leshem
- Amy Carnes
IR 323 Politics of Global Environment (4) Examines the politics of managing the global environment. The nature of ecosystems, common problems, population and resource utilization problems along with biodiversity and global governance are emphasized. Shannon Gibson
IR 341 Foreign Policy Analysis (4) Basic concepts and analytical approaches in the study of decision-making at the international level. This is a case-based class, requiring participation of students in interactive discussions of decision forcing and retrospective foreign policy cases. Steven Lamy
IR 342 The Politics and Strategy of Weapons of Mass Destruction (4) Causes and effects of use and spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; responses to WMD, including deterrence, preventive war, and non-proliferation policies and negotiations. Andrew Coe
IR 344 Developing Countries in World Politics (4) Origin, concepts, realities, and ideals of the non-aligned movement, focusing on the United States' role in the developing world. Jessica Peet
IR 382 Order and Disorder in Global Affairs (4) Modern and post-modern perspectives on changes in the inter-state system, relations among cultures and civilizations, the conditions of ecologically sustainable human development. Shannon Gibson
IR 422 Ecological Security and Global Politics (4) Should environmental issues be treated as threats to security? Survey of recent literature explores global environmental politics using a security framework. Prerequisite: IR 210 and/or environmental studies course work. Shannon Gibson
IR 444 Issues and Theories in Global Society (4) Why the world is organized into sovereign nation-states. The challenges to nation-states in the 21st century from globalization, democratization, revolution, technology, and new forms of cultural identity. Jessica Peet
MDA 333: Colloquium in Armenian Studies: Social and Cultural Issues (2) Analysis of political, social, and cultural issues by the instructor and visiting lecturers with expertise in specific areas of the Armenian Republic and Diaspora community. Richard Dekmejian
POSC 370: European Political Thought I Basic concepts of Western political thought from Plato through the contract theorists. Anthony Kammas
POSC 469: Critical Issues in Comparative Politics (4) Intensive examination of critical issues of particular interest in the field of comparative politics.
- Risk Analysis of Genocides: Past Patterns & Future Trends - Richard Dekmejian
- Politics of Religious & Ethnic Identity - Eliz Sanasarian
- Comparative Politics - Spain Jane Cody
POSC 476: Contemporary Political Thought 20th century political philosophy dealing with major movements in psychological, existential, socialist, and nationalist thought as they bear upon the crisis of political authority in our time. Anthony Kammas
PPD 599 Special Topics (2-4, max 8, FaSpSm) Selected topics in public policy, management and planning. Adam Rose
PPDE 660: Environmental Policy Design and Analysis (2) Analytical foundation for design of institutions and policies; environmental policy; welfare economics and market failure; policy evaluation; economic policy instruments; climate change policy issues; other policy issues. Recommended preparation: PPD 501b - Adam Rose
PSYC 421L Data Analysis for Psychological Research (4, max 8) Multivariate analysis emphasizing model estimation and testing; topics vary, e.g., multiple regression, logistic regression, factor analysis, multilevel linear modeling, structural equation modeling, multiway frequency analysis. Prerequisite: PSYC 314L - Richard John
PSYC 422 Human Judgment and Decision Making (4) Descriptive and normative models of decision making; topics include probability judgments, inference, correlation, emotion, mental accounting, decision analysis, lens model, equity, social dilemmas, time, risk. Prerequisite: PSYC 314L - Richard John