Welcome to the National Security Studies Program
The George Washington University National Security Studies Program (GW NSSP) provides high-quality executive education courses to senior military (O-5/6) and civilian officials (GS-14/15) from the United States and its international partners. The courses are designed to fulfill the training needs of career professionals and combine foundational knowledge with a focus on the core issues for U.S. national security in the 21st Century.
The program is based in Washington, DC, giving participants access to an unparalleled range of Washington, DC policymakers and other thought-leaders.
Our next session of the Senior Manager Course in National Security Leadership will be from March 3-14, 2025.
About the Program Director and Program Coordinator
Dr. Matthew Levinger
Matthew Levinger is Director of The George Washington University National Security Studies Program and Professor of Practice at the Elliott School of International Affairs. Previously, Matthew was a Senior Program Officer in the Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding at the United States Institute of Peace, where he taught courses on conflict analysis and prevention for foreign policy professionals. Before joining the U.S. Institute of Peace, he was director of the Academy for Genocide Prevention at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum from 2005 to 2007. Previously, Matthew was associate professor of History at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon; he has also taught at Stanford University. From January 2003 to January 2004 he was a William C. Foster Fellow at the U.S. Department of State, where he worked on initiatives for atrocities early warning and prevention in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and the Bureau of Intelligence and Research. He received his B.A. from Haverford College and his M.A. and Ph.D. in History from the University of Chicago.
Joel Petersen
Joel Petersen is Program Coordinator of the National Security Studies Program. Previously, Joel worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, supporting global policy and leadership development courses within the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy and Executive Education departments. Joel has also worked at the American Security Project, focusing on external relations and communications. He received his B.A. in political science and history at Baylor University and his M.A. in security policy studies at The George Washington University.
