Examine nuclear weapons and their characteristics, arms control regimes, and emerging technologies shaping global security.

The 21st century has seen a dramatic shift in the nuclear security landscape. From renewed great-power competition to the rapid spread of advanced technologies, the challenges of nuclear threats and arms control are more pressing than ever. This interdisciplinary graduate-level course provides an examination of how nuclear weapons and technology affect global security policy, vice versa. Students will engage with both the technical foundations of nuclear weapons and delivery systems, as well as the policy mechanisms designed to mitigate associated risks. Emphasis is placed on how scientific and engineering considerations inform the design, verification, and sustainability of arms control agreements.
Key topics include nuclear weapons and their proliferation, technical monitoring and verification, test-ban, non-proliferation, and denuclearization agreements, stockpile monitoring and reduction, other types of arms control treaties outside of the nuclear domain, and the potential impact of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence.
Students will assess the technical feasibility and political durability of arms control measures. Integrating engineering perspectives with policy analysis, the course prepares participants to develop interdisciplinary solutions that reduce nuclear risks and enhance global security, potentially leading to internships with experts at national laboratories.