Recorded classes will be available on the NSSC Youtube Channel, and will be linked to on the syllabus below.

Publicly available required reading:

The course syllabus follows:

Date Topic
1/20 Course/Goals Introduction; Personal Introductions
1/25 How the US got the bomb I;
Technical Intro 1: Energy, Nuclear Size
1/27 How the US got the bomb II
2/1 Technical Intro II: Fission/Einstein
2/3 Nuclear Weapons & the Cold War I; Tech Intro III: Binding, Fission
2/8 Nuclear Weapons & the Cold War II; Tech Intro IV: Concept of Cross Section
2/10 Nuclear Weapons & the Cold War III;
Tech Intro V: Reactions
2/17 In-depth technical II: Reactors
2/22 The nuclear proliferation challenge and
the spread of nuclear technology
2/24 Chain Reactions & Criticality, Rudiments of Nuclear Weapons Physics
3/1 Guest Lecture on Wargaming – Brad Roberts
3/3 INF Treaty – Manseok Lee
3/8 Rudiments of Nuclear Weapons Physics
3/10 Midterm examination
3/15 Nuclear Security
3/17 Stewardship Science/Nuclear Testing;
George Moore guest lecturer
3/29 US Strategy: Central/Extended
Deterrence(Possible Guest Lecture) – B.
Roberts
3/31 Class Project Discussion
4/5 Class Project Discussion
4/7 Class Project Discussion
4/12 Iran I
4/14 Crisis Simulation
4/19 Rose Gottemoeller, Former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs
4/21 The North Korea Crisis II: North Korea’s
strategy (Manseok Lee)
4/26 Project Presentation preparation
4/28 Final Thoughts
5/10 Student Project Presentation

View information on the Spring 2020 course here.