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A New Call to Service with International Depth

Are you looking to understand the complex balance of international relations in today’s global landscape? Maybe you want to learn how to use the best tools to navigate social problems or political conflicts, solve them, and even teach others about them one day. At the top-ranked Syracuse University Maxwell School, there is a degree that combines all of these areas in a unique interdisciplinary approach, honing in on international studies, the foundations of society, war and security. All of this can be accomplished on your own schedule. 

The Master of Social Science (M.S.Sc.) program often attracts business leaders, diplomats, teachers, and military personnel alike because of its connection to top faculty and immersion in several academic disciplines from a global perspective. Syracuse University chose the M.S.Sc. as a highlighted degree for veterans because we believe these focus areas match up with the interests of many returning veterans who feel a continued call to serve in civilian life.

This is a distance-learning program with only two visits to New York. It can be completed in any length of time between 18 months and 7 years from anywhere in the world. This flexibility often makes a big difference for veterans returning home to care for families and careers, those currently serving in the military, or military family members. This is why Syracuse University has chosen it as a highlighted degree for veterans, military connected students, and military families.

 

Flexible Distance Learning with Residency

The Master of Social Science program at the Maxwell School offers this format, the same type of hybrid instruction found in the online MBA@Syracuse. minnowbrookTwo two-week residencies on campus at Syracuse University add critical value to the distance learning curriculum. Students tend to be mid-career professionals who join the program from around the world. This diversity adds great value to the virtual classroom and in person.

The first residency in July always includes a weekend seminar in Syracuse University’s beautiful Minnowbrook Conference Center in the Adirondacks. The second residency can be broken up into two one-week parts if needed. This creates a perfect balance for a student unable to relocate for school but still looking for valuable, concentrated networking and face-time with both faculty and accomplished alumni.

 

Curriculum

curriculumWhat does a Master of Social Science degree entail? That is up to you. The curriculum is designed to draw lessons from across time periods and cultures around the world. Students choose three focus areas out of: Europe, U.S. History, Developing Nations, International Relations, and War and Society. For the final project or thesis, M.S.Sc. students will choose a topic in just one focus area to dig deeper and specialize in. This is an intellectual, research-intensive program that will prepare future college professors and international nonprofit managers alike.

The program is 30 credits in total, and up to 6 credits can be transferred from another institution. Faculty members for this program are all senior professors in Political Science, History, Anthropology, and other disciplines at the top-ranked Maxwell School.

Learn more about the faculty

Download course descriptions

 

Applying

An application to the Master of Social Science program requires a Bachelors degree, resume, personal statement, recommendations, and test scores. Be sure to list military experience in your application. Students wishing to begin in the fall need to apply by February 1st and those wishing to begin in the spring must apply by August 15th the prior year.

Learn more about admissions

Notable Veteran Alumni: General Robert H. Reed

General Robert H. ReedGeneral Robert H. Reed, U.S. Air Force (ret.) is an alumnus of Syracuse University, and a veteran. You should know his story, because it’s a Syracuse University story—one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

Robert Harvey Reed was born in Elkhorn City, Kentucky on October 10, 1929. Reed launched his Air Force career as an aviation cadet in 1952 at a time in our history when demand for pilots was greatly outpacing the supply.

Reed completed his initial pilot training in Arizona in 1952, which earned him a commission as a Second Lieutenant and a seat at the F-94C All-Weather Fighter-Interceptor School in Georgia the following year. His first duty station was New Castle Air Force Base in Delaware with the 332dnd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. Over the next decade or so, Reed was assigned to several fighter squadrons at locations including Ladd AFB in Alaska, Bunker Hill AFB in Indiana, South Dakota, British Columbia, and Griffiss AFB in New York. While stationed in New York, he balanced flying F-101B Voodoo aircraft and attending Syracuse University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations in 1959.

Reed graduated from the Air War College in June 1972, following numerous assignments from California to Florida to Vietnam, logging 6,100 flying hours on seven different fighter aircraft, and completing a Master of Public Administration degree at George Washington University. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the Headquarters of the US Air Force in Washington, D.C. as Chief of the Doctrine Development Branch. There he served in a variety of key leadership roles in the Air Force before becoming the Air Force Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, subsequently, the Air Force representative for the United States Delegation to the Military Staff Committee at the United Nations. In 1986, Reed was honored with a promotion to the rank of General (four-star) and appointment as Chief of Staff for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in the final years of the Cold War. At SHAPE, Reed led a staff of 2,800 allied officers across 16 NATO nations. General Reed retired from the Air Force in 1988 after completing 35 years of distinguished service. 

Demonstrating a continued commitment to public service, Reed joined the Myrtle Beach Air Base Redevelopment Authority as vice chairman. On the topic of leadership, Reed stated, “One of the key qualities is the ability to motivate people. You have to be able to communicate and convince people of the importance of mission, and get them to buy into it. The other thing is to always operate with a sense of fairness in the treatment of people, because if you begin to show any kind of favoritism that can destabilize morale. The third thing is maintaining high standards of discipline, conduct, and ethics—you can’t compromise on those.”

General Reed has received extensive recognition for his accomplishments as an Air Force pilot and senior leader, including the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. He even has a stretch of highway named after him—the General Robert H. Reed Highway in his home state of Kentucky.

General Robert H. Reed, U.S. Air Force (ret.) is an alumnus of Syracuse University, and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

March 26th: Veterans Navigating Career Workshop

Take part in a dedicated career workshop for veterans focussed on resumes, LinkedIn, and networking. Photographers will be available for professional photos, too. Sign up for one of two sessions on March 26th.

Veterans Navigating Career

J. Michael Haynie Appointed to Newly Created VA Advisory Committee

IVMF-Haynie-620_72We are proud to announce that Dr. Mike Haynie, founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families and Vice Chancellor of Veterans and Military Affairs at Syracuse University, was appointed to the newly created ‪MyVA‬ Advisory Committee today.

VA Secretary Robert McDonald launched the MyVA initiative in September 2014, as part of the department’s effort to better align the VA with the needs of the nation’s veterans, and to empower VA employees to improve the veteran experience. The MyVA Advisory Committee will provide advice to the secretary and VA leadership related to the department’s efforts to rebuild trust with veterans and other stakeholders, improve service delivery and set the course for longer-term excellence and reform.

McDonald appointed Haynie to serve as the vice chairman of the MyVA Advisory Committee. Major General (ret.) Jose Robles, president and chief executive officer of United States Automobile Association, will serve as chairman. Other committee members include former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona; Dr. Toby Cosgrove, CEO of the Cleveland Clinic; Teresa Carlson, vice president for Worldwide Public Sector at Amazon; Nancy Killefer, vice chair of the Defense Business Board and Christopher Howard, president of Hampden-Sydney College.

Haynie serves as the vice chancellor for veterans and military affairs at Syracuse University, the executive director of the University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) and the Barnes Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

Notable Veteran Alumni: Louis J. Giuliano

LJGLouis J. Giuliano is an alumnus of Syracuse University, and also a military veteran. You should know his story, because it’s a Syracuse University story—one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

Louis J. Giuliano is a man of principle and an American businessman who graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry (’68) and Master of Business Administration in Marketing (’69) from the Whitman School of Management. Giuliano is also a U.S. Army veteran who made the rank of First Lieutenant and served honorably in Vietnam.

In the business world, Mr. Giuliano began working with the Aerospace group at Allied Signal. He served at Allied for nearly 20 years and rose to President of the Avionics Systems Group, responsible for seven operating units nationwide. In 1988, Mr. Giuliano joined ITT as Vice President of Defense Operations and, in 1991, became President of ITT Defense and Electronics, a position he filled for another eight years. As President and CEO of the ITT Defense and Electronics department, Mr. Giuliano received an important contract in 1997 with the U.S. Army’s Communications and Electronics Command. This partnership would transform tactical communications with the development and implementation of a new U.S. Army combat radio, the SINCGARS. Then, from 2001 to 2004, he led ITT Industries as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. During his tenure, his chief priority was to improve operating performance and he oversaw significant increases in ITT’s market capitalization (250%) and stock price (170%).

In November 2004, former President George W. Bush appointed Mr. Giuliano to governor of the U.S. Postal Service. The Senate confirmed him in 2005 to serve a full nine-year term.

Mr. Giuliano attributes his time in the service for his success in the corporate world. He stated in a USA Today article about fellow veteran corporate leaders, “there is debate over whether it was combat or military training that gave them a leadership edge. The military teaches the responsibility of serving, not just fulfilling your own needs.”

Currently, Mr. Giuliano serves as Non-Executive Chairman of Vectrus, a leading provider of global service solutions in areas of Infrastructure Asset Management, IT, and Network Communication services, and Logistics and Supply Chain Management Services. He is also Senior Advisor to The Carlyle Group and is the Operating Executive to the Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, and Transportation and Industrial Groups. He is actively involved with the CEO Forum and the Advisory Board for the Princeton University Faith and Work Initiative. In addition, he is the Founder of Workforce Ministries, Honorary Chairman of the Westchester County Red Cross Armed Force Emergency Services, and he holds several other board positions for organizations including Accudyne Industries and Meadowkirk Retreat Center.

Notably, Mr. Giuliano is also a sponsor of Syracuse University’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) based out of the Whitman School of Management and Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Mr. Giuliano is married to his wife Barbara and they have two daughters and six grandchildren.

Louis J. Giuliano is an alumnus of Syracuse University and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

 

Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management Ranked #2 Best Business School for Vets

B9316532260Z.1_20150309110925_000_G2QA3U1RK.1-0Military Times released their ranking of top 75 Best for Veterans Business Schools. Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management is ranked #2 Best Business School for Veterans, highlighting Syracuse University’s enduring commitment to veterans, military connected students, and military family members.

More schools than ever responded to this year’s Military Times survey. Competition was stiff to make the list.

Some of the findings from Military Times’s survey:

  • Among respondents this year, the focus on veterans typically starts at the top. Better than four in 10 have a service member, veteran or military spouse in a senior leadership position within the business school. Another four in 10 reported such a senior leader not at the business school but the larger university.
  • On average, service members and veterans accounted for a little less than 13 percent of the graduate student population at business schools.
  • A graduate degree is typically more expensive than a bachelor’s, and the MBA is no exception. More than 8 in 10 responding schools indicated that their costs exceeded the $250-per-semester-hour cap associated with military tuition assistance in the last school year.
  • Costs at a little more than half the schools outpaced veterans’ Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. But about 7 in 10 such schools participated in the Yellow Ribbon program to help make up the difference, and most — but not all — of these schools made up the full difference for all eligible students, thus insuring they didn’t have to pay tuition out of pocket or through loans.
  • More than a third of schools either waive or discount application fees for veterans or service members.
  • Three-quarters of business schools told us that their larger university has a veteran or military group, but fewer than one in 10 has a separate such group unique to the business school.
  • Nearly six in 10 graduate business programs accept, in at least some cases, recommendations from the American Council on Education on awarding academic credit for military training. But limitations on the acceptance of such credit are common.
  • Nearly two-thirds of responding schools require incoming students to take either the Graduate Management Admission Test or the Graduate Record Examination as part of their applications. Only about 8 percent of schools typically waive that requirement for vets, although about a quarter of schools gave vets some sort of admissions preference.

 

Notable Veteran Alumni: Sean O’Keefe

Sean O'KeefeSean O’Keefe is an alumnus of Syracuse University and also the former acting Secretary of the Navy. You should know his story, because it’s a Syracuse University story—one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

Sean O’Keefe was born to Patricia Carlin and Patrick Gordon O’Keefe in Monterey, California. As the son of a naval engineer, O’Keefe moved around often as a child. Following his high school graduation in Connecticut in 1973, O’Keefe attended Loyola University in New Orleans. He graduated four years later with a Bachelor of Arts in 1977. But rather than taking a little personal time before jumping into his career, O’Keefe immediately proceeded to Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs to continue his studies in its intensive, yearlong Master of Public Administration program.

Mr. O’Keefe entered public service as a budget analyst for the Department of Defense (DoD) shortly after earning his M.P.A. in 1978. He later joined the Senate staff, working on the Senate Committee on Appropriations for eight years before taking over as staff director of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. O’Keefe eventually moved back to DoD as its Comptroller and CFO in 1989. Notably, from 1992 to 1993, O’Keefe served as the acting Secretary of the Navy under President George H.W. Bush. Later during President George W. Bush’s first term, Sean served as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget for a year and then as the NASA Administrator from 2001-2004.

Between these impressive government postings, O’Keefe held a number of significant positions in higher education and the private sector. Following his term as acting Secretary of the Navy in the mid-1990s, O’Keefe joined the business school faculty at Pennsylvania State University. He then rejoined the Maxwell School of Syracuse University as the Bantle Professor of Business and Government Policy where he taught for six years and directed the Maxwell School’s National Security Studies Program.

Following his terms at OMB and NASA, O’Keefe served for three years as Chancellor of Louisiana State University from 2005 to 2008. He then served as a vice president with General Electric for a year before taking over as Chairman and CEO of EADS North America (now Airbus North America) in 2009, a role he served in through 2014. Luckily, Mr. O’Keefe has returned to Syracuse University—yet again—as its 17th University Professor and the Phanstiel Chair of Strategic Management and Leadership. He concurrently serves as a Distinguished Senior Advisor with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.

O’Keefe is a recipient of numerous awards in recognition of his extraordinary public service career. These include, among others, the Distinguished Public Service Award, the Navy Public Service Award, Syracuse University’s George Arents Award and Chancellor’s Award for Public Service, and five honorary doctorates.

Sean O’Keefe is an alumnus of Syracuse University and also the former acting Secretary of the Navy. You should know his story.

Notable Veteran Alumni: Donald S. MacNaughton, Jr.

Donald S. MacNaughton, Jr.Donald S. MacNaughton, Jr. is an alumnus of Syracuse University, and also a military veteran. You should know his story, because it’s a Syracuse University story—one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

Born July 14, 1917 in Schenectady, NY, MacNaughton attended Syracuse University on a basketball scholarship and received his bachelor’s degree in 1939. Not long after graduation, McNaughton joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in the South Pacific during World War II. Naturally, at war’s end, 1st Lieutenant McNaughton returned to Syracuse University to earn a law degree in 1948.

McNaughton launched his career as an attorney just north of Syracuse in Pulaski, NY. After six years, he took a position with Prudential as an associate legal counsel and eventually rose to become its 10th President and Chief Executive Officer. During his leadership tenure, Prudential expanded its real estate investments, diversified into auto and home insurance, plunged into the international marketplace ahead of its competitors, and tripled annual sales in life insurance to $43 billion.

In 1978, after serving as CEO for nine years, MacNaughton left Prudential to lead the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA Inc.), one of the nation’s largest for-profit hospital chains. Later in 1982, MacNaughton stepped down as its president, though stayed on as chairman of HCA’s executive committee. MacNaughton also served on the boards of HealthTrust and Mountain View Hospital, Inc. and was a Syracuse University College of Law trustee from 1977-2002.

In addition to his wide recognition as a prominent leader in the insurance and health care industries, Donald S. MacNaughton, Jr. received numerous Syracuse University and national honors. He received Syracuse University’s Letter Winner of Distinction for basketball in 1968 and, a year later, the George Arents Pioneer Medal, SU’s highest alumni award. McNaughton also received an honorary degree from Saint Peter’s University in 1976. In 1979, he was nominated as an advisory member of the National Commission on Social Security, a study charged by Congress and comprised entirely of private citizens to evaluate social security system.

Beyond his storied career, MacNaughton and his family have left a permanent mark on Syracuse University. His legacy lives on through his children and grandchildren, two of which (Donald and David) are also highly successful Syracuse University graduates. In addition, SU’s Winifred MacNaughton Hall was dedicated in his wife’s name in 1998.

Donald S. MacNaughton, Jr. is an alumnus of Syracuse University and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.