Strategic Thinkers Program
Selective program of the Office of the Secretary of Defense enrolling active duty military officers and Department of Defense civilians in a specialized track within the Johns Hopkins SAIS Master of International Public Policy degree. The goal of the program: To build a cohort of strategic thinkers to advise senior principals throughout the Department of Defense.
Johns Hopkins SAIS is a lead partner with the Secretary of Defense Strategic Thinkers Program (STP) of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). This highly competitive one-year Master’s program -- which began with the first cohort in the 2019-20 academic year -- annually selects a small group of talented, field-grade military officers and Department of Defense civilians to participate in this unique curriculum leading to a Master’s degree in International Public Policy (MIPP).
Students immerse themselves in the conceptual dynamics and trends of war and strategy and analyze their role in the development of effective decision-making and execution of strategy and military operations. Once coursework is completed, graduates will leverage their strategic thinking skills primarily in demanding principal staff assignments at OSD, on the Joint Staff, or on a combatant commander's staff, or other senior level headquarters; others will go to command positions. These appointments will require graduates to deal with unanticipated security challenges and seek innovative approaches in order to engage our nation's top civilian and military leaders on the development and conduct of strategy and military operations in the broader context of national policy objectives.
GEN Charles Brown, USAF, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
“The Secretary of Defense Strategic Thinkers Program (STP) is pivotal in shaping the future of our defense strategy by enhancing strategic thinking and adaptability among both military and civilian leaders.
By equipping participants with advanced analytical skills and innovative problem-solving techniques, the STP ensures that both military and civilian leaders can address multifaceted challenges and contribute to a more integrated, responsive national security strategy.
The ability to think critically and communicate effectively across diverse fields enhances the ability of the United States Department of Defense to address future uncertainties head-on.”
General James Mattis, U.S. Marines, 26th Secretary of Defense (RET) Stanford University
“I’m reminded that we democracies have no ordained right to survival. History teaches us that the bravest troops and even skillful admirals and generals are not enough for victory: Sound strategy is essential to reducing the tragedy of war’s occurrence and ensuring the democracies prevail when unavoidable trouble looms. We expect much from you, giving everything that’s required to ensure that our world remains safe for democracy. I wish each of you challenges and adventures as you continue to master your essential trade, for now, more than ever, our Republic requires your finest performance.”
Application Process
There is a two-step application process. The first step is internal to DoD -- the Services will make nominations and recommendations, and OSD will make selections.Nomination packages are due to OSD by 1 December each year and selections are made by 1 February.
Note: All military officers nominated for the program must be in the O-4 or O-5 paygrade, having completed at least 10 years on active duty before the start of the STP academic year, received a favorable evaluation in at least one key operational assignment, and finished Joint Professional Military Education Phase 1, attaining an overall ranking in the top 20 percent – preferably the top five percent – of their class. All civilian leaders nominated for the program must be in the GS-13 or GS-14 pay band, have a demonstrated record of success in a graduate-level program, and possess at least one year of supervisory or managerial experience acquired within the last five years.
Those selected will be required to complete a second-step and apply directly to Johns Hopkins SAIS and the MIPP here.
How the STP Differs from the Johns Hopkins SAIS Masters in International Public Policy Track:
8 total courses are required for the Masters in International Public Policy (MIPP) graduation requirements. As a member of the STP cohort, 4 of the 8 MIPP courses required, as part of the STP enrollment track, are offered only to the STP student cohort of military officers and civilian leaders. The STP students may individually select their remaining 4 courses from the regular MIPP track options.
STP students track through the 4 STP required courses together, as a cohort, in what has been designed as a laboratory for critical thinking. These specially tailored courses draw on the disciplines of applied war and strategic studies, including the importance of economics, culture, geography, and more, and provide a blend of hands-on wargames, decision exercises, staff rides, research, and classroom briefs and discussions all through the Socratic method. There are no lectures.
All courses are led by the Director of the Strategic Thinkers Program, Professor Dan Marston.
Officers and civilians in the program's cohort will have exclusive access to world-class instructors and military and policy experts who are renowned for their scholarship, influence and networks, both inside the National Capital Region and around the world.