Building on the School's core curriculum, the International Security and Economic Policy Program (ISEP) offers the new generation of public policy students a rare opportunity to gain competence in the security and economic issues that will shape the future. ISEP's faculty is led by active scholar-teachers with global reputations in international security, trade, finance, development, foreign policymaking and multilateral organizations. And, the program's courses provide students with basic grounding in fundamental issues and relationships, plus the opportunity to move further in directions of particular interest.

Within the ISEP program, all students take courses in international economic policy, international security policy and the U.S. foreign policy process. Beyond these courses, students have sufficient leeway to more deeply pursue a subject of particular interest, such as international economics and trade, international development, or international security. Or, students may combine the ISEP program with work in another substantive area, such as environmental policy.

The School's close vicinity to the Washington, D.C, area provides students with a window for viewing current policy developments; getting engaged through internships; and pursuing a wide range of professional opportunities upon graduation. Recent graduates have gone on to work for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the U. S. Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the State Department and the World Bank.

Besides the rich reservoir of internship opportunities in the Washington, D.C., area, students may also participate in the work of the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM), which is housed at the School of Public Policy . CISSM is involved in path-breaking research across a broad range of international security challenges and offers a unique opportunity for students to engage in timely and relevant research.