Academic Year (AY) 2025 Industry Studies Curricula

A major focus of the Eisenhower School curriculum is the study of the resource component of national security, which is discussed in both the fall and spring semesters. In the spring semester, students have an opportunity for an in-depth study of the national and global industrial and innovation bases in the Industry Studies course. This course provides graduates a framework to apply analytical techniques in assessing the state and relevance of a selected economic-industrial sector to national security.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to: be knowledgeable of U.S. and global private sector firm and industry strategies, practices, capabilities, and limitations; be comfortable working the government-private sector interface; assess private sector decision-making and constraints; and can evaluate and make resourced policy recommendations to improve the role of industry in support of national security and 21st century mobilization preparedness.

The objectives of the Industry Studies Program include:

1. Develop a capability to analyze industry from a strategic national security perspective in terms of both the "general welfare" and the national defense in normal and crisis conditions.
2. Develop a comparative analysis of U.S. and international participants in selected industries in both defense and non-defense environments in terms of their contribution to national and international economic and defense policies; and
3. Develop a capability to analyze the role and effect of public policy on national security as well as economic and industrial crisis preparedness.

To achieve these objectives each Industry Studies seminar strives to:

1. Evaluate the composition, structure, organization, and performance of selected defense-essential and other industries including an assessment of their ability to satisfy national security requirements in broad terms in peace and conflict.
2. Understand the complex issues involved with maintaining an economic- industrial base capable of efficient peacetime production and rapidly increased output in emergencies.
3. Analyze the American and international economic environment within which the selected industries function including the constraints to more efficient production both in peace and conflict including a specific evaluation of economic-industrial mobilization potential.
4. Recommend ways to improve efficiency and/or ensure attainment of national security objectives through changes or additions to existing public policy.

Industry Studies course learning outcomes:

1. Evaluate a select international industry that supports the national innovation and defense industrial bases.
2. Evaluate a select industry and the government-private sector interactions that impact the national innovation and defense industrial bases.
3. Develop actionable and resource-informed policy recommendations to strengthen the defense industrial base using analytical construct(s).

The Industry Studies Curricula is executed as follows:

Each Industry Study is organized around a series of seminars with discussions facilitated by Eisenhower School faculty, prominent industry and government executives, and academic experts that focus on the critical aspects of the sector under examination. An integral component of the Industry Study course are the field studies.  Visits to domestic and foreign industry experts directly support the students' research. Seminars visit government agencies, labor, trade and public policy organizations, research facilities, financial institutions, and selected industry exemplars, including government prime and sub-contractor firms. The field-study program provides the laboratory to explore with industry executives and government policy makers those issues and concepts developed in academic research. It facilitates observation and examination of issues in operational settings. The international field study adds the dimension of comparative industrial analysis, permitting a realistic assessment of the relative performance of U.S. industry and the U.S. economy in a competitive world.

Each seminar develops an executive summary report, briefs other seminars, and makes a formal presentation to a prominent representative of the sector examined. The report and presentation provide a comprehensive executive-level view of the overall status and public policy implications of the sector examined. The final reports present industry composite information only; neither company specific nor proprietary information is published.