Leadership & Strategy Courses

Course Summary:

Strategic Reasoning is a multidisciplinary course that equips students with the intellectual tools to analyze, design, and execute strategy in complex environments. Drawing on classical military theory, modern conflict analysis, leadership science, and decision-making frameworks, the course explores how individuals and organizations craft successful strategies in warfare, business, politics, and life.

Using historical case studies—from Sun Tzu and Thucydides to modern geopolitical crises—students will examine the foundational elements of strategy: goals, means, risks, adaptation, timing, and deception. Special focus is placed on the interplay between logic, intuition, and human behavior in high-stakes environments.

Through rigorous discussion, analytical modeling, and real-world applications, learners will sharpen their ability to reason strategically, anticipate outcomes, and respond decisively in uncertain or adversarial contexts.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Define strategic reasoning and distinguish it from tactical or operational thinking.

2. Apply core strategic principles to historical and contemporary conflicts.

3. Analyze the decision-making processes of leaders under pressure.

4. Identify and critique strategic flaws in real-world case studies.

5. Develop adaptable strategies for competitive, volatile, or constrained environments.

6. Target Audience:

This course is ideal for military history, political science, business strategy, public policy, leadership, law students, and professionals seeking to enhance their strategic thinking in competitive sectors.

Evaluation is exclusively through Multiple-Choice (MC) and True-False (TF) examinations, measuring students' comprehension, application, and synthesis of course material.

Course Summary:

This 2-CEC course offers a focused, analytical study of the Battle of Syracuse (415–413 BCE), a pivotal military failure in the Peloponnesian War that marked the beginning of Athens’ decline. Through historical analysis, strategic theory, and leadership assessment, students will explore how flawed planning, divided command, political interference, logistical breakdown, and cultural miscalculations led to one of the most devastating defeats in classical military history.

Emphasizing both ancient sources (notably Thucydides) and modern strategic frameworks, the course investigates the actions of key figures such as Nicias, Alcibiades, Demosthenes, Gylippus, and Hermocrates. It highlights the enduring lessons of this campaign for political leadership, military strategy, and organizational decision-making.

By the end of the course, students will be able to evaluate strategic failure through multiple lenses, apply critical thinking to complex operational dilemmas, and draw connections between historical case studies and modern strategic planning—whether in military, corporate, or civic contexts.

Learning Objectives:

By completing this course, learners will be able to:

1. Describe the historical background and outcome of the Sicilian Expedition.

2. Analyze the strategic errors that contributed to the Athenian defeat.

3. Compare the leadership styles of Athenian and Syracusan commanders.

4. Evaluate the role of logistics, intelligence, morale, and geography in the campaign.

5. Apply key lessons from the battle to contemporary strategic decision-making.

Target Audience:

This course is designed for military professionals, historians, leadership trainers, corporate strategists, educators, and students of classical studies or organizational decision-making.

Evaluation is exclusively through Multiple-Choice (MC) and True-False (TF) examinations, measuring students' comprehension, application, and synthesis of course material.