Diplomacy & Security
Diplomacy and Security is an interdisciplinary community that prepares students for careers in diplomacy, defense, intelligence, development, human rights, humanitarian affairs, and international trade and investment. Students in this pathway will gain skills to promote U.S. and international security, economic development, and multilateral cooperation.
The first step in beginning your pathway is signing up for the Diplomacy and Security Newsletter. If you are a First Year student, this is completed during the pathway selection process after subscribing to the general Pathways Newsletter. Second Year students can subscribe directly to Pathways-specific newsletters using the same form. Our team will send an email right to your inbox every other week detailing all Diplomacy and Security-related events happening around grounds. This newsletter will be your primary connection to our curated opportunities. Through these events, you can build connections in the field, gain experience, develop knowledge about key current events, and meet peers, faculty, and alumni interested in public service.
Some exciting examples of past events and guest speakers include:
- Student Oratory Competition
- Ten student finalists have been selected to deliver persuasive five-minute speeches on the topic “Is free speech important at a public university in our American democracy — and why?” Former U.S. presidential speechwriters will judge the finalists on speechwriting ability and quality of delivery and will announce a winner at the end of the event.
- Democracy Dialogues: The Worldwide Struggle for Democracy
- What is it like to fight for democracy in a country that has been plagued by political violence? Representing multiple continents, the activists speaking on this “Democracy Dialogues” panel describe their on-the-ground fight for political freedom in Bolivia, Serbia, Zimbabwe, and Myanmar (Burma), each offering a unique international perspective on the American democratic experiment. Registration required.
- U.S.-China Tech Competition: Has Democracy Met Its Match?
- Do our technology regulations and security efforts limit our ability to protect our democracy? Multiple panels featuring scholars and practitioners with experience in government, the private sector, journalism, and academia will allow for wide-ranging dialogue on the complex issues surrounding U.S.–China relations and the role technology plays in this dynamic relationship.
- Keeping Our Enemies Closer: Political Dialogue in a Polarized Democracy
- This event features UVA School of Education and Human Development Associate Professor Rachel Wahl, who will focus on her empirical research examining what happens when people talk across political divides, when and how people thrive or struggle in these conversations, and what meaning, if any, these conversations hold for the effort to build a better democracy.
- Ukraine the Human Price of War
- At the one-year mark of Russia’s deadly war in Ukraine, the Miller Center partners with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Virginia Film Festival for a screening of “Ukraine: The Human Price of War,” a series of short documentary films about the war. A panel including humanitarian, military, and public health experts will discuss the human consequences of the war for Ukrainians, the direction the conflict is heading, and the prospects for diplomacy moving forward.
- Democracy Dialogues: Iranian Women Lead the Fight for Democracy
- Following the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody for “improper veiling,” demonstrations in Iran have been widespread. A panel discusses the future of women’s role in the fight for democracy worldwide.
- The World Cup and the Role of Sports in Democracy
- Soccer legend, activist and writer Lilian Thuram joins UVA's Karsh Institute of Democracy for a screening of World Cup matches followed by a discussion of his experiences as an athlete and activist and the role of sport in democracy.
If you’re looking to further get involved with Diplomacy and Security at the University, these University-affiliated organizations have related missions:
- Air Force ROTC
- Navy ROTC
- Army ROTC
- Global Development Organization
- International Relations Organization
- UVA Study Abroad
- UVA Center for Politics
- Miller Center of Public Affairs
- National Security, Defense, and Intelligence Club
The Diplomacy and Security Pathway will help prepare you for a wide variety of careers in both the domestic and international arenas. Work environments are diverse and dynamic, including federal government positions, NGOs, think tanks, embassies, or intelligence organizations.
Students who graduate this Pathway can expect to pursue careers in:
- Civil Service or Foreign Service Officer
- Foreign Affairs Specialist
- Ambassador
- Diplomat
- Intelligence Analyst
- Research Associate
- Graduate Programs in International Affairs
- Translator
- Colonel Jason Bell, Commander, Air Force; ROTC
- Ashley Deeks, Professor of Scholarly Research in Law; Senior Fellow, Miller Center; School of Law
- Jack Davidson, Professor of Computer Science; Director, Cyber Defense Program; SEAS
- Kristen Eichenesehr, Martha Lubin Karsh and Bruce A. Karsh Bicentennial Professor of Law; Director, National Security Law Center; School of Law
- Kirsten Gelsdorf, Professor, Practice of Public Policy; Batten
- Elizabeth Wall, Associate Director - Public Service and Government Career Community; UVA Career Center
- Steve Mull, Vice Provost for Global Affairs; Provost
- John Owen, Amb. Henry J. and Mrs. Marion R. Taylor Professor of Politics, and a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture and the Miller Center for Public Affairs; Politics
- Phil Potter, Associate Professor; College, Batten
- Don Brown, Founding Director of the Data Science Institute, the W.S. Calcott Professor in the Engineering Systems and Environment Department and Co-Director of the Translational Health Institute of Virginia; SEAS