Co-curricular opportunities
In the graduate Security Studies Program (SSP), we pride ourselves on our vibrant and supportive student community. With more than 400 students, we are the largest graduate program in the School of Foreign Service, and our students come from diverse educational, professional and personal backgrounds.

Student organizations
Outside of the program, Georgetown University is home to more than 200 student organizations, many of which include SSP students as members and leaders. The Center for Student Engagement maintains a complete list of student groups – filter by “GSO groups” to see those focused on graduate students.
The Security Studies Program has two dedicated student groups – the Georgetown Security Studies Review and the SSP Student Council.
The Georgetown Security Studies Review
The Georgetown Security Studies Review (GSSR) is the student-run official academic review of the Center for Security Studies that produces one issue each semester. Its mission is to contribute to security policy debates by exposing both specialists and general interest readers to a wide array of perspectives on both current and historical issues related to international security, defense and military affairs. In addition to full-length peer-reviewed articles, issues feature literature reviews, letters to the editors and op-ed pieces.
You can be a peer reviewer, reporter, columnist or editor for the journal and online site. Members maintain an active online presence on the GSSR Forum, an online-only component that aspires to contribute to ongoing debates about U.S. foreign policy, national security and international security. We encourage all students to participate in the forum or contribute to the peer-edited journal.
In the Precision-Guided Podcast, the official GSSR podcast, students discuss all things national security, history, military and foreign policy. You can apply to join the podcast team at the start of the semester. Listeners can tune in via all the usual podcast platforms. Even if not on the podcast team, you can email GSSR with suggestions for episode topics and guests.
The SSP Student Council
The SSP Student Council is a peer-elected body of current students responsible for organizing and executing professional and social events throughout the academic year. It is a key liaison between SSP students and university administration, working closely with faculty, adjuncts and academic advisors to effectively advocate for student interests. The Council also collaborates with the broader SFS Student Council in an effort to foster connections across all graduate programs within the School of Foreign Service through joint events and social gatherings.
New students are actively encouraged to join the Student Council. Members are elected by the program student body at large, with elections taking place at the start of the fall and spring semesters. Officer positions, including President, Vice President, Treasurer, Communications Director and SFS Representative are yearly commitments. SSP Representatives are elected to serve on a semester-by-semester basis.

If you are a current SSP student and are interested in serving on the Council, be on the lookout for the announcement about Council elections at the beginning of each semester.
Student Council events
The Student Council hosts various events aimed at enhancing professional development and community engagement, as well as connecting students with Georgetown faculty, adjuncts and alumni, national security professionals and the wider DC community. These chiefly include:
- Embassy visits
- Happy Hours
- Bi-annual flag football and soccer games
- Alumni networking events
- Professional skills workshops
- Museum trips
You can contact the Student Council at any time with ideas for events, questions, comments or concerns. The Council can be reached at sspcouncil@georgetown.edu.

Student events
The Security Studies Program hosts more than 80 events per year. These include academic options ranging from guest speakers every Tuesday at lunch and dinners with faculty members to major public conferences. You can also find career development events, including networking sessions and workshops throughout the year. Finally, we host a number of formal and informal social events, including weekly student council-sponsored happy hours, a semesterly flag football game against other SFS master’s students and an annual semi-formal gala for students and alumni. You can also take advantage of a vast array of events offered across Georgetown.
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