2019 COURSE CATALOG
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NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNIVERSITY • 2019–2020 COURSE CATALOG

Table of Contents

About The University................................................................................................... 1

An academic institution focused on intelligence..........................................................1

Accreditation ....................................................................................................................2

Program Delivery Formats ................................................................................3

Continuing Education: Lifelong Learning Opportunities ................................... 3

Two-Year, Part-Time Cohort Formats ................................................................... 3

Evening Cohort Format ........................................................................................ 3

Monthly Executive Format .................................................................................. 3

Academic Opportunities....................................................................................4

Student Research Funding .................................................................................. 4

Joint Professional Military Education Studies Program.................................... 4

U.S. Army Professor of Strategic Intelligence Program .................................... 4

Assessment of Academic Programs ................................................................... 5

Electronic Learning and Assessment.................................................................. 5

NIU Academic Centers ......................................................................................... 5

Registration and Credit Hours............................................................................. 6

Degree Status ..............................................................................................................6

Non-Degree Status.......................................................................................................6

Assignment of Credit Hours........................................................................................6

Academic Load ............................................................................................................7

Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence ...................................................8

MSSI Degree Requirements................................................................................. 8

MSSI Concentrations ........................................................................................... 9

Broader Middle East Concentration...........................................................................9

China Concentration .................................................................................................10

Collection and Analysis Concentration....................................................................11

Counterintelligence Concentration..........................................................................12

Eurasia Concentration...............................................................................................13

Intelligence Community Enterprise and Leadership Department.........................14

Strategic Intelligence in Special Operations (SISO) Concentration .....................15
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Terrorism Concentration ...........................................................................................16

The MSSI Thesis.................................................................................................. 17

College of Strategic Intelligence: Certificates of 

Intelligence Studies........................................................................................ 18

China: Intelligence Concerns Certificate.................................................................18

Counterintelligence Certificate................................................................................18

Eurasia Certificate.....................................................................................................18

Choose one of the following .....................................................................................18

Homeland Intelligence Certificate ...........................................................................19

Leadership and Management in the IC Certificate.................................................19

Strategic Intelligence in Special Operations Certificate .......................................19

Choose one of the following .....................................................................................19

CIS in Leadership and Management in The Intelligence Community ............ 19

Bachelor of Science in Intelligence .............................................................. 21

Bachelor of Science in Intelligence Program................................................... 21

Fall Quarter (15 credits)............................................................................................21

Spring Quarter (15 credits).......................................................................................21

Summer Quarter (12 credits)....................................................................................22

Elective Courses ........................................................................................................22

Bachelor of Science in Intelligence Concentration Designation ..........................23

Master of Science and Technology Intelligence ......................................... 24

MSTI Degree Requirements............................................................................... 24

Anthony G. Oettinger School of Science and Technology Intelligence 

Concentrations...........................................................................................................25

Weapons of Mass Destruction Concentration ........................................................25

Cyber Intelligence and Data Analytics Concentration ...........................................26

Emerging Technologies and Geostrategic Resources Concentration...................27

Information and Influence Intelligence Concentration ..........................................28

The Master of Science and Technology Intelligence Thesis .............................29

MSTI Students in the Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) Program29

Anthony G. Oettinger School of Science and Technology Intelligence (SSTI) 

Graduate Certificate Program ........................................................................... 30
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Table of Contents

Course Descriptions ....................................................................................... 31

Master’s Core Courses....................................................................................... 31

MCR 607 Intelligence Reasoning and Analysis......................................................................31

MCR 608 Leadership and Management in the Intelligence Community .............................31

MCR 609 Intelligence Collection.............................................................................................31

MCR 611 Intelligence and National Security Policy...............................................................32

Master’s Thesis Courses .................................................................................... 32

MCR 701 Thesis Methodology and Design ............................................................................32

MCR 702 Thesis Proposal .......................................................................................................33

MCR 703 Thesis Research......................................................................................................33

MCR 704 Thesis Completion...................................................................................................33

Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence..................................................... 33

MSI 601 Analyzing the Global Strategic Environment...........................................................33

College of Strategic Intelligence Electives ...................................................... 34

Defense Intelligence Department............................................................................34

DEF 601 National Strategy: Theory and Intelligence Considerations...................................34

DEF 602 Joint Campaign Planning and Intelligence..............................................................34

DEF 603 Strategic Crisis Exercise...........................................................................................34

DEF 604 Staff Ride..................................................................................................................35

DEF 621 Asymmetric Warfare.................................................................................................35

DEF 622 Peacekeeping and Stability Operations..................................................................36

DEF 623 Intelligence and Special Operations ......................................................................36

DEF 624 Operational Capabilities Analysis ............................................................................36

DEF 698 Special Topics...........................................................................................................36

Intelligence Community Enterprise and Leadership Department.........................37

INT 601 The Evolution of U.S. Intelligence ............................................................................37

INT 602 Strategic Decision Analytics and Methods. .............................................................37

INT 603 Intelligence Resource Management: Process, Politics, and Money.......................37

INT 604 Professional Ethics ....................................................................................................38

INT 605 Intelligence and National Security Law....................................................................38

INT 606 Covert Action..............................................................................................................38

INT 698 Special Topics ............................................................................................................39

MSI 501Leadership and Intelligence......................................................................................39

MSI 502 Leadership, Intelligence, and National Security Decision-making........................39
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MSI 503 National Security Law and Ethics ...........................................................................39

MSI 504 Organizational Management and Change ..............................................................39

Collection, Analysis, and Counterintelligence Department...................................40

CAC 601 Advanced Methods of Intelligence Analysis............................................................40

CAC 602 Applied Collection and Analysis for Strategic Warning ..........................................40

CAC 610 Advancing Intelligence Collection............................................................................40

CAC 611 Signals Intelligence Resources, Methods, and Operations ...................................40

CAC 612 Geospatial Intelligence: A Strategic Introduction ...................................................41

CAC 613 HUMINT .....................................................................................................................41

CAC 614 Transnational Issues in a Cryptologic Environment................................................41

CAC 615 Current Cryptologic Issues .......................................................................................42

CAC 620 Counterintelligence ..................................................................................................42

CAC 621 Comparative Intelligence .........................................................................................42

CAC 698 Special Topics ...........................................................................................................42

Transnational Issues Department ............................................................................43

TRN 603 Roots of Terrorism....................................................................................................43

TRN 605 The Dynamics of Countering Terrorism...................................................................43

TRN 606 Economics and National Security ...........................................................................44

TRN 607 Transnational Challenges ........................................................................................44

TRN 608 The Role of Intelligence in Counternarcotics .........................................................44

TRN 609 Intelligence to Protect the Homeland .....................................................................45

TRN 612 Engaging International Partnerships ......................................................................45

TRN 613 Essentials of Conflict Analysis ...............................................................................45

TRN 614 Homeland Intelligence Warning Field Engagement...............................................46

TRN 698 Special Topics...........................................................................................................46

Regional Security and Intelligence Department.....................................................46

RSI 610 Introduction to China Intelligence Studies...............................................................46

RSI 611 China’s National Strategies and Foreign Policy.......................................................47

RSI 612 China’s Military Capabilities and Strategy ...............................................................47

RSI 613 Chinese Intelligence and Information Warfare........................................................47

RSI 614 China in the Future....................................................................................................48

RSI 621 Northeast Asia: Geostrategic Intelligence Issues....................................................48

RSI 622 South Asia Intelligence Issues.................................................................................48

RSI 623 North Korea: Geostrategic Intelligence Issues........................................................49

RSI 631 Europe: Intelligence Partner and Analytic Subject..................................................49
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RSI 632 Russia: Geostrategic Intelligence Issues .................................................................49

RSI 633 Central Asia: Geostrategic Intelligence Issues ........................................................50

RSI 634 The Caucasus ............................................................................................................50

RSI 635 The Near Abroad........................................................................................................51

RSI 636 Russian Intelligence .................................................................................................51

RSI 637 Russian Foreign Policy ..............................................................................................51

RSI 641 Latin America: Geostrategic Intelligence Issues......................................................52

RSI 651 Broader Middle East Strategic Security and Intelligence Environment ................52

RSI 652 Iran: Strategic Security and Intelligence Issues ......................................................52

RSI 653 The Near East: Strategic Security Issues ................................................................53

RSI 655 Islamism: Strategic Security Issues .........................................................................54

RSI 661 Social Analysis ...........................................................................................................54

MSI 671 Africa: Geostrategic Intelligence Challenges...........................................................55

RSI 698 Special Topics ............................................................................................................55

Courses in Pilot phase that will later be assigned appropriate numbers.............................55

MSI 698G Intelligence and Special Operations (Defense Intelligence Department)..........55

MSI 698K Arabian Peninsula and North Africa: Strategic Security Issues 

(Regional Security and Intelligence Department)..................................................................55

MSI 698T Threat Finance........................................................................................................56

MSI 698W Mexico and Central America Intelligence Issues (Regional Security and

Intelligence Department).........................................................................................................56

MSI 699 Directed Readings ....................................................................................................57

Master of Science and Technology Intelligence (MSTI) .................................. 57

MST 613 Science and Technology ..........................................................................................57

School of Science & Technology Intelligence Electives.........................................58

MST 653 Advanced Science and Technology ........................................................................58

MST 655 Advanced Conventional and Non-Conventional Weapons ....................................58

MST 656 The Economics of Technology.................................................................................58

MST 657 Case Studies in Technology Transfer......................................................................59

MST 658 Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessment ................................................................59

MST 660 Introduction to Denial and Deception: History, Concepts, Issues, and

Implications ..............................................................................................................................59

MST 661 WMD Terrorism.........................................................................................................59

MST 662 Denial and Deception: Psychological/Cultural Aspects, and National 

Security Decision-making ........................................................................................................60

MST 663 WMD: Counterproliferation......................................................................................60
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MST 664 Denial and Deception: Adversaries, Organizations, Activities, and

Countermeasures.....................................................................................................................60

MST 665 The Biological Threat...............................................................................................61

MST 667 The Nuclear Threat..................................................................................................61

MST 668 Denial and Deception: Tradecraft, Tools, and Methodology .................................61

MST 669 The Chemical and Explosive Threat .......................................................................61

MST 671 S&TI Space and Missile Systems............................................................................62

MST 672 Intelligence and the Changing Global Resource Environment .............................62

MST 674 Identity Intelligence..................................................................................................62

MST 675 Electrical Power Systems and Distribution ............................................................63

MST 680 Information Power....................................................................................................63

MST 681 Propaganda .............................................................................................................63

MST 682 Cyber Intelligence ....................................................................................................63

MST 683 Foreign Information & Cyber Strategies .................................................................64

MST 684 Cyber Threat.............................................................................................................64

MST 685 Social Networks and Intelligence............................................................................64

MST 686 Network Operations Environment—Engagement...................................................64

MST 687 The Advanced Information Power Seminar............................................................64

MST 698 Special Topics ..........................................................................................................65

MST 698O Data Science Applications....................................................................................65

MST 698P Advanced Cyber Intelligence.................................................................................65

MST 698R Data Science Mathematics ..................................................................................65

MST 698S Data Science Tools & Techniques ........................................................................66

MST 698T Data Science Visualization & Communication.....................................................66

MST 699A Graduate Certificate Capstone .............................................................................66

Bachelor of Science in Intelligence .................................................................. 67

Core Courses..............................................................................................................67

BCR 401 Globalization and the Intelligence Landscape.......................................................67

BCR 403 International Political Economy...............................................................................67

BCR 405 Analytic Methods......................................................................................................67

BCR 407 Intelligence Analysis.................................................................................................68

BCR 409 Collection Assets and Capabilities..........................................................................68

BCR 411 Intelligence and National Security Strategy ...........................................................68

BCR 413 Science, Technology, and Intelligence ....................................................................69

CAP 401 Capstone Research and Design ..............................................................................69

CAP 404 Capstone Completion...............................................................................................69
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NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNIVERSITY • 2019–2020 COURSE CATALOG

Collection, Analysis, and Counterintelligence Courses..........................................70

CAC 420 Counterintelligence ..................................................................................................70

Defense Intelligence Courses...................................................................................70

DEF 422 Intelligence: Building Stability and Peace...............................................................70

DEF 423 Intelligence and Special Operations .......................................................................70

DEF 424 The Nature of Conflict and Conflict Capabilities.....................................................71

Regional Security and Intelligence Courses ...........................................................71

RSI 401 Africa: Intelligence Issues .........................................................................................71

RSI 421 South Asia: Intelligence Issues.................................................................................71

RSI 422 East Asia: Intelligence Issues ...................................................................................72

RSI 431 Eurasia: Intelligence Issues ......................................................................................72

RSI 432 Europe: Intelligence Issues.......................................................................................72

RSI 441 Latin America: Intelligence Issues............................................................................73

RSI 451 Middle East: Intelligence Issues ...............................................................................73

RSI 461 Culture and Identity in an Age of Globalization .......................................................73

Science and Technology Intelligence Courses........................................................74

STI 460 Denial and Deception................................................................................................ 74

STI 463 Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction ........................................................ 74

STI 480 Information Operations..............................................................................................75

STI 482 Cyber Strategy ............................................................................................................75

Transnational Intelligence Courses .........................................................................75

TRN 403 Terrorism: Origins and Methodologies....................................................................75

TRN 407 Transnational Threats .............................................................................................76

TRN 408 Drug Intelligence .....................................................................................................76

TRN 409 Homeland Security and Intelligence.......................................................................76

Special Interest Courses...........................................................................................77

BSI 498 Special Topics in Intelligence....................................................................................77

BSI 499 Directed Readings .....................................................................................................77

Acronym List.................................................................................................... 78
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NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNIVERSITY • 2019–2020 COURSE CATALOG

About The University

An academic institution focused on intelligence

Educating future Intelligence Community (IC) leaders is more challenging than ever as advancements in technology, communications, and data management make the intelligence process 

quicker, strategic analysis more critical, and our responsibilities to national leadership more demanding. The National Intelligence University (NIU) seeks to strengthen the IC through formal 

education, research, and engagement, to better position them to make significant contributions to national intelligence in a global and complex world.

At NIU, students develop a deep understanding of adversarial capabilities and intentions, within the context of a broader spectrum of intelligence challenges, to include: 

• Cultural and religious conflicts

• Failed and failing nation-states

• Nonstate actors

• Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) proliferation

• A transforming digital world

• The omnipresent threat of terrorism at home and abroad

Students, faculty, and research fellows integrate their experience with other IC professionals 

to integrate new ideas, concepts, and perspectives on intelligence issues of today and 

tomorrow. 

NIU is the only higher education institution in the nation, whose primary mission to educate 

and conduct intelligence research at the classified level. NIU incorporates a dynamic, 

challenging, and integrated curriculum to emphasize the all-source integration of classified 

and open-source intelligence and national security information. The University aligns 

its curriculum with mission-specific requirements provided by the Director of National 

Intelligence (DNI). The NIU curriculum provides classic academic learning outcomes informed 

by the professional competencies articulated by the IC.

A global perspective is one of the most valuable characteristics of intelligence professionals. 

This includes a deep understanding of the interconnected nature of economic, ethnic, social, 

and political factors shaping the global environment today. The NIU curriculum focuses on 

developing critical thinking, analytic acumen, and precision writing to equip graduates with 

the skills and knowledge required to produce timely, concise, accurate products to support 

decision makers.
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Mission

National Intelligence University (NIU) advances the intelligence profession through a holistic, 

integrative, and contextual approach to education that promotes dynamic teaching, engaged 

learning, original research, academic outreach, analytical problem solving, rigorous research 

methods, collaborative processes, and lifelong learning.

Vision

NIU—the Center of Academic Life for the Intelligence Community—preparing today’s Intelligence 

Community leaders for tomorrow’s challenges.

Values

• Academic Freedom: NIU embraces the principle that students, faculty, and staff have 

the academic freedom to explore significant and controversial questions as an essential 

precondition to fulfilling the mission of educating students and advancing knowledge. 

• Collaboration: NIU embraces the spirit of collegiality; the mission is only accomplished if 

we work as a team. Students, faculty, and staff must have the character and conviction 

to lead and the strength to follow. 

• Diversity: NIU embraces the fact that differing backgrounds and experiences make us 

stronger, promote inclusion in our workforce, and encourage diversity in our thinking. 

• Integrity: NIU holds a special public trust. We practice careful stewardship of our resources, both financial and human. We will not just say the right thing—we will do the 

right thing and remain accountable to ourselves, and ultimately to the American people.

• Learning: Students, faculty, and staff embrace a culture of continuous learning. Every 

new challenge presents the opportunity for growth; every interaction presents the opportunity for the acquisition of new knowledge.

Accreditation

NIU is a federal, degree-granting institution, authorized by Congress to offer accredited graduate and undergraduate degrees and graduate certificates. 

NIU is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104 (267-284-5000), an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

In October 2012, and reaffirmed in 2018, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff approved 

NIU’s Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) program, allowing selected, qualified military 

officers to receive Phase I JPME credit after completing designated JPME courses concurrent 

with the NIU master’s degree. 

About the University
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NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNIVERSITY • 2019–2020 COURSE CATALOG

Program Delivery Formats

Program Delivery Formats

Continuing Education: Lifelong Learning Opportunities

Students who wish to take courses for professional development may apply as a continuing 

education (CE) student. Qualified students hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and meet all other eligibility requirements. Degree-seeking students are given 

registration preference, CE students can register for courses of interest. Students who at minimum earn a grade of B, can apply up to six credit hours, earned in CE status, toward a graduate 

degree from NIU. 

Two-Year, Part-Time Cohort Formats

NIU offers students the opportunity to earn a degree part-time. These opportunities include 

evening classes, space-available cohorts, regional academic centers, and a weekend monthly 

executive format. Although NIU offers these programs every year, actual degree offerings are 

subject to enrollment interests and faculty availability.

Evening Cohort Format

The evening MSSI and MSTI formats involve the completion of master’s level coursework and 

a thesis in two years, attending evening classes. Students are registered for two classes per 

quarter, completing core requirements in the first year. Electives and a thesis are completed 

during the second academic year. 

Monthly Executive Format 

The Monthly Executive format (formerly known as the Reserve and Monthly Executive Format) 

allows MSSI and MSTI students to complete their coursework and theses in two years. Typically 

scheduled for one weekend per month, classes meet on select Saturday and Sundays throughout the year. Students enrolled in the executive format are also given the option to attend a 

two-week intensive/in-residence period each summer. Although most students can complete 

all program requirements without participating in the two-week summer session, doing so will 

extend the academic quarters needed to complete all coursework. The student body of this 

highly competitive program includes active duty, reserve military, and IC civilians. Students are 

instructed by NIU military reserve faculty members, full-time and adjunct faculty. 
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Academic Opportunities

Student Research Funding

The University invites both full and part-time students, enrolled in the master’s degree programs to compete for research funding. Funds support offsite research outside the Washington, DC, area or attendance at conferences related to an approved thesis topic. 

Students in either the Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence (MSSI) program or the Master 

of Science and Technology Intelligence (MSTI) program, who have successfully completed MCR 

701, Thesis Methodology and Design, and remain in good academic standing, are eligible to 

compete in this highly competitive opportunity. Full-time students are eligible during their year 

of residency. Part-time students are eligible when they have completed the core and elective 

requirements. Offsite research allows students to obtain firsthand, primary documentation to 

support their theses. Over the years, students who have taken advantage of research funding 

have produced many award-winning theses. Additional information is available through the Office of the Dean of each program. 

Joint Professional Military Education Studies Program

NIU is accredited to grant JPME Phase I credit to selected, qualified students enrolled in a 

full-time master’s degree program. Students are notified of their selection during new student 

orientation. Interested students may contact the JPME Program Director for further details. 

In addition to the core curriculum for the MSSI and MSTI, JPME students must take designated 

JPME courses to receive Phase I JPME credit. Students are not authorized to self-select for the 

JPME program.

U.S. Army Professor of Strategic Intelligence Program

Selected Army officers can compete for centrally selected Ph.D. programs, after which the officers become faculty members at NIU. These officers should have roughly 15 years of service, 

already have an applicable graduate degree, and suitable experience in the required field. 

Selected officers use an advanced civil schooling Ph.D. allocation, which includes a three-year 

university residency (Phase I) before arrival at NIU and two additional years (Phase II) to complete dissertation requirements after arrival. Selected officers serve in an Army Educational 

Requirements System (AERS) utilization (98) assignment with a six-year term as NIU faculty. 

Promotions for officers appointed to this program are in accordance with Army personnel policy.
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NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNIVERSITY • 2019–2020 COURSE CATALOG

Academic Opportunities

Assessment of Academic Programs

NIU’s Academic Assessment Policy includes an ongoing process for measuring effectiveness 

for quality improvement to ensure students receive the knowledge, skills, and competencies 

upon completion of each course or institutional program. This process includes a documented 

annual academic assessment plan, quarterly status reports, and the incorporation of these assessment findings into academic program reviews, accreditation reports, stakeholder reviews, 

and NIU’s long-term assessment plan. 

Electronic Learning and Assessment

The University uses Blackboard Learning Management and Community Management Systems 

(Blackboard) to allow students and faculty to access information and instructional resources 

through the Internet. Through Blackboard, each faculty member has a virtual classroom with 

a syllabus, lecture and presentation materials, and the ability to design and add course materials, such as additional readings, updated information, and multimedia presentations. Each 

class has its own file exchange area and discussion board to further virtual collaboration. The 

Blackboard portal also provides access to library resources, including the online catalog, electronic databases, and journals. All students use Blackboard to access instructional materials 

and support services remotely. 

NIU Academic Centers

While the NIU main campus serves students, faculty, and research fellows within the National 

Capital Region, NIU also serves globally dispersed IC and national security personnel. To effectively meet its mandate to provide relevant, accessible, and continuous intelligence education 

to this globally dispersed workforce, NIU established regional academic centers with areaspecific graduate programs. 

Each academic center is managed by an on-site NIU program director and offers courses 

taught by full-time and adjunct NIU faculty. To further maximize the accessibility of these programs, the academic centers utilize distance education nodes where students can participate 

via secure video teleconference.

• NIU Academic Center at Ft. Meade

Located on the NSA campus on Ft. Meade, MD, with a node at Fort Gordon, Georgia.

• NIU European Academic Center

Located in the Joint Analysis Center, Royal Air Force Molesworth, United Kingdom, with 

nodes at Ramstein Air Base in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany and U.S. European 

Command Headquarters, Stuttgart, Germany.
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• NIU Southern Academic Center

Located at the Regional Joint Intelligence Training and Education Facility at MacDill Air 

Force Base, Florida, with nodes at the U.S. Southern Command in Miami, FL, and at Fort 

Bragg, NC. 

• NIU Quantico Academic Center

Located at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. 

Registration and Credit Hours

Degree Status

Students admitted into NIU programs must satisfy all degree requirements, as stated in the 

course catalog at time of enrollment. 

Non-Degree Status

Non-degree-seeking students may enroll in courses. Enrollment is based on eligibility criteria 

and availability of space in courses. A student cannot graduate or receive a degree in nondegree status. Non-degree-seeking students must meet the same academic standards as 

degree-seeking students.

Assignment of Credit Hours

The University operates on the quarter system. Credits are based on the quarter hour. The 

standard graduate, undergraduate, or CE (certificate) course at NIU carries a 3-credit weight 

based on students achieving 1,600 minutes of instruction, excluding the final examination, 

each quarter. In accordance with federal standards and academic best practices, each credit 

hour carries the expectation of an approximate 1:2 ratio of time spent in any form of classroom, 

laboratory, field, or other instruction to time spent in any form of individual study, preparation, 

and completion of coursework outside of formal instruction. 

Certain courses that involve original research projects carry a different number of credits:

• The Capstone completion (CAC 404) carries 12 credit hours; students meet for 5,600 

minutes during the quarter, plus outside preparation. 

• The Thesis Proposal (MCR 702) carries 2 credit hours. Students work one-on-one with 

a thesis chair to develop a thesis proposal to guide their research. 

• Thesis Research (MCR 703) and Thesis Completion (MCR 704) carry 1 credit each. 

These courses represent the final research and writing of the graduate thesis. Students 

meet one-on-one with their committee as appropriate.

Academic Opportunities
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NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNIVERSITY • 2019–2020 COURSE CATALOG

Academic Opportunities

Students must successfully complete a minimum number of credits based on their academic 

program:

• The MSSI and the MSTI programs require students to earn 43 credits. 

• The BSI is a degree-completion program; therefore, students are required to:

• Transfer in 120 quarter (80 semester) hours of work.

• Complete 57 upper-division credits while at NIU.

Academic Load

Full-time resident students generally take 12-15 credits per quarter during the Fall, Winer, and 

Spring Terms. Part-time cohort students enroll in generally 6 credits per quarter. Changes to 

this academic load must be approved by the program’s Dean.
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Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence 

Students in the MSSI program must conduct original research, display critical and creative 

thinking, and present their ideas through effective oral and written exercises, including a graduate thesis. They must demonstrate independent learning and skill in research and reasoning, 

information retrieval, and source evaluation and must formulate conclusions despite informational ambiguities.

MSSI Degree Requirements

The MSSI degree program consists of 43 quarter credit hours, including:

• Four NIU core courses (12 credit hours).

• One degree requirement course (3 credit hours).

• Four concentration courses (12 credit hours). 

• Three electives (9 credit hours).

• Four thesis courses (7 credit hours).

Required Core Courses (12 credit hours) All NIU master’s students must take NIU core 

courses.

MCR 607 Intelligence Reasoning and Analysis

MCR 608 Leadership and Management in the Intelligence Community

MCR 609 Intelligence Collection

MCR 611 Intelligence and National Security Policy

MSSI Degree Program Requirement (3 credit hours) All MSSI students take one MSSI specific 

degree requirement.

MSI 601 Analyzing the Global Strategic Environment

MSSI Concentration Requirements (12 credit hours) All MSSI students take the required 

courses within their selected concentration. 

Electives (9 credit hours) Students select three additional elective courses

Thesis (7 credit hours)

MCR 701 Thesis Methodology and Design (3 credits)

MCR 702 Thesis Proposal (2 credits)

MCR 703 Thesis Research (1 credit)

MCR 704 Thesis Completion (1 credit)

Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence 
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NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNIVERSITY • 2019–2020 COURSE CATALOG

MSSI Degree Learning Outcomes

MSSI graduates:

• Understand, analyze, and evaluate the global security environment facing U.S. national 

security policymakers.

• Understand the role and responsibility of the IC in national security strategy development and implementation.

• Describe, apply, and evaluate the full range of strategic capabilities and constraints of 

the IC.

• Demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills in identifying, analyzing, and assessing 

national security threats and opportunities.

• Apply sound principles of leadership and management to national security and intelligence challenges.

• Understand and demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively and operate collaboratively in a joint and interagency environment.

MSSI Concentrations 

Broader Middle East Concentration

The Broader Middle East concentration emphasizes advanced, strategic-level knowledge of the 

diverse and complex broader Middle East, from Morocco to Afghanistan, preparing students to 

critically identify, analyze, and forecast current and emerging security and intelligence issues 

within that region and its nations.

This program establishes an understanding of the historic context and strategic security environment within the Broader Middle East, social structures (including economic and political 

power structures), cultures, ideologies, movements, and the related conflicts within the broader 

region, including deep analysis of the multiple facets of Islamic religious ideology which directly 

affect regional governance and security.

Students are able to understand and predict the future trajectory of the various strategic level 

security and intelligence issues within the countries of the region and identify strategic U.S. opportunities to contain or counter them. To this purpose, students research all source information and produce segments of strategic intelligence estimates for selected trans-regional and 

state-level security issues. In addition to other degree requirements students admitted to this 

concentration take the following four courses (12 credit hours):

RSI 651 Broader Middle East Strategic Security and Intelligence Environment

RSI 652 Iran: Strategic Security and Intelligence Issues

RSI 653 The Near East: Strategic Security and Intelligence Issues

MSI 698K Arabian Peninsula and North Africa: Strategic Security and Intelligence Issues

Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence 
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For their thesis research requirement, students focus on a strategic-level intelligence issue 

within the broader Middle East that is influencing or will influence the region, its sub-regions, 

or individual states.

Broader Middle East Concentration Learning Outcomes

• Evaluate U.S. strategic concerns and intelligence issues in the Middle East and apply a 

conceptual framework.

• Understand and apply the specific factors shaping security and stability in the Middle 

East Region.

• Synthesize information and evaluate the threat of extremist movements, conflict, and 

other destabilizing societal structures and estimate their future trends, trajectories, and 

outcomes, while assessing the strategic intelligence affecting the U.S.

China Concentration

The China concentration emphasizes strategic-level knowledge of this diverse and dynamic 

country, preparing students to critically identify, analyze, and forecast current and emerging 

intelligence and security concerns facing the IC in the Indo-Pacific region and globally. The program provides students with a multi-disciplinary approach for researching and evaluating the 

drivers, objectives, strategies, and activities associated with China’s political, social, economic, 

security, military, and informational behavior. Particular focus is on assessing the opportunities 

and constraints of China’s comprehensive modernization and the effects and trajectories of its 

re-emergence as a great power, both regionally and globally. Students choose a topic and collaborate with faculty to research and produce future-oriented intelligence and national security 

studies. 

The concentration focuses on the internal, external, and informational characteristics and 

causal variables influencing China’s governance, domestic stability, diplomacy, and approaches 

to regional security challenges. Internal variables include domestic economic reforms, internal 

security and social stability challenges, leadership perceptions and governance issues, military modernization, and national strategies for comprehensive development. Students analyze 

external variables to evaluate the conditions, causes, effects, and likely future outcomes for a 

range of priority intelligence issues, including bilateral and multilateral state-to-state relations 

and foreign policies; economics, trade, and finance; regional and international institutions; 

transnational security issues; and military strategies, modernization, and operations. Particular emphasis is on the informational and operational characteristics and effects of China’s 

intelligence activities, cyber and information warfare, strategic influence, and other forms of 

soft power throughout the region and globally. 

In addition to the other degree requirements, the China concentration includes the following 

courses (12 credit hours):

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RSI 610 Introduction to China Intelligence Studies

RSI 611 China’s National Strategies and Foreign Policy

RSI 612 China’s Military Capabilities and Strategies

RSI 613 Chinese Intelligence and Information Warfare

China Concentration Learning Outcomes

• Understand, analyze and evaluate the dynamics of China’s historical, current, and evolving internal socio-economic development, political and legal systems, economic initiatives and reforms, domestic stability and internal security, and security strategies and 

modernization.

• Evaluate, synthesize, and forecast China’s evolving regional and global aspirations and 

behaviors for foreign policy, trade and finance, regional and multilateral organizations, 

transnational security issues, and regional disputes.

• Recognize, analyze and appraise China’s domestic and International activities in the information domain to include intelligence, counterintelligence, information warfare, and 

persuasion and strategic influence.

Collection and Analysis Concentration

Students apply advanced analytic methodologies to examine theoretical and real-world intelligence collection and analysis priorities while examining the structures and challenges of the 

IC, with the goal of providing future-oriented intelligence to strategic decision makers.

Students select a collection and/or analysis topic for their graduate thesis and collaborate with 

faculty to select electives that optimally prepare them to produce a relevant body of research.

In addition to the other degree requirements, the Collection and Analysis concentration includes the following courses (12 credit hours):

CAC 601 Advancing Intelligence Collection

CAC 602 Advanced Methods of Intelligence Analysis

CAC 610 Applied Collection and Analysis for Strategic Warning

CAC 621 Comparative Intelligence

Collection and Analysis Concentration Learning Outcomes

• MSSI students in the Collection and Analysis Concentration evaluate and dissect national-level intelligence priorities to identify component elements of information and 

knowledge gaps against which collection and analysis efforts are employed.

• Evaluate the intelligence capabilities and activities of foreign powers to understand how 

they both operate and seek to thwart our efforts to anticipate and discern their intended actions.

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• Understand and critique:

• The practical strengths and limitations of the various collection disciplines and their 

interaction with one another.

• The allocation of limited collection resources and capabilities.

• The interagency structure for tasking, collection, processing, and exploitation of 

intelligence data.

• Understand and apply various research and analysis methodologies to theoretical and 

real-world intelligence priorities.

• Develop and apply a holistic and complementary collection, analysis, and CI strategy to 

further the IC’s understanding of a specific strategic warning problem set.

Counterintelligence Concentration

The CI concentration prepares students to critically evaluate the efforts of U.S. CI agencies to 

mitigate the FIS threat to the United States. The courses examine the U.S. CI effort from a strategic perspective, including the role of CI in relation to the larger IC, law enforcement, and U.S. 

national security strategy. The courses also address the organization and mission of the U.S. CI 

organizations, as well as the legal, civil liberties, and policy considerations that shape and constrain the CI effort in a democratic society. Students gain an understanding of various aspects 

of the foreign intelligence threat, including espionage, influence operations, economic espionage, and cyber intrusions. The courses also explore criticism of the U.S. CI effort, alternative 

theoretical approaches to CI, and the future of CI in a globalized information environment.

Students choose a CI topic for their graduate theses and collaborate with faculty to select 

specific elective courses that optimally prepare them to produce a relevant body of research 

related to CI.

In addition to the other degree requirements, the CI concentration includes the following program courses (12 credit hours):

CAC 620 Counterintelligence

CAC 621 Comparative Intelligence

RSI 613 Chinese Intelligence and Information Operations 

RSI 636 Russian Intelligence

Counterintelligence Concentration Learning Outcomes

• Consider the political, legal, social, and economic factors that have shaped the evolution of the U.S. approach to CI.

• Evaluate U.S. CI policy, strategies, organizations, functions, and missions.

• Appraise the foreign intelligence threat to the United States.

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• Consider the political, legal, social, and economic factors that have shaped selected 

foreign intelligence communities.

Eurasia Concentration

The Eurasia concentration emphasizes strategic-level knowledge of this dynamic, geographically broad, politically and culturally diverse region and prepares students to identify, analyze, 

and forecast the IC’s current and emerging intelligence and security concerns and policies 

toward both regional allies and potential adversaries.

The concentration provides students with a multidisciplinary approach for researching and 

evaluating the drivers, objectives, strategies, and activities associated with Eurasian questions. It addresses political, socio-cultural, economic, demographic, security, military, conflict, 

and informational issues for this region of more than 50 countries with a population of 750 

million. The program focuses on assessing the drivers and outcomes of Russia’s authoritarian 

assertiveness; European Union (EU) integration; migration, economic and energy production 

and interdependence; radicalization and terrorism issues; and Europe’s and Russia’s external 

security and economic policies and engagement. Students choose thesis topics and collaborate with faculty to formulate a specific academic sequence of selective and elective courses 

that prepare them to produce future-oriented, relevant intelligence assessments.

The concentration focuses on the internal, external, and informational characteristics and 

causal variables influencing domestic stability, regional disputes and behaviors, and other key 

regional activities of Eurasian states, societies, and multilateral institutions. 

Internal variables include domestic economic activity and challenges; internal security and 

stability challenges; issues of leadership and governance (both national and supra-national); 

territorial and resource disputes; leadership aims and views; military capabilities, actions and 

preparedness; and overall national strategies for socio-economic advancement, power projection, and security. 

External variables and drivers are analyzed to evaluate the conditions, causes, effects, and 

plausible future outcomes for a variety of intelligence issues and concerns. These include bilateral and multilateral state-to-state relations and foreign policies; the condition and outlook for 

the EU, NATO, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the Eurasian 

Union; economics, finance, budgets, and trade; transnational security issues and threats; demographic and migration trends and challenges; and military strategies, capabilities, modernization and reform, and operations. The program places particular emphasis on partner and 

hostile intelligence activities and prowess, cyber and information operations, strategic influence, and other applications of soft power across the region and globally.

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In addition to the other degree requirements, the Europe/Eurasia concentration includes the 

following courses (12 credit hours):

RSI 632 Russia: Geostrategic Intelligence Issues

RSI 635 The Near Abroad

RSI 637 Russian Foreign Policy

Choose one of the following:

RSI 633 Central Asia: Geostrategic Intelligence Issues

RSI 636 Russian Intelligence

The Eurasia Concentration Learning Outcomes

• Evaluate the expert theoretical and applied research literature examining the dynamics 

of Eurasia’s evolving internal socio-economic development, national and supra-national 

governance, financial and economic performance and challenges, and domestic stability and internal security.

• Evaluate Russia’s military and information strategy, modernization, and operations.

• Analyze Russia’s evolving regional and global aspirations, behaviors, and assertiveness, 

including in foreign policy, trade and finance, regional and other multilateral organizations, transnational security issues, and confronting or causing regional disputes.

• Assess threats and opportunities for the United States vis-à-vis the actions and intents 

of Russia and the former Soviet republics in the key issues of governance, economic 

and infrastructure development, foreign and security policy, domestic political and security conditions, and resource management.

Intelligence Community Enterprise and Leadership Department

The IC Leadership and Management (L&M) concentration seeks to educate intelligence professionals on the skills and competencies necessary to lead an effective, adaptive, and agile IC. 

The concentration provides students with an opportunity to explore and apply leadership and 

management principles to current and future IC challenges through theoretical and real-world 

examples. Students are exposed to national security law, budget and resource management, 

intelligence and leadership ethics, strategic decision analytics, and specific leadership roles 

and methods to effectively support senior policymakers. 

Students choose a leadership and management topic for their graduate thesis and collaborate 

with faculty to select elective courses that prepare them to produce research that contributes 

to the growing body of work focused on the IC.

In addition to the other degree requirements, the IC Leadership and Management concentration includes the following courses (12 credit hours):

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INT 602 Strategic Decision Analytics and Methods

INT 603 Intelligence Resource Management: Process, Politics, and Money

INT 604 Professional Ethics

INT 605 Intelligence and National Security Law

IC Leadership and Management Learning Outcomes

MSSI students in the L&M Concentration learn to:

• Evaluate strategic leadership and management principles in leading and adaptive intelligence enterprise.

• Evaluate legal and ethical frameworks and challenges for IC leaders.

• Analyze evidence-based decisions against IC resources and priorities.

Strategic Intelligence in Special Operations (SISO) Concentration 

Special Operations (SOF) play an important role in U.S. national security strategy, interagency 

activities, and military operations. Moreover, there is a strong mutually supporting symbiotic 

and unique relationship between SOF and the Intelligence Community. The SISO concentration 

prepares students to critically examine and evaluate SOF operations and intelligence activities 

that support those operations and intelligence activities that support those operations with the 

aim of providing national security decision-makers more effective strategic options across a 

wide spectrum of conflict within today’s complex global environment. Students who select the 

SISO concentration will choose a SOF/Intel related topic for their graduate theses. Research 

focuses on Intelligence at the National-Strategic level, with faculty collaboration to select elective courses that optimally prepare them to produce a relevant body of research on strategic 

intelligence and special operations. 

In addition to the other degree requirements, the SISO concentration includes the following 

courses (12 credit hours overall):

Three required courses (9 credit hours)

INT 606 Covert Action

TRN 607 Transnational Challenges

MSI 698G Intelligence and Special Operations

One selective course from the following list (3 credit hours)

DEF 621 Asymmetric Warfare

DEF 622 Peacekeeping and Stability Operations

RSI 661 Social Analysis

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TRN 603 Roots of Terrorism

TRN 605 The Dynamics of Countering Terrorism

TRN 612 Engaging International Partnerships

Strategic Intelligence in Special Operations (SISO) Concentration Learning 

Outcomes

• Apply analytical frameworks by which to evaluate emerging transnational and conventional threat capabilities and strategies within the environment of special operations.

• Evaluate the unique capabilities of SOF intelligence and sensitive operational activities 

and how they network within the wider IC.

• Analyze and evaluate how covert action tools and techniques can be incorporated within broader national security strategies and evaluate measures to assess their effectiveness.

• Synthesize key aspects of Special Operations-unique capability with national intelligence means to propose complex problem solutions to senior level decision makers. 

Terrorism Concentration

The Terrorism Concentration seeks to educate intelligence professionals on the full lifecycle of 

terrorist activities, from their political, military, social, and cultural origins, to their manifestations as individual terrorists, organized groups, and aspiring states. Students engage with a 

wide spectrum of transnational issues that inform the emergence and growth of global terrorist groups, especially those threatening the United States and its interests. Students transition 

throughout the Program from a primarily RED paradigm of studying terrorist adversaries, to a 

BLUE paradigm of assessing strength and weaknesses of the U.S. response to terrorist threats. 

In addition to the other degree requirements, the Terrorism concentration includes the following courses (12 credit hours):

DEF 601 National Strategy: Theory and Intelligence Considerations

TRN 603 Roots of Terrorism

TRN 605 The Dynamics of Countering Terrorism

TRN 607 Transnational Challenges

For their thesis research requirement, students focus on a terrorism-related issue, which may 

include any topic related to transnational issues bearing on terrorism or addressing the U.S. 

response to terrorist threats.

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Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence 

Terrorism Concentration Learning Outcomes

• Recognize and define the root causes of terrorism and the fundamental operating principles of terrorist movements and groups.

• Demonstrate how terrorist organizations are able to achieve their ends through the 

effects of lethal force as they operate in the physical, cognitive, and moral domains of 

warfare.

• Analyze the complex interactions between domestic and international issues, including 

evaluation of the role of adversary states in sponsoring or permitting non-state and nongovernmental actors to plan or execute attacks against U.S. and allied state targets.

• Apply cross-discipline theoretical frameworks to evaluate how political, economic, demographic, and cultural pressures combine to create transnational terrorist groups.

The MSSI Thesis

The MSSI thesis is a written presentation of original research that examines a strategic intelligence or intelligence-related topic and contributes to the overall body of knowledge of the IC. 

All students research and write their theses under the close guidance of a thesis chair and a 

reader. Based on their concentrations or programs of study, students choose topics for their 

graduate theses and collaborate with faculty to select specific elective courses that optimally 

prepare them to produce a relevant body of research related to their selected concentrations 

or programs. 

In MCR 701, each degree candidate is required to form a committee and select an intelligence 

topic for development of a thesis.

In MCR 702, each student, in consultation with their committee, develops and obtains approval 

of the thesis proposal. To register for MCR 702, the student must submit the top half of the 

Thesis Committee and Proposal Approval (T-1) Form to the Enrollments Office. The T-1 form is 

located on Blackboard.

In MCR 703, students conduct research on their approved thesis topics. To register for MCR 

703, the student must submit the Thesis Committee and Proposal Approval (T-1) Form with 

their Associate Dean’s signature to the Enrollments Office.

MCR 704 is the course in which students finalize their theses. An expanded discussion of student thesis requirements can be found on Blackboard under the Thesis Support tab.
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College of Strategic Intelligence: Certificates of 

Intelligence Studies

The CIS program allows non-degree seeking students the opportunity for an in-depth, graduate-level study of intelligence topics. CIS programs are conducted at designated offsite locations and at the ICC-B. Interested students or agencies may coordinate offerings, locations, 

and timing of the specific certificates with NIU. Certificate programs may not be offered every 

year, and availability is subject to enrollment, space availability, faculty availability, and other 

NIU commitments and priorities. 

Students interested in applying for a CIS program must possess an undergraduate degree. Students already enrolled in an NIU graduate degree program may take CIS courses as individual 

electives but may not earn the graduate certificate. CIS students who do not earn a certificate 

but subsequently matriculate to an NIU graduate program can apply to transfer a maximum of 

six credits toward their NIU master’s degree. 

MSSI students may not use CIS courses to simultaneously satisfy both elective and CIS requirements. MSSI students who wish to earn a certificate while enrolled in the MSSI program 

should contact their track advisers to schedule the number and type of courses required. 

China: Intelligence Concerns Certificate

RSI 610 Introduction to China Intelligence Studies

RSI 611 China’s National Strategy and Foreign Policy

RSI 612 China’s Military Capabilities and Strategy

RSI 613 Chinese Intelligence and Information Warfare

Counterintelligence Certificate

CAC 621 Comparative Intelligence

CAC 620 Counterintelligence

RSI 613 China’s Intelligence and Information Warfare

RSI 636 Russian Intelligence

Eurasia Certificate

RSI 632 Russia: Geostrategic Intelligence Issues

RSI 635 The Near Abroad

RSI 637 Russian Foreign Policy

Choose one of the following

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RSI 633 Central Asia: Geostrategic Intelligence Issues

RSI 636 Russian Intelligence

Homeland Intelligence Certificate

TRN 609 Intelligence to Protect the Homeland

TRN 605 Dynamics of Countering Terrorism

TRN 614 Homeland Intelligence Warning Field Engagement

MST 658 Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessment

Leadership and Management in the IC Certificate

MSI 501 Leadership and Intelligence

MSI 502 Leadership, Intelligence, and National Security Decision-making

MSI 503 National Security Law and Ethics

MSI 504 Organizational Management and Change

Strategic Intelligence in Special Operations Certificate 

INT 606 Covert Action

TRN 607 Transnational Challenges

MSI 698G Intelligence and Special Operations

Choose one of the following

DEF 621 Asymmetric Warfare

DEF 622 Peacekeeping and Stability Operations

RSI 661 Social Analysis

TRN 603 Roots of Terrorism

TRN 605 The Dynamics of Countering Terrorism

TRN 612 Engaging International Partnerships 

CIS in Leadership and Management in The Intelligence 

Community

This certificate program provides IC professionals with an educational experience in a collaborative interagency environment that furthers knowledge and use of leadership theory and 

practice, organizational management skills, national security law and ethics, and the role of 

intelligence in national security policy formulation. Designed for intelligence professionals of 

all job series and backgrounds with at least 10 years of experience, the program integrates 

education and information sharing, while participants in this four-course program explore and 

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analyze real-world intelligence challenges and use tools immediately applicable to their daily 

environment. 

The courses are completed in series during a single academic year. Ultimately, participants 

graduate better positioned to serve as future leaders of a more adaptive and agile IC. Courses 

in the certificate program are balanced to ensure student representation from across the IC.

Students in this certificate program comprehend the complexities involved in leading and problem solving within the IC. They analyze IC challenges that cross organizational lines and study 

optimal interagency decision-making and information sharing. They also develop realistic and 

feasible solutions based on applying leadership principles, best practices, bureaucratic skills, 

and legal/ethical considerations.

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Bachelor of Science in Intelligence

The Bachelor of Science in Intelligence (BSI) is a bachelor’s degree completion program that 

allows students, who have completed three years of equivalent credits (80 semester hours 

minimum) of undergraduate study, to earn their undergraduate degree in intelligence. The BSI 

is designed to encourage intellectual inquiry, and the development of responsible graduates 

who dedicate themselves to improving the IC.

At the conclusion of the program, students are required to submit a capstone project demonstrating critical thinking, innovation, and analytical problem solving in a collaborative environment. 

Bachelor of Science in Intelligence Program

Students must complete 57 credit hours to successful earn the BSI degree. 

• Eight NIU core courses (24 credit hours).

• One program elective course to support the Capstone (3 credit hours).

• Five electives, one of which must be a regional studies course (15 credit hours).

• The Capstone preparatory and completion courses (15 credit hours). 

Fall Quarter (15 credits)

BCR 401 Globalization and the Intelligence Landscape

BCR 407 Intelligence Analysis

BCR 409 Collection Assets and Capabilities

BCR 411 Intelligence and National Security Strategy

CAP 401 Capstone Research and Design

Winter Quarter (15 credits)

BCR 405 Analytic Methods

BCR 413 Science, Technology, and Intelligence

Program Elective* This elective directly relates to the Capstone Project

Elective

Elective

Spring Quarter (15 credits)

BCR 403 International Political Economy

BCR 415 Analyst-Collector Integration
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Elective

Elective

Elective

Summer Quarter (12 credits)

CAP 404 Capstone Completion

Elective Courses

CAC 420 Counterintelligence

DEF 422 Intelligence: Building Stability and Peace

DEF 423 Intelligence and Special Operations

DEF 424 The Nature of Conflict and Conflict Capabilities

RSI 401 Africa: Intelligence Issues

RSI 421 South Asia: Intelligence Issues

RSI 422 East Asia: Intelligence Issues

RSI 431 Eurasia: Intelligence Issues

RSI 432 Europe: Intelligence Issues

RSI 441 Latin America: Intelligence Issues

RSI 451 Middle East: Intelligence Issues

RSI 461 Culture and Identity in an Age of Globalization

STI 460 Introduction to Denial and Deception

STI 463 Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

STI 480 Information Operations

STI 482 Cyber Strategy

TRN 403 Terrorism: Origins and Methodologies

TRN 407 Transnational Threats

TRN 408 Drug Intelligence

TRN 409 Homeland Security and Intelligence

BSI 498 Special Topics

BSI 499 Directed Readings

BSI students have the option to take one graduate course in the MSSI or MSTI program on a 

space-available basis in lieu of one BSI elective course in the spring quarter.

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BSI Degree Program Learning Outcomes

Our graduates will advance the nation’s intelligence enterprise through:

• Assessing the global and regional security environment facing U.S. national security 

policymakers.

• Evaluating the full range of strategic capabilities and limitations of the U.S. intelligence 

enterprise.

• Understanding how science and technology intelligence informs national security decision making.

• Synthesizing research, intelligence collection, and analytic methods to address a strategic intelligence topic.

Bachelor of Science in Intelligence Concentration Designation

Bachelor of Science in Intelligence (BSI) students who complete the BSI program earn a degree 

concentration in a regional or functional area of study that is the focus of the academic year’s 

Capstone Project. 

A concentration is a collection of courses based on a specific strategic intelligence discipline or 

specific area of study. BSI students must complete the following to earn a concentration designation. Successful completion of a concentration designation will be reflected on a student’s 

official transcript. 

• 15 credit hours toward a specific regional or functional area.

• 12 credit hours BSI Capstone Project (CAP 404) 

• 3-credit hour course, designated by the BSI Program Director, to prepare the students 

for the BSI Capstone Project’s focus area. 

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Master of Science and Technology Intelligence 

The MSTI degree curriculum integrates S&T intelligence competencies, knowledge, skills, and 

abilities for S&TI officers with the academic mission of the University. Students in the degree 

program take core courses designed to introduce them to the strategic nature of the intelligence environment. Then, students can choose a self-designed course of study to focus their 

education on issues directly related to national intelligence priorities. Students can also take 

a more generalist approach and take a variety of elective courses from MSTI concentrations.

Students in the MSTI program must write and present their ideas effectively; learn independently; use appropriate and advanced analytic tools; retrieve information and evaluate sources; 

and develop critical and independent thinking, tolerating complexities, and ambiguities.

MSTI Degree Requirements

The MSTI degree program offers two approaches:

• A focus on SSTI elective courses in one of four concentrations for in-depth knowledge 

that will be identified on the student’s transcript.

• A general program that exposes students to in the diversity of the S&TI world.

All MSTI students must successfully complete the following:

Required Core Courses (12 Credits)

MCR 607 Intelligence Reasoning and Analysis

MCR 608 Leadership and Management in the Intelligence Community

MCR 609 Intelligence Collection

MCR 611 Intelligence and National Security Policy

Program Requirements (3 Credits)

MST 613 Science and Technology Intelligence

Thesis Courses (7 Credits)

MCR 701 Thesis Methodology and Design (3 credits)

MCR 702 Thesis Proposal (2 credits)

MCR 703 Thesis Research (1 credit)

MCR 704 Thesis Completion (1 credit)

Electives and Concentrations (21 Credits)
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Anthony G. Oettinger School of Science and Technology Intelligence Learning Outcomes

Our graduates will advance the nation’s intelligence enterprise through:

• Understanding how world issues and the U.S. national security community are influenced by science and technology.

• Analyzing specific science and technology areas to either evaluate associated threats or 

the potential to enhance U.S. intelligence capabilities. 

• Conducting academic research on science and technology topics of interest to the IC 

and providing outputs to appropriate customers and stakeholders.

• Informing decisions on science and technology topics within the U.S. national security 

and intelligence communities.

Anthony G. Oettinger School of Science and Technology Intelligence 

Concentrations

Students desiring a broad S&TI education may take their four electives from any of the SSTI 

concentrations, but they will not receive a concentration annotation on their transcript. The 

final three electives (9 credits) may be taken from any University program. 

Students desiring a more in-depth S&TI education into a particular area of study may select 

their four electives (12 credits) all from within one of the SSTI concentrations, and they earn a 

concentration annotation on their transcripts. Students can also pursue dual concentrations, 

and they earn dual concentration annotations on their transcripts. Dual concentrations probably require that the final three electives (9 credits) and one more elective be taken from the 

concentration programs. Some courses are dual-listed across concentrations. 

Weapons of Mass Destruction Concentration

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) are one of the highest concern threats for the Intelligence Community. WMD issues include chemical, biological, radiological and high-yield explosive (CRBN-E) threats, their delivery systems (missiles and space), and closely related technological and emerging threats from state, and non-state actors. The WMD concentration covers 

a wide range of technological issues, and identifying and addressing these threats poses a 

major challenge to the IC. This concentration addresses the systematic collection and analytical challenges associated with the full spectrum of WMD technology, processes, capabilities, 

delivery methods and intelligence issues. Students should discuss their elective choices with 

their concentration Department Chair, Program Director, or Track Adviser.

MST 655 Advanced Conventional and Non-Conventional Weapons

MST 661 WMD Terrorism

Master of Science Technology Intelligence (MSTI)
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MST 663 WMD: Non-proliferation/ Counter-proliferation

MST 665 The Biological Threat

MST 667 The Nuclear Threat

MST 669 The Chemical and Energetics Threat

MST 671 S&TI Space and Missile Systems

WMD Concentration Learning Outcomes:

• Identify different types of weapons of mass destruction and their method of development and employment. 

• Examine WMD technologies, intelligence indicators, and collection challenges.

• Analyze the different factors that affect adversarial WMD capabilities, intent, doctrine, 

use, and the competing global or regional efforts that enable or counter these activities.

• Evaluate the nature of the WMD threat to the U.S. and its allies, and the role of the intelligence community in countering WMD.

Cyber Intelligence and Data Analytics Concentration

Cyber intelligence is information in the digital world: how it is used, manipulated, and understood. Information in large databases, complex structures, and massively obscured flows of 

data provide intelligence analysts with opportunities to detect and understand threats. The Cyber Intelligence and Data Analytics (CIDA) concentration educates students on the foundations 

and rapidly changing dynamics of the global information environment. Successful completion 

of four courses in the concentration prepares students to provide strategic intelligence support 

within cyber intelligence. Students should discuss their elective choices with their concentration Department Chair, Program Director, or Track Adviser.

MST 682 Cyber Intelligence

MST 683 Foreign Influence & Cyber Strategies

MST 684 Cyber Threat

MST 685 Social Networks and Intelligence

MST 686 Network Operations Environment—Engagement

MST 698O Data Science Applications

MST 698P Advanced Cyber Intelligence

MST 698R Data Science Mathematics

MST 698S Data Science Tools and Techniques

MST 698T Data Science Visualization & Communication

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CIDA Concentration Learning Outcomes:

• Assess the cyber threat environment in relation to strategic intelligence.

• Analyze cyber related science and technology and the impact on strategic intelligence.

• Examine intelligence community roles and responsibilities related to current and future 

cyber network operations environments. 

• Comprehend and appropriately apply various analytical methods to derive information 

from data.

Emerging Technologies and Geostrategic Resources Concentration

The coupled intelligence problems of evolving technology and resources must be grappled with 

to forestall strategic surprise. One of the most daunting challenges in strategic intelligence is 

to anticipate the progress of science and technology, compounded by the strategic importance 

of various resources and environmental forces. Estimating the potential of specific resources, 

theoretical sciences, emerging disciplines, and hypothetical capabilities to shape the future 

requires new approaches and broad awareness. Successful completion of four courses in the 

concentration prepares students to provide strategic intelligence support within other S&T intelligence disciplines, including cyber and WMD. Students should discuss their elective choices 

with their concentration Department Chair, Program Director, or Track Adviser.

MST 653 Advanced Science and Technology

MST 655 Advanced Conventional and Non-Conventional Weapons

MST 656 The Economics of Technology

MST 657 Case Studies in Technology Transfer

MST 658 Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessment

MST 665 The Biologic Threat

MST 672 Intelligence and the Changing Global Resource Environment 

MST 674 Identity Intelligence

MST 675 Electrical Power Systems and Distribution

ETGR Concentration Learning Outcomes:

• Analyze emerging technological trends and disruptive events and their implications, to 

include global or regional conditions and environments.

• Analyze market and economic based drivers for technological development and supplychain challenges.

• Evaluate the process for and execution of state and non-state research, development, 

and acquisition (RD&A) life cycles and the resources required to support, complement, 

or counter it.

The Master of Science and Technology Intelligence Thesis
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• Evaluate how environmental changes, geostrategic resources, power systems, access/

routes, supply chain, critical and rare materials, manufacturing, technology transfer, 

and other critical drivers may influence disruptive and emerging technologies.

Information and Influence Intelligence Concentration

The Information and Influence Intelligence (I3) Concentration educates students on the principles, foundations, threats, and dynamics of using information in the cognitive dimension of 

the information environment to shape the opinions, choices, and behaviors of others to gain 

an intelligence advantage. The Denial and Deception (D&D) component of the concentration 

addresses foreign programs that are designed to counter U.S. technological superiority or significantly affect U.S. national security interests. The Information Power component addresses 

intelligence-related issues and equities in the use of information to affect the understanding, 

will, and behavior of selected target audiences. The Identity Intelligence component addresses 

the attribution of actors by the Intelligence Enterprise. The overarching goal of the Concentration is to enable students to analyze, evaluate, and solve the IC’s current and emerging 

concerns regarding the use of information in the cognitive dimension of the information environment. Students should discuss their elective choices with their concentration Department 

Chair, Program Director, or Track Adviser. 

MST 660 Introduction to Denial and Deception: History, Concepts, Issues, and 

Implications

MST 662 Denial and Deception: Psychological/Cultural Aspects and National 

Security Decision-making

MST 664 Denial and Deception: Adversaries, Organizations, Activities, and 

Countermeasures

MST 668 Denial and Deception: Tradecraft, Tools, and Methodology

MST 674 Identity Intelligence

MST 680 Information Power

MST 681 Propaganda

MST 685 Social Media and Intelligence (Co-listed with Cyber Intelligence/

Data Analytics)

MST 687 Advanced Information Power Seminar

I3 Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the role of I3 in strategic intelligence.

• Understand foreign I3-related capabilities, methods, and intentions.

• Analyze adversarial I3 activities.

• Evaluate foreign I3 strategies, capabilities, methods, and activities.

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The Master of Science and Technology Intelligence 

Thesis

The MSTI thesis is a written presentation of original research, examining an S&TI topic that 

contributes to the overall knowledge base of the Intelligence Community. An acceptable thesis 

must:

• Be based on sound, valid, and clear argumentation. 

• Provide documentation sufficient for the research to be replicated. 

• Contribute to the body of intelligence literature. 

All students research and write their theses under the close guidance of a thesis chair and a 

reader. The classification of the thesis is determined by the research question, nature of the 

data, and sensitivity of the judgments and results.

• In MCR 701, all degree candidates are required to form a committee and select an intelligence topic for developing a thesis. 

• In MCR 702, thesis students develop and obtain approval of their thesis proposals in 

consultation with their committee. 

• In MCR 703, students conduct thesis research on their approved thesis topics. 

• In MCR 704, students complete and publish their theses. 

MSTI Students in the Joint Professional Military Education 

(JPME) Program

Students in the JPME program may elect to earn an MSTI degree by completing:

• MST 613 Science and Technology Intelligence (3 credits) in lieu of MSI 601 Analyzing 

the Global Strategic Environment

• MSI 629 Strategic Crisis Exercise (3 credits)

• Four MSTI electives (12 credits)

• MSI 615 National Strategy: Theory and Intelligence Considerations and MSI 621 Joint 

Campaign Planning and Intelligence (6 credits, required for all JPME students)

• An S&TI-focused thesis

If the electives are in a single SSTI concentration, students may also earn that concentration. 

Please see the JPME program director or Dean for further information.

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Anthony G. Oettinger School of Science and Technology 

Intelligence (SSTI) Graduate Certificate Program

Students seeking a S&TI graduate certificate in a particular area of study may select four electives (12 credits) all from within one of the SSTI concentrations listed. Once those four electives are completed, students must apply for a 1-credit MST certificate capstone assignment 

with the Certificate Director to meet the full requirements for the certificate. The electives are 

offered on a space availability basis from the existing course catalog. Students have up to two 

years from the start of their first course to complete all 13 credits and may request an extension from the Associate Dean. Because electives are offered on a space availability basis, 

courses can be taken during the day, in the evening, or on the weekend if available. Students 

should discuss their elective choices with the SSTI program director.

The four SSTI graduate certificates are, and share the same learning outcomes and elective 

offerings, as the degree concentrations:

• Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

• Cyber Intelligence and Data Analytics (CIDA)

• Emerging Technologies and Geostrategic Resources (ETGR) 

• Information and Influence Intelligence (I3)

And completion of:

MST 699A Graduate Certificate Capstone (1-credit)

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Course Descriptions

Master’s Core Courses

All master’s degree students are required to take the following courses.

MCR 607 Intelligence Reasoning and Analysis

This course focuses on the art and science of analysis and explores the 

concepts and processes of developing effective intelligence analysis. Students 

will explore the elements of logic, critical thinking, and argumentation as the 

fundamental components of assessing and estimating threats and opportunities in the national security environment. Students will also examine analytical 

concepts and practices with the goal of mitigating traditional analytic pitfalls 

and enhancing the accuracy of assessments. Throughout the course, students 

will explore the numerous organizational and ethical issues associated with 

improving intelligence analysis in today’s highly dynamic and increasingly 

complex environment.

MCR 608 Leadership and Management in the Intelligence Community

This course examines the practices and theories of leadership, then looks at 

the dynamics of organizational management and change to identify “best practices” that can be applied to the unique challenges and missions of the IC. 

The course examines corporate and governmental leadership as a process: the 

people who become leaders, the influence leaders wield in motivating followers, 

the psychology of organizations—including culture, structure, and communications—and the goals that give groups purpose. The course then examines 

corporate management: creating a vision, developing a strategy, implementing 

lasting change and transformation, and assessing risk and performance. The 

course endeavors to relate the best available theory and scholarship to the 

specific attributes of the IC in a unique interdepartmental government construct. 

This course concludes with an examination of how the IC can organize, prioritize, collaborate, and operate in a rapidly changing global environment.

MCR 609 Intelligence Collection

Collection includes a dynamic and integrated set of activities to acquire intelligence information needed to satisfy national intelligence requirements and is 

performed through five primary means: 

1. Human intelligence (HUMINT).

2. Signals intelligence (SIGINT).
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3. Geospatial intelligence (GEOINT).

4. Measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT).

5. Open-source intelligence (OSINT).

Collection must continuously produce the right data and information for successful and aggressive all-source analysis. This course analyzes HUMINT, SIGINT, 

GEOINT, MASINT, and OSINT collection disciplines to determine their structures, 

technologies, capabilities, and limitations, in the context of interacting with and 

providing evidence for analysts. Case studies drawn from classified intelligence 

literature provide the substantive backdrop for analyzing the capabilities and 

limitations of each collection discipline.

MCR 611 Intelligence and National Security Policy

Emerging trends that have manifested in the threats and opportunities of globalization have altered collective national interests and national security policy 

formulation. The country’s success in meeting the ever increasing asymmetric 

and transnational challenges depend on effective transformation, reorientation, and coordination of the IC to support the requirements of national security 

policy. This course examines national security policy formulation, the factors 

that influence and constrain policy choices, and the role of intelligence in this 

process. Changing intelligence relationships with policymakers continue to 

serve as benchmarks for national security engagement. Students analyze and 

evaluate the future political, cultural, and institutional changes facing the IC as 

it supports national policy.

Master’s Thesis Courses

The course requirements for the master’s degree thesis are described in the subsections that 

follow.

MCR 701 Thesis Methodology and Design

This course is designed to teach students the graduate-level, research skills they 

need to complete a MSSI or MSTI thesis on a topic related to U.S. intelligence 

and national security. The course will expose students to the fundamentals of 

research design and teach them how to identify a research problem, develop a 

research question, write a synthesized literature review, formulate hypotheses, 

utilize basic research methodologies, apply analytic frameworks, and describe 

the results of their research. Students will also learn about Human Subjects 

Research/Institutional Review Board Standards and procedure. During the 

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course, students will prepare and peer-review each other’s research designs 

and, as the final assignment, will complete a draft research proposal.

MCR 702 Thesis Proposal

Under the thesis chair’s guidance, the student develops their thesis proposal 

and completes his or her committee while beginning IRB approval and research. 

Proposals must be submitted for approval no later than the fifth week of the 

quarter and must be approved before students complete the course. (Prerequisite: completion of MCR 701 with a score of 80 or higher.) 

MCR 703 Thesis Research

Under the thesis chair’s guidance, the student produces a major portion of 

the draft thesis. The thesis chair works with the student to set the deliverables 

for the course. At a minimum, students must show continued progression in 

research and writing. (Prerequisite: completion of MCR 702 with a PASS.)

MCR 704 Thesis Completion

Under the guidance of the thesis chair and reader, the student completes the 

master’s thesis. (Prerequisite: completion of MCR 703 with a PASS.)

Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence

All MSSI students must successfully complete the MSSI program requirement, MSI 601.

MSI 601 Analyzing the Global Strategic Environment

To best understand how intelligence challenges, develop and evolve, it is critical to view the world from both a regional and country-specific level and as a 

global and international system of connected states. Many challenges facing 

intelligence professionals cross traditional sovereign state boundaries; this 

course prepares master’s degree students to examine the world at both a 

systemic level and as the traditional state-centric level. This course includes 

a solid grounding of major theoretical debates that influence national security 

strategies and national intelligence priorities, an examination of the existing 

state-centric system and its strengths and challenges, the role of regional and 

international organizations and how they both enable and constrain analysis 

and actions, and emerging issues and opportunities in the global strategic environment.

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College of Strategic Intelligence Electives

In addition to the courses required for the concentration, MSSI students are required to take 

three additional electives. Students should select these electives to support their thesis research, in coordination with their advisers.

Defense Intelligence Department

DEF 601 National Strategy: Theory and Intelligence Considerations

National-level policy and decision makers rely on strategy to guide their actions 

in the pursuit of policy objectives. Effective strategies rely on intelligence to 

develop the proper understanding of the environment and all relevant actors 

in it. Successful national strategies at the highest level also effectively use all 

means necessary and available to achieve the desired ends. Strategy formulation is a continuous process that evaluates the current situation and the means 

available to shape the future. This course examines the formulation of national 

strategy, the factors that influence and shape strategic choices, and the role of 

intelligence in strategy formulation. *

*This course is mandatory for students seeking JPME I credit.

DEF 602 Joint Campaign Planning and Intelligence

This course explores intelligence planning at the national strategic- and theaterlevel for joint military expeditionary operations within the context of the joint 

planning process and the Joint Operational Planning and Execution System 

(JOPES). It assesses the complex problem of supporting joint and combined 

organizations and command relationships. Students evaluate new and emerging tools for adaptive planning and intelligence campaign planning, both in 

rapid response and crisis modes, to gain a better appreciation of the role of 

intelligence in peacetime, crisis, and war. *

*This course is mandatory for students seeking JPME I credit.

DEF 603 Strategic Crisis Exercise

This course explores the application of intelligence to operational and strategic crisis planning. * Six weeks of classroom instruction prepares students to 

participate in exercises hosted by the Services’ war colleges, a CCMD and, or 

combat support agency. Students enhance the intelligence value of the exercise 

by role-playing in BLUE (friendly), RED (adversary), or WHITE (control) functions. 

Students are challenged by time-constrained decision-making as they evaluate 

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policy and strategy options, assess the effects of threats, resolve conflicting 

information, and develop and revise intelligence estimates in a rapidly evolving 

crisis situation. Simulations and gaming help students understand the challenges inherent in effective intelligence planning across a broad spectrum of 

scenarios: regional wars, military contingencies, homeland defense, humanitarian assistance, and peacekeeping operations. 

* This course is mandatory for students seeking JPME I credit.

DEF 604 Staff Ride

The Staff Ride Course integrates systematic preliminary study coupled with 

a site visit and student involvement to provide a synthesis of complex strategic thought and operational concepts. It effectively conveys the lessons of the 

past to present-day military leaders and illustrates the functions and factors of 

operational art. The two-hour in-class lecture and one-day field study support 

the theories presented in MSI 615: National Strategy: Theory and Intelligence 

Considerations and the doctrine discussed in MSI 621: Joint Campaign Planning 

and Intelligence to lay the groundwork for the application of the Joint Planning 

Process in the MSI 629: Strategic Crisis Exercise.

DEF 621 Asymmetric Warfare

War is no longer restricted to the realm of the nation-state and conventional military operations. The complexities of asymmetric warfare require that 

students study the principles of military strategy across cultural and geostrategic boundaries. Transnational threats pose complex problems for societies, 

and faster global communication creates huge advantages for a variety of 

anti-Western groups, including al-Qaida and Hizballah. Both fourth- and fifthgeneration warfare are the results of the shift of social and political loyalties 

from nations to causes and movements. This process continues to be marked 

by increasing power devolving upon ever-smaller entities that prove capable 

of shaping perceptions of social constituencies with new or radical ideologies. 

Students assess fourth- and fifth-generation adversary strategies with a view 

toward understanding their functions, strengths, and weaknesses, and to identify identity intelligence (I2) challenges in advising Combatant Commanders on 

viable countervailing strategies. 

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DEF 622 Peacekeeping and Stability Operations

Intelligence plays a pivotal role in identifying, preparing, and executing peacekeeping and stability operations performed in a multinational context. Stability 

and peace operations are designed to prevent, contain, or resolve regional 

conflicts. This course examines the concepts of nation-building, stabilization, 

reconstruction, and transition across the spectrum of peace operations and 

analyzes the roles of various actors—including nongovernmental organizations 

(NGOs), intergovernmental organizations, and governmental organizations—

and how they interact in the stabilization mission and environment.

DEF 623 Intelligence and Special Operations 

Special operations play an important role in U.S. national security. Intelligence 

professionals need to fully understand and leverage the strong, mutually 

supportive relationship between special operations and intelligence to successfully achieve national objectives. Special operations intelligence involves 

understanding an interlinked framework of concepts of the national security 

environment, the human domain in which special operations occur, and the 

tasked missions themselves. Students focus on and analyze these interrelated concepts to better understand the effects, benefits, risks, and intelligence 

needs of special operations. 

DEF 624 Operational Capabilities Analysis

This course develops and applies a comprehensive strategy-centric conceptual 

framework for analyzing and forecasting the operational capabilities of state 

and nonstate actors. It begins by analyzing the historical and current circumstances of the actors with how they develop and implement strategy, doctrine, 

and tactics. Students then use this background to understand how forces are 

raised, equipped, and deployed within the context of a set of missions defined 

by strategy. The course discusses variables, such as command, control, communications, and intelligence (C3I); defense economics, which may embrace the 

global economy; geography (terrain, political, ethnic); personnel; weapons and 

systems; individual and unit training; and medical support. Students complete 

an in-class practical exercise demonstrating proper framework application. 

DEF 698 Special Topics

This course designation is used for new curriculum topics in strategic intelligence. Such courses may take advantage of special expertise of visiting faculty 

or meet the needs of a timely intelligence topic. Special Topics are also candidate courses for permanent listing in future curricula.

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Intelligence Community Enterprise and Leadership Department

INT 601 The Evolution of U.S. Intelligence 

This course traces the evolution of U.S. national intelligence organizations and 

their missions in the context of evolving security threats since the beginning of 

the 20th century. It challenges students to critically evaluate various threats 

the United States has faced and the role of U.S. intelligence in meeting those 

challenges. Course topics focus on the history of U.S. intelligence collection, 

analysis, operational support, and the intelligence-policy nexus. The course 

connects legacy U.S. intelligence capabilities, limitations, achievements, and 

failures to the enduring intelligence challenges of today and tomorrow. Course 

content walks through a chronological narrative of U.S. intelligence organizations, national security challenges, and intelligence outcomes with case studies 

on topics of operational military intelligence, political analysis, advanced technology threats, economic/industrial intelligence, espionage/CI, and intelligence 

ethics/oversight. Covert action is not addressed in detail in this course.

INT 602 Strategic Decision Analytics and Methods. 

This course examines the use of applied decision sciences and business analytics in strategic intelligence decision-making to determine mission priorities, 

capabilities, and resources. These disciplines have changed the way senior intelligence executives approach decisions on complex, interdependent systems. 

For the IC, these tools and methods must be adapted to an interdependent 

system combining collection, analysis, technology, infrastructure, workforce, 

and organizational dynamics of the diverse intelligence disciplines. The course 

introduces the fundamental methods for decision analytics and applies them 

to real problems in the IC through a case study approach supplemented with 

advanced textbook exercises.

INT 603 Intelligence Resource Management: Process, Politics, and Money

One of the primary means of implementing policy and achieving strategic goals 

is through the allocation of fiscal resources. The challenge lies in knowing how 

to effectively navigate competing priorities, personalities, and processes. Such 

knowledge is a critical part of understanding how the IC functions at the strategic level and a key attribute of effective senior leadership in the IC. This course 

focuses on the National and Military Intelligence Programs, and the legal, political, bureaucratic, and interpersonal contexts that define and constrain the IC 

and DoD resource management processes.

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INT 604 Professional Ethics

Ethics is the branch of knowledge dealing with human values. It is a mode of 

questioning that enables us to analyze the interaction of personal, societal, 

and professional values that often come into conflict. In contrast to legal analysis, which grounds action in what we can do, ethical analysis helps answer the 

question: What should we do, based on what we value? Sound ethical reasoning aids intelligence professionals in developing a deeper understanding of 

human values and the moral compass to navigate contentious and complex 

sociopolitical environments.

INT 605 Intelligence and National Security Law

Constitutional issues—such as separation of powers, preservation of civil 

liberties in light of rapidly evolving surveillance and other collection technologies—and U.S. obligations to other nations under treaty and custom play critical 

roles in creating effective national security legislation and in trying to anticipate 

and avoid unintended consequences of such legislation. Although a solid grasp 

of intelligence-related statutes and regulations is essential to today’s strategic intelligence professional, the underlying Constitutional issues continue to 

inform ongoing national debate about the balance—for those who avow that 

such a balance exists—between national security and civil liberties. Students 

analyze and evaluate the Constitution and a range of national security-related 

statutes, case law, treaties, and commentaries, in light of their own experiences 

as intelligence professionals (both actual and potential). Post-9/11 legislation 

and subsequent court challenges form the basis for an examination of how 

national security law is developing and how strategic intelligence professionals 

can—or should—attempt to predict, if not influence, its path.

INT 606 Covert Action

Covert activities and sensitive operations are integral parts of war, conflict, 

and counterterrorism operations. Intelligence officers, operators, and policymakers must understand covert activities and the contributions they can make 

to achieving broader foreign policy or national security objectives. This course 

explores covert action—from propaganda and psychological or influence operations, through the range of covert political and economic activities, to subversion 

and paramilitary programs. It also examines the procedures under which covert 

actions are developed and the oversight established to ensure that covert initiatives are consistent with broader objectives. The course also discusses factors 

that differentiate the development and implementation of special operations 

and some information operations from covert activities.

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INT 698 Special Topics

This course designation is used for new curriculum topics in strategic intelligence. Such courses may take advantage of special expertise of visiting faculty 

or meet the needs of a timely intelligence topic. Special Topics are also candidate courses for permanent listing in future curricula.

MSI 501 Leadership and Intelligence

This course explores and applies the tenets of leadership within the context of 

the IC. The course examines current challenges affecting IC leaders, leadership 

theories and roles, organizational culture, motivation theory, building trust and 

influence, and leadership philosophy. The sessions combine seminar instruction with experiential activities, case studies, facilitated group discussions, and 

personal reflection exercises.

MSI 502 Leadership, Intelligence, and National Security Decision-making

This course examines national security policy formulation, the factors that influence and constrain policy choices, and the role of intelligence in this process. 

Students examine relationships among primary actors using a combination of 

theory and real-world examples. Participants better understand and appreciate 

how the interagency processes, resource management, and IC oversight affect 

the process of developing and executing U.S. national security policy.

MSI 503 National Security Law and Ethics 

Senior intelligence officers, responsible for leading mission-oriented organizations and managing public resources, require an appreciation for the complex 

legal and ethical issues they may encounter. Senior officers further require 

an appreciation for the roles and responsibilities of attorneys in government, 

including agency General Counsel and the Inspector General, as critical team 

members who enable mission accomplishment consistent with American laws 

and values. This course facilitates lifelong learning by introducing students to 

the complex interaction of issues, theories, and concepts facing senior intelligence officers. 

MSI 504 Organizational Management and Change

This course explores and applies tenets of business management to the IC by 

studying group dynamics, organizational change theories, business decisionmaking, business analysis, strategic communications, and marketing. During 

the session, attendees combine materials from previous sessions with organizational management applications to examine issues within the IC. Attendees 

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complete an IC case study analysis, combining leadership and change management theories, before the next session.

Collection, Analysis, and Counterintelligence Department

CAC 601 Advanced Methods of Intelligence Analysis

To meet the objectives of the National Intelligence Strategy, analysts must anticipate developments of strategic concern and identify opportunities by rigorously 

applying techniques that explore alternative analytic views. This course focuses on developing and integrating analysis concepts and techniques to provide 

effective estimates of opportunities and threats to U.S. national interests. 

Students learn to use key challenges in the national security environment as 

practical frameworks to apply and assess estimative analysis methods, explore 

issues associated with analytic processes, and develop estimative skills.

CAC 602 Applied Collection and Analysis for Strategic Warning 

This course is designed to allow students to evaluate, synthesize, and apply 

theoretical concepts of collection and analysis to a real-world strategic warning 

problem. Students apply an advanced analytical methodology to examine a real 

world problem incorporating collection and analysis priorities while also considering foreign intelligence concepts, adversary D&D, and the unique challenges 

of effective strategic warning that allow strategic decision makers ample time 

to make effective, proactive decisions.

CAC 610 Advancing Intelligence Collection

Developing advanced intelligence collection resources to address the most difficult intelligence problems requires understanding the broader contributions 

of individual collection systems. This course leverages material presented in 

“Intelligence Collection” (MCR 609), with a focus on advancing future collection 

systems and a particular emphasis on hard targets. (Prerequisite: MCR 609.)

CAC 611 Signals Intelligence Resources, Methods, and Operations

This course is designed to present a holistic approach to SIGINT activities and 

their support to the National Intelligence Priorities Framework (NIPF). The business of America is conducted mostly on the Internet, which makes that network 

a national interest. NSA must carefully and skillfully integrate its missions to 

achieve an effective, persistent, pervasive presence on the Internet. This course 

is designed to educate the intelligence professional about NSA’s operational 

missions and how they are leveraged in a new operational architecture that 

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mirrors the global network environment. Students learn how NSA is integrating 

all missions into a single enterprise that gives the IC a distinct advantage over 

its adversaries. (Prerequisite: MCR 609.)

CAC 612 Geospatial Intelligence: A Strategic Introduction

GEOINT is the use of imagery, imagery intelligence, and geospatial information to describe, assess, and depict geographically-referenced activities and 

physical features on Earth. GEOINT’s power to develop and support strategic 

intelligence resides in its ability to enhance the situational awareness of policymakers, defense planners, and military operators by gathering information and 

presenting complex problems in a spatial, geographical context. This course 

examines the historical foundations of military geography and aerial reconnaissance, then evaluates the ways in which GEOINT provides decision advantage 

to policymakers and military leaders. It also dissects current GEOINT collection capabilities and analytic approaches, and explores future challenges in the 

discipline. (Prerequisite: MCR 609)

CAC 613 HUMINT

Collecting intelligence from human sources — HUMINT — is one of the core 

intelligence collection disciplines. Senior U.S. and national security policymakers look to HUMINT to provide detail, context, and adversary intent unavailable 

through other collection disciplines. In addition, all-source analysts look to 

HUMINT to contribute to the overall analytic perspective of national security 

threats. The course considers HUMINT to be a collection discipline within three 

disparate operational environments: traditional overseas, domestic, and war 

zones. In addition, the course provides perspective on congressional oversight 

of HUMINT operations and how policymakers and senior analysts view HUMINT. 

The course also briefly addresses the foundational role HUMINT plays in covert 

action and CI. 

CAC 614 Transnational Issues in a Cryptologic Environment

This course explores NSA’s approach to nontraditional topics, including counterterrorism and the proliferation of WMD. The course also discusses the how 

and why of NSA’s analytic attacks against these targets and the policy considerations and academic debates that help shape NSA’s operational actions. This 

course provides students with an understanding of the range of issues associated with confronting the cryptologic environment. (Prerequisite: MCR 609)

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CAC 615 Current Cryptologic Issues

This course serves as the capstone course for NSA students. It tests and challenges students to continue expanding professional and technical knowledge, 

while effectively using the full spectrum of previous coursework. Conducted 

as a research seminar, sessions are designed to provide an understanding of 

operations and decision-making within the U.S. cryptologic system. Students 

research, analyze, report, and present briefings on the assigned current cryptologic issues to demonstrate in-depth understanding of the full range of 

decisions associated with allocating resources, requirements, and production. 

(Prerequisite: MCR 609)

CAC 620 Counterintelligence

Foreign intelligence activities pose a significant threat to U.S. national security 

and economic interests at home and abroad. This course examines the U.S. 

CI effort from a strategic perspective, including the role of CI in relation to the 

larger IC, the law enforcement system, and U.S. national security strategy. The 

course also includes an overview of CI organizations, laws, and strategies and 

an overview of the foreign intelligence threat, including espionage, influence 

operations, economic espionage, and cyber intrusions.

CAC 621 Comparative Intelligence

A critical mission of U.S. CI organizations-and of the broader IC-is to assess the 

intelligence capabilities and activities of foreign powers and to describe their 

resources, plans, and methods of operation. This course provides students with 

multiple approaches to analyzing foreign intelligence systems and services. 

Students are introduced to theoretical models drawn from academia and to 

analytic frameworks used by U.S. intelligence agencies. Later in the course, the 

theoretical models and frameworks are applied in a series of case studies of 

the intelligence systems and services of both adversaries and allies.

CAC 698 Special Topics

This course designation is used for new curriculum topics in strategic intelligence. Such courses may take advantage of special expertise of visiting faculty 

or meet the needs of a timely intelligence topic. Special Topics are also candidate courses for permanent listing in future curricula.

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Transnational Issues Department

TRN 603 Roots of Terrorism

Terrorism is a result of powerful social forces that affect large portions of a 

country’s population. These forces produce incentives for people to act and 

their action can be violent. Violent action, though, is not necessarily a threat 

to overall stability if there is no organization to mobilize, organize, lead, and 

support the actors. The questions then become: Why do people rebel? How 

do they rebel? Why do large numbers of people choose to act or support the 

actions of others who act against the stability of their political order? And how 

do they become effective in their opposition? These questions are addressed 

in this course through an interdisciplinary application of social science methods. Within the context of warfare, this course addresses not only why and how 

people rebel, but why they choose terrorism as the method of war to achieve 

their political objectives. 

This is not a survey course about terrorist groups or actions. To provide context, 

the course deals with what war and terrorism are and how they can be analyzed. 

It then goes on to consider how terrorists are identified, recruited, trained, and 

employed. In discussions of the primary types of terrorism, seminar members 

brief the class on specific terrorist groups, applying the methods of analysis 

developed during the first three weeks of the course. Additional methods of 

analysis are provided with each type of terrorism discussed so that students 

can gain greater insight into the groups briefed each week. Students gain background knowledge and definitions that can be used across a wide range of 

analytical approaches. They are able to employ the line of reasoning developed 

in the course to their missions immediately upon graduation. 

TRN 605 The Dynamics of Countering Terrorism

Students explore the structure, roles, and missions of the U.S. counterterrorism 

community in the context of fused intelligence and law enforcement expertise. 

This course examines specific components of U.S. counterterrorism policy, the 

role of the media, the key functions of indications and warning, and collection 

and analysis to derive intelligence futures. Students learn to understand terrorism and the U.S. response to it in a rapidly changing international environment. 

Integrated studies of information operations, collaboration between and among 

intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and C2 of counterterrorism efforts 

further enhance students’ understanding and awareness of counterterrorism 

capabilities and limitations in a global environment.

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TRN 606 Economics and National Security

This course focuses on the events, forces, and ideas that have shaped the evolution of economics and world economies by examining the parallel development 

of economic thought and conflict theory. The course uses fundamental economic concepts and linkages to enhance students’ knowledge of global economic 

activity and their ability to incorporate this phenomenon into intelligence analysis. Students evaluate international economic and financial relationships and 

their relevance to interstate competition and conflict. The course specifically 

examines cutting-edge research on the application of economic methods of 

analysis, both alone and in interdisciplinary contexts, such as International 

Political Economy, to the study of national security. It helps the student better 

analyze important economic and financial issues relevant to the missions of the 

IC and the national security and foreign policy communities.

TRN 607 Transnational Challenges

The dynamics of transnational threats against the complexity of globalization 

have resulted in significant security challenges that shape the intelligence 

mission. Fueled by globalization, transnational threats include terrorism, WMD 

proliferation, environmental degradation, pandemic disease, conflict over natural resources and/or energy, destabilizing migration of large groups of people 

across borders, and the effects of regional economic crises affecting global 

financial markets. How the IC assesses these new threats affects how effective decision makers are in responding with policies and plans. This course 

highlights globalization’s interconnected effects on regional and local actors, 

distribution of power, and sources of stability and instability. Students are challenged to assess the transnational threat environment and recommend analytic 

and collection solutions. 

TRN 608 The Role of Intelligence in Counternarcotics 

Drug trafficking is a global issue reaching into the economic, political, and 

human security of many regions. This course examines the nature of international drug trafficking and its interactions with other global issues—terrorism, 

illicit finance, trafficking in persons, and smuggling of other contraband. Drug 

trafficking groups can be small and local or they can be globally connected. They 

evolve and exert influence within their environments, reacting to the efforts 

to control them. They build networks and relationships that connect to other 

security issues. The U.S. interagency community has built a complex network 

of information sharing and support relationships to face these challenges. This 

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course explores the threat and the U.S. responses to it from the perspectives of 

practitioners, policymakers, and policy implementers, and the nexus between 

these groups and the IC.

TRN 609 Intelligence to Protect the Homeland

This course focuses on strategic and operational threats to the U.S. homeland. 

Students examine friendly and adversarial centers of gravity, critical vulnerabilities, and offensive and defensive strategies consistent with the values of a free 

and democratic society. Students explore vital linkages, doctrines, and policies 

between law enforcement and intelligence and relationships among Federal, 

state, local, and tribal entities in homeland security.

TRN 612 Engaging International Partnerships

Globalization, the mounting challenges of transnational threats, access to 

hard targets, and the increasing complexity of the world security environment 

demand that the United States rely more on collaborative efforts with trusted partners. Defeating transnational threats, building coalitions, maintaining 

viable and trusted intelligence warning systems, monitoring compliance, and 

manning intervention forces require that the United States maximize its ability 

to collect, process, and analyze intelligence 24/7. This course examines the 

role of intelligence partnerships and addresses the need for coalition partner 

operations, sharing intelligence, and eliminating threats to national, regional, 

and global security.

TRN 613 Essentials of Conflict Analysis 

The velocity of globalization can strain the political, social, religious, and cultural identity of individual groups and may result in challenges to the legitimacy 

and coherence of state and international structures. This strain places conflict 

analysis at the center of understanding the nature of today’s threats across the 

spectrum of conflict, which can range from nonviolent resistance and protest 

movements to the more violent terrorism, insurgencies, and conventional wars 

within and between states. This course examines in depth the spectrum of 

conflict across the globe from economic competition to differing levels and types 

of war, with a variety of relevant theoretical and analytical approaches. The ability of intelligence professionals to anticipate and analyze conflict is essential to 

intelligence collection, indications and warnings (I&W), and analysis.

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TRN 614 Homeland Intelligence Warning Field Engagement

This course focuses on the ability of intelligence to guide strategic and operational direction through the use of warning in the Homeland, protection of 

which remains the IC’s ultimate responsibility. Students examine the nature 

of warning, study warning failures in the Homeland, and evaluate the current 

construct for warning. By examining the complex relationships among federal, 

state, local, tribal, territorial, and private sector partners, students prepare to 

ensure that the Homeland is protected, prevent adversary success, and apply 

warning concepts and practices to protect and save as many lives as possible, 

given current threats, threat actors, and their capabilities.

TRN 698 Special Topics

This course designation is used for new curriculum topics in strategic intelligence. Such courses may take advantage of special expertise of visiting faculty 

or meet the needs of a timely intelligence topic. Special Topics are also candidate courses for permanent listing in future curricula.

Regional Security and Intelligence Department

RSI 610 Introduction to China Intelligence Studies

This course provides students with a fundamental and comprehensive understanding of the internal and external variables influencing China’s nation-state 

behavior across a range of current and future intelligence and national security 

issues. Students apply various frameworks and examine original and authoritative Chinese source materials to assess China’s state behavior on a variety of 

domestic governance issues. The course covers key historical and cultural characteristics unique to China’s evolutionary internal political and socio-economic 

development; as well as China’s influence throughout East Asia. Particular focus 

is on assessing potential outcomes about China’s comprehensive modernization to include domestic socio-economic reforms; internal social and ethnic 

stability; leadership and governance; evolving party-state institutions and policies; natural resource and environmental challenges; and key development 

strategies for infrastructure, urbanization, industry, services, and technology. 

Analysis of China’s internal stability and governance challenges are contrasted with China’s expanding activities and influence in trade, finance, and other 

forms of economic interaction within the Indo-Pacific region and globally. The 

objective of this course is to produce an analytical assessment of a key intelligence issue involving China in the future.

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RSI 611 China’s National Strategies and Foreign Policy

This course familiarizes students with the background, drivers, and frameworks 

for assessing China’s evolving national strategy and foreign policy. Particular 

focus is on dissecting authoritative Chinese original source materials to identify 

domestic and international sub-strategies that comprise China’s national (or 

grand) strategy. The course examines the range of internal and external variables influencing China’s aspirations, activities, and likely future trajectories 

of its re-emergence as a great power both regionally and globally. The course 

examines how China’s national interests are evolving and expanding and what 

effects these are having on state-to-state relations and stability throughout the 

Indo-Pacific region. Students identify, analyze and synthesize issues involving 

cooperation, conflict, and foreign policy relations between China and the U.S., 

as well as other regional powers in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. The 

objective of the course is for students to develop future-oriented assessments in 

response to key intelligence questions about China’s national strategy, foreign 

policy, and issues leading to increased tensions or conflicts. 

RSI 612 China’s Military Capabilities and Strategy

This course covers the characteristics, drivers, and objectives of China’s military 

modernization, reform, capabilities, proficiency, and strategy. The course examines China’s military force modernization and trends across a range of People’s 

Liberation Army (PLA) offensive and defensive capabilities. These capabilities 

include space, air, missile, maritime, land, electronic warfare, and cyber forces. 

Students examine China’s global and regional security activities and military 

engagement, with an emphasis on analyzing China’s ongoing military development of expanding roles and missions for the PLA. Students assess China’s 

options for using military capabilities to signal, deter, compel, coerce, or prevail 

in resolving conflicts in its favor. The course emphasizes PLA capabilities that 

could deter Taiwan’s independence or influence Taiwan to settle the dispute 

on Beijing’s terms while simultaneously attempting to deter, delay, or deny U.S. 

support for the island. The objective of the course is to produce a future-oriented campaign concept that is phased over time, space, warfare domains, and 

levels of intensity to achieve specific political and military objectives.

RSI 613 Chinese Intelligence and Information Warfare

This course examines the composition, missions, capabilities, and operations 

of China’s intelligence, influence, cyber, and internal security organizations. A 

primary objective is to enable students to assess the nature of the threat to 

U.S. national security and economic interests posed by the People’s Republic of 

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China (PRC) intelligence and information warfare capabilities. The course also 

includes discussion of the role of intelligence and information warfare in PRC 

national security policy and covers U.S. efforts to counter PRC intelligence and 

information warfare. The course draws on readings from a variety of perspectives, including IC products, other government publications, academic writings, 

and media reports.

RSI 614 China in the Future

This course explores the drivers, objectives, and strategies associated with 

China’s modernization and re-emergence as a great power. Students examine 

key aspects of how China is expanding and using hard and soft power, both 

regionally and globally. Students also discuss the influence of China’s history, culture, geography, and its social, political, and economic development on 

China’s internal stability. The course also analyzes goals in foreign and military diplomacy, intelligence and information operations, trade, financial and 

economic cooperation, acquisition of S&T, expanding participation in multinational organizations, and China’s military capabilities and intentions within the 

regional and global security environment. 

RSI 621 Northeast Asia: Geostrategic Intelligence Issues

This course examines the history, geography, and culture of Northeast Asia 

to determine its effects on current and future geostrategic intelligence issues 

in the region. Students appraise the region’s historical geostrategic trends 

as a critical part of framing the discussion for current and emerging security 

challenges, priority intelligence issues, and potential opportunities in Northeast Asia. Students evaluate geostrategic intelligence issues, including North 

Korea’s cycle of provocations and nuclear programs, proliferation of nuclear, 

biological, and chemical weapons technology, democratization and alliance 

evolution in South Korea and Japan, sources of convergence and divergence 

in bilateral and multilateral relations, Russia’s reorientation towards East Asia, 

and the sub-region’s response to the rise of China as a major regional power 

and global actor.

RSI 622 South Asia Intelligence Issues

Students explore the historical and contemporary political cultures of Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan and their resultant interactions and conflicts, 

both internally and with each other. This course provides students with a basic 

understanding of the drivers and causes of conflict and instability in South 

Asia, focusing particularly on the intertwined relations between India, Pakistan, 

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and Afghanistan. The course explores the historical and cultural sources of the 

region’s extremism; its ethnic, communal, and sectarian conflict; and its potential flashpoints, including Kashmir. The course examines the historical and 

contemporary decision points and challenges that have brought India global 

stature as an economically dynamic democracy, yet have yielded a struggling 

and conflict-ridden state in Pakistan. Students also explore the growing role 

of China in the region, Afghanistan’s current and future prospects, and IndianPakistani competition there for influence. The course concludes with a look at 

the region’s future prospects and the enduring nature of U.S. strategic interests 

there. 

RSI 623 North Korea: Geostrategic Intelligence Issues

This course examines the modern history, geography, and culture of Korea to 

determine its effects on current and future geostrategic intelligence issues for 

the United States. The initial appraisal of the modern history of Korea includes 

the rise of Japan, Japan’s colonization of Korea, and Kim Il Sung’s guerrilla 

activities in Manchuria and the Russian Far East. Understanding these events 

frames the discussion of key geostrategic intelligence issues related to the 

founding of North Korea, the Korean War, consolidation of power by Kim, the 

rise of his son Kim Jong Il, the nuclear crises, the cycle of provocations, and Kim 

Jong Un’s survival strategy.

RSI 631 Europe: Intelligence Partner and Analytic Subject

Europe is the source of the United States’ most trusted, most like-minded global 

allies and partners and it provides a critical strategic platform for pursuing U.S. 

national security and global political strategy. This course focuses on the reality 

of contemporary Europe and how U.S. allies meet U.S. expectations in contributing to multilateral and coalition efforts. European cooperation depends on 

agreement with overall U.S. strategic aims, the capacity and will to assist, and 

the ability to cope with burgeoning domestic challenges. Students explore NATO 

and EU cooperation and competition, disputes among various European states, 

and the extent to which Europe remains a major factor in determining the efficacy of U.S. strategic, political, cultural, and military leadership in the 21st 

century. 

RSI 632 Russia: Geostrategic Intelligence Issues

This course assesses the current and future policies and direction of Russia as 

it continues to redefine itself and its role in the world after the breakup of the 

Soviet Union in 1991. The course examines major political, economic, military, 

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cultural, and social issues affecting regional stability and U.S. interests. Topics 

include traditional and newly emerging political cultures, leading personalities and institutions, economic reforms, and foreign policies. Other key issues 

include nationalism and ethnic conflict, separatism and terrorism, civil society, 

the emergence of the rule of law, and the relationship of Russia to its neighbors. This course develops critical thinking and an understanding of Russia’s 

perspective in the context of globalization. It is designed to provide students 

with a broad conceptual framework for analyzing key intelligence questions. 

RSI 633 Central Asia: Geostrategic Intelligence Issues

This course is designed to develop a deep knowledge and understanding of 

the complex environment governing Central Asia today. This region is located in 

the critical area between Iran, Russia, China, and Afghanistan. It is a corridor 

between Europe and Asia that encompasses the historic Silk Road. With the 

drawdown in Afghanistan, Central Asia has a special strategic importance to 

the United States and the IC. Students examine the five nations of the area, 

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan and their 

relations with neighboring regions. The course further identifies the various 

challenges and opportunities that the region presents to the IC. The course 

objectives involve expanding students’ knowledge about an important geostrategic area, the issues facing it, and evaluating U.S. intelligence activities and 

existing analysis of this region

RSI 634 The Caucasus

This course is designed to develop a deep knowledge and understanding of 

the complex environment governing the Caucasus today. The Caucasus region 

is in the critical neighborhood of Iran, Russia, and Turkey, between Europe and 

Asia, and represents strategic importance to the IC. This course examines four 

countries of the Caucasus region—Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia—

and three unrecognized, but self-proclaimed independent states—Abkhazia, 

Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia—and identifies the various challenges 

and opportunities that the region presents to the IC. The course examines the 

changing environment in select states of the former Soviet Union and U.S. relations with the region. The course objectives are to expand students’ knowledge 

about an important geostrategic region and the various issues facing it and to 

develop analytic and critical thinking skills with regard to U.S. intelligence activities and analysis of this region.

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RSI 635 The Near Abroad

This course examines the changing environment in the states of the former 

Soviet Union and U.S. relations with the region. The first part of the course 

examines the breakup of the Soviet Union and the states that resulted from 

this breakup, including the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), the 

BUM (Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine), the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and 

Georgia), and Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, 

and Uzbekistan). The second part of the course examines the issues and problems that have arisen as a result of the breakup and how they affect the United 

States. The objective is to expand students’ knowledge of this fascinating topic 

and encourage critical thinking with regard to U.S. policies toward these states. 

This course is designed as a follow-on to Russia: Geostrategic Intelligence 

Issues (RSI 632); however, the content stands alone and does not require RSI 

632 as a prerequisite. 

RSI 636 Russian Intelligence 

This course examines the organization, missions, capabilities, and operations 

of Russia’s intelligence organizations. A primary objective is to enable students 

to assess the nature of the threat to U.S. interests posed by Russian intelligence and information operations (IOs) and the role of intelligence and IOs in 

Russia’s government and society. In addition, the course covers U.S. efforts to 

counter Russian intelligence and IO activities. The course draws on readings 

from a variety of perspectives, including IC products, other government publications, academic writings, and Russian documents.

RSI 637 Russian Foreign Policy 

The course assesses Russian foreign policy in terms of its historical development, key ideas, and responses to both internal and external developments. 

Topics to be discussed include the effects of Russia’s history, the bumpy transition from being a superpower to the era of Yeltsin, and now to the Russia of 

Vladimir Putin, who has dominated Russian politics for 16 years. The course 

analyzes key topics, to include Russia’s current objectives, its instruments of 

hard and soft power, its relations with the Near Abroad, the Middle East, China 

and Asia, the EU, and the U.S. A recurring theme will be how much of Russia’s 

foreign policy is Putin’s and how much is traditionally Russian. This course develops critical thinking and the ability to evaluate Russia’s foreign policy objectives 

from an intelligence perspective.

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RSI 641 Latin America: Geostrategic Intelligence Issues

This course examines the current and future threats, challenges, and opportunities for the U.S. in Latin America and the Caribbean, and provides a greater 

understanding of recent developments within their historical, political, and 

cultural contexts. The course focuses on the vital role of intelligence in understanding and handling critical security issues, including political and economic 

instability, government corruption, mass migration, transnational organized 

crime, insurgency, terrorism, and foreign influence in the region.

RSI 651 Broader Middle East Strategic Security and Intelligence Environment 

This introductory graduate-level intelligence course aims at a more empathetic, in-depth, systematic, and comprehensive understanding of the strategic 

security environment of the broader Middle East region. From this knowledge 

base, students are better able to produce strategic intelligence—to evaluate 

the nature of various threats, to estimate the region’s trajectory, and to identify opportunities for U.S. policy and strategy. To achieve this goal, the course 

constructs and applies a conceptual framework for security and stability. At the 

event level, the course examines the more relevant history and present dynamics. At the social structural level, the course examines the various sub- and 

trans-regional human security structures—economic, demographic, resource, 

and environmental—and the political or power structures. At the cultural or 

ideological level, the course examines the various challenger governmentalities 

and conflict ideologies, including the ideological megatrends of Islamism, panIslamic nationalism, caliphatism, pan-Salafism, defensive jihadism, takfirism 

and mahdism. Finally, the course examines the nonchallenger ideologies and 

their conflicts, including sectarianism, the regional cold war, Zionism, and the 

Israeli-Arab conflict. From this knowledge base, students produce segments of 

strategic intelligence estimates for regional issues that are common to many of 

its states.

RSI 652 Iran: Strategic Security and Intelligence Issues

This graduate-level intelligence course aims at a more empathetic, in-depth, 

systematic, and comprehensive understanding of the strategic security issues 

related to the Islamic Republic of Iran. From this knowledge base, students are 

better able to produce strategic intelligence—to evaluate the nature of various 

threats from its structures and strategies, to estimate its trajectory and reactionary tendencies, and to identify opportunities for U.S. policy and strategy. To 

achieve this goal, the course constructs and applies the following seven-part 

conceptual framework: 

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1. The view from the local elite, world’s experts, and the IC as to what the 

main security issues are.

2. The historical and cultural contexts leading to the state’s political 

cultures.

3. The economic and other human security structures and trends—demographic, resource, and environmental.

4. The political or power structure, including the patronage networks, the 

deep state, and state institutions.

5. The internal societal challenger movements and associated security 

strategies.

6. The external threats and alliances and the regime’s security capabilities and strategies.

7. U.S. intelligence collection strategies and effectiveness with respect to 

these countries.

Additionally, students produce segments of their own strategic intelligence estimates that forecast these factors of state stability, security, and strategy.

RSI 653 The Near East: Strategic Security Issues 

This course aims to foster a more empathetic, in-depth, systematic, and comprehensive understanding of the strategic security issues related to the states of 

the historical Near East, just to the west of Iran, including Iraq, the Sunni de 

facto state claimed by ISIS, Turkey, and the Levant. From this knowledge base, 

students are better able to produce strategic intelligence—to evaluate the nature 

of various threats from its structures and strategies, estimate its trajectory and 

reactionary tendencies, and identify opportunities for U.S. policy and strategy. 

To achieve this goal, the course constructs and applies the following five-part 

conceptual framework for security and stability for each state: 

1. The historical and cultural contexts leading to the state’s political 

cultures.

2. The economic, demographic, resource, and environmental human 

security structures and trends.

3. The state’s political or power structure, including the patronage 

networks, the deep state, and state institutions.

4. The internal challenges, societal movements, and associated internal 

regime security strategies and conflicts.

5. The external threats, alliances security strategies, foreign policy, 

conflicts, and hard and soft power capabilities. 

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Additionally, students produce segments of strategic intelligence estimates that 

emphasize these factors of state stability and security. 

RSI 655 Islamism: Strategic Security Issues

Understanding the ideology of Islamism is fundamental to producing strategic 

intelligence that supports U.S. policy, strategy, and operations in today’s global 

theater. Drawing on historical and contemporary patterns, the course examines 

the intelligence implications of interaction between Islamism and the West, 

including sources of legitimacy, relationships between religion and the state, 

the nature of jihad, human rights issues, and questions of political and economic development. As a matter of emphasis, the course explores ideological 

megatrends of Islamism, pan-Islamic nationalism, caliphatism, pan-salafism, 

defensive jihadism, takfirism, and mahdism within their local, regional, and global contexts. This in-depth analysis prepares students to assess Islamist threats 

to the United States and its interests worldwide and to identify opportunities for 

cooperation and even collaboration with Islamists. From this knowledge base, 

students produce strategic intelligence estimates and assessments on selected contemporary security issues related to Islamism. 

RSI 661 Social Analysis

Strategic-level intelligence estimates and grand strategy for contemporary 

threats require that we know them both empathetically and sociologically in 

terms of all of the complex historical, structural, and agent-related factors that 

have shaped their emergence and growth. Key parts of our analytical tool kit for 

these threats are informed by the conceptual frameworks that have been formulated over decades of formal research and peer review in the social sciences. 

These analytical tools and concepts cover every category of social phenomena, 

including conflicts of various kinds, social and political movements, and extremism or radicalization. This course examines this conceptual toolkit to achieve 

three goals:

1. Critically evaluate the applicable sociological models for every broader 

category of strategic issue or threat.

2. Discuss specific instances or cases of threats within those broader 

issues to evaluate the utility of the theoretical framework as part of 

our analytical tool kit.

3. Demonstrate the ability to creatively combine the relevant models 

and concepts to assess the threat for one particular regional or 

transnational security threat, estimate its trajectory, and appraise the 

opportunities to counter or contain it. 

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MSI 671 Africa: Geostrategic Intelligence Challenges

This course examines Africa’s political, social, economic, religious, and cultural diversity and treats them as strategic factors. The region’s complexity and 

geographical vastness requires that these issues be understood to make the 

origins of current and future challenges more discernible. Students study various epochs to show how they gave rise to nationalism, political and ethnic 

conflict, regional rivalries and how these issues influence African leaders’ political and economic decisions and relations between African states, the U.S., and 

external powers. 

RSI 698 Special Topics

This course designation is used for new curriculum topics in strategic intelligence. Such courses may take advantage of special expertise of visiting faculty 

or meet the needs of a timely intelligence topic. Special Topics are also candidate courses for permanent listing in future curricula.

Courses in Pilot phase that will later be assigned appropriate numbers

MSI 698G Intelligence and Special Operations (Defense Intelligence Department)

Special operations play an important role in U.S. national security. Intelligence 

professionals need to fully understand and leverage the strong, mutually 

supportive relationship between special operations and intelligence to achieve 

national objectives. Special operations intelligence involves understanding an 

interlinked framework of concepts of the national security environment, the 

human domain in which special operations occur, and the tasked missions 

themselves. Students focus on and analyze these interrelated concepts to 

better understand the effects, benefits, risks, and intelligence needs of special 

operations. 

MSI 698K Arabian Peninsula and North Africa: Strategic Security Issues 

(Regional Security and Intelligence Department)

This course aims at a more empathetic, in-depth, systematic, and comprehensive understanding of the strategic security issues related to the states of the 

Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. From this knowledge base, students are 

better able to produce strategic intelligence—to evaluate the nature of various 

threats from its structures and strategies, estimate its trajectory and reactionary tendencies, and identify opportunities for U.S. policy and strategy. To 

achieve this goal, the course constructs and applies for each state the following 

five-part conceptual framework for security and stability: 

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1. The historical and cultural contexts leading to the state’s political 

cultures.

2. The human security structures and trends—economic, demographic, 

resource, and environmental.

3. The state’s political or power structure, including the patronage 

networks, the deep state, and state institutions.

4. The internal challenges, societal movements, and associated internal 

regime security strategies and conflicts.

5. The external threats, alliances, and security strategies, foreign policy, 

conflicts, and hard and soft power capabilities. 

Additionally, students produce segments of strategic intelligence estimates that emphasize 

these factors of state stability and security. 

MSI 698T Threat Finance

Intelligence analysis and targeting are central to U.S. efforts to use financial 

tools to coerce and counter threats from both state and nonstate actors. This 

course will examine the operations, mechanisms, and vulnerabilities of illicit 

financial networks and the challenges they pose to the U.S. and global financial 

systems, highlighting the role of intelligence analysis in informing the use of 

policy and regulatory authorities and tools to defeat the networks. Students will 

also gain experience using tools and financial data exploitation techniques that 

have proven effective in monitoring and assessing financial threats. The role 

and impact of economic and financial sanctions and the efforts of targeted entities to circumvent them will receive special emphasis as a category of analysis 

to inform policy decision making. Course assignments will be modeled after 

typical threat finance intelligence products to help students develop the skills 

needed to support the threat finance mission.

MSI 698W Mexico and Central America Intelligence Issues (Regional Security and

Intelligence Department)

The threats and opportunities of globalization have dramatically affected Mexico 

and Central America, and have consequently altered national security and intelligence policies for each of those countries as well as the United States. This 

course examines the domestic and international impact and future political, 

cultural, and institutional challenges of these changes on Mexico and Central 

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American nations. However, this course will also focus on national, operational, and tactical intelligence requirements and strategies for these nations and 

issues.

MSI 699 Directed Readings

This course focuses on a specific aspect of strategic intelligence that is so new 

or specialized it is not offered in an existing course. The student must develop a 

written proposal, a list of readings, and assignments and have them approved 

by the sponsoring faculty member and the MSSI Program Director. Students 

may use a Directed Readings course to satisfy an elective course requirement.

Master of Science and Technology Intelligence (MSTI)

The MSTI program requirements or electives within the MSTI degree program are described in 

the subsections that follow.

MST 613 Science and Technology

This Program Requirement course is designed to develop a common knowledge 

and comprehension of current and future S&T threats and issues. It explores 

the concepts, principles, and applications of scientific and technical intelligence 

to collection and analysis—focusing on: 

1. Developing the ability to understand threats to U.S. national security 

posed by adversarial use of S&T.

2. Appreciating the effect of emerging and disruptive technology advances.

3. Identifying effective threat indicators and collection capabilities to 

monitor S&T advances. 

4. Understanding the use of S&T capabilities in U.S. intelligence collection and analysis. 

The course examines S&T from a global perspective—studying its use and 

potential use by adversaries, understanding the S&T of important weapons and 

intelligence systems, and exploring the capabilities or relevant U.S. and global 

S&T organizations. The course is designed to provide an information foundation 

for the MSTI degree and its concentrations.

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School of Science & Technology Intelligence Electives

MST 653 Advanced Science and Technology

This course is a follow-on to MST 613: Science and Technology, for students 

interested in the analysis and evaluation of current science and technology 

(S&T) topics of interest to national security. The course focuses on reviewing 

S&T topics that emerge from current events, policy interest, or enhanced intelligence focus. Intelligence topic areas include, but are not limited to, emerging 

and disruptive technologies, weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical, 

and biological), missile systems, proliferation, cyber, conventional weapons, 

environment, health, space (and counter-space), and arms control. The course 

analyzes both foreign technology capabilities and S&T that can support U.S. 

intelligence collection and analysis missions. The course is a seminar where on 

a weekly basis students research current S&T topics and present observations 

from their research for class discussion and assessment. (Prerequisite: MST 

613.)

MST 655 Advanced Conventional and Non-Conventional Weapons

This intelligence course is designed to provide a broad level of situational awareness into the essential S&T underpinning modern military capabilities. This 

course does not cover the specifics of WMDs but does, in part, include their 

delivery systems. The unique capabilities of advanced weapons systems are 

the result of innumerable advancements in the basic and applied sciences and 

the unique and creative problem-solving insights of systems integrators. This 

nexus between interdisciplinary technical advancement and practical application that results in new or enhanced military capabilities forms the basis of 

power projection and technological superiority. It is also, by definition, a set of 

areas that foreign adversaries specifically target in an effort to obtain military 

or economic advantage through a variety of espionage tactics.

MST 656 The Economics of Technology

This course examines economic theories, technological innovation, and labor 

as they apply to technology and innovation. In addition, this course assesses emerging technologies in the context of how they are adapted in society. 

Students assess how technological innovations affect the economy and evaluate noted economists’ historic writings and their attempts to explain how 

technology variables affect the larger economy.
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MST 657 Case Studies in Technology Transfer

“Technology transfer” is an often misunderstood term that has multiple usages, 

ranging from the benign to the strategic. This course defines and assesses the 

various meanings of that term, but pays specific attention to its tactical, strategic, and intelligence-related aspects. Students explore case studies as the 

primary learning vehicle of the S&T-related implications of technology transfer, 

with particular focus given to its organizational, analytical, political, legal, and 

economic dimensions. Using specific case studies, the real-world implications 

of technology transfers—as they apply to the development or diminishment of 

national power and to the underlying economic health of the nation—become 

clear.

MST 658 Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessment

This course introduces students to a range of issues concerning critical infrastructure, defined from a variety of perspectives: economic, military, national, 

and local. Issues of identification, mapping, assessment, and ranking of 

infrastructure are addressed, as are the concepts of vulnerability and risk 

assessment from the perspectives of the attacker and the defender. Viewing 

infrastructure as an essential enabler of current living standards and social 

cohesion, the course analyzes the weaponization potential of the same national 

assets by adversaries. The class uses actual examples wherever possible to 

convey the full potential effect of the misusing of ubiquitous, but largely unrecognized, local and national assets on surrounding communities.

MST 660 Introduction to Denial and Deception: History, Concepts, Issues, and

Implications

This course sets a historical, thematic, and contemporary context that provides 

a fundamental perspective and the foundational knowledge required to recognize and counter D&D activities. It focuses on fundamental principles, historical 

events, trends, supporting case studies, and U.S. organizational responses to 

the foreign D&D threat. Course material addresses the existing U.S. IC environment and national security issues that permeate and influence the world of the 

D&D analyst. The course also focuses on the role and effect of D&D on U.S. 

strategic warning and national security objectives. 

MST 661 WMD Terrorism

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of terrorism involving WMD. The course examines the history of WMD Terrorism 

(WMD-T), introduces basic technical aspects of improvised and acquired 
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WMD, explores the costs and benefits of WMD-T attack scenarios, and 

assesses intelligence and policy tools available to combat the threat of 

WMD-T. At the conclusion of the course, students understand the relationship of political objectives, supporting technologies, required resources, 

and barriers to WMD-T. This in-depth knowledge enables students to more 

effectively leverage critical strategic intelligence methods that support collective efforts to prevent, protect, and respond to the many facets of WMD-T.

MST 662 Denial and Deception: Psychological/Cultural Aspects, and National 

Security Decision-making

This course gives students insight into the potential effect that the psychological 

aspects of deception and self-deception play on effective intelligence analysis, 

addresses the unique role that culture plays in perceived truth and falsity, and 

investigates the critical nodes of U.S. national security decision-making that 

are potentially vulnerable to foreign manipulation via D&D practices. Students’ 

examine the psychological and organizational filters that can distort the search 

for ground truth. The content underscores the critical decision-making points 

in the U.S. national security structure and identifies how those decisions can 

potentially be manipulated. The course also delves into the unique nature of 

several specific cultures, with the intent of highlighting the importance of judging, assessing, or analyzing foreign events through the culture’s particular 

experience and mindset.

MST 663 WMD: Counterproliferation

This course outlines the structure and role of the IC in U.S. efforts to combat 

WMD. Students assess the role intelligence plays in negotiating, ratifying, and 

verifying arms control agreements. The course focuses on specific components of U.S. policy in combating WMD and the vital role played by intelligence 

collectors and analysts working collaboratively in the national counterproliferation effort. The course derives intelligence futures for the counterproliferation 

and WMD problem set, and examines changes in U.S. intelligence priorities, 

resources, and policies.

MST 664 Denial and Deception: Adversaries, Organizations, Activities, and

Countermeasures

In this course, students examine various adversarial threat organizations and 

their execution of denial and deception activities, gain insight into the effect of 

collection technologies on D&D, and investigate current techniques for countering foreign manipulation via D&D practices. 

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MST 665 The Biological Threat

This course introduces students to the biological portion of Weapons of Mass 

Destruction threats, the science and engineering behind them, and intelligence 

issues of the day, including emerging and disruptive biotechnology. This course 

addresses pathological, biological, biochemical, molecular and medical laboratory features of living agents or organic products for potential use in warfare, 

terrorism, or criminal activities. The scope of biological agents and their potential for deployment against humans, animals, and plants, along with relevant 

aspects of prophylaxis and therapeutics are examined. Attention is given to environmental issues causing certain biological agents to become special threats 

in specific geographical locations, laboratory diagnosis and forensic investigation. Students distinguish properties of agents or organic products presenting 

dangers as strategic and tactical weapons of warfare from those with properties 

more suited to bioterrorism or crime, and become aware of efforts to prevent, 

contain or counter terrorists and criminal use of biological agents.

MST 667 The Nuclear Threat

This course addresses the technical and intelligence issues associated with 

foreign nuclear weapons programs. It provides a comprehensive understanding 

of the technology and intelligence issues involved in nuclear weapons programs, 

from the basic nuclear fuel cycle and materials production, to the physics principles of nuclear weapons and other potential nuclear threats such as accidents 

and terrorism. Students study the evolution of nuclear weapons from the U.S. 

Manhattan Project through current day nuclear weapons programs, and distinguish intelligence indicators and warnings associated with adversary nuclear 

programs. Individual foreign nuclear weapons programs are discussed as well 

as the unique intelligence collection and counter-proliferation challenges they 

pose to the IC. 

MST 668 Denial and Deception: Tradecraft, Tools, and Methodology

The primary intent of the course is for the student to gain a deeper understanding of how to integrate, apply, and implement a variety of time-tested counter 

D&D methodologies and tradecraft. 

MST 669 The Chemical and Explosive Threat

This course addresses technical and policy issues associated with chemical 

weapons that may be used in warfare, terrorist actions, or criminal activity, and 

provides a comprehensive understanding of the chemical and explosive categories of WMD. Distinctions are made between this and other classes of WMD 

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and students examine the effects and status of each type of chemical and 

explosive threat. The course also reviews and discusses intelligence indicators 

and warnings of foreign efforts to develop and employ chemical and explosive 

weapons associated with adversarial systems. 

MST 671 S&TI Space and Missile Systems

This course provides the essential principles, components, and technologies of 

space and missile systems. Students compare and contrast space-based applications, including orbital and interplanetary propulsion and sensing systems, in 

both the military and civilian context. This course supplements a fundamental 

understanding of propulsion systems and accompanying laws of thermodynamics with analyses of the range of physical manufacturing techniques and 

chemistry issues that make such vehicles possible. An examination of guidance, control, warhead design, and delivery techniques—including penetration 

aids—provides a comprehensive understanding of the strategic aspects of this 

technology. Students also analyze and relate capabilities of U.S. and foreign 

systems to implications of national security and the proliferation of ballistic 

missiles.

MST 672 Intelligence and the Changing Global Resource Environment

This survey course assesses global land, energy, food, water, and mineral 

resource markets and related intelligence issues and outlooks. Students examine how natural resources, the environment and energy and power market 

issues can inform, constrain, and affect issues of strategic intelligence. Understanding adversarial adaptations and uses of global resources is an essential 

component to analyzing geopolitical objectives and intent. 

MST 674 Identity Intelligence

Identity Intelligence (I2) performs two primary functions: to discover/reveal 

threat identities and to protect/conceal friendly identities from foreign entities. 

The course examines the conceptual foundations, supported missions, organizations, technologies, tools, and policy and legal considerations involved with 

conducting identity discovery/reveal operations. Additionally, students learn I2 

enterprise best practices, tools, authorities, and trends associated with protecting/concealing friendly identities from foreign intelligence services and law 

enforcement entities.

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MST 675 Electrical Power Systems and Distribution

Modern electrical power generation, transmission, and distribution systems are 

the interconnected networks for delivering electricity from suppliers to consumers. Power generation systems represent a vitally important strategic resource 

because they provide the infrastructure for transmitting and transforming 

energy for industrial, communication, military, and transportation uses. This 

course introduces power generation, transmission, and distribution from a strategic intelligence perspective, providing students with an understanding of the 

modern systems that provide electrical power. The course covers components of 

the history and economics of power production, modern power systems, smart 

grid technologies, and current worldwide regional trends in power production. 

MST 680 Information Power

This course examines the information component of power from a strategic 

intelligence perspective. Students assess the intelligence-related aspects and 

issues of military information operations, critical information infrastructure and 

cyberspace, strategic communication and public diplomacy, and media war 

within the contested global information environment. The aim of this course is 

to enable the intelligence professional to analyze adversary information-related 

capabilities and activities to develop strategic intelligence requirements.

MST 681 Propaganda 

This course provides an intensive examination of the techniques, methodologies, 

and strategies of influence for the purpose of discerning intelligence requirements. Topics include communication theory; social influence and persuasion; 

attitude formation; the history of propaganda; target audience analysis; visual persuasion, and the development of specific intelligence requirements to 

support influence and persuasion for the purpose of national security affairs. 

The aim of this course is to enable the intelligence professional to recognize 

and analyze adversary influence activities and tactics to develop strategic intelligence requirements. 

MST 682 Cyber Intelligence

This course provides students a cyber-intelligence foundation from which they 

assess and evaluate the policies, functions, and analysis of intelligence issues 

related to the cyber domain. Topics covered in this course include how cyber 

works, its relevance to the IC, IC challenges and opportunities in cyber, and 

roles and responsibilities of government and nongovernment entities. 

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MST 683 Foreign Information & Cyber Strategies

This course examines information and cyber related strategies of selected 

threat actors in the global information environment. The course enables the 

student to comprehend foreign threat information warfare concepts and activities, their employment of cyber capabilities, and how they are used in concert 

to support an adversary’s information strategy and national security objectives. 

Students will understand how information technology is employed by adversaries in pursuit of their strategic goals and be able to assess the impact on U.S. 

national interests. 

MST 684 Cyber Threat

The Cyber Threat course provides students the framework with which they assess 

and evaluate cyber-threat actors, methodologies, and resources. Students 

compare a variety of threat models by assessing real world cyber-scenarios. 

Topics include worldwide cyber capabilities, foreign state and nonstate actor 

information and cyber strategies, cyber-attack processes, attack vectors, exploitation, espionage, and D&D.

MST 685 Social Networks and Intelligence

This course covers the rapidly changing foundations and dynamics of the S&T 

of social networks and intelligence. Students gain a greater understanding of 

recent developments in social networks and S&T foundations. This enhanced 

perspective should enable the student to provide strategic intelligence support 

as it relates to social networks. 

MST 686 Network Operations Environment—Engagement

The Network Operations Environment—Engagement course focuses on understanding and assessing network operations, exploitation, and activities in a 

unique, standalone network environment. 

MST 687 The Advanced Information Power Seminar

The Advanced Information Power Seminar requires the student to anticipate, 

understand, and solve the complexities of operating in the contested global 

information environment for the purpose of achieving national security interests. Through focused academic seminars alternating with nested scenarios, 

students explore, then confront and analyze strategic problems in information 

power affecting U.S. national interests, develop intelligence support requirements, and synthesize potential solutions to problem sets involving a near-peer 

competitor within a war game in which Blue Force victory is never presumed. 

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The aim of this course is to enable the intelligence professional to recognize, 

analyze, evaluate, and solve both anticipated and unexpected strategic challenges in the increasingly contested global information environment.

MST 698 Special Topics

This course designation is used for special topics in strategic intelligence. Such 

courses may be created to take advantage of special expertise of visiting faculty 

or to meet the needs of a timely intelligence topic. Special Topics are also candidate courses for permanent listing in future curricula.

MST 698O Data Science Applications

This course explores data science history, evolution, application, and philosophical underpinnings within the realm of intelligence. Students should be 

able to integrate their knowledge of intelligence and how to achieve better decision-making, respond to key intelligence matters, and make recommendations 

based on using data science. The goal is to integrate knowledge within the data 

science discipline; achieving and advancing to a higher level of understanding 

on IC situations. Students will be able to synthesize the techniques, resources, 

and capabilities associated with the applications of data science within intelligence.

MST 698P Advanced Cyber Intelligence

This advanced cyber course builds on the use of cyber intelligence in the 

operational environment. The focus is on applying capabilities to assess data 

gathered in the field combined with other multisource intelligence. Students 

enhance their command of the cyber operational domain and system exploitation. (Prerequisite: MST 604 or MST 686.)

MST 698R Data Science Mathematics

This course examines the underpinning role of mathematics in data science. 

Students will review and assess the critical roles of Algebra, Linear Algebra, 

Statistical Methods, and Graph Theory in data science. Learners will not master 

these areas of advanced mathematics, but rather gain an understanding of 

how and why these mathematical methods directly impact the quality and utility 

of data science in support of the intelligence mission. This course is designed to 

develop common knowledge and comprehension of mathematics used within 

the data science field. Having a working knowledge of linear algebra and basic 

probability is highly recommended, as well as some familiarity with the basics 

of optimization and algorithms are greatly suggested.

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MST 698S Data Science Tools & Techniques

This course provides students with an understanding of the various software 

tools and techniques used throughout the data science field as applied to the 

Intelligence Community. Using programming languages such as Python and R, 

the focus is on how to apply them to large data sets in order to conduct intelligence analysis. As an intelligence professional, understanding the basics of 

the programming environment, fundamental programming techniques, reading 

and manipulating files, and the various libraries is key. Students will become 

versed in data manipulation and cleaning techniques by using data science 

libraries as the central data structures for intelligence data analysis. By the end 

of this course, students will be able to take tabular data, clean it, manipulate 

it, and run basic inferential statistical analyses by using tools and techniques.

MST 698T Data Science Visualization & Communication

This course focuses on the rapidly changing foundations and dynamics of data 

science technology, visualization, tools, and communication. Students will gain 

a greater understanding of recent developments in the growth of how to visually 

display and communicate statistical results using data graphics. Focused on 

key intelligence priorities, students will gain an enhanced perspective on how 

to apply effective data visualization to intelligence problems, trends, as well as 

forecasting. Students will learn to apply graphical designs to data and present 

effectively to a selected audience; using the right chart for the right data is 

key. By the end of the course, students will be able to explore, gather, munge, 

analyze, and communicate data sets focused on key intelligence attributes.

MST 699A Graduate Certificate Capstone

Upon a student’s successful completion of four certificate courses of their 

choosing, the student may enroll in this capstone course which serves as a 

means of integrating the students learning experience. The intention of the 

course is to provide a capstone assignment to ensure the achievement of the 

certificate’s learning outcomes. The Certificate Director will direct and assess 

the deliverable which will result in a pass/fail determination.

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Bachelor of Science in Intelligence

All bachelor’s degree seeking students are required to take the following core courses.

Core Courses

BCR 401 Globalization and the Intelligence Landscape

The dynamics of globalization have resulted in the development of new challenges shaping the intelligence mission. These challenges include the effects 

of global human migration, rapid information dissemination, environmental 

degradation, natural resource scarcities, disease, financial crises, terrorism, organized crime, and WMD proliferation. The information revolution and 

advances in S&T provide both threats and opportunities. This course explores 

the nature and dynamics of the emerging global environment in the context 

of U.S. national security and challenges for intelligence analysis and collection, both now and in the future. The course examines globalization’s effects on 

transnational issues that affect regional stability, such as demographic shifts 

and migration movements, the environment and health, competition for natural 

resources, ethnic and other forms of internal conflict, terrorism, WMD proliferation, and organized crime.

BCR 403 International Political Economy

This course focuses on the introduction of international relations and economic theories and their impact on national policy and security. By examining the 

evolution of both international relations and economics in parallel with world 

events, the course will provide students with fundamental concepts and linkages to enhance their respective knowledge of global political and economic 

activity, and the ability to incorporate this understanding in preparing for and 

implementing the entire range of intelligence cycle activities. This course will 

specifically examine international relations concepts, micro/macroeconomic 

theories, and economic indicators for application in conducting political and 

economic methods of analysis, both alone and in interdisciplinary contexts, 

toward the study of national security as a whole.

BCR 405 Analytic Methods

This course strengthens analytic tradecraft to foster critical thinking and provide 

the opportunity to develop and implement innovative approaches to analyzing 

complex intelligence problem sets. The course introduces tenets and functions 

of one or more advanced analytic methodologies and their application in resolvCourse Descriptions
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ing a significant intelligence problem set. The course is designed to support 

CAP 404: Capstone Completion.

BCR 407 Intelligence Analysis

How does information become meaningful intelligence? As information is 

analyzed, meaning is created. This course examines the logic of reasoning, 

critical thinking, argumentation, and analytical methodologies applied against 

a wide range of intelligence problems. Assessing key intelligence failures lays 

the foundation for addressing methodologies and possible pitfalls, such as 

prejudice and preconceptions, mirror imaging, cultural bias, and other perceptual filters. The course examines the IC’s analytical process and organizational 

measures to focus on key issues, including the relationship of analysis to the 

policymaker, military commanders, and military planners, and the IC’s current 

efforts to improve analytical standards, assessments, collection, evaluation, 

and warning.

BCR 409 Collection Assets and Capabilities

This course evaluates key U.S. intelligence collection assets and capabilities 

that are applied to national intelligence requirements. Topics include the capabilities and limitations of assets corresponding to the five intelligence collection 

disciplines: GEOINT, HUMINT, MASINT, OSINT, and SIGINT. Students examine 

intelligence collection assets to determine their organizational structure, the 

collection infrastructure (technologies, systems, and institutions), and the 

collection tasking system.

BCR 411 Intelligence and National Security Strategy

Today’s intelligence professionals must understand the role intelligence plays 

in formulating and executing the U.S. national security strategy. These strategies provide the intellectual framework for the evolution and application of 

U.S. instruments of national power. This course focuses on the tenets of U.S. 

national security, warfighting strategies, and the context of influencing national security strategies development. Globalization provides the backdrop to 

discuss contextual factors, along with the primary principles, doctrines, and 

theories underpinning successful and unsuccessful strategies, the interactive 

nature of warfare, and the evolution of strategies in conflict. Students develop 

a framework for thinking about conflict at the strategic and operational levels 

and examine the role of intelligence in formulating strategies.

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BCR 413 Science, Technology, and Intelligence

This course introduces students to the basic physics (and selected other sciences) associated with S&TI. The application of these concepts includes exploiting 

S&T to generate intelligence understanding, and assessment of technical 

capabilities and limitations. The course introduces terminology, principles, and 

limitations of specific scientific and technological applications that affect intelligence and national security. The aim of this course is to enable students to 

better understand the scientific “why” behind the technological “how” applicable to the practice of S&TI.

Capstone Courses

The course requirements for the Capstone Project are described in the subsection that follows:

CAP 401 Capstone Research and Design

This course is designed to prepare students for the undergraduate-level 

research and design needed to complete their capstone project. The undergraduate capstone exercise is designed to bring reflection and focus to the whole of 

the college experience. This course encourages students to integrate facets of 

their coursework with important concepts from related intelligence disciplines. 

Students will learn and practice the skill of acquiring and synthesizing original research and empirical data that includes intelligence reports, academic 

literature, and seminar-based classes. This course provides the student with 

a starting point for successfully completing a capstone project on a national 

security and intelligence-related topic, thus making an important contribution 

to the body of intelligence knowledge.

CAP 404 Capstone Completion

Understanding the dynamic and complex relationships between analysis, collection, and warning are the key challenges facing the IC. This capstone project 

requires students to experience the dynamics of a significant intelligence problem, while integrating the challenges of analysis, warning, and collection. The 

goal of the course is for students to successfully apply research and data collection, carry out a comprehensive project, and complete a final written product.

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Collection, Analysis, and Counterintelligence Courses

CAC 420 Counterintelligence

National Foreign intelligence activities pose a significant threat to U.S. national 

security and economic interests at home and abroad. This course examines 

the U.S. CI effort from a strategic perspective, including the role of CI in relation to the IC, the law enforcement system, and U.S. national security strategy. 

The course includes an overview of the CI organizations, laws, and strategies, 

as well as the foreign intelligence threat including espionage, influence operations, and cyber intrusions.

Defense Intelligence Courses

DEF 422 Intelligence: Building Stability and Peace

The United States conducts stability operations to prevent, contain, or resolve 

regional conflicts that threaten U.S. national interests. Stability operations 

have been designated a core U.S. military mission and are becoming a priority 

comparable to combat operations. The immediate goals are to provide conflicted societies with security, restore essential services, and meet humanitarian 

needs. The long-term goals are to help develop indigenous capacity for securing 

essential services, a viable market economy, rule of law, democratic institutions, 

and a robust civil society. This course examines the challenges and requirements facing intelligence professionals engaged in planning and supporting 

U.S. and multinational stability and peace operations in global regions, including how intelligence supports U.S. and multinational plans and operations for 

stabilization, security, reconstruction, and transition operations for sustainable 

peace.

DEF 423 Intelligence and Special Operations

Special operations play an important role in U.S. national security strategy. 

Moreover, there is a strong mutually supporting symbiotic relationship between 

special operations and intelligence that needs to be fully understood and maximized by the intelligence professional. Intelligence support necessary to plan 

and execute special operations missions involves understanding an interlinked 

framework of concepts of the national security environment, human domain 

in which special operations occur, and the mission sets themselves. Students 

will focus, critique, and hypothesize on the concepts and their inter-relations to 

better understand the impact, benefits, risks and intelligence needs of special 

operations.

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DEF 424 The Nature of Conflict and Conflict Capabilities

This course focuses on the definitions and fundamental causes of conflict, 

including inter-and intra-state crises; deterrence failures; hegemonic or colonial 

influences, economic and preemptive decisions, and ideological and religious 

contention; balance of power and quests for dominance; resource access and 

scarcity; and relative deprivation factors. The spectrum of conflict examined 

includes gangster, surrogate/proxy, irregular, asymmetric, conventional, and 

national types of warfare. The course then examines and applies the principles 

of state and nonstate actors, analysis of operational and military capabilities, 

and key methods of studying the influence of nonmilitary factors that either 

enhance or degrade the ability of an actor to engage in conflict. To achieve an 

integrated perspective, the course employs a “system of systems” approach to 

define and analyze the complex relationships between key elements of conflict 

capability, including strategy, doctrine, geography, logistics, defense economics, 

technology, leadership, and order of battle.

Regional Security and Intelligence Courses

RSI 401 Africa: Intelligence Issues

The highly diverse and complex nations that comprise the continent of Africa 

pose specific challenges for the intelligence, foreign policy, and national security 

communities. This course provides an understanding of the geographic, historical, social, cultural, religious, economic, political, and military factors affecting 

events in Africa. Students examine contemporary domestic and international 

problems confronting the people of Africa and their governments, NGOs, and 

social movements. This course highlights issues affecting U.S. national security 

interests on the African continent and the related challenges faced by the IC.

RSI 421 South Asia: Intelligence Issues

This course provides students with an understanding of the drivers and causes 

of conflict and instability in South Asia, focusing particularly on the intertwined 

relations between India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The course explores the 

historical and cultural sources of the region’s extremism; its ethnic, communal, and sectarian conflict; and its potential flashpoints, including Kashmir. 

The course examines the historical and contemporary decision points and 

challenges that have brought India global stature as an economically dynamic 

democracy, yet have yielded a struggling and conflict-ridden state in Pakistan, 

nuclear proliferation, and safe haven for a range of militant Islamist groups. 

Students also explore the nature of Afghan governance, Afghanistan’s current 

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and future prospects, and Indian-Pakistani competition there for influence. The 

course concludes with a look at the region’s future prospects and the enduring 

nature of U.S. strategic interests there. 

RSI 422 East Asia: Intelligence Issues

This course explores key cultural, historical, political, economic, security, and 

intelligence issues for East Asia. It develops an understanding of East Asia’s 

current and emerging regional security challenges, including political and societal instability, military developments, demographic shifts, trade, and tension 

over natural resources. Recognizing that China is emerging as a global power, 

the course addresses priority intelligence challenges, such as China’s grand 

strategy, the South China Sea, military modernization, Taiwan and the Korean 

Peninsula, ethnic tension, and regional security.

RSI 431 Eurasia: Intelligence Issues

This course focuses on Russia and its relations with five major regional and 

world groups: the successor states of the former Soviet Union, the nations of 

the former Warsaw Pact, Western Europe, NATO, the United States, and other 

specific states, such as Iran. Current and emerging security challenges, including regional stability, terrorism, criminal activities, transnational threats, and 

socioeconomic factors that affect regional and global security, are discussed, 

along with implications for U.S. national security.

RSI 432 Europe: Intelligence Issues

Europe contains many of the U.S. allies who provide critical strategic platforms 

to pursue American national security strategies. This course focuses on the 

reality of contemporary European and American national security strategies. It 

also focuses on how U.S. allies meet U.S. expectations in contributing to multilateral and coalition efforts. European cooperation depends on agreement with 

overall U.S. strategic aims, the capacity and will to assist, and the ability to cope 

with burgeoning domestic challenges. Students explore NATO and EU cooperation and competition, disputes among various European states, and the effects 

of a resurgent Russia on NATO and EU cohesion. The course examines lessons 

learned in NATO’s operations in the Balkans and Afghanistan and focuses on 

the cyber and terrorist threats in the region. 

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RSI 441 Latin America: Intelligence Issues

The goal of this course is to increase awareness of threats and opportunities, 

both current and future, that originate in Latin America. Students gain a greater 

understanding of recent developments in Latin America and the historical, sociopolitical, and cultural fabric of this important region. This enhanced perspective 

should enable the student to intelligently collect, process, and analyze data 

on Latin American society, politics, economics, trends, and issues. This understanding should enable students to improve their ability to cogently articulate 

analytical assessments. The course focuses on the vital role of intelligence in 

understanding and dealing with critical Latin American security issues, such 

as increased Chinese, Iranian, and Russian influence in the region. The course 

also studies transnational criminal organizations, terrorism, insurgencies, and 

trafficking in humans, drugs, and arms. 

RSI 451 Middle East: Intelligence Issues

This course examines cultural, social, political, and economic underpinnings 

crucial to understanding the challenges for U.S. national security and the role 

of intelligence warning, analysis, and collection in the region. The course examines the importance of Islam, the history of Western involvement, and regional 

political and security issues, such as terrorism, the promotion of democracy, 

and prospects for economic development. The course also addresses specific 

issues, such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, Persian Gulf security (including issues 

pertaining to Iraq and Iran), WMD proliferation, and access to hydrocarbon 

reserves.

RSI 461 Culture and Identity in an Age of Globalization

The highly distributed and dispersed global operations observed in recent 

years—from Timor to Bosnia, the former Soviet Republics, Baghdad, and 

Kabul—underscore the importance of conducting uniquely-tailored missions 

in different environments. The pressures of globalization challenge the ability 

of individuals and nations to maintain “identity.” The mix of cultural groups, 

languages, religions, customs, and beliefs occurring in nation-states can shape 

an official identity. However, individuals and nonstate actors also seek to forge 

their own identities because identification with a particular group provides a 

sense of belonging, empowerment, and security. The lack of identity among 

minorities and outsiders can yield exclusion, intolerance, and conflict. The principal focus of this course is to learn to recognize the complexity and dynamics 

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of national, ethnic, cultural, and religious identities. Understanding individual 

and group identities and practices is key to knowing both one’s adversaries and 

one’s allies.

Science and Technology Intelligence Courses

STI 460 Denial and Deception

The accuracy and credibility of the IC rest on its ability to determine ground truth 

in an environment characterized as information-competitive, with extensive 

foreign knowledge of intelligence sources, methods, and analytical techniques. 

Deception analysis equips the intelligence analyst with the information and tools 

necessary to identify both deception and the larger strategic picture that drive 

potential adversaries to implement advanced deception operations against the 

United States. This course establishes a historical, thematic, and contemporary 

context that provides the fundamental perspective and foundational knowledge 

required to successfully counter D&D activities. 

This course is divided into three parts. Part I examines the fundamental principles and historical events through supporting case studies by focusing on the 

effects of D&D that permeate and influence the world of the D&D analyst. Part 

II outlines operational and strategic deceptions and illustrates their effects on 

leadership and intelligence analysis. Part III focuses on influence operations, 

offensive CI, and the effect of D&D on surprise, strategic warning, and U.S. 

national security objectives.

STI 463 Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

This course examines the role of intelligence in analyzing threats from adversarial state and nonstate actors possessing or aspiring to acquire WMDs to 

use against the U.S. homeland and global interests. It explores the capabilities 

and consequences of current and emerging revolutionary advances in S&T that 

can be used by adversaries to perfect nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. An overview of the intelligence analysis challenges surrounding the threats 

posed by state and nonstate adversaries provides the framework to examine 

the basic technologies of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and the 

threats posed by WMDs. The course explores the motives for and means of 

acquiring and developing WMDs and encourages students to think analytically 

and critically about the causes and consequences of nuclear proliferation.

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STI 480 Information Operations

The power of information lies at the heart of cooperation and conflict, while state 

and nonstate actors, groups, and individuals adapt to, and exploit, the “Global Commons.” This course examines the global information environment and 

its effects on U.S. national security strategy and military operations. Students 

view essential paradigms and concepts, policies, doctrines, and practices of 

information operations from a strategic intelligence perspective supporting 

U.S. information operations planning and strategy. The course analyzes U.S., 

coalition, and adversarial information operations and examines the exploitation 

of the global information environment in conducting national security operations at the strategic and operational levels of conflict. Additionally, the course 

explores intelligence-related aspects of planning and executing in-theater, interagency, and international IO across the physical, informational, and cognitive 

dimensions of the information environment.

STI 482 Cyber Strategy

The emerging cyber issue is many things to different constituencies. It is 

collectively a potentially disruptive socio-economic, technological and politicalmilitary force. It is thus critical to have a coherent theoretical understanding of 

this issue at the strategic level. The Cyber Strategy course will help the student 

to identify and articulate these different aspects of the cyber issue. Foundational to this is a critical approach to claims of an emerging cyber orthodoxy 

or doctrine. The focus of this course, rather, is to identify the right questions 

that policymakers, technologists, and would-be cyber warriors at the national 

level must appreciate if they are to embrace and use effectively this new tool of 

state power. In addition to actual cyber case studies over the past 20 years, this 

course will also leverage lessons from earlier examples, such as the advent of 

the submarine and torpedo, the armored fighting vehicle, and aircraft-from an 

era when previous strategists grappled with newly weaponized and disruptive 

technologies.

Transnational Intelligence Courses

TRN 403 Terrorism: Origins and Methodologies

Terrorism represents one of the most palpable threats to U.S. security interests. This course examines the terrorism phenomenon within the context of the 

social sciences. Particular emphasis is placed on introducing basic techniques 

for analyzing the causes, strengths, and weaknesses of key forms of terrorism, 

with a view toward facilitating intelligence capabilities to develop preemptive 

and countervailing strategies.

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TRN 407 Transnational Threats 

The growing prominence of transnational threats and capabilities of illicit transnational actors in the globalized world presents significant security challenges 

to the intelligence mission. Transnational threats range from terrorism, pandemic health issues, and international narcotics trafficking; through environmental 

degradation, human trafficking, WMD and weapons proliferation; to international smuggling of otherwise licit goods and trafficking in wildlife, antiquities, 

human organs, and art—all enabled by expert facilitators, manipulation of the 

global financial system, and public corruption. IC responses to these many and 

often overlapping activities help shape the way policy and decision makers 

consider and address the deepening effects of these transnational threats. This 

course highlights the profound, destabilizing effects of globalization on sovereignty, international regimes, and global security. Students are challenged to 

understand and explain this complex space and coherently describe the threat 

from an IC perspective.

TRN 408 Drug Intelligence 

This course examines the nature of international drug trafficking and its interaction with other transnational crime and security issues. It explores the effect 

of drug trafficking on global security by addressing its interrelationships with 

global issues. The potential and actual effect of intelligence processes and 

structures in drug intelligence are considered throughout the course. The course 

identifies, compares and analyzes the challenges and successes of intelligence 

within counterdrug and policy efforts. Related topics, such as human networks, 

money laundering, corruption, terror finance, trade, and tax violations are 

considered in relation to counternarcotics and the role of intelligence in these 

complex issues

TRN 409 Homeland Security and Intelligence

This course evaluates the role, structure, composition, missions, capabilities, and 

limitations of homeland security, the IC, and key law enforcement institutions, in 

light of the strategic security environment and probable threats. Students apply 

national security strategy and policy to the homeland security environment. 

Students gain an understanding of how intelligence capabilities are applied 

to sharing information, preventing national security threats, protecting critical 

infrastructure, and protecting the economy in a world of interconnected global 

transportation systems. The course also examines threats and threat doctrines 

that adversely affect intelligence and law enforcement practices, including 

Course Descriptions
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insider threats, and provides analytic frameworks for modeling threats, evaluating those threats against homeland security mission capabilities, and proposing 

intelligence strategies.

Special Interest Courses

BSI 498 Special Topics in Intelligence

This course designation is used for one-time-only courses on special topics in 

intelligence. Such courses may be created to take advantage of special expertise of a visiting professor or to meet the needs of a timely intelligence topic. 

Special Topics are also candidate courses for permanent listing in future curricula.

BSI 499 Directed Readings

This course focuses on a specific aspect of strategic intelligence that is so new 

or specialized it is not offered in an existing course. The student must develop a 

written proposal, a list of readings, and assignments and have them approved 

by the sponsoring faculty member and the BSI Program Director. Students may 

use a Directed Readings course to satisfy an elective course requirement.

Course Descriptions
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Acronym List

American Council of Education ACE

Army Educational Requirements System AERS

Air Force Base AFB

Academic Policy and Standards Committee APSC 

Virginia Tech’s Advanced Research Center ARC

Board of Visitors BOV

Bachelor of Science in Intelligence BSI

command and control C2

command, control, communications, and intelligence C3I 

chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield 

explosive

CBRN-E

combatant commands CCMDs

continuing education CE

Chief Executive Officer CEO

Counterintelligence CI

Central Intelligence Agency CIA

Certificates of Intelligence Studies CIS

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff CJCS

College Level Exam Program CLEP

Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works CONTU 

Chief of Staff COS

College of Strategic Intelligence CSI

Center for Strategic Intelligence Research CSIR

Denial and Deception D&D

Drug Enforcement Administration DEA

Department of Homeland Security DHS

Defense Intelligence Agency DIA

DIA Instruction DIAI 

Defense Language Institute DLI

Defense Language Proficiency Test DLPT

Director of National Intelligence DNI

Department of Defense DoD

Department of Energy DOE

Department of State DoS

DANTES Subject Standardized Test DSST
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NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNIVERSITY • 2019–2020 COURSE CATALOG

European Academic Center EAC

Executive Order EO 

Foreign Area Officer FAO

Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI

foreign intelligence services FIS

General Equivalency Degree GED

Geospatial intelligence GEOINT.

Graduate Record Exam GRE

Human intelligence HUMINT.

indications and warnings I&W 

identity intelligence I2 

Intelligence Community IC

Intelligence Community Campus- Bethesda ICC-B

information operations IOs 

Institutional Review Board IRB

Jenzabar Internet Campus Solution JICS 

Joint Professional Military Education JPME

Joint Services Transcript JST

Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System JWICS

Leadership and Management L&M

Measurement and signature intelligence MASINT.

Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence MSSI

Master of Science and Technology Intelligence MSTI

North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO

Noncommissioned Officers NCO

National Capital Region NCR

National Defense University NDU

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency NGA

nongovernmental organizations NGOs

National Intelligence Council NIC

National Intelligence Officer NIO

National Intelligence Priorities Framework NIPF 

Non-secure Internet Protocol Router Network NIPRNet 

National Intelligence University, NIU

National Military Intelligence Foundation NMIF

National Security Agency NSA

National Security Council NSC

Acronym List
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Office of the Director of National Intelligence ODNI

Office of Institutional Effectiveness OIE

NIU’s Office of Research OOR

operational security OPSEC 

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe OSCE

Open-source intelligence OSINT.

permanent change of station PCS 

portable electronic devices PEDs 

Personally Identifiable Information PII 

People’s Liberation Army PLA 

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory PNNL

People’s Republic of China PRC

Quantico Academic Center QAC

science and technology S&T

science and technology intelligence S&TI

Southern Academic Center SAC

Sensitive Compartmented Information SCI

Signals intelligence SIGINT

subject matter expert SME 

Single Scope Background Investigation SSBI 

Special Security Officer SSO 

School of Science and Technology Intelligence SSTI

temporary duty TDY 

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan TPP

Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence USD(I)

U.S. European Command USEUCOM

U.S. Southern Command USSOUTHCOM

Weapons of Mass Destruction WMD

WMD Terrorism WMD-T 

Acronym List
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