Academic Programs & Standards
Certified Courses and Programs
Academic Programs:
The Citadel (2021) - Intelligence and Security Studies BA & Intelligence and Security Studies MA
Patrick Henry College (2019) - Strategic Intelligence in National Security BA
University of Oklahoma (2017) - Intelligence Studies Certificate
University of Texas at El Paso (2016) - Intelligence and National Security Studies MS and Graduate Certificate in Intelligence and National Security Studies
University of Leicester (2015) - Intelligence and Security MA
University of Mississippi (2014) - The Intelligence and Security Studies Minor
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Standards for Intelligence Education
Undergraduate and Graduate Programs
Access a PDF document of this page.
These standards are recommended for undergraduate and graduate academic programs having "intelligence in their program titles and support competitive (business), law enforcement, homeland security and national security intelligence activities.
Standards presented below for undergraduate and graduate programs provide the general knowledge and skills recommended when institutions develop learning outcomes and assessment procedures for intelligence education programs. The extent to which each below core area is developed and emphasized in a given program should be consistent with the program and institution’s mission and objectives. For undergraduate associates degrees, certificates and minors, the below undergraduate degree general outcomes and undergraduate core area outcomes should be included to the greatest extent possible.
Undergraduate Degree General Outcomes
Satisfying undergraduate degree general outcomes indicate a program meets a minimum set of professional and intellectual standards in their curricula. Though some of the following general outcomes may be satisfied by intelligence program coursework, some may also be satisfied by the institution’s general education requirements, course test-out programs or high school AP equivalency. At the general level, intelligence education programs must demonstrate that their graduates are able to:
1) Employ knowledge of mathematics and science.
2) Identify, describe and critically evaluate applicable intelligence technologies.
3) Demonstrate the ability to professionally speak, read and orally comprehend a foreign language—as applicable.*
4) Identify professional ethics and how they apply to the intelligence field.
5) Develop general professional written and oral reports and presentations.
6) Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively in diverse groups.
7) Demonstrate intelligence knowledge, skills and abilities in a non-academic setting through an internship, cooperative or supervised experience.
8) Evaluate intelligence issues or challenges through either a capstone practicum or undergraduate thesis.
9) Appraise contemporary and emergent threats, challenges and issues to business, law enforcement, homeland security, national security and regional studies spheres—as applicable.*
10) Explain application of intelligence strategies and operations to business, law enforcement, homeland security, national security and regional studies issues—as applicable.*
* In addition to the intelligence education undergraduate general outcomes (above) and core area outcomes (below), intelligence curricula should also include substantive and theoretical instruction in the student’s intended career field. This should include courses, as applicable, in foreign languages and the areas of business, law enforcement, homeland security, national security and regional studies, as applicable to the student’s intended career field. For example, students planning careers in regional studies should have instruction in history, geography, economics, politics, cultures, foreign policy and security issues and foreign languages applicable to the region of student interest.
Undergraduate Degree Core Area (CA) Outcomes
Undergraduate core area outcomes demonstrate professional breadth of preparation as it applies to the intelligence field. Programs satisfying core area outcomes should include the following curricular areas. Suggested definitions for each academic area follow the curricular area title. Although programs can assume some latitude in how their specific curriculum integrates each of the core areas below, programs should accomplish each of the following outcomes. Depending on the program or institution, a given core area outcome may be addressed in a devoted course, a portion of a course, or in an appropriate extracurricular experience (cooperative study, internship, field experience, independent study, etc.).
CA1. Intelligence History – To identify key events, persons, successes and failures in intelligence activities, including their role and influence in history.
1) Discuss the evolution of intelligence from ancient to modern times.
2) Explain the evolution of intelligence as it applies to the academic institution’s home nation.
CA2. Intelligence Organizations – To understand the current organizational structures, resources, capabilities and responsibilities of intelligence institutions.
3) Explain the current intelligence organizations at the academic institution’s home nation national and local levels.
4) Discuss the general characteristics of current intelligence organizations in key foreign nations (adversaries and allies).
CA3. Intelligence Planning – The process of defining an intelligence organization’s strategy or direction, including making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy.
5) Demonstrate knowledge of legal and ethical principles applicable to intelligence activities, including intelligence collection, counterintelligence and covert action.
6) Discuss the current organizational structures, functions, capabilities, and responsibilities of intelligence customers.
7) Demonstrate knowledge of applicable national strategies and plans, including their history, inter-relationships, similarities and differences.
8) Explain the strategic planning interface between various levels of the public and private sectors.
9) Employ the latest in strategic and organizational management, organizational behavior, leadership, interagency operations and information sharing procedures used in the intelligence community.
10) Explain the intelligence resource management process.
11) Demonstrate the preparation and presentation of intelligence management written and oral communications.
12) Appraise the use of the "Intelligence Cycle as a framework for understanding intelligence activities.
CA4. Intelligence Collection – The process of collecting, processing and exploiting information used in intelligence products.
13) Discuss processes for prioritizing and tasking the employment of collection assets to support strategic, operational and tactical intelligence analysis.
14) Explain the organization, capabilities, limitations, exploitation and key issues in Human Intelligence (HUMINT) (informant direction) collection operations, both overt and covert.
15) Explain the organization, collection platforms, capabilities, limitations, exploitation and key issues in Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) (wiretaps-eavesdropping) collection operations.
16) Explain the organization, collection platforms, capabilities, limitations, exploitation and key issues in Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) (imagery-mapping) collection operations.
17) Explain the organization, collection platforms, capabilities, limitations, exploitation and key issues in Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT) (other technical) collection operations.
18) Discuss the contributions, limitations and issues related to collaboration of information and intelligence sharing obtained through foreign services.
19) Describe the issues and challenges in coordinating intelligence collection from multiple sources.
20) Discuss future technologies and their potential impacts on intelligence collection.
CA5. Intelligence Analysis – The process where information is analyzed and intelligence products are developed and provided to strategic, operational and tactical consumers.
21) Formulate analyzable questions through de-construction of the intelligence tasking or problem.
22) Locate and search available databases and other sources to gather existing information and intelligence products, including Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) (publicly available information), and identify information gaps.
23) Assess the validity of human and technical information through vetting procedures designed to detect misinterpretations, fabrications, deliberate deceptions, and unacknowledged biases.
24) Explain the challenges of tasking multi-source collection assets to fill identified information gaps.
25) Select appropriate procedures for group analytic efforts (brainstorming, Red Team analysis, Team A/B, etc.).
26) Demonstrate procedures for modeling and hypothesis generation.
27) Employ basic qualitative and quantitative analysis procedures to test hypotheses and develop analytic findings.
28) Demonstrate the ability to present complex data and findings in meaningful ways (e.g., maps, charts, tables, graphs, etc.).
29) Create written and oral reports to convey analytic findings to superiors and customers.
CA6. Counterintelligence and Security – The countering of adversary threats to one’s nation, organization, personnel, systems and information.
30) Discuss the history of counterintelligence and counterespionage, including recent case studies.
31) Explain the employment of general security measures (physical, personnel, information, cyber, investigations and security management).
32) Demonstrate knowledge of the classification management systems applicable to home nation.
33) Discuss operational security measures.
34) Differentiate between the fields of counterintelligence, counterespionage and counterterrorism.
Graduate Degree Outcomes
Standards for graduate degree programs in intelligence education should include increased depth and rigor in the instruction of the above undergraduate degree general outcomes and undergraduate core area outcomes. These outcomes may be met through previous degree programs where possible. For graduate degrees the following additional outcomes should be met:
35) Complete a minimum of one year of study beyond the undergraduate level.
36) Create a research project or other research activity resulting in a report that demonstrates both mastery of the subject matter and a high level of professional communication skills.
37) Complete advanced instruction in qualitative and quantitative analysis skills.
For more information, please contact the IAFIE Educational Practices Chair: Dr. James Ramsay (University of Wisconsin-Stout) EdPractices@iafie.org