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Undergraduate Intelligence and Analysis Course Descriptions

3300 U.S. Intelligence and Global Security Challenges (3-0). This course’s ultimate objective is to place the student in the role of a senior leader and have him/her face the global security challenges facing our decision makers. 9/11 and the global war on terror has placed the world in a position where friends and allies must work together to defeat terrorism at home and abroad. To be effective our national leaders must reach out and partner with foreign allies. Students will be placed in these roles to help determine and form national security policy. Students will assume the roles of the national security advisor, SECSTATE, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), and Director for the CIA and of DNI, among others, and will attempt to advise and influence head of a foreign nation, international organization, or internationally-active NGO, with the tasks of (1) explaining the role of the United States in the international system (from a non-US perspective), and (2) designing a national security strategy for your nation or organization that could either affect, neutralize, or capitalize on the hegemonic position of the U.S., (3) and form intelligence partnerships and sharing agreements.

3301 Context, Culture, and Intelligence: The International Dimension (3-0). The intelligence profession is particularly complex because it focuses by definition on foreign threats. Unfortunately for intelligence analysts, this requires that they understand not just other cultures and how their norms and values affect their approach to resolving policy issues or conflicts, but also how historical and other kinds of contextual factors influence how they might respond to American engagement and pressure in a given situation. This course gets at the heart of these complexities through the use of historical case studies and a careful focus on the ways in which context and culture drive the intelligence analysis process and make it a very complex and uncertain endeavor.

3302 Fundamentals of Intelligence Analysis (3-0). This course is designed for students with no experience with the intelligence discipline. It presents the organization and fundamentals of intelligence, defining the discipline, providing an overview of basic intelligence sources, and tracing the history of intelligence organization in the U.S. from the revolution through the modern day. This course introduces students who are interested in pursuing the profession of intelligence to the business of intelligence analysis. Students will develop a broad understanding of strategic intelligence and all phases of the intelligence cycle from requirements to reporting with an emphasis on supporting leadership decision making. It presents material describing the process of intelligence analysis; the role of the analyst; and analysis tools for preparation of assessments based on the collection, correlation, and analysis of intelligence data. The course concludes with a discussion of ethical dilemmas posed by the ongoing war on terrorism and resulting from modern high-tech collection capabilities.

3303 Critical Thinking and Intelligence Analytical Methods (3-0). Thinking critically, analyzing and synthesizing effectively, and solving difficult problems are crucial skills in the intelligence arena. Additionally, rapid changes in technology, information sourcing, and information availability, coupled with fundamental changes in the Intelligence Community and its customers’ expectations, have had a significant impact on the intelligence process and the way in which analysis is conducted and disseminated. This course provides methodology and techniques in critical thinking and analysis skills meant to overcome cultural and self-imposed biases that can impact the objectivity of intelligence analysis and decision-making. Critical thinking and analysis skills are covered, to include analysis of competing hypotheses, matrix analyses, decision/event trees, weighted rankings, and utility analysis, which are designed to improve the objectivity of intelligence analysis and decision making. The course ends with a review of the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) and analyst-policymaker relationships.

3304 The Intelligence Process: Consumers-Producer Relationships (3-0). This course examines the policymaker and intelligence relationships and how they function to serve national security demands. Policymakers receive their support from a variety of sources. There is an established intelligence process designed to provide intelligence judgments and assessments. Students will learn how that process works and how it can be influenced. The CIA’s Directorate of Intelligence (DI) and the National Intelligence Officers who comprise the National Intelligence Council are responsible for providing all-source intelligence analysis to the Government as a whole, with the President, the National Security Advisor, and the Secretaries of Defense and State being the foremost customers. Students will comprehend customers’ intelligence requirements and how those requirements are serviced to contribute to national security needs. Students will also examine intelligence failures through case studies, evaluate why these failures occurred, and how such failures can be eliminated in the future.

3305 Intelligence Collection: Sources and Challenges (3-0). This course provides a multidisciplinary survey of Imagery Intelligence (IMINT), Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Human Intelligence (HUMINT), and Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT). The background, capabilities, and limitations of each intelligence collection method are covered. The course focuses on the intelligence process, specific intelligence challenges of the global war on terrorism and specific collection challenges facing planning activities which enable an integrated approach to intelligence analysis and collection.

3307 Introduction to Cybersecurity (3-0). This course introduces students to the wide range of modern communications technologies. Use of these technologies by government and business entities for intelligence gathering, their limitations, and vulnerabilities are introduced to students. An overview of the history of computer hacking is covered. Additionally, a brief overview of law and policy concerning cyber communications is discussed beginning with the National Security Act of 1947. (Credit may not be earned for this course and Border Security 3307.)

3310 Introduction to the Discipline of Intelligence (3-0). This course focuses on the theory and practice of the disciplines of intelligence to include the intelligence process, the key functions of the intelligence cycle, intelligence technology, analysis, collection capabilities, covert action, and policy support. Students will examine the role of intelligence in national security, policy formation, diplomacy, homeland security, and other national priorities. Students will do a comparative review of the Cold War intelligence community and post-9/11 period of the emergence of the current national Intelligence Community (IC). Students will examine partnerships between the IC and the military services, academic, and scientific communities in developing intelligence practices and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems and capabilities to address the intelligence challenges of the past 60 years. Finally, the course emphasizes the importance of preparing and providing intelligence to both policy makers and our nation’s warfighters in a manner that result in information sharing and underscores a post-9/11 commitment to conduct intelligence activities in a manner that fully respects and protects American civil liberties and privacy.

3315 Introduction to Cryptology (3-0). This course’s ultimate objective is to introduce the student to the world of codes and ciphers. This course will rely on the long history of cryptology, from 1900 B.C.E. to present day. This course introduces to students several methods of both manual encryption and decryption and methods used today to ensure personal information is encrypted in both military and civilian applications.

3320 Intelligence and Democracy: Issues and Conflicts (3-0). This course examines the conduct of intelligence activities by democratic states, focusing on the inherent conflict between the secret nature of intelligence and “open society.” Using a case study approach, students will review the intelligence organizations in the U.S. and other democracies as well as cases where there has been a clash between democratic values and intelligence activities. The course analyzes the requirements for effective intelligence operations and the impact of oversight and control of those operations. Students will examine Government “control” of intelligence operations; Judicial and Congressional oversight, management, and intervention; and the role and influence of media and public opinion on intelligence activities. Moreover, as a result of 9/11 and the war on terror, students will explore the conundrum of determining whether and to what degree a necessary balance exists between secrecy of intelligence operations at home and abroad and democracy.

3321 Cyber Vulnerability (3-0). This course covers both the reliability and vulnerability of computer-based technologies, biometrics and security  technologies. The student learning objective is to understand the cybersecurity
threats to our current infrastructure.

4071 Internship (1-6 SCH). This course is designed to familiarize students with the application of knowledge gained in course work and with operations and problems in the field of intelligence and analysis. Students must be pursuing a degree in Intelligence and Analysis. Approval of instructor is required.

4103 Case Studies in Intelligence and Analysis (1-0). This course is a seminar and takes a case study approach to highlighting challenges and lessons learned for successes and failures on intelligence policy, operations, organization, and reform. Topics covered include WWII, Korea, Cold War, Algeria, Vietnam, Cuba, Desert Storm I & II, Post 911, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, WMD Proliferation, Terrorism. Includes practical exercise. (Credit may not be earned for this course and Intelligence and Analysis 4303.)

4191, 4291, 4391 Research. Individual research problems for superior students majoring in intelligence and analysis. (May be repeated for a total of six semester hours credit.)
Prerequisites: Junior or Senior standing. Approval from the Chair of the Department is required prior to enrollment.
Intelligence and Analysis (INA) continued

4300 Advanced Problems in National Security and Intelligence Policy (3-0). This course provides a strategic overview of the complex challenges surrounding the creation, application, and administration of national security and intelligence policy. Students will examine the most compelling national security and intelligence issues of our time and their interrelationships with U.S., foreign, military, economic, diplomatic, and domestic policy. Students will learn the formal/informal structure of the national security establishment and the intelligence community and the processes involved in how policy makers and analysts integrate national security policy and intelligence to form national strategy. Students will examine the changing nature of external threats in a multi-polar world and identify U.S. defense and intelligence policy issues for the remainder of this century and into the next. The course gives students awareness of the U.S. position in the international military, diplomatic, economic, and intelligence community and the effects of the current U.S. and global economic situation on U.S. national security and how the roles and organizations within the Intelligence Community support the national security process.

4301 Advanced Intelligence Analysis: How to Think In Complex Operating Environments (3-0). This course focuses the analyst on how to think, not what to think, in order to foster critical thoughts and enhance the student’s cognitive performance. It is modeled on the Socratic method of instruction and offers concepts on advanced thinking that are applicable to all work environments, but particularly to the intelligence analysis enterprise. Students discover how to decompose an analytical problem into its fundamental elements. The output of this process includes five principal kinds of observables for collection and analysis: technical, functional, cultural, situational, and biometric. Students also learn how to write effective requirements and observables. They further learn how to re-aggregate data into information and to synthesize information into knowledge, thereby creating actionable intelligence.

4302 Space Imagery and Security (3-0). This capstone course discusses the use of space-based assets to support Homeland Security and Intelligence efforts. Included are limitations of the technologies, available commercial technologies, and discussion of the legal, moral, and political issues surrounding the use of these technologies in a democratic society. Students will design and present a project as part of this course. (Credit may not be earned for this course and Border Security 4302).

4303 Capstone: Case Studies in Intelligence (3-0). Case Studies in WWII, Korea, Cold War, Algeria, Vietnam, Cuba, Desert Storm I & II, Post 911, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, WMD Proliferation, and Terrorism. Includes practical exercise. This course is a seminar and takes a case study approach to highlighting challenges and lessons learned for successes and failure on intelligence policy, operations, organization, and reform. Students must be in senior status and it is preferable to take this course in the final semester. (Credit may not be earned for this course and Intelligence and Analysis 4103.)

4305 Digital Footprints (3-0). A digital footprint is the data users leave behind on digital services. This course explores the inner workings of our digital world. Students will learn about the two main classifications of digital footprints: passive and active. The course covers terms related to internet technology and dynamics of the Internet while examining the mechanisms and tools used to breakdown user and server information. (Credit may not be earned for this course and Border Security 4303.

4314 Strategic Thought and Leadership (3-0). This course explores how leaders at the executive level of organizations think and influence the actions of others, both tactically and strategically. Students investigate examples of leadership, ethics, decision-making, and strategy along a spectrum of adversity. Historical case studies highlight commonalities and habits of mind that form the nexus between successful strategic thought and leadership.

4381 Special Topics (3-0). A course in selected intelligence topics. May be repeated once for credit when topics vary.