National Security, Intelligence Analysis Concentration, B.S.

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

The Bachelor of Science in National Security is designed to prepare students to enter the important areas of employment associated with the national security infrastructure of the United States. Graduates of this program will understand the nature and scope of the various national security agencies, the national security strategy, and the connections between the nation's national security strategy and the policies developed to help ensure our nation's security. Students in this concentration learn to use the tools and skills employed in the Intelligence Community (IC); develop the analytical foundations to be able to analyze alternative threats to security; to map and model threats using geospatial analysis; and the laws, ethics, and regulations that structure national security operations.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES:

1. Develop a working knowledge of the most prominent features of the global national security construct with an emphasis on the United States' (U.S.) national security enterprise and its U.S. Constitutional roots.

2. Understand key security studies concepts, along with the language, logic and legal foundations of national security with an emphasis on the U.S. programs and key individual actors within it and attention on international culture and conflict zones.

3. Apply a variety of models (DIME-FIL; Objective/Ends, Ways, Means, and Risks; Structured Analytic Techniques) when engaged in problem solving and critical thinking about contemporary nation-state security issues; Apply qualitative and quantitative methods in problem solving.

4. Explore in high impact practices and/or create a research design/paper, policy analysis brief, or national security brief using qualitative and/or quantitative methods regarding implementation of national security policy and practices.

5. Conceptualize and formulate potential solutions to contemporary problems; predict future concerns.

University Core Curriculum

The completion of 40 credits of University Core Curriculum with the following restrictions:

CC1 - Written Communication: ENGL 1112 or ENGL 1113 or ENGL 1114
CC2 - Oral Communication and Presentation: COMM 1130
CC3 - Mathematical and Quantitative Literacy: MATH 1104 or higher
CC4 - Scientific Exploration: Any Course
CC5 - Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: UNIV 1125
CC6 - Historical Perspectives: Any Course
CC7 - The Individual and Society: Any Course
CC8 - Global and Intercultural Awareness: Any Foreign Language
CC9 - Perspectives on Creative Arts: Any Course
12 credits of Tier II courses

Major and Elective Courses

Students earning the B.S. degree in National Security are required to complete at least 121 credits, including the University Core Curriculum as defined above and the following courses:

Dual Degree: Pathway Program

This dual degree program creates a pathway between the undergraduate degree and the graduate degree in national security. The pathway program is available to all undergraduates in criminal justice, international affairs, and national security. The MS national security degree provides students with an understanding of the fundamental principles of national security including the policymaking process, legal considerations, data analytics, and intelligence analysis. To qualify, students must have a minimum 3.2 undergraduate GPA, and must maintain a cumulative 3.0 graduate GPA. Students may apply for the pathway program in their junior year. Those accepted into the program will take graduate-level courses during the senior year that will replace undergraduate electives and simultaneously be credited toward the MS degree in national security.

Dual Degree: Direct Entry Program

This dual degree direct entry program links the undergraduate degree and the graduate degree in national security for incoming students. Accepted students may pursue an undergraduate degree in criminal justice, international affairs, or national security. The MS national security degree provides students with an understanding of the fundamental principles of national security including the policy making process, legal considerations, data analytics, and intelligence analysis. Students who are in the top 20% of their HS class or have 1200 SATs or 3.5 HS GPA will be invited to apply, and students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to continue into the graduate portion of the program. Those accepted into the direct entry program will take graduate-level courses during the senior year that will replace undergraduate electives and simultaneously be credited toward the MS degree in national security.