Is a Degree in National Intelligence Right for Me?
Military who pursue a National Intelligence degree open many doors during military service and after service
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In this post-9/11 world, national intelligence is a growing field, but it is not the best line of study for everyone. If you would like to or already work in the intelligence community, then a degree would be beneficial. However, the skills learned by studying intelligence can be transferred to other areas and used outside of the intelligence community.
According to Dr. Michael Corcoran, president of Henley-Putnam University, degrees in national intelligence are suitable for, "anyone who wears a uniform or carries a badge or works with anyone who does."
Daniel Byman, director of Georgetown University's Security Studies Program and the Center for Peace and Security Studies, said in an e-mail, "A degree related to intelligence is beneficial in three ways. First, it gives students a knowledge of the intelligence community that serves them well outside the community, particularly in the broad security community, as they understand the role and limits of intelligence in what they do. Second, it exposes students who want to join the community to the community's strengths and weaknesses, giving them a running start when they begin work and helping them think creatively as they overcome potential problems. Third, for students in the community, it broadens their perspectives on what they do and how to do it better."
Corcoran says those that seek intelligence degrees want to get ahead, get promoted and gain knowledge, or they may be looking for more training. Corcoran, a former Secret Service agent, says it took him five to seven years to learn on the job. He and his colleagues wanted to provide people who work in intelligence with an opportunity to hit the ground running.
According to Corcoran, each federal agency - such as the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI and Secret Service -- has their own methods for employees to follow. However, receiving a good foundation in the basics can still be useful in other careers.
Zachary Bon, who is retired from the Navy and works for defense contractor BAE Systems, is looking for training and to get ahead. Bon earned a certificate in homeland security, and is now working on a master's as well from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Bon has continued his education in order to use his degree to transition from ship repair into a security-related division at BAE Systems.
Penn State senior research associate Todd Bacastow, Ph.D., is a professor of practice for Geospatial Intelligence in the online intercollege master of professional studies in homeland security program. Bacastow says that students who choose this option "work with other intelligence professionals to complete the puzzle by looking at clusters of why things happen and examining patterns."
Bacastow says the work done to capture the D.C. sniper is an example where those educated in Geospatial Intelligence might contribute. In addition to being applied to law enforcement, he says this knowledge could also be applied to business, to help companies decide where to focus their marketing efforts, for example.
According to Dr. Michael Corcoran, president of Henley-Putnam University, degrees in national intelligence are suitable for, "anyone who wears a uniform or carries a badge or works with anyone who does."
Daniel Byman, director of Georgetown University's Security Studies Program and the Center for Peace and Security Studies, said in an e-mail, "A degree related to intelligence is beneficial in three ways. First, it gives students a knowledge of the intelligence community that serves them well outside the community, particularly in the broad security community, as they understand the role and limits of intelligence in what they do. Second, it exposes students who want to join the community to the community's strengths and weaknesses, giving them a running start when they begin work and helping them think creatively as they overcome potential problems. Third, for students in the community, it broadens their perspectives on what they do and how to do it better."
Corcoran says those that seek intelligence degrees want to get ahead, get promoted and gain knowledge, or they may be looking for more training. Corcoran, a former Secret Service agent, says it took him five to seven years to learn on the job. He and his colleagues wanted to provide people who work in intelligence with an opportunity to hit the ground running.
According to Corcoran, each federal agency - such as the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI and Secret Service -- has their own methods for employees to follow. However, receiving a good foundation in the basics can still be useful in other careers.
Zachary Bon, who is retired from the Navy and works for defense contractor BAE Systems, is looking for training and to get ahead. Bon earned a certificate in homeland security, and is now working on a master's as well from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Bon has continued his education in order to use his degree to transition from ship repair into a security-related division at BAE Systems.
Penn State senior research associate Todd Bacastow, Ph.D., is a professor of practice for Geospatial Intelligence in the online intercollege master of professional studies in homeland security program. Bacastow says that students who choose this option "work with other intelligence professionals to complete the puzzle by looking at clusters of why things happen and examining patterns."
Bacastow says the work done to capture the D.C. sniper is an example where those educated in Geospatial Intelligence might contribute. In addition to being applied to law enforcement, he says this knowledge could also be applied to business, to help companies decide where to focus their marketing efforts, for example.