Online Graduate Certificate in Intelligence Studies

RECOMMENDED AS THE FIRST COURSE IN THE PROGRAM. This course examines the current structure, function, capabilities, and contributions of individual U.S. national intelligence community members. Students appraise the intelligence cycle by an overview of the intelligence planning, collection, exploitation, analysis, production, and dissemination phases. The course also evaluates the intelligence oversight system, the restrictions on national intelligence community activities prescribed by federal law, executive and agency directives.

This course is a study of intelligence collection and information gathering. It focuses on a variety of aspects related to how both the United States and foreign nations gather and process intelligence. The student will develop a comprehensive understanding of the role collection plays in the intelligence community, how various policies affect collection, and how different intelligence agencies monitor and collect intelligence.

This course focuses on intelligence analysis including the analysis of international threats to security. The course will provide students with a foundation of human cognition in an effort to help understand why we think the way we do, how we come to formulate biases, and the many analytical, perceptional, and cognitive errors we frequently make in conducting analyses. Students will be provided with a foundation from which to understand and conduct critical analysis. This course affords an opportunity to look at a variety of case studies related to both US and foreign threat analysis and action, including the evolution of responses to threats, perspectives on threat action, principles of threat analysis and response, and assessments of successes and failures of such actions. Students will develop a comprehensive knowledge of intelligence analysis, how intelligence agencies assess and counter international threats in order to guard global security interests, and how various threats affect national security policy and decision-making. (Prerequisite: SSGS500)

This course examines issues of ethics, morality, and legal principles in the context of Intelligence through an in-depth critical analysis of the primary ethical philosophies and legal doctrines as they apply to contemporary U.S. Intelligence. Students will research the moral, psychological, and legal issues pertaining to a variety of topics. The course concludes with an evaluation of an issue within the intelligence community related ethical-moral and legal choices.

This course provides basic research methods skills for addressing problems and issues specific to the programs within the School of Security and Global Studies (SSGS). The course covers four basic approaches to social research including experimentation, survey research, field research, and the use of available data. Students will gain foundational knowledge in research planning, design, methodology, data collection, and analysis. This course prepares students for advanced research methods. Students in SSGS graduate studies are expected to be completely familiar with Turabian and APA writing styles. If you do not possess copies of these manuals, here is a link to the library, https://www.apus.edu/apus-library/resources-services/Writing/writing-center.html, specific to writing basics, that has quick style guides in use within SSGS. Purchase of the most recent writing guide in use in your program is highly recommended. If you are unsure what writing style is in use in your program, consult with your academic advisor.

This course provides an introduction to the theory and practice of intelligence operations. The course will focus on the intelligence resources necessary to carry out the full range of intelligence operations using the tools, techniques, and resources available to intelligence agencies.

The course focuses on both U.S. and foreign aspects of counterintelligence, including the history and evolution of counterintelligence, the differences between passive and active CI measures, principles and processes of counterintelligence and its relationship to covert action, the ethics of counterintelligence, and the evaluation of CI successes and an estimate of the damage caused by failures. The student will develop a comprehensive knowledge of the use and practices of counterintelligence, especially in protecting homeland security and national security interests against foreign adversaries. Additionally, the collection process and the changes for the future in the infusion of CI technology will be discussed.

This course constitutes an intensive introduction to OSINT and its related disciplines and will focus on the following areas: definition and nature of OSINT, OSINT policy and management, history and development of OSINT, current OSINT trends, OSINT-focused organizations, challenges, reform, and future prospects. The course constitutes an intensive introduction to OSINT and its related disciplines. (Prerequisite: SSGS500)

This course will focus on advanced geospatial analytic techniques and how these techniques aid in decision making in various operational environments. This course will include study of geospatial collections and teach the application of theory and practical utilization of analytical tools, techniques and procedures. Students will be exposed to and are expected to develop an understanding of emerging technology, trends and intelligence applications within the discipline of geospatial intelligence. The course will focus on geospatial concepts, techniques, and maximize focus in geospatial in support of emergencies, national and human disasters, and national security environments. (Prerequisite: SSGS500)

This course provides an overview of the analysis of political leaders. It explores various political psychological approaches to studying leaders to include biographies, psychoanalysis, traits, characteristics and motivations. Examples of specific political leaders are discussed throughout the course to offer the student a broad knowledge of world leaders. The course also provides students with a solid foundation from which to conduct their independent analysis of political leaders.

This course will provide an overview of transnational crime and narcotics and its effects on national security, political, social, and economic development of countries around the world. The focus of this class will be the proliferation and expanding influence of organized crime groups, the increasing links among crime groups, corruption, and links to terrorism from transnational crime and narcotics. This class will examine the diverse dimensions of transnational crime and narcotics in the context of increasing globalization and the exponential impact of technology advances

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the cyber intelligence field and is intended to equip students with the essential knowledge and skills often needed to navigate the complex world of cyber threats, vulnerabilities, and risks. Students will explore the full range of cyber capabilities from exploitation to defense, including several case studies that demonstrate the challenges and benefits of cyber intelligence operations. Through discussion forums and a research project, students will gain a deeper understanding of the role cyber intelligence plays in national security and the protection of critical infrastructures.