MA in Government/ Certificate in Intelligence
Students pursuing an MA in Government may obtain an additional credential by completing courses that lead to the Certificate in Intelligence. This combined credential prepares graduates for careers in the U.S. Intelligence Community and in those parts of the government and private sector that use intelligence or work with the Intelligence Community, as well as other parts of the national security community. Students can complete the program with 15 courses.
Admissions Criteria for all Advanced Academic Programs
Interested applicants must complete all admission requirements for both the Master of Arts in Government and the Certificate in Intelligence.
In addition to the materials and credentials required for all programs, the Master of Arts in Government also requires:
- A writing sample of five to 10 pages that is research-focused. The purpose of the writing sample is to demonstrate the applicant’s ability to make and support an argument.
If the applicant does not have an existing research-focused writing sample that they wish to submit, the applicant may write a five-page paper responding to the following:
"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” — James Madison, Federalist 51
In this well-known quote, Madison points toward the age-old problem of reconciling democracy and political power. Discuss this problem in reference to some recent policy issues or political events, citing at least three references.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Students pursuing an MA in Government may obtain an additional credential by completing a sequence of courses offered by the Certificate in Intelligence. This combined credential will require students to complete 15 courses (in lieu of 17 to complete both degrees separately). Students are required to take the following courses:
MA in Government Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Course - Required: | ||
| AS.470.602 | Government & Politics | 3 |
| AS.470.850 | Research and Thesis I: MA in Government | 3 |
| AS.470.852 | Research and Thesis II: MA in Government | 3 |
| AS.470.800 | Research & Thesis III: Government | 3 |
| Select six electives | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Certificate in Intelligence Requirements
Completion of five courses, one each from the following areas:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses - Customizable | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| The Art & Practice of Intelligence | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Social Science in National Security and Intelligence | ||
| Strategic Culture Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Intelligence in the Five Eyes Community | ||
| Comparative Intelligence Systems | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Privacy in a Data-driven Society | ||
| The Constitution and National Security | ||
| Legal Issues in Intelligence | ||
| Intelligence Ethics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Managing Dangerous Futures: Global Political Risk Analysis | ||
| Cyber Policy, Strategy, Conflict and Deterrence | ||
| Introduction to Geospatial Intelligence | ||
| Analyzing Social Media and Geospatial Information | ||
| Intelligence Analysis | ||
| Assessing Foreign Militaries | ||
| Technical Collection of Intelligence | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| The Politics and Process of American Foreign Policy | ||
| Terrorist Financing Analysis and Counterterrorist Finance Techniques | ||
| Intelligence and Counterterrorism | ||
| Intelligence to Secure the Homeland and Hometown | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |