Center for Academic Engagement

Department of Intelligence Studies

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Intel Studies shield logo

Defend our national security and economic interests using advanced analytic techniques and artificial intelligence.

Our national security and economic landscapes are changing at a rapid pace. New technology and intensifying geopolitical competition require education that anticipates and recognizes these changes and prepares graduates to succeed in a dynamic future.

We graduate in-demand, entry-level analysts skilled in using advanced analytic tools to support the continually evolving intelligence profession. Graduates will gain experience preparing assessments based on the collection, correlation, and analysis of intelligence data for employers in both government and private sectors, including business, law enforcement, national security, and the military.

This unique and academically challenging multidisciplinary program combines a liberal arts core with a foreign language or computer requirement, as well as national and international studies, internship opportunities, and intelligence courses. These elements prepare graduates to meet the growing demands of national and global security, while proactively addressing emerging concerns in cybersecurity, economic security, health security, environmental security, and related domains.

The Ridge Department of Intelligence Studies trains students to analyze publicly available, or 鈥渙pen-source,鈥 data and apply those skills in classified environments. Worldwide demand for skilled analysts will continue to grow in the coming decade 鈥 you will stand out with a degree from our internationally recognized Intelligence program. Our newly launched Intelligence Studies Advisory Board (ISAB) connects the university鈥檚 academic community to the evolving intelligence profession.

Our Intelligence Program Prepares Graduates for Jobs In:

Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation

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Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation

High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA)

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High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA)

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency

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U.S. Central Intelligence Agency

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. National Security Agency

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U.S. National Security Agency

U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence

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U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Fast Facts

  • The Department of Intelligence Studies is a nationally recognized leader and the first academic institution to offer a degree in this field, providing research and analysis products to clients such as the Department of Defense, the European Union, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, Pfizer, and Procter & Gamble. Our students can connect with an alumni base of more than 1,800 graduates who work in a wide range of fields and organizations in the intelligence, law enforcement, and business communities.
  • Our professors have professional experience in intelligence roles across national and international government agencies, banking, military, and private-sector corporations.
  • In this program, Intelligence Studies students learn to employ a variety of advanced, cutting-edge software tools to collect and analyze data and work with real-world clients in the classroom through capstone research projects to support the needs of sponsoring organizations. 海角乱伦社区鈥檚 Center for Intelligence Research, Analysis, and Training (CIRAT) provides students with hands-on experience by meeting the intelligence and research needs of real-world clients.

Learn More 海角乱伦社区 Our Intelligence Program

Center for Intelligence, Research, Analysis, and Training (CIRAT)

Our Center for Intelligence, Research, Analysis, and Training (CIRAT) program works to hone and professionalize the skills of students in Intelligence Studies and Computer Information Science programs. As a nonprofit arm of 海角乱伦社区, CIRAT develops opportunities with business and government entities through contracts, grants, and academic partnerships. In-person students of all academic levels can participate in CIRAT to apply their skills in a variety of collaborative intelligence and data-driven projects. By participating in CIRAT, 海角乱伦社区 students gain a competitive edge; upon graduation, they already possess applicable, hands-on experience supporting national security organizations, U.S. government agencies, private sector businesses, and more.

Innovation Entente Lab (IEL)

Students can participate in the Innovation Entente Lab (IEL) to provide a competitive business intelligence approach in conducting key research and the collection of data necessary to help entrepreneurs and small businesses achieve an understanding of their market, industry, and competitive landscape. Students working within the IEL take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it to real-world experiences.

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    Intelligence Studies consortium

    Intelligence Studies Consortium鈥揥ashington, DC Area

    The Intelligence Studies Consortium (ISC) was聽established聽in 2018 by the National Intelligence University (NIU) and university partners to promote communication and cooperation among academic and government organizations. The ISC provides an organized forum for聽the partner聽universities to collaborate in exploring issues and engaging in solutions that can improve national security. The participating universities have intelligence studies academic programs and unique relationships with many government agencies, non-government organizations, and the private sector; the ISC聽seeks聽to develop these relationships and provide an integrated forum to discuss critical intelligence issues in intelligence education.

    Participants in the Intelligence Studies Consortium include:

    • George Mason University (GMU)
    • Georgetown University,聽School of Continuing Studies (Georgetown)
    • Howard University (Howard)
    • James Madison University (JMU)
    • Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
    • Institute of World Politics (IWP)
    • Marymount University (Marymount)
    • 海角乱伦社区 University, Ridge聽Department (海角乱伦社区)
    • National Intelligence University (NIU)
    • University of Massachusetts, Lowell
    • University of New Hampshire (UNH)
    • University of Virginia (UVA)

    Each spring, the ISC sponsors and hosts a聽symposium, which聽is an opportunity for students and faculty members to present recent work at an academic conference in a panel format. Panelists will be selected for participation in the symposium based on their proposal, which will be judged by the ISC faculty representatives, using聽established criteria.聽In addition, all聽persons聽will have the opportunity to present in a poster session.聽Lastly, a Career Fair is typically hosted with the symposium.

    Typical聽Subject Matter Clusters聽include:

    • Homeland Security. We must identify novel ways to identify and address domestic extremism; threats to critical infrastructure; the risks involving natural disasters, climate change and environmental security; the flow of illegal drugs/narcotics, human trafficking, and illegal immigration into the United States; and issues in providing effective intelligence support to state and local law enforcement (e.g., the 鈥淕oing Dark鈥 debate).
    • National Security & Great Power Competition. In this new era of renewed focus on great power competition, the intelligence community (Title 50 organizations) must redouble its commitment to strategic intelligence analysis focused on political, economic, and military spheres. Analyzing key drivers will enable policymakers to understand significant developments and effectively employ the full range of聽our national聽power.
    • Business/Private Sector. What are some of the key 鈥渋ntelligence鈥 issues facing the private sector? This category includes sharing cyber threat information between the federal, state, and local governments, and the private sector; foreign intelligence collection (i.e., theft of corporate intellectual property); limitations imposed on the private sector by federal export control law; and what the private sector can do to respond to foreign threats (e.g., the 鈥淗ack Back鈥 debate).
    • Emerging Technologies. This category includes a range of topics, such as cyber, quantum computing, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), and bio sciences (e.g., CRISPR and bio warfare); indeed, emerging technologies can significantly change the course and character of future intelligence operations and international conflict. For example, AI/ML can enable intelligence activities such as advanced intelligence collection, analysis, and sharing (鈥淏ig Data鈥); information operations; cyber security; lethal autonomous weapon systems; and聽support to聽decision-makers. What opportunities and risks for the U.S. are raised by emerging technologies?
    • The Concept & Future of Intelligence Studies. This category can include a range of topics, including whether intelligence聽constitutes聽a 鈥減rofession,鈥 issues and concerns for educators and students in this dynamic and changing field, professional organizations open to students and practitioners in this field, and opportunities for academic publication.
    • Open Topic Submission (Open Topic).

    For more聽information,聽please contact Ted Stanich, executive director of intelligence studies, at tstanich@mercyhurst.edu.

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  • Curriculum Requirements

    Students must complete all REACH and program requirements and earn a minimum of 121 credits to qualify for commencement exercises. All intelligence courses (RIAP) must be taken for a grade and passed with a C or better. An overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required to graduate.

    Curriculum Requirements
  • Intelligence Methods and Analysis

    Students complete a term-long project that incorporates data gathering, collection planning, organizational and link analysis, and structured analytic techniques.

    Intelligence Methods and Analysis
  • Types of Jobs

    Graduates of the program have accepted employment in the following types of positions to name a few: intelligence analysts, intelligence officers, special agents, and social media analysts.

    Types of Jobs
  • Veteran Resources

    海角乱伦社区 is a participant of the Yellow Ribbon program, a provision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which allows veterans to attend graduate programs that cost more than the state tuition cap.

    Veterans Resources

Evolution of the Intelligence Studies Program at 海角乱伦社区

    Below is a list of agencies and organizations that our alumni are employed at. With over 500 alumni across the world, this list is not exhaustive but provides a general idea of where a 海角乱伦社区 Intelligence Studies degree can take you.

    National and International Government Agencies and Organizations

    • Holland Criminal Investigation
    • Jamestown, NY Police Department
    • National Crime Intelligence Service, Sweden
    • National Drug Intelligence Center
    • US Army, Military Intelligence

    Corporations and Organizations

    • Accenture
    • American Background Information Service
    • International Property Services
    • Investment Data Corporation
    • JP Morgan Chase
    • Murphy Magonahe

    Professional Associations

    Below are some of the professional associations that our alumni, students, and faculty belong to:

    • Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit
    • National Military Intelligence Association

    Rooted in 海角乱伦社区 University鈥檚 mission to educate and inspire individuals through faith, reason, and values-based leadership, the Intelligence Studies Advisory Board (ISAB) connects the university鈥檚 academic community to the evolving intelligence profession. The ISAB strengthens 海角乱伦社区鈥檚 leadership in applied intelligence by championing ethical practice, innovative problem-solving, and cutting-edge analysis across intelligence, cybersecurity, and global security fields.

    The Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences at 海角乱伦社区 began its own publication arm in 2005 as the institute began to develop its own intelligence publications.

    The 海角乱伦社区 Institute for Intelligence Studies Press since then has developed several publications now available for purchase and is in the process of developing several more. Faculty and students from the institute have collaborated to develop these specialized publications which will be useful to intelligence students, educators, and professionals.

    • Hoffman, F. P., & Fuller, B. (2025). Rebranding second-generation open-source intelligence: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not your father鈥檚 OSINT鈥. Issues in Information Systems, 26(3), 61-74.
    • Hoffman, F. P., & Fuller, B. (2025). How 海角乱伦社区鈥檚 CIRAT does OSINT鈥揳nd why. Issues in Information Systems, 26(3), 75-85.
    • Hoffman, F. P., and Di-Nahum, Svet. (2024). Why Russian disinformation matters. Proceedings of the Center for Informed Democracy & Social - cybersecurity (IDeaS) conference, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
    • Hoffman, F. P. (2024). Learning by doing: Acquiring the tacit knowledge of how to conduct an open-source intelligence collection and analysis project. Issues in Information Systems 25(3), 81-93. DOI:
    • Hoffman, F. P., Kesharwani, R., and Maynard, J. (2023). How an outside perspective can help an organization enhance their supply chain risk mitigation strategy. Issues in Information Systems 24(1), 70-83. DOI:
    • Freyn, S. and Hoffman, F. P. (2022). Competitive intelligence in an AI world: Practitioners' thoughts on technological advances and the educational needs of their successors. Journal of Intelligence Studies in Business 12(3), 6-17.
    • Hoffman, F. P. (2021). A participant observation approach to assessing the validity of Hofstede鈥檚 dimensions of national culture. Issues in Information Systems, 22(2), 334-349. DOI:
    • Hoffman, F. P. (2021). Assessing US and Slovenian organizational security culture with Hofstede鈥檚 national culture framework. Issues in Information Systems, 22(3), 114-128 DOI:
    • Kuczynski, J., Wang, C., Glass, M., & Hoffman, F. P. (2021). Boeing 737 MAX: A case study of failure in a supply chain using system of systems framework. Issues in Information Systems, 22(1), 51-62.
    • Hoffman, F. P., & Skovira, R. J. (2020). The organizational security index: A tool for assessing the impact of national culture on information security attitudes in Slovenia and the United States. Issues in Information Systems, 21(3), 95-104.
    • Wang, C.J., Hoffman, F.P., Lim, A., & Kwon, J. (2019). From artificial to emotional intelligence: Integrating five types of intelligence to achieve organizational excellence. International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning 8(2), 125-144.
    • Hoffman, F.P., and Freyn, S. L. (2019). The future of competitive intelligence in an AI-enabled world. International Journal of Value Chain Management (IJVCM) 10(4), 275-289.
    • Hoffman, F.P. (2019). Industrial Internet of Things vulnerabilities and threats: What stakeholders need to consider. Issues in Information Systems, 20(1), 119-133.
    • Hoffman, F. P., Wang, C. J., Lim, A., & Kwon, J. (2019). The Yin and Yang of a Doctor of Science in Information Systems and Communications program: Personal reflections and reverse engineering. Issues in Information Systems, 20(2), 128-139.
    • Hoffman, F. P., Kempf, B., & Lim, A. (2018). Knowledge Management and Transfer: The Role of Cuisine in Transferring Cultural Knowledge. Issues in Information Systems, 19(1), 159-169. DOI:
    • Hoffman, F. P. (2018). Considerations for Successfully Investing in Commercial Intelligence and Knowledge Management. International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning, 7(1), 5-18.

    There are a variety of clubs in which our students and faculty are active members which creates opportunities for students and professors to nurture and enrich their passion for intelligence work and come together outside of the classroom setting.

    Competitive Intelligence Club

    海角乱伦社区 Competitive Intelligence Club provides education and networking opportunities for students and business professionals working in the rapidly growing field of competitive intelligence. Our mission is to enhance the skills and knowledge of students and professionals so that they may help their companies achieve and maintain a competitive advantage.

    Law Enforcement Intelligence Club (LEIC)

    The Law Enforcement Intelligence Club was the earliest student club to exist within the Intelligence Studies programs at 海角乱伦社区 University. Building on its long tradition, the club regularly meets for special events, speakers, and seminars on the field.

    Military & Operational Intelligence Club (MOIC)

    The purpose of the Military & Operational Intelligence Club (MOIC) is to introduce students to the intelligence that is required for planning and conducting military campaigns and major operations to accomplish strategic objectives within theaters or operational areas.聽

    National Security Club (NSC)

    The National Security Club (NSC) is an umbrella organization that brings together several national security related organizations/associations on the 海角乱伦社区 campus. The NSC will promote the development of its members through organized events and functions that will educate and inform about national security issues.

    Women in National Security Club (WINS)

    The Women in Intelligence and National Security Club is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive community for individuals of all backgrounds who are passionate about intelligence, national security, and related fields. While we center the experiences and advancement of women in these industries, we welcome and encourage the participation of all allies who share our commitment to diversity, equity, and professional growth.

    Our mission is to empower individuals鈥攔egardless of gender鈥攖o promote the inclusion, leadership, and success of women in intelligence and national security. Through mentorship, networking, professional development, and advocacy, we strive to create a more diverse and equitable field where all voices are valued, and the next generation of security professionals can thrive.

    The club plans to host a variety of different events. One of the biggest events will be the speaker series. The speakers will consist of female professionals within the intelligence, cybersecurity, national security, and related career fields. We also want to host service projects within Erie. These service projects will either be hands-on or donation-oriented for a specific organization within Erie. We also want to host professional workshops in which we discuss professional skills (resume building, interview skills, etc).

Alumni Testimonials

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  • Brooklyn W. '25

    MU Degree(s): B.A. Business Competitive Intelligence
    Current Employment: Baretz+Brunelle

    The 海角乱伦社区 Intelligence Studies program greatly prepared me for entering the workforce. Through a diverse range of intelligence-focused courses, I gained a deep understanding of how intelligence is applied across different fields and real-world contexts. The program鈥檚 hands-on projects, essays, and exams strengthened my analytical and practical skills while fostering leadership, collaboration, and communication abilities. I also developed confidence in presenting ideas and incorporating feedback effectively.

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  • Isabel D. '23 '24M

    MU Degree(s): B.A. Intelligence Studies and M.S. Criminal Justice Administration
    Current Employment: Northern Lights Candles

    The 海角乱伦社区 Intelligence Studies program gave me the confidence and real-world experience during my academic years that I needed to succeed in the workforce. The program allowed me to land two internships before I finished my degree, which was 鈥減ivotal鈥 when it came to joining the workforce after graduation. The connections I made in this program are unlike anything I have ever experienced.

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  • Douglas W. '22

    MU Degree(s): B.A. in Intelligence Studies and Political Science
    Current Employment: Crisis24

    The network I built at 海角乱伦社区 helped me secure the job I have today. The faculty at 海角乱伦社区 are incredible resources with decades of experience, and they truly want to help students succeed.聽

    Douglas W.
  • Danielle V. '17 M鈥19

    MU Degree(s): M.S. Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics and Intelligence and Applied Intelligence
    Current Employment: Securities Settlements and Derivatives Analyst at Citigroup

    The Applied Intelligence program at 海角乱伦社区 has been the most vital asset to my career trajectory. The program鈥檚 flexibility allowed me to complete the coursework while working full-time. Additionally, diverse coursework in analysis, critical thinking, leadership, and data management gave me the comprehensive skill set I needed to break into and excel in the business intelligence community. I am grateful to have had supportive, knowledgeable faculty and a network of fellow students and alumni of this program that helped me get where I am today.

    Danielle V.