Intelligence degree programs prepare students for government and military service as well as private sector careers. Such potential careers could lead to positions as an intelligence analyst, intelligence collector, or intelligence manager, depending on the degree program’s specialization and level of study. Intelligence degree programs range from undergraduate certificates to master’s degrees in a variety of specialized intelligence fields. Intelligence collection, intelligence analysis, strategic intelligence, intelligence management, and business intelligence are among the program’s specializations.
Specializations in analysis and collection are usually taught as part of degree programs that bear the same name or are taught concurrently as intelligence studies. Undergraduate intelligence studies programs will typically focus on gathering intelligence from a variety of sources, such as human intelligence and signal intelligence, as well as the foundations of analyzing the information uncovered. Graduate school usually focuses on advanced intelligence analysis and interpretation, as well as conducting intelligence operations. Degree programs in strategic intelligence usually follow a similar structure, but they will also cover international relations, foreign policy, intelligence strategy, and diplomacy. Strategic intelligence programs prepare graduates for leadership roles, whereas intelligence studies programs prepare candidates for lower-level positions.
Intelligence management, as well as intelligence collection, analysis, and interpretation operations, are critical to the success of any intelligence agency, whether it is affiliated with the government, the military, or even private companies. Choosing an intelligence management degree program will prepare graduates to handle all of the required functions while still in school, often leading to supervisory positions after graduation. With only a year or two of experience in the field or as a supervisor, graduate study in this specialization usually leads to mid-management positions. Gaining a strong familiarity with many of the same topics covered an intelligence studies degree is a requirement of such intelligence degree programs.
Another major field of study is business intelligence, which focuses on learning how to collect, analyze, interpret, and use intelligence in the private sector to solve business problems. This specialization’s intelligence degree programs focus on business applications and technology, preparing candidates for both analytical and intelligence management roles within private organizations. The major focuses in business intelligence are quantitative analysis and the use of technology, requiring students to have a strong mathematical background as well as familiarity with the deployment of information technology to achieve organizational goals. The goal of this program is to teach students how to combine knowledge from both domains in order to effectively interpret and use business intelligence.