Intelligence & Information Operations Minor

Intelligence & Information Operations Minor 

Undergraduate Minors

University policies on declaring or changing an undergraduate minor.

Required Courses

INTV 305 - Introduction to Intelligence & Information Operations

INTV 305 will provide a broad overview of the American intelligence systems - collection, analysis, counterintelligence, and covert operations - and demonstrate how these systems work together to provide a "decision advantage" for policy makers. Students will also learn how US adversaries have shifted away from directly challenging American forces and have moved to a less risky hybrid warfare model to achieve their tactical and strategic goals. Students will use a combination of research and critical thinking exercises to gain an understanding of importance of how intelligence is used to inform the decision-making process as well as how to detect and guard against adversarial information operations designed manipulate information to induce decision makers to act against their own best interests.

INTV 350 - Intelligence Collection

INTV350 will provide students with an overview of the five U.S. Intelligence Community recognized intelligence collection disciplines (Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT), Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT), and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)) in order to understand how to employ collection to answer information and intelligence requirements in support of decision-making and situational understanding. Students will gain insights into the capabilities, limitations and applications of sensors, and discern the functional responsibilities between intelligence analysts, collection managers and decision-makers across the national security enterprise.

Core Courses: Four Courses from:

INTV 326 - Introductory Methods of Intelligence Analysis

INTV 326 will provide students with an introduction to Intelligence Analysis and how intelligence professionals can incorporate tradecraft, including critical thinking and structured analytical techniques, to challenge judgements, identify mental mindsets, stimulate creativity, and manage uncertainty within the framework of providing sound assessments to decision-makers at the Strategic, Operational and Tactical level of war. Students will leverage scenario-based exercises to practice employing structured analytical techniques and other analytical methodologies in order to answer a decision maker's critical information requirements.

INTV 350 - Intelligence Collection

INTV350 will provide students with an overview of the five U.S. Intelligence Community recognized intelligence collection disciplines (Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT), Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT), and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)) in order to understand how to employ collection to answer information and intelligence requirements in support of decision-making and situational understanding. Students will gain insights into the capabilities, limitations and applications of sensors, and discern the functional responsibilities between intelligence analysts, collection managers and decision-makers across the national security enterprise.

INTV 353 - Geospatial Intelligence

INTV 353 will provide students with an introduction to GEOINT operations and how intelligence professionals can incorporate tradecraft and technology to present visual depictions of critical information regarding enemy forces, terrain, and provide combat operations support to decision makers and operations planners. This course studies the electromagnetic spectrum and fundamentals of energy propagation as they pertain to GEOINT systems and phenomenology. Students will be introduced to the tasking, collection, and processing of GEOINT systems and data and GEOINT contributions to National Security, Homeland Security, and Strategic Partnerships. This fundamental knowledge may be applied to a diverse range of constantly evolving GEOINT situations including support to disaster relief, force protection, and combat operations.

INTV 401 - Introduction to Law Enforcement Intelligence

INTV 401 is designed to provide Intelligence and Information Operations students with an opportunity to explore the integration of intelligence-led policing with community-based policing and problem-oriented policing. Focus will be placed on educating students on the process of developing raw information into actionable intelligence, thereby allowing field officers to be more effective during routine law enforcement functions. Students will also learn the intelligence principles that exist within the daily operations of law enforcement.

INTV 401 - Introduction to Law Enforcement Intelligence

INTV 401 is designed to provide Intelligence and Information Operations students with an opportunity to explore the integration of intelligence-led policing with community-based policing and problem-oriented policing. Focus will be placed on educating students on the process of developing raw information into actionable intelligence, thereby allowing field officers to be more effective during routine law enforcement functions. Students will also learn the intelligence principles that exist within the daily operations of law enforcement.

INTV 459 - Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Synchronization

INTV 459 will provide an in-depth examination of how to optimize the coordination of all available collection capabilities in order to support intelligence operations and the military decision making process. Students will conduct research and engage in practical exercises to determine optimal sensor deployment schemes and sensor-to-target mix in order to address different collection requirements.

CYBV 329 - Cyber Ethics

A sustained study of ethical issues that arise in relation to employment in the public and private sectors, including allocation of resources, corporate and social responsibility, relationships, and discrimination. This course is a designated writing emphasis course. A main focus of this course will be on the ethical and legal standards governing information technology. New technology creates ethical challenges for individuals around the globe, and applies to most persons regardless of whether they are employed in the information technology field or a more traditional occupation.

CYBV 354 - Principles of Open Source Intelligence

CYBV354 will provide students with an overview of the fundamentals of Open Source Intelligence. Students will be presented with the most effective methodologies used by cyber professionals, law enforcement, and other investigative personnel to locate and analyze information on the Internet and Dark Web. Students will use interactive exercises to become familiar with the volume of sensitive data on the Internet and how it can be exploited to develop highly detailed intelligence products.

CYBV 381 - From Incident Response to Digital Forensics

CYBV 381 provides students with the foundational knowledge of the Incident Response process leveraging the PICERL framework and NIST guidelines from the context of investigating incidents under the umbrella of Digital Forensics. Students will learn aspects of Incident Response, Forensics Fundamentals, Network Evidence Collection, Host and Network based evidence acquisition and analysis, and introduce Forensics Reporting, Malware Analysis, and Threat Intelligence.

CYBV 450 - Information Warfare

CYBV 450 will provide students with an in-depth overview of the tactics, techniques, procedures, and tools used to conduct and defend against Information Operation campaigns. Students will analyze case studies involving Nation State actors' online influence efforts in order to detect, deconstruct, and counter adversarial Information Operation campaigns.

CYBV 481 - Social Engineering Attacks and Defenses

CYBV 481 will provide students with an advanced analysis of the tactics, techniques, and tools used to conduct and defend against Social Engineering attacks. A survey of why social engineering attacks are among the most effective Cyber-attack mechanisms and what can be done to mitigate them will be presented. Students will use interactive exercises to master social engineering attacks and defenses in order to be able to develop policies and procedures to increase organizational security posture.

GPSV 301 - American Political Ideas

Examines American political ideas from colonial times to the present.

GPSV 302 - Analysis of American Political Institutions

This course provides students with an advanced study and analysis into the dynamics of American political institutions, including Congress, the presidency, the judiciary, the bureaucracy, and political parties. Students will analyze the cultural and constitutional foundations of American politics; its institutional structures; and the role of public opinion, political participation, elections, interest groups, and the media in American politics. Course assignments are designed to help students improve their reading, writing, analytical, and critical thinking skills while mastering course content.