Intelligence Training Through A National Security Degree

Intelligence training has been a root problem for many aspiring intelligence professionals outside the U.S. Government. Many different fundamentals taught in intelligence tradecraft are not traditionally taught in the private sector, making such a rare opportunity to learn this tradecraft particularly invaluable to those wanting to break into this field. For the sake of having a strategic edge in a global arena full of adversaries, much of the intelligence training one might seek out will never be fully available because of the need for government secrecy. The modern age of online education, however, has brought forth a unique opportunity to learn from intelligence professionals and earn a national security degree.

A national security degree offers all the opportunities to learn a trade that was previously not available to the general public. By pursuing a national security degree through an educational institution, one can gain a set of skills that are often taught within only the Intelligence Community (IC). Learning subjects such as counterintelligence, counterterrorism, intelligence operations, and analysis will provide individuals with a unique toolset with which to apply to a successful intelligence career, as well as fulfill the initial gap of intelligence training without seeking out employment in an intelligence service.

Intelligence training even within intelligence services is not particularly standardized at this point in time. Individuals might only receive basic training in analysis, and never receive a diverse set of skills that they could normally gain in a national security degree. A national security degree was created for the motivated future intelligence professionals to gain a foothold by learning subjects that encompass intelligence training so as to better understand the modern intelligence dilemmas within the IC. Many programs now in intelligence training through online educational institutions offer rare subjects not normally taught, such as the history of intelligence dating back thousands of years, and the evolution of the practice into what it has become today.

A global issue has arisen from the lack of intelligence training throughout the world. If individuals within the strategic security sector are not properly trained in intelligence gathering and analysis, they will not be able to successfully perform their intelligence duties in a modern warfare setting. A national security degree can ameliorate this problem, and could be incorporated into training for current and future intelligence professionals. So what does a national security degree do for those individuals within the security sector who have not had proper training in intelligence?

A national security degree provides vital intelligence training that not only provides a modern approach, but provides the strategic security doctrine to all forms of study and allows the potential intelligence professional to critically think in all areas of intelligence. The outcome of earning a national security degree can direct the understanding of an intelligence situation and see it to a successful outcome. Many universities claim to teach the fundamentals in national security modernization practices, but few actually follow through in their coursework delivered to the student. Choosing the right school for one's national security degree is a vital step in preparing oneself for a career in the strategic security sector.