Welcome to the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies (CISS)
An Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence (IC CAE) Program
“Our mission is to educate the future national security, cybersecurity & intelligence workforce. A majority of CISS students go directly into the intelligence community or U.S. government after graduation, while others secure employment with think tanks, NGOs, and leading private sector entities.
The national security sector seeks applicants from an increasingly diverse set of backgrounds, reflecting the broad range of threats to U.S. interests. I invite you to peruse the CISS website or stop by the Center to learn about our minors and opportunities in the CISS program.”
Dr. Shaio Zerba, CISS Director
CISS Minors
The Intelligence and Security Studies (ISS) minor is an 18-credit minor designed to prepare students for entry-level employment in the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). It teaches the critical thinking, writing, and briefing skills that are used by intelligence professionals. The ISS minor requires all students to complete a national security or intelligence internship. The Center uses a highly selective admissions process to admit a small number of outstanding students into minor twice a year. Students can apply for the minor during the Fall and Spring application window after completing, or actively enrolled in, the introductory intelligence course, ISS 125.
The Global Security Studies (GSS) minor is an 18-credit minor which familiarizes students with the necessary skills and background for entry-level employment in the national security and cybersecurity sectors. Students will learn about the interagency process to include the National Security Council and supporting departments such as Defense, State, and Homeland Security. The minor also covers perennial threats, such as the proliferation of nuclear weapons, but also the rising global threat to the cyber domain. Offered in a traditional classroom setting and online. No application is required for admittance into the GSS minor.
Both ISS and GSS are approved minors to pair with a major from the College of Liberal Arts.
