MPAI 5000 Ethics: Applied Intelligence 3 Credits
The Ethics course is a core course in all of SCS’s MPS programs. In the first part of this course, students are introduced to appropriate ethical methodologies, principles, values, and frameworks. In the second part of the course, students study discipline- and field-specific codes of ethics within the profession. The course explores the ethical responsibilities all intelligence professionals have toward themselves, corporations, the government, and the public. Students contrast the roles and responsibilities of intelligence professionals among other law enforcement, homeland security, and competitive business professionals. In the third part of the course, students apply an appropriate decision-making framework and gain experience in decision-making surrounding ethical issues. Course discussions will center on issues involving privacy and confidential or sensitive information. During their final project, students codify an individual code of ethics in relation to professional codes of conduct.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPAI 5600 Intro to Applied Intelligence 3 Credits
This course provides a thorough understanding of intelligence analysis as a field and the tools and techniques associated with intelligence as related to law enforcement, homeland security, cybersecurity, and competitive business intelligence. Students gain a solid grounding in fundamental intelligence concepts and learn how to develop an intelligence strategy, select frameworks and tools for gathering and processing relevant data, and present findings in an effective manner. Assignments include case study assessment and the creation of a strategic intelligence plan.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPAI 5610 Psych of Applied Intelligence 3 Credits
This course examines the mental machinery behind intelligence analysis and focuses the learner on understanding the fundamental thought processes behind how our mental machinery works in an analytical setting. With specific focus on critical thinking and understanding and moving beyond biases, the course provides students with an opportunity to examine cases in which objectivity and critical thinking have not been present and allows students to explore how those case studies would have been different with an understanding of the psychology behind intelligence analytics.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPAI 5620 Applied Intel Communications 3 Credits
This course focuses on oral and written communication skills in applied intelligence. Students will learn how to communicate information effectively to leaders and decision makers in areas of law enforcement, homeland security, and competitive business intelligence. Students will learn about practical techniques and concepts for producing reports, briefs, and infographics relevant to each of these fields within applied intelligence.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPAI 5630 Understanding Int. Collection 3 Credits
Before conducting threat assessments or making strategic recommendations, intelligence analysts must first collect data relevant to their goal. Learning objectives for this course include demonstrating knowledge of proper techniques for various types of intelligence projects, such as open-source intelligence, human intelligence, and imagery intelligence. Students develop the fundamental skills and abilities involved in assessing the accuracy and relevance of collected intelligence. By the end of the course, students will be able to identify and use the different means of intelligence collection to resolve a variety of challenges.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPAI 5640 Advanced Analytical Techniques 3 Credits
This course is designed to provide an opportunity for students to explore techniques used by the intelligence community and to apply those techniques to intelligence problems. Focusing on a variety of techniques and technological tools, this course will expose students to new and useful methods for conducting intelligence analysis. Students will also refine their skills in advanced analytic techniques by completing multiple analytical projects.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6650 Bus Intell Big Data Analytis 3 Credits
Today data is everywhere. The most competitive commercial companies are harnessing it to formulate their go-to-market strategies, make course corrections and outthink the competition. Governments are using data to develop solutions to social issues, recruit talent, and even to prevent terrorist attacks. This course explores how government agencies, commercial companies and nonprofits are Business Intelligence (BI) and Big Data Analytics to achieve their strategic goals and objectives. During the course students are introduced to the concepts through real-world demonstrations of BI and Big Data Analytics solutions.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6700 Law Enforcement Intel Ops 3 Credits
This course provides students the hands on opportunity via case studies to understand that law enforcement intelligence is not vast amounts of collected information; rather, it is information which has been comprehensively and logically analyzed. This analysis gives raw information its meaning and role in the larger puzzle of police responsibility. Students will have hands on opportunities to work through actual situations and scenarios to understand how intelligence can inform law enforcement operations.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6705 Counterterrorism and Intel 3 Credits
This course examines terrorism and counterterrorism through the lens of intelligence. Students will analyze the evolution of terrorist movements, current threat landscapes, and the structures and tactics of terrorist cells. Emphasis is placed on intelligence tradecraft, radicalization and recruitment, propaganda, attack cycles, disruption strategies, and interagency cooperation. The course also explores emerging technologies, terrorist financing, and international intelligence collaboration, preparing students to critically assess and respond to evolving global threats.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6710 Intel Ana of Org Crime 3 Credits
This course is designed to give students an understanding of the unique issues surrounding investigations into organized crime by local and international law enforcement agencies. With a special emphasis on network analysis and an introduction to RICO statutes and insights into money laundering, techniques, tactics and procedures for detecting coercion, tampering, and other common aspects or organized crime, students will see how investigating and processing intelligence for organized crime both overlaps and is different from national security analytical work.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6720 Electronic Intel Analysis 3 Credits
Today, effective intelligence analysts must be able to gather data from various electronic sources and draw insights from this information. This course focuses on equipping students with the skills to understand what data might need to be collected and how to analyze data from a variety of electronic sources—including metadata from telephones and signals data from radio and satellite sources. Students also review the controversial nature of electronic intelligence collection in light of recent public disclosures and controversies. Finally, students gain insights into the history of electronic intelligence analysis and learn how intelligence professionals employ these electronic intelligence techniques today.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6725 Info Management for Comp Intel 3 Credits
This course examines how organizations can use information to create competitive advantage. Students will learn how organizations can become data driven by having the proper elements in place, such as strategy, data governance, and leadership. They will also gain knowledge on security and privacy requirements for information and how to monetize information for competitive advantage. Finally, the course covers best practices for sharing information within organizations and among organizations, and how to convert tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6730 Competitive Intel Org Design 3 Credits
Competitive intelligence analysis is the process that agencies and organizations use to assess their institutional strengths and weaknesses relative to peer organizations. Students in this course gain insight into how competitive intelligence informs and supports an organization’s ongoing strategy. Throughout the course, students examine case studies and the history of competitive analysis in both government and industry. By the end of this course, students will be able to gather organizational data, interpret relevant data, and evaluate and recommend organizational strategies based on their research. The course places a strong emphasis on the development and application of data analysis and presentation skills.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6735 Global Comp. Intelligence 3 Credits
This course examines Competitive Intelligence (CI) as the collection and analysis of information to anticipate competitive activity, see past market disruptions, and dispassionately interpret events in a global perspective. In addition students will develop techniques to develop analysis, which provides insight into marketplace dynamics and challenges in a structured, disciplined, and ethical manner using published and non-published sources.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6745 Homeland Sec. Domestic Intel 3 Credits
This course is designed to provide foundational knowledge about policy, organizations, legal issues, crisis communications, fear management, and current management approaches related to homeland security.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPAI 6750 Information Security 3 Credits
This course provides theoretical and applied foundations of information security and assurance. Students will study various types of cyber-crime and vulnerabilities of government computer systems and information networks and learn about strategies for the protection of information and computer systems and how to mitigate and respond to breaches of those systems.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Cybersecurity Risk Management, Cybersecurity Risk Management, Cybersecurity Risk Management, Cybersecurity Risk Management, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6755 Risk Management 3 Credits
This course will provide students with the skills needed to assess and respond to an organization's exposure to risk as related to homeland security. Students will learn how to model, measure, and assess undesirable risks and reduce risks relevant to large organizations with public obligations across criminal justice disciplines and in public-private security collaborations.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6760 Uncv. Threats/Counterterrorism 3 Credits
This course will build students’ analytical skills to examine policy issues in strategic counterterrorism planning, particularly in the use of applied technologies within the context of civil jurisdiction and rule of law. Students will discuss policy issues that address the balance and tension between security and civil liberties to effectively counter terrorism.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6770 Cyber Defense Analysis 3 Credits
This course focuses on analyzing cyber defense for computing and network systems. The course exposes the students to the various cybersecurity tools and skills. Cybersecurity experts and actors can use some of these to exploit a network system.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Cybersecurity Risk Management, Cybersecurity Risk Management, Cybersecurity Risk Management, Cybersecurity Risk Management, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6775 Cyber Threat Intelligence 3 Credits
This course focuses on profiling adversaries in the cyber space (hackers, organized crime, insiders, foreign states) and analyzing techniques, tools and processes they are using to perpetrate attacks against critical assets. Students will be able to develop threat indicators, determine potential implications for existing information systems and exploitation systems, and formulate advice on how to neutralize threats or thwart possible attacks.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Cybersecurity Risk Management, Cybersecurity Risk Management, Cybersecurity Risk Management, Cybersecurity Risk Management, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6780 Cyber Surv. OpLegal Framework 3 Credits
Cyber Surveillance Operation & Legal Framework
Cyber surveillance operations are indispensable to collect the information necessary to anticipate, discover and investigate malicious activities on the Internet. This course prepares students to execute surveillance and counter-surveillance operations and learn about the different phases of cyber surveillance operations including planning, targeting, collecting and terminating. Students will also study legal implications and apply diverse regulations to the conduct of cyber surveillance operations.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Cybersecurity Risk Management, Cybersecurity Risk Management, Cybersecurity Risk Management, Cybersecurity Risk Management, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6785 Counterintelligence 3 Credits
Counterintelligence refers to the activities aiming at identifying and counteracting threats to the security of an organization or a state actor. In this course, students will learn about strategic and operational counterintelligence activities as well as defensive and offensive countermeasures. The course content covers foreign collection methods, influence operations, sabotage, economic espionage, and cyber intrusions. Students will learn from case studies and discuss the future of counterintelligence in a global and digital environment.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6790 Defense, Diplomacy Intel 3 Credits
This course examines the roles, applications, and mutual dependence of three key tools of national power—diplomacy, defense, and intelligence. This course will explore and analyze salient national security challenges facing the United States, including the rise of China, Russia’s growing geopolitical ambitions, Iranian and North Korean nuclear ambitions, cyber as the “fifth domain” of international conflict, transnational terrorism, and the long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This course will focus on the integration and interplay of diplomacy and defense as instruments of national power as well as the ways in which national and military intelligence enable both. Students will approach the issues discussed in this course as future practitioners in training, learning to support national objectives as analysts, policymakers, and senior officials. As future intelligence professionals, students will learn the roles of various intelligence disciplines, methods of analysis, and how their work supports and shapes diplomatic and defense decision-making.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6795 Intro to Financial Intel 3 Credits
Money plays a central role in all criminal and other illicit activity, and disrupting threat actors’ financial operations depends on financial intelligence. This course examines the types of information, data, and methods investigators and analysts use to support investigations and inform policy decisions and actions. The first section of the course explores the nodes, enablers, mechanisms, and indicators of illicit financial activity and financial crime as well as the vulnerabilities of threat actors’ financial operations to provide a baseline understanding of the challenges of following the money. The second section examines the development of international standards and U.S. legal authorities for countering money laundering and other criminal and illicit financial activity and the types of information used to implement and enforce laws and regulations. The course gives special emphasis to the role open-source information can play in financial intelligence. The third section of the course explores financial intelligence techniques and best practices and the importance of international, domestic, and public-private sector collaboration.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6800 National Intel and Emerg. Tech 3 Credits
This course explores the integration of intelligence with emerging and disruptive technologies, emphasizing their transformative impact on intelligence collection, analysis, dissemination, and covert operations. Students will examine the evolving challenges faced by intelligence agencies as technological advancements reshape interactions with policymakers, societies, academia, and the private sector. The course also provides an in-depth analysis of ethical implications associated with employing these rising technologies for intelligence purposes.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPAI 6900 Intl. Perspective in Intell. 3 Credits
This study tour offers unique opportunities to integrate Jesuit values to the learning experience of students. First, students can learn how organized crime impacts marginalized communities and what steps can be taken to ensure social justice. Second, students will be encouraged to reflect upon the ethical considerations of using technology for surveillance and to discern the most ethical choices in complex situations. Students will also be able to appreciate cyber threats not just from a security standpoint but also in terms of their impact on vulnerable populations. Finally, students will be able to explore how transnational intelligence sharing can be used for the greater global good, promoting peace and international cooperation. In addition, there are several museums and churches in Madrid that expose the Jesuit Heritage.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment limited to students in the MPS-PRCR, MPS-PRSL or MPS-PRSL-O programs.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPAI 6910 Analytic Security Tech: Europe 3 Credits
This course provides a comprehensive exploration of European approaches to cybersecurity, intelligence, and emerging technologies, with a specific focus on Spain’s security and technology ecosystem. Designed for graduate students in intelligence, cybersecurity, IT management, and artificial intelligence management, the course integrates academic inquiry with experiential learning to offer a comparative analysis of security frameworks, governance models, and technological advancements shaping the European security landscape. Students will examine European cybersecurity strategies and intelligence methodologies, assessing how regulatory frameworks influence security policies. Through case studies, they will explore the application of advanced analytics in security operations and decision-making, evaluating methodologies in European contexts. The course also examines emerging technologies (including artificial intelligence) in security and intelligence applications. By engaging with security and technology experts, visiting key institutions, and participating in discussions with policymakers and industry leaders, students will gain firsthand insights into Spain’s security architecture and technological innovation. Through this immersive experience, students will develop cross-cultural perspectives on intelligence, security, and technology governance, comparing European and North American approaches. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped with analytical frameworks to evaluate security policies, technological trends, and intelligence practices within a globalized security environment.
This study tour is organized in collaboration with the Rey Juan Carlos University and their Interuniversity Master’s degree in Intelligence and Analysis. All lectures and presentations by guest speakers will take place on the University Campus (Vicálvaro) in Madrid.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 6911 Hybrid Warfare in Europe 3 Credits
This study tour examines the evolution of hybrid warfare in Europe since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia, with a particular focus on intelligence practices, emerging technologies, and counter-hybrid strategies adopted by European states. The program is anchored in Madrid and delivered in partnership with Rey Juan Carlos University, leveraging Spain’s position as both a NATO and EU member state and a key logistical, informational, and infrastructural node within the European security architecture. This study tour situates Spain within the broader European response framework involving the European Union and NATO, while continuously linking European experiences to U.S. strategic vulnerabilities and homeland security considerations. The course is delivered in close collaboration with Rey Juan Carlos University, whose faculty and institutional partners provide local expertise on European security policy, intelligence studies, and technology governance. Instruction takes place in an academic setting complemented by field-based learning, reinforcing the integration of theory and practice.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPAI 6920 Global Security Futures 3 Credits
This course examines the rapidly evolving intersection of intelligence, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI) through immersive, international study. Centered around a study tour in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the course features three phases: pre-trip academic preparation, a 1 week intensive travel experience, and post-trip synthesis and reflection. Students will engage in lectures, AI simulations, and workshops at the American University in the Emirates, and participate in the International Arabian Gulf-Security Conference. Through exposure to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) security institutions and real-world networking with regional experts and peers, participants will assess global security trends, cyber threats, and AI applications.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPAI 7990 Capstone 3 Credits
See section description for more details
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence, Applied Intelligence or Applied Intelligence.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPAI 7991 Capstone: Independent Study 3 Credits
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
