The National Intelligence University (NIU), formerly known as the Defense Intelligence School, the Defense Intelligence College, the Joint Military Intelligence College, and the National Defense Intelligence College is a federally chartered research university in Bethesda, Maryland. NIU is the United States Intelligence Community's (IC) institution for higher learning in fields of study central to the profession of intelligence and national security. NIU awards undergraduate and graduate degrees, a graduate certificate, and prestigious research fellowships to prepare personnel for senior positions in the IC and the broader national security enterprise. Since 1963, more than 80,000 military and civilian students have attended the university. Formerly located at the

Defense Intelligence Agency The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is an intelligence agency and combat support agency of the United States Department of Defense, specializing in defense and military intelligence. A component of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the ...

headquarters in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

, NIU's primary campus is now located at

Intelligence Community Campus-Bethesda The Intelligence Community Campus-Bethesda (ICC-B) is a campus in Brookmont, Maryland containing offices for several agencies of the United States Intelligence Community. The campus was created in 1945 and initially served as the headquarters of t ...

(ICC-B) with four additional locations around the world. National Intelligence University's

interdisciplinary Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several other fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology, ec ...

programs emphasize education through scholarly and applied research designed to help U.S. intelligence officers better understand the diverse range of geopolitical, strategic, and technological threats and opportunities affecting intelligence and national security. The university is organized into two separate academic units: th
College of Strategic Intelligence
and th
Anthony G. Oettinger School of Science and Technology Intelligence
Combined, the college and school cover a diverse and evolving range of international affairs issues and adversarial threats and capabilities, from cultural and religious conflicts to WMD proliferation, cybersecurity threats, terrorism, transnational crime, and more. Congressionally chartered and publicly funded but with admissions restricted solely to current U.S. Intelligence officers holding a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance, NIU is a small, non-resident university. Admissions are highly selective, but tuition is paid by the

United States Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a feder ...

History

The

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secur ...

established the Defense Intelligence School within the

in 1962 to consolidate existing

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

and

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It i ...

academic programs in strategic intelligence. In 1980, the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...

authorized the school to award the Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence degree. In 1981, the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools accredited the School. That same year, DoD rechartered the institution as the Defense Intelligence College, placing additional emphasis on its research mission. Since then, the university has added several off-campus programs at the

National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collectio ...

and several regional centers and has encouraged an increase in enrollment from civilian agencies. On campus, it has also added two part-time graduate programs. Students from throughout the Intelligence Community attend the university, and they include active duty and reserve military personnel from each of the services (including the Coast Guard), DoD, and other federal civilian employees. In 1993, the College was renamed the Joint Military Intelligence College. The College embarked on a new era in which its mission was more sharply defined. In 1997, Congress authorized the College to award a Bachelor of Science in Intelligence (BSI) degree. The BSI Program is a fourth year degree completion program. It affords those students who have accumulated three years of undergraduate credits a means to complete their degree requirements and to obtain a degree directly related to the field of intelligence. The Program enables BSI graduates to advance their careers within the National Intelligence Community. In December 2006, DoD Instruction 3305.1 changed the name to the National Defense Intelligence College. The DoD Instruction was revised again in February 2011 to reflect the current designation — National Intelligence University — and the Director of National Intelligence formally and publicly announced that change as well as the expanded mission and vision of the NIU during the August 2011 convocation of the class of 2012. In June 2021, the University officially transferred from the Defense intelligence Agency to the

Office of the Director of National Intelligence The director of national intelligence (DNI) is a senior, cabinet-level United States government official, required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to serve as executive head of the United States Intelligence Commu ...

to better serve the diverse and varied needs of its students and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

intelligence enterprise. “We are honored to officially welcome the National Intelligence University into the ranks of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence,” said Director of National Intelligence

Avril Haines Avril Danica Haines (born August 27, 1969) is an American lawyer and senior government official who serves as the director of national intelligence in the Biden administration. She is the first woman to serve in this role. Haines previously se ...

and NIU President Dr. J. Scott Cameron in a joint statement. “At no point has it been more important to sharpen our intelligence tradecraft with emerging expertise, strengthen our intelligence partnerships, and preempt long-term strategic threats with intellectual creativity. NIU’s academic leadership, combined with ODNI’s integrating role, stands to better serve the IC, federal government, and United States for years to come.”

Vision and mission

The Center of Academic Life for the Intelligence Community – preparing today’s Intelligence Community leaders for tomorrow’s challenges. The National Intelligence University advances the intelligence profession through a holistic, integrative, contextual approach to education that promotes dynamic teaching, engaged learning, original research, academic outreach, analytical problem solving, rigorous research methods, collaborative processes, and lifelong learning.

Educational accreditation

The university is authorized by the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...

to award the Bachelor of Science in Intelligence, the Master of Science and Technology Intelligence and the Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence degrees. The university is

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

Facilities and resources

The NIU Library houses 2.5 million items, including books, unclassified intelligence documents, reference materials, periodicals, microfilms, video and cartographic items. The library subscribes to 2,000 international periodicals, newspapers, annuals, serials, and statistical reports. It is particularly strong in Russian periodicals. The library has archival microfiche and microfilm collections of general and scholarly periodicals,

Foreign Broadcast Information Service The Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) was an open source intelligence component of the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Science and Technology. It monitored, translated, and disseminated within the U.S. government openly av ...

reports, and declassified documents. The NIU Library is located at ICC-B. Th
Office of Research
within the university enables students to pursue projects that require research outside the Washington, DC, area, including overseas. The university encourages faculty research on intelligence issues and supports intelligence-related research by faculty from other DoD Schools. Faculty and student research is published in academic journals and in book-length special studies. Research results and thesis abstracts are also made available to the Intelligence Community.

Academic programs

Bachelor of Science in Intelligence (BSI)

Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence (MSSI)

Master of Science and Technology Intelligence (MSTI)

Certificate of Intelligence Studies (CIS)

Admissions

All prospective NIU students must meet the following requirements: * Be U.S. citizens who are members of the U.S. Armed Forces or are federal government employees * Be nominated by their parent organization (full-time students only), and * Possess a TS//SCI

security clearance A security clearance is a status granted to individuals allowing them access to classified information (state or organizational secrets) or to restricted areas, after completion of a thorough background check. The term "security clearance" is a ...

prior to enrollment

Notable graduates and faculty

* Todd C. Chapman * Mike Gallagher *

John R. Allen John Rutherford Allen (born December 15, 1953) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general, and former commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces – Afghanistan (USFOR-A). On September 13, 2014, ...

* Paul M. Nakasone * Robert B. Murrett * Ronald D. Johnson * Michael H. Decker * William C. Smith Jr. * David A. Reid * Jeffrey A. Kruse * Leah G. Lauderback * Earl G. Matthews * William J. Walker *

Robert P. Ashley Jr. Robert Paul Ashley Jr. is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Army who served as the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2017 to 2020. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army G-2. He received a comm ...

NIU in the News

NIU Welcomes New Class, Opens Application Season
(ODNI Article)
NIU Establishes Chapter of the National Honor Society Phi Kappa Phi
(NIU Website)
NIU Honors the Legacy of Key Historical Leader: Dr. Anthony G. Oettinger
(NIU Website)
NIU Celebrates its 2022 Graduates
(NIU Website)
NIU Research Faculty Josh Kerbel Discusses Anticipatory Intelligence and Complexity
(The Cognitive Crucible Podcast)
NIU Student Escorts Great Uncle’s Remains to U.S. after 70 Years Missing in Action
(NIU Website)
"The National Intelligence University" with its President Dr. Scott Cameron
(Spycast)
NIU S&T Dean Brian Holmes Moves to New ODNI Role
(HS Today)
Former In-Q-Tel CEO Appointed as the Chair of the NIU Board of Visitors
(NIU Website)
NIU Serves as a Hub for Intelligence and National Security Studies
(ODNI Article)
The Intelligence Community’s University: NIU Transitions to the ODNI
(AFCEA Article)
NIU Moves Under the ODNI Umbrella
(Federal News Network Radio Interview)
ODNI Absorbs National Intelligence University; Avril Haines Quoted
(ExecutiveGov Article)
NIU Joins the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
(ODNI Press Release)
NIU Joins the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
(NIU Press Release)
After Nearly 60 Years, National Intelligence University Moves to ODNI
(Government Executive)
The National Intelligence University Makes a Big Move
(WTOP The National Security Podcast)
NIU Welcomes its Newest Faculty Member: Lieutenant Colonel Jake Sotiriadis
(NIU Website)
Dr. Amy Kardell Named Dean of the College of Strategic Intelligence
(NIU Website)
Celebrating Dr. Joseph Gordon’s Decades of Service to Intelligence Education
(NIU Website)
Georgia Adds High School Coursework in Intelligence
(AFCEA Article)
In Service to the Nation: NIU Supports the Community through Days of Service
(NIU Website)
Interview with the Dean of the Anthony G. Oettinger School of Science and Technology Intelligence
(ideaXme Interview)
Returning to Campus Prepared and Confident: “Communicate, Separate, and Operate” are Keys to Safety and Success
(NIU Website)
Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Success: NIU Celebrates its 2020 Graduates
(NIU Website)
National Intelligence University Adds Advanced Data Curriculum
(AFCEA Article)

Research and Publications

As the dedicated research unit of NIU, the Ann Caracristi Institute for Intelligence Research (CIIR) represents the IC’s premier resource for academic intelligence research. CIIR serves to support, advance, and promote NIU’s academically rigorous research on topics critical to U.S. intelligence and national security.
NI Press Publications

Caracristi Monographs

References

External links

National Intelligence University

Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area
{{authority control Defense Intelligence Agency Educational institutions established in 1962 Intelligence analysis Military academies of the United States Staff colleges Universities and colleges in Maryland Intelligence education