For some students at NMSU, these aren’t just acronyms out of a Tom Clancy spy novel. They’re part of a new curriculum that they hope will land them well-paying jobs as the next generation of intelligence professionals.

NMSU is the first university in the country to offer a comprehensive program in intelligence studies. The program, which was featured on National Public Radio in July, combines academic coursework with real-life research projects and mentoring from former intelligence agency employees.

Academic options for students who want to pursue careers in intelligence studies include a minor in security technology and intelligence studies offered by the Engineering Technology Department and a concentration in information operations (IO) under the electrical engineering degree.

NMSU also will be offering elementary Arabic for the first time this fall. This class is part of a broader effort to build an Islamic Studies curriculum at the university.

Students who graduate from one of NMSU’s intelligence studies programs have security clearances and are already well-versed in the workings of the country’s 14 intelligence agencies.

With these agencies facing major retirements from a generation of professionals who joined at the beginning of the Cold War, it’s a sure ticket to a good job after graduation. The March 8 issue of U.S. News & World Report listed “intelligence analyst” as the hottest government job. Several NMSU students who graduated in May secured positions in the intelligence community.

For more information:
Jim Holden-Rhodes
holden-rhodes@psl.nmsu.edu