IS 321 - Insights into US Intelligence Community

Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hours: 0
Credit Hours: 3

This course fulfills an elective for International Studies and should equip cadets with a solid grounding in the functions, activities, history, and organization of the US intelligence community and its vital role in the formulation of US foreign and national security policy. The course will focus on the Big Five (Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, and the National Security Agency) with a high-level overview of all 18 departments/ agencies in the community. This course will explore how information is collected and transformed from raw intelligence to finished analytical products used to inform policymaker decisions as well as support other intelligence consumers. In addition, the course will examine the use of covert action and some of the ethical issues that arise in the conduct of intelligence operations.