Academics
Preparing Students for Professional Positions at Any of 17 U.S. Intelligence Agencies
The Midwest Consortium - Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (MW-IC CAE) at Saint Louis University serves as a catalyst for students to obtain careers in intelligence-related fields by promoting multidisciplinary curriculums at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
The consortium allows faculty, staff, students and intelligence community members to work in a collaborative environment rich with engaged learning and teaching experiences. It increases student success, builds vital intelligence partnerships, and invites individuals to become members of an intellectually and demographically diverse active learning community.
The consortium offers a core intelligence foundation, workshops, seminars and colloquia, cultural immersion, and study abroad, as well as a strong research emphasis on STEM and an interdisciplinary approach to the study of intelligence-related issues.
Academics associated with the consortium focus on incorporating and building on the seven intelligence community competencies:
- National Security
- U.S. Intelligence Community
- Intelligence Cycle
- Analytic Processes (Undergraduate and Graduate)
- Intelligence Collection
- All Source Intelligence
- Components of Strategic Intelligence
Curricular Highlights
Students from all consortium schools (Saint Louis University, Harris Stowe State University and Lincoln University) can take intelligence-related courses online through SLU’s School for Professional Studies, removing geographical obstacles. Students benefit from:
- Modular course structure, enabling flexibility in adapting to the shifting and diverse demands of intelligence community agencies over time and within distinct disciplines
- Current case study development focused on real-world issues and continuously incorporated into courses, drawing upon the Midwest Consortium - Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence active research agenda.
- Co-taught, interdisciplinary courses, bringing in the vast expertise of existing intelligence community leaders, faculty, policymakers and researchers to the curriculum.
- Innovative internship, project, and research opportunities for students and faculty, enabling tighter integration between theory and practice
Midwest Consortium - Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence programs will require a minimum of four IC CAE core courses for students pursuing a degree with major/minor/ or certificate in intelligence. STEM curricular development will focus on incorporating intelligence community competencies into STEM courses and expanding advanced-level STEM courses.
SLU offers four priority languages of interest to the intelligence community: Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish at the Interagency Level 3 skills in multiple modalities (listening, speaking, reading and writing). Additionally, SLU offers seven undergraduate language degrees, two M.S. degree options, and 45 University sponsored semester study abroad programs.
Consortium students can study intelligence community languages of interest and apply them to their degree program as electives or as a major or minor. Credit is approved within MW-IC CAE programs and Consortium partners for languages, with a focus on Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.
Each year, the consortium will host a minimum of six workshops/events, where students will come together to discuss intelligence issues, best practices, and career opportunities.
Each workshop or seminar will be branded as Midwest Consortium - Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence sponsored. Location will be split between consortia members and transportation will be provided for consortium students to attend all events. Events will be available for virtual participation. Each institution will build upon its strengths and unique capabilities to host events that will be open to all consortium students.
SLU, Harris Stowe State University and Lincoln University students have the opportunity to attend semester abroad intensive language/cultural immersion study opportunities as well as a five-week summer study abroad program with a focus on regional studies (regional security and intelligence issues).
Midwest Consortium - Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence study abroad options for regional studies will focus on regional issues identified by the 2021 Global Trends Report and the IC Worldwide Threat Assessment.
The consortium will also fund student participation in foreign language immersion programs in languages of interest to the IC. The first proposed consortium summer abroad will focus on regional issues affecting Europe/ /Russia. Consortium schools will take advantage of SLU’s campus in Madrid Spain for the first regional studies course.
Students participating in study abroad for language instruction must complete two semesters of critical foreign language or its equivalent before receiving consortium funding for language study.