The program provides the student with the interdisciplinary skills to analyze the interactions between all these elements and to communicate their ideas effectively in both written and oral contexts. Above all, GSIS students will be able to exhibit innovative problem-solving and critical-thinking skills in issues such as terrorism and asymmetrical warfare, transportation (especially aviation and aerospace) security, threats to corporate personnel and facilities, threats to computer and telecommunications infrastructure, trafficking networks in illicit services and substances, proscribed weapons technologies such as weapons of mass destruction, international crime, population migrations, natural disasters, pandemics, and homeland security.

Global Security and Intelligence Studies students will be very competitive in obtaining positions and performing

1. with federal government intelligence, security, law enforcement, and emergency management agencies
2. with the Department of Defense and the armed services
3. with security, competitive intelligence and information protection departments in the private sector especially those involved in aviation and transportation security
4. with state, county and local homeland security, law enforcement, and emergency management organizations
5. as students in graduate schools focusing on intelligence and national security, international relations, regional studies
6. as students in law schools
7. as staffers for political leaders and legislative representatives specializing in national intelligence and security issues.

Degree Tracks

The GSIS degree program provides students with four curricular tracks: the Intelligence and Global Security Studies Track (General), the  Intelligence Studies (IS) Track, the Global Security Studies (GSS) Track, and the Chinese Language and Asian Studies (CLAS) Track. 

Degree Requirements

The GSIS program consists of seven interrelated components: general education, a GSIS core, courses in pursuit of one of three Tracks, a Functional Area of Concentration, a Regional Area of Concentration, electives, a senior project, and an optional co-op or study abroad experience. 

The general education requirement provides the fundamentals in the sciences, mathematics, the social sciences and liberal arts, oral and written communication, and computer operations and applications.  The science requirement deepens the student’s knowledge and understanding of science and technology, key areas for the security/intelligence student.

Together, the GSIS core is a multidisciplinary mix of courses that brings several fields to the study of security and intelligence, including geography, forensic science, the law, economics, psychology, government and foreign policy, and the history of intelligence.  The GSIS core is designed to demonstrate the ways in which societies and cultures, economies, systems of thought, military developments, and environmental concerns are shaping the international system.

By the junior year, the GSIS student not committed to the Chinese Language and Asian Studies Track will select one of two other tracks--Global Security Studies Track or Intelligence Studies Track--and related Functional and Regional Area of Concentration.  The Regional Areas of Concentration consist of 12 credits of foreign language study combined with related area studies course or related study abroad.  Functional Areas of Concentration each contain five courses that allow the student to gain a deeper understanding of a more specialized field.

GSIS students are required to complete a senior project prior to graduation. The options include a senior thesis (SIS 475), an applied professional research paper (SIS 470), or a semester-long capstone course including a simulated intelligence and security scenario using the GSIS operations center (SIS 415). The thesis will encompass significant research into a topic relevant to security and intelligence studies and provide original recommendations and conclusions. The senior internship is designed to provide the students with practical experience and increase their employment opportunities.  The internship must be with a federal, state, or local law enforcement or intelligence organization or a corporate security organization and must be approved by the Program Chair.  The capstone scenario will enable the student to demonstrate his or her knowledge and understanding gained in the GSIS Program in a simulated crisis situation in a real-world environment. 

The GSIS program encourages students to gain international experience through travel or study abroad. It promotes a strong grounding in history, a capacity for critical thinking, good writing and communication skills, and, in the selection of designated and open electives, a knowledge and appreciation of the arts and humanities.

The Bachelor of Science in Global Security and Intelligence Studies (GSIS) requires successful completion of a minimum of 121 credit hours.

Regional Areas of Concentration

With the exception of the CLAS Track, all GSIS students must select one Regional Area of Concentration: China and East Asia, Middle East, Latin America, or Russian and Eastern Europe.

Students wishing to specialize in other regions and/or create a Regional Area of Concentration tailored to a specific interest (such as Chinese Language and African Studies) should see the GSIS Program Chair or designee.  

Please click on the track of interest to review the program requirement:

Chinese Language and Asian Studies Track

Students who take the Chinese Language and Asian Studies Track will reach higher levels of language proficiency and regional expertise.  They take the same subject area courses and the same number of credits as those in the other tracks.  The overall difference is that CLAS Track students take 45 credits in courses that will be taught entirely in Chinese or have a significant Chinese component with supplementary reading and writing assignments in English.  Study abroad in the summer after the sophomore year is required.  This Track is not open to native speakers of Chinese.

General Track

The Intelligence and Global Security Studies General Track is geared towards those who are still exploring their interest in careers ranging from security and protection to collecting and analyzing information about foreign nations and transnational actors.  For the Functional Area of Concentration, Student choose 3 courses from any 1 of the Global Security Studies Track Functional AOCs and 3 courses for any of the Intelligence Track Functional AOCs.

Global Security Studies Track

The Global Security Studies Track is geared towards those interested in a career in security and protection, either in private industry or with a governmental security and intelligence agency.  Course requirement for this track include 12 hours of foreign language, general education courses, GSIS courses, and 33 credits in specialty courses.

Intelligence Studies Track

The Intelligence Studies Track is geared towards those interested in a career collecting and analyzing information, whether in the public or private sector, to provide decision advantage to senior policymakers about the capabilities, plan, and intention of foreign nations and transnational actors. Course requirements for this track include 12 hours of foreign language, general education courses, GSIS core courses, and 33 credits in specialty courses.