The View From the Tower: Thoughts on the Emergence

of an Academic Discipline and Educational Process for

the 21st Century

Gregory Moore, Ph.D.Notre Dame College

10th Annual colloquium on intelligenceAugust 6, 2008

“Intelligence Studies”: and “Intelligence Education”

Often hear these terms used interchangeably

Are they one and the same?

Are they two different things?

A “Journey of Discovery”

Whither “intelligence studies” and “intelligence education”?

The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog Caspar David Friedrich (1818)

That is the essential research project that intelligence

professionals and academics must undertake together in order to find the answers to the questions about the nature and future of intelligence

education and whether or not something called intelligence studies should be part of that

future.

How will Intelligence Studies evolve into a true academic discipline?

Various issues need consideration in order to reach a conclusion

What has been lacking is a truly focused discussion about how, exactly, this might come about (although conferences and colloquia such as these are helping further the discussion)

The academic community and intelligence practitioners must come together in order to achieve consensus on the need for a new academic discipline

Basic Problem:

How does a functioning practice become an academic discipline?

(there is precedent – people practiced medicine, enforced laws, conducted business, educated the next generation, gathered intelligence long before

colleges and universities took on the job of preparing students for professional careers)

What would the purpose of “intelligence studies” be? Preparation

of scholars? Practitioners? Both?

Questions to consider:

1.If intelligence studies became an academic discipline:

Could it stand on its own?

What should an undergraduate curriculum look like? A graduate curriculum?

Should it be a subset of an existing discipline (i.e. Political Science, Criminal Justice, Business Administration)?

Most importantly, perhaps – what exactly constitutes “intelligence studies”?

2. What will it take to win recognition as an academic discipline?

A.Doctorates in the field of intelligence studies?B.A body of literature? C.Intelligence theory? D.Applied as well as theoretical concepts?E.The number of colleges/universities offering degrees (undergraduate or graduate) in intelligence studies?F.Emergence of recognized scholars/experts?G.Emergence of scholarly organizations devoted to intelligence studies as in other academic disciplines?H.Research, research, research…

Probably all of the above

3. How to coordinate the views of the IC, law enforcement, and the private sector about

intelligence studies with those of academia?

Practitioners cannot dictate what an intelligence studies curriculum should look like – faculty control the curriculum and are very jealous of their academic freedom in that regard

Academia should consult and work with practitioners to assure that the discipline reflects the knowledge base essential for a student to become a successful intelligence professional, and for faculty to prepare them accordingly (as well as preparing the next generation of scholars)

4. Who will benefit most from earning a degree in intelligence studies?

Analysts?

Knowledge workers?

Technical personnel?

Managers/administrators?

Scholars/educators?

All of the above?

5. What problems must be overcome?

A.Faculty/administrative reluctance to support a program in intelligence studies for moral/ethical reasons or political reasons

B.The amount of material that remains classified which would be useful in developing courses

C.Who is qualified to teach an intelligence studies curriculum? Where will the first generation of instructors come from? (scholar-practitioners)

D.Defining “intelligence studies” (define “intelligence”)

Should an academic discipline called intelligence studies come

into being?

If the consensus is “yes”, than we have to start considering how such a discipline

might emerge and what its curriculum might include

ButBut – we must also recognize that the – we must also recognize that the discipline will evolve over time as discipline will evolve over time as

institutions build their own programs institutions build their own programs reflective of their capabilities and reflective of their capabilities and

faculty interestsfaculty interestsThis is going to be a generational process!

Consensus on a model curriculum may be possible:(or not)

Theory History Policy & Administration Ethics Applied principles (skill sets) Learn by doing (practicums, internships)

Institutions of higher learning will ultimately design programs to the interests of the faculty (teaching & research), but some common features should be expected in every program

Ultimately, if “intelligence studies” does become an academic discipline these issues will have been

resolved

Definition of intelligence studies (possible definition: the study of the theory and practice of applying information gathered by both open and clandestine methods for the purpose of strategic planning, criminal investigation, and policy implementation by governments, law enforcement agencies, and business)

A process of scholarship (research and publication) will have gotten underway

Graduate degrees will be awarded in the discipline; doctorates in particular – Ph.D.’s in order to give the discipline legitimacy

A trained faculty will have emerged to prepare future generations of scholars and practitioners

It may well be that intelligence studies as an academic discipline will most resemble political

science

Just as political science examines all of the elements that impact upon the practice of politics, not only nationally but globally, intelligence studies may

eventually do the same

• Comparative intelligence• Intelligence Policy and Administration

• Intelligence and the Media• Ethics in Intelligence

• Intelligence and the Law • Theory and Applied Intelligence Analysis

• Intelligence and the Executive Branch

A multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary curriculum may also be the norm

However, it is entirely possible that intelligence studies could develop in

ways that we simply cannot anticipate

Or, it may simply become a subset of one or more existing disciplines or

fields of study

Whether or not intelligence studies becomes an academic discipline, the IC, law

enforcement, and the private sector need talented and well educated young people to

fill their needs

Hence the growing interest among institutions of higher learning in intelligence

education – preparing students for careers as intelligence practitioners, reflecting a

growing educational focus on career oriented programs (especially within the traditional

liberal arts curriculum)

Does “Intelligence Education” require the emergence of a new academic discipline that we’ve been calling

“Intelligence Studies” to effectively prepare college students for careers in

intelligence work?

Or, can effective intelligence education programs be created from

existing curricula?

Intelligence professionals today hold degrees in a wide range of fields and disciplines

• History• Philosophy• Political Science• International Relations• Languages• Psychology

• Sociology• Economics• Accounting• Physics• Chemistry• Engineering

How many intelligence professionals today have degrees in intelligence studies?

Is a degree in intelligence studies necessary in order to be a practitioner?

Is there a specific body of knowledge about intelligence that students have to acquire?

Can they simply be trained to be intelligence practitioners? Is that sufficient?

Can students acquire core skills and general knowledge through undergraduate

and graduate programs as they are currently constructed and then receive the

requisite training to become successful practitioners?

Yes – but is that enough?

Why shouldn’t future intelligence professionals prepare for their careers the same way others do?

Learn about the profession they are entering (theory & practice)

Learn the history of their profession Learn some basic (or more advanced ) skills they’ll need

to be successful Learn by doing (internships/practicums) Teachers, nurses, accountants, attorneys, physicians, for example, prepare this way – why not future intelligence professionals?

The education and training of teachers and nurses may offer a useful model for undergraduate

intelligence education

These programs offer 3 essential components:

1.Theoretical foundation/content knowledge

2.Acquisition of required skills

3.Practical application of skills through field work and practicums

Education and nursing students must pass state licensing examinations once they earn their undergraduate degrees – testing their

knowledge of theoretical and applied principles as well as content knowledge

Practical for intelligence students? Probably not

That doesn’t negate the efficacy of educating and training undergraduate

intelligence students in programs similar to the education and nursing programs offered

in colleges and universities

Possible Model Undergraduate Program

Intelligence Courses:• Applied courses (writing &

research)• Intelligence history• Intelligence theory• Internship/practicum• Capstone course

(independent project)• Can be major or minor field

of study or a concentration

General Knowledge:• Any major (if not

intelligence)• Liberal Arts Core• Strong interdisciplinary • Foreign language

requirement• Effective communications

skills (writing & oral)• Computer (mastery of

Word, Power Point, Excel, Access)

• Non-Western history/culture

• Study abroad

Goal is to produce generalists with solid critical thinking and communications skills who have a basic understanding of the intelligence process

and cycle

Intelligence education programs will reflect the capabilities of each institution

Smaller schools may focus primarily on career oriented liberal arts intelligence education, while larger institutions may

combine intelligence education with majors not commonly offered at the small

institutions (i.e. engineering)

Intelligence education programs may be best place for doctorates of practice

Intelligence education at the graduate level might focus on more theoretical issues while

building on basic skills:

Policy Administration and management Intelligence theory and practice Strategic planning/futures thinking Risk and vulnerability assessment Threat specific issues (terrorism, WMD proliferation) Country/regional expertise Foreign language proficiency Advanced research, writing, briefing methods Internships/practicums

Intelligence studies and intelligence education may be two different things

Or is this a better model?

Gregory Moore, Ph.D.Director, Center for Intelligence StudiesNotre Dame College: gmoore@ndc.edu 216.373.5346Chair, IAFIE Educational Practices Committee