Department of Intelligence and Security Studies
"Nothing is more important to national security and the making and conduct of good policy than timely, accurate, and relevant intelligence."
-Dennis Blair, Former Director of National Intelligence
Welcome
In the years since September 11th, an increasingly complex world has created a strong demand for intelligence and security professionals. The Department is designed to meet that need by preparing students for entry-level positions or graduate study in security-related career fields that involve research, analysis, planning and timely evaluation of policies and programs.
Created in 2012, this program works to this objective by utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach that emphasizes a combination of practical and theoretical understanding of intelligence within a liberal-arts context. To achieve that goal, Intelligence and Security Studies courses focus on the collection, analysis and dissemination of information on critical and timely topics, which inform present-day security debates in government and beyond.
Coming in Fall 2021 – The Department of Intelligence and Security Studies will celebrate the opening of its new state-of-the-art Intelligence Analysis and Operations Center. Designed with reference to operations centers that are in existence at agencies like the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, the Intelligence Analysis and Operations Center will be equipped with cutting-edge technology. This facility will simulate the day-to-day activities that take place within intelligence agencies, with activities that focus on intelligence collection, analysis, dissemination, and decision-making. Students in the Intelligence and Security Studies program will be authorized to use this resource as a physical space in which to experience first-hand the critical and timely functions of intelligence operations in a volatile and unpredictable world.
News
- Introducing our new Professor of Practice, Professor Mark Chandler.
- “Spies and the Virus” - CCU Intelligence and National Security Studies students Ana Maria Lankford and Derrick Storzieri collaborated with Professor Joseph Fitsanakis to write a peer-reviewed journal article on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the U.S. Intelligence Community for Frontiers in Communication. Read more about this work at here.
- Led by Professor Jon Acuff, the Intelligence program has recently published the textbook Introduction to Intelligence with Sage/CQ publishing. The book offers a strategic, international, and comparative approach to covering intelligence organizations and domestic security issues. Written by multiple authors, each chapter draws on the author's professional and scholarly expertise in the subject matter. As a core text for an introductory survey course in intelligence, this text provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to intelligence, including institutions and processes, collection, communications, and common analytic methods. More information can be found here.
- The Journal of European and American Intelligence Studies
In July of 2021, the Department of Intelligence and Security Studies at Coastal Carolina University signed a memorandum of agreement with the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS), in Athens, Greece. The agreement gives the Department of Intelligence and Security Studies editorial responsibility over the Journal of European and American Intelligence Studies (JEAIS), with the participation of the department’s faculty and a select number of students.
Contact
Jonathan Smith
Chair
Intelligence and Security Studies
(843)349-6573
jonsmith@coastal.edu
Karen Williams
Administrative Assistant
Intelligence and Security Studies
843-349-2621
kwilliam@coastal.edu
