Global Security and Intelligence Studies Volume 2, Issue 1, Fall 2016 | Page 8

Global Security and Intelligence Studies - Volume 2, Number 1 - Fall 2016
Academic Intelligence Programs in the United States:
Exploring the Training and Tradecraft Debate
Michael Landon-Murray A & Stephen Coulthart B
Academic intelligence programs in the United States have grown markedly
in the past 15 years. Their value to the U.S. intelligence community (IC)
has received some attention in the literature, as has the role of training and
tradecraft in those programs. The inclusion of such content has been identified
and characterized as a new function of U.S. higher education in support of
intelligence. Varied but limited views have been offered on the appropriateness
of this sort of instruction in academic programs, a part of the value-added
these programs may offer. To address this gap, we interviewed 10 intelligence
educators and program directors so that a more inclusive picture of views and
practices could be sketched. With their input, which certainly demonstrated
variation, and consideration of current IC practice, we explore what facets of
training and tradecraft can be appropriate for academic programs and offer
recommendations accordingly. The article concludes that the delineation
between intelligence education and training may not be so stark, largely because
of the educational and social science underpinnings of analytic tradecraft and
competencies, as well as various issues in IC training and tradecraft. By better
connecting professional practice with social science foundations, academic
intelligence programs can help create a better transition from education to
training.
Key words: intelligence education, intelligence analysis, training, tradecraft,
professionalization
Introduction
In the past 15 years, the number of civilian U.S. intelligence degrees has grown
tenfold to roughly 30 programs along with dozens of minors and certificates.
Before the establishment of these programs, would-be intelligence practitioners
tended to come from political science, international affairs, history, regional studies,
and other liberal arts programs. Many still do, which points to a key question in the
A
Assistant Professor, School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
B
Assistant Professor, National Security Studies Institute, University of Texas at El Paso
1
For a discussion of curricular facets of academic intelligence programs, see Stephen Coulthart and
Matthew Crosston, “Terra Incognita: Mapping American Intelligence Education Curriculum,” Journal
of Strategic Security 8 (3) (2015): 46–68.
doi: 10.18278/gsis.2.1.2
2