Department of Intelligence Studies

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Intelligence Studies Consortium–Washington, DC Area

The Intelligence Studies Consortium (ISC) was established in 2018 by the National Intelligence University (NIU) and university partners to promote communication and cooperation among academic and government organizations. The ISC provides an organized forum for the partner universities to collaborate in exploring issues and engaging in solutions that can improve national security. The participating universities have intelligence studies academic programs and unique relationships with many government agencies, non-government organizations, and the private sector; the ISC seeks to develop these relationships and provide an integrated forum to discuss critical intelligence issues in intelligence education.

Participants in the Intelligence Studies Consortium include:

• George Mason University (GMU)
• Georgetown University, School of Continuing Studies (Georgetown)
• Howard University (Howard)
• James Madison University (JMU)
• Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
• Institute of World Politics (IWP)
• Marymount University (Marymount)
• Mercyhurst University, Ridge Department (Mercyhurst)
• National Intelligence University (NIU)
• University of Massachusetts, Lowell
• University of New Hampshire (UNH)
• University of Virginia (UVA)

Each spring, the ISC sponsors and hosts a symposium, which is an opportunity for students and faculty members to present recent work at an academic conference in a panel format. Panelists will be selected for participation in the symposium based on their proposal, which will be judged by the ISC faculty representatives, using established criteria. In addition, all persons will have the opportunity to present in a poster session. Lastly, a Career Fair is typically hosted with the symposium.

Typical Subject Matter Clusters include:

• Homeland Security. We must identify novel ways to identify and address domestic extremism; threats to critical infrastructure; the risks involving natural disasters, climate change and environmental security; the flow of illegal drugs/narcotics, human trafficking, and illegal immigration into the United States; and issues in providing effective intelligence support to state and local law enforcement (e.g., the “Going Dark” debate).
• National Security & Great Power Competition. In this new era of renewed focus on great power competition, the intelligence community (Title 50 organizations) must redouble its commitment to strategic intelligence analysis focused on political, economic, and military spheres. Analyzing key drivers will enable policymakers to understand significant developments and effectively employ the full range of our national power.
• Business/Private Sector. What are some of the key “intelligence” issues facing the private sector? This category includes sharing cyber threat information between the federal, state, and local governments, and the private sector; foreign intelligence collection (i.e., theft of corporate intellectual property); limitations imposed on the private sector by federal export control law; and what the private sector can do to respond to foreign threats (e.g., the “Hack Back” debate).
• Emerging Technologies. This category includes a range of topics, such as cyber, quantum computing, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), and bio sciences (e.g., CRISPR and bio warfare); indeed, emerging technologies can significantly change the course and character of future intelligence operations and international conflict. For example, AI/ML can enable intelligence activities such as advanced intelligence collection, analysis, and sharing (“Big Data”); information operations; cyber security; lethal autonomous weapon systems; and support to decision-makers. What opportunities and risks for the U.S. are raised by emerging technologies?
• The Concept & Future of Intelligence Studies. This category can include a range of topics, including whether intelligence constitutes a “profession,” issues and concerns for educators and students in this dynamic and changing field, professional organizations open to students and practitioners in this field, and opportunities for academic publication.
• Open Topic Submission (Open Topic).

For more information, please contact Ted Stanich, executive director of intelligence studies, at tstanich@mercyhurst.edu.

Below is a list of agencies and organizations that our alumni are employed at. With over 500 alumni across the world, this list is not exhaustive but provides a general idea of where a Mercyhurst Intelligence Studies degree can take you.

National and International Government Agencies and Organizations

• Central Intelligence Agency
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Bureau of Customs & Border Protection
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms
• Central FL High Intensity Drug Trafficking
• Defense Intelligence Agency
• Department of Defense
• Department of Homeland Security
• FINCEN
• Holland Criminal Investigation
• INTERPOL
• Jamestown, NY Police Department
• National Air & Space Intelligence Center
• National Crime Intelligence Service, Sweden
• National Drug Intelligence Center
• National Security Agency
• Office of Naval intelligence
• US Army, Military Intelligence
• U.S. Secret Service
• Washington Baltimore HIDTA
• Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department

Corporations and Organizations

• Accenture
• American Background Information Service
• Meritor, Inc
• BAE Systems
• Bank of America
• Booz Allen Hamilton
• Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies
• Center for Strategic and International Studies
• Chautauqua Foundation
• Deloitte & Touche, LLP
• Discovery Resources, Inc
• Eastman Kodak Co
• Exxon Mobil
• Key Bank
• International Property Services
• Investment Data Corporation
• JP Morgan Chase
• Low & Associates
• McManis & Monsalve Associates
• Murphy Magonahe
• Northrup Grumman
• Philip-Morris
• Proactive Worldwide
• Procter & Gamble
• SRA International, Inc.
• Target Corporation
• TradeBytes Data Corp
• Wells Fargo
• VISA International

Professional Associations

Below are some of the professional associations that our alumni, students, and faculty belong to:

• Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals
• International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts
• Association of Former Intelligece Officers
• International Association for Intelligence Education
• International Association of Crime Analysts
• Naval Intelligence Professionals
• Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI
• Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit
• International Association of Counterterrorism and Security Professionals
• National Military Intelligence Association

Rooted in Mercyhurst University’s mission to educate and inspire individuals through faith, reason, and values-based leadership, the Intelligence Studies Advisory Board (ISAB) connects the university’s academic community to the evolving intelligence profession. The ISAB strengthens Mercyhurst’s leadership in applied intelligence by championing ethical practice, innovative problem-solving, and cutting-edge analysis across intelligence, cybersecurity, and global security fields.

The Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences at Mercyhurst began its own publication arm in 2005 as the institute began to develop its own intelligence publications.

The Mercyhurst Institute for Intelligence Studies Press since then has developed several publications now available for purchase and is in the process of developing several more. Faculty and students from the institute have collaborated to develop these specialized publications which will be useful to intelligence students, educators, and professionals.

• Hoffman, F. P., & Fuller, B. (2025). Rebranding second-generation open-source intelligence: “It’s not your father’s OSINT”. Issues in Information Systems, 26(3), 61-74. https://iacis.org/iis/2025/3_iis_2025_61-74.pdf
• Hoffman, F. P., & Fuller, B. (2025). How Mercyhurst’s CIRAT does OSINT–and why. Issues in Information Systems, 26(3), 75-85. https://iacis.org/iis/2025/3_iis_2025_75-85.pdf
• Hoffman, F. P., and Di-Nahum, Svet. (2024). Why Russian disinformation matters. Proceedings of the Center for Informed Democracy & Social - cybersecurity (IDeaS) conference, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. https://www.cmu.edu/ideas-social-cybersecurity/events/conference_papers_2024.html
• Hoffman, F. P. (2024). Learning by doing: Acquiring the tacit knowledge of how to conduct an open-source intelligence collection and analysis project. Issues in Information Systems 25(3), 81-93. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48009/3_iis_2024_107
• Hoffman, F. P., Kesharwani, R., and Maynard, J. (2023). How an outside perspective can help an organization enhance their supply chain risk mitigation strategy. Issues in Information Systems 24(1), 70-83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48009/1_iis_2023_106
• Freyn, S. and Hoffman, F. P. (2022). Competitive intelligence in an AI world: Practitioners' thoughts on technological advances and the educational needs of their successors. Journal of Intelligence Studies in Business 12(3), 6-17. https://doi.org/10.37380/jisib.v12i3.893
• Hoffman, F. P. (2021). A participant observation approach to assessing the validity of Hofstede’s dimensions of national culture. Issues in Information Systems, 22(2), 334-349. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48009/2_iis_2021_334-349
• Hoffman, F. P. (2021). Assessing US and Slovenian organizational security culture with Hofstede’s national culture framework. Issues in Information Systems, 22(3), 114-128 DOI: https://doi.org/10.48009/3_iis_2021_127-141
• Kuczynski, J., Wang, C., Glass, M., & Hoffman, F. P. (2021). Boeing 737 MAX: A case study of failure in a supply chain using system of systems framework. Issues in Information Systems, 22(1), 51-62. https://doi.org/10.48009/1_iis_2021_51-62
• Hoffman, F. P., & Skovira, R. J. (2020). The organizational security index: A tool for assessing the impact of national culture on information security attitudes in Slovenia and the United States. Issues in Information Systems, 21(3), 95-104.
• Wang, C.J., Hoffman, F.P., Lim, A., & Kwon, J. (2019). From artificial to emotional intelligence: Integrating five types of intelligence to achieve organizational excellence. International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning 8(2), 125-144. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=879732
• Hoffman, F.P., and Freyn, S. L. (2019). The future of competitive intelligence in an AI-enabled world. International Journal of Value Chain Management (IJVCM) 10(4), 275-289. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJVCM.2019.103268
• Hoffman, F.P. (2019). Industrial Internet of Things vulnerabilities and threats: What stakeholders need to consider. Issues in Information Systems, 20(1), 119-133. https://doi.org/10.48009/1_iis_2019_119-133
• Hoffman, F. P., Wang, C. J., Lim, A., & Kwon, J. (2019). The Yin and Yang of a Doctor of Science in Information Systems and Communications program: Personal reflections and reverse engineering. Issues in Information Systems, 20(2), 128-139. https://doi.org/10.48009/2_iis_2019_128-139
• Hoffman, F. P., Kempf, B., & Lim, A. (2018). Knowledge Management and Transfer: The Role of Cuisine in Transferring Cultural Knowledge. Issues in Information Systems, 19(1), 159-169. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48009/1_iis_2018_159-169
• Hoffman, F. P. (2018). Considerations for Successfully Investing in Commercial Intelligence and Knowledge Management. International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning, 7(1), 5-18. https://toknowpress.net/ISBN/978-961-6914-23-9/papers/ML2018-180.pdf

There are a variety of clubs in which our students and faculty are active members which creates opportunities for students and professors to nurture and enrich their passion for intelligence work and come together outside of the classroom setting.

Competitive Intelligence Club

Mercyhurst Competitive Intelligence Club provides education and networking opportunities for students and business professionals working in the rapidly growing field of competitive intelligence. Our mission is to enhance the skills and knowledge of students and professionals so that they may help their companies achieve and maintain a competitive advantage.

Law Enforcement Intelligence Club (LEIC)

The Law Enforcement Intelligence Club was the earliest student club to exist within the Intelligence Studies programs at Mercyhurst University. Building on its long tradition, the club regularly meets for special events, speakers, and seminars on the field.

Military & Operational Intelligence Club (MOIC)

The purpose of the Military & Operational Intelligence Club (MOIC) is to introduce students to the intelligence that is required for planning and conducting military campaigns and major operations to accomplish strategic objectives within theaters or operational areas. 

National Security Club (NSC)

The National Security Club (NSC) is an umbrella organization that brings together several national security related organizations/associations on the Mercyhurst campus. The NSC will promote the development of its members through organized events and functions that will educate and inform about national security issues.

Women in National Security Club (WINS)

The Women in Intelligence and National Security Club is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive community for individuals of all backgrounds who are passionate about intelligence, national security, and related fields. While we center the experiences and advancement of women in these industries, we welcome and encourage the participation of all allies who share our commitment to diversity, equity, and professional growth.

Our mission is to empower individuals—regardless of gender—to promote the inclusion, leadership, and success of women in intelligence and national security. Through mentorship, networking, professional development, and advocacy, we strive to create a more diverse and equitable field where all voices are valued, and the next generation of security professionals can thrive.

The club plans to host a variety of different events. One of the biggest events will be the speaker series. The speakers will consist of female professionals within the intelligence, cybersecurity, national security, and related career fields. We also want to host service projects within Erie. These service projects will either be hands-on or donation-oriented for a specific organization within Erie. We also want to host professional workshops in which we discuss professional skills (resume building, interview skills, etc).