DEPARTMENT OF INTELLIGENCE STUDIES

Intel education on the cutting edge.

We graduate in-demand, entry-level analysts who are skilled in preparing assessments based on the collection, correlation and analysis of intelligence data for employers both in government and private sectors, especially those in business, law enforcement, national security and the military. This unique and academically challenging multidisciplinary program combines a liberal arts core with a foreign language or computer requirement, as well as national and international studies, an internship experience, and intelligence courses. As the worldwide demand for skilled analysts continues to grow — the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that jobs for analysts will grow by as much as 19 percent by 2024 — you’ll stand out with a degree from our internationally recognized intelligence program.

Fast Facts

  • The Ridge College is named after Erie native Tom Ridge, 43rd governor of Pennsylvania and first Secretary of Homeland Security
  • The Ridge College’s Institute of Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences provides research and analysis products to clients such as the Department of Defense, the European Union, Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble

  • Our students can connect with an alumni base of more than 1,000 graduates who work in a wide-range of fields and organizations in the intelligence community

  • During the 2015-16 academic year, more than 70 Intelligence Studies students received contracts to conduct intelligence work for actual U.S. intelligence agencies and private companies

TYPES OF JOBS

Graduates of the program have accepted employment in the following types of positions, to name a few: Intelligence Analysts, Intelligence Officers, Special Agents and Social Media Analysts.

VETERAN RESOURCES

Mercyhurst University is a participant of the Yellow Ribbon Program, a provision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill that allows veterans to attend graduate programs which cost more than the state tuition cap.

CAREER OUTCOMES

Graduates have accepted employment with a diverse set of federal agencies, global corporations, and international NGOs. A small sample includes: Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Wells Fargo.


Meet the Faculty

Intelligence Studies