Online Graduate Certificate in CounterIntelligence

This course focuses on intelligence analysis including the analysis of international threats to security. The course will provide students with a foundation of human cognition in an effort to help understand why we think the way we do, how we come to formulate biases, and the many analytical, perceptional, and cognitive errors we frequently make in conducting analyses. Students will be provided with a foundation from which to understand and conduct critical analysis. This course affords an opportunity to look at a variety of case studies related to both US and foreign threat analysis and action, including the evolution of responses to threats, perspectives on threat action, principles of threat analysis and response, and assessments of successes and failures of such actions. Students will develop a comprehensive knowledge of intelligence analysis, how intelligence agencies assess and counter international threats in order to guard global security interests, and how various threats affect national security policy and decision-making. (Prerequisite: SSGS500)

The course focuses on both U.S. and foreign aspects of counterintelligence, including the history and evolution of counterintelligence, the differences between passive and active CI measures, principles and processes of counterintelligence and its relationship to covert action, the ethics of counterintelligence, and the evaluation of CI successes and an estimate of the damage caused by failures. The student will develop a comprehensive knowledge of the use and practices of counterintelligence, especially in protecting homeland security and national security interests against foreign adversaries. Additionally, the collection process and the changes for the future in the infusion of CI technology will be discussed.

This course provides an overview of deceptive techniques –how they work and how they can be defeated. It begins by building an understanding of fundamental psychological principles and practices and then taking a look at key information practices. From there, it will look at how some of these practices developed from WWI to the present. Throughout the course, students will be exposed to and will analyze the use of deception and other persuasion techniques in various contexts. These deceptive techniques are illustrated with a series of historical and current case studies, scenarios, and interactive simulations.

This course provides basic research methods skills for addressing problems and issues specific to the programs within the School of Security and Global Studies (SSGS). The course covers four basic approaches to social research including experimentation, survey research, field research, and the use of available data. Students will gain foundational knowledge in research planning, design, methodology, data collection, and analysis. This course prepares students for advanced research methods. Students in SSGS graduate studies are expected to be completely familiar with Turabian and APA writing styles. If you do not possess copies of these manuals, here is a link to the library, https://www.apus.edu/apus-library/resources-services/Writing/writing-center.html, specific to writing basics, that has quick style guides in use within SSGS. Purchase of the most recent writing guide in use in your program is highly recommended. If you are unsure what writing style is in use in your program, consult with your academic advisor.

This course provides insight on how to improve interagency relationships among security, defense, and intelligence agencies. This course introduces the student to theoretical and practical material for understanding the behavior of individual organizations and what can be done to make organizations work more closely together at the federal, state, and local levels. Emphasis is placed on explaining why organizations act the way they do and how to improve interagency coordination.

This course examines Signals Intelligence focusing on the underlying technology of SIGINT and its application to various military and civilian intelligence questions. This course will also address contemporary issues related to the Cyber-SIGINT nexus as well as the lesser-known disciplines of MASINT, FISINT, etc. Collection platforms will be studied in relation to their inherent capabilities and application against various intelligence targets. The course is held at the unclassified, open-source level.

This course constitutes an intensive introduction to OSINT and its related disciplines and will focus on the following areas: definition and nature of OSINT, OSINT policy and management, history and development of OSINT, current OSINT trends, OSINT-focused organizations, challenges, reform, and future prospects. The course constitutes an intensive introduction to OSINT and its related disciplines. (Prerequisite: SSGS500)

This course provides an overview of HUMINT operations include mission-target analysis, operational planning, execution and evaluation, cover, security and communications, collection and reporting, and financial management. Students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to assess, articulate and defend the soundness of operational concepts, plans and budgets.

This course provides an overview of the analysis of political leaders. It explores various political psychological approaches to studying leaders to include biographies, psychoanalysis, traits, characteristics and motivations. Examples of specific political leaders are discussed throughout the course to offer the student a broad knowledge of world leaders. The course also provides students with a solid foundation from which to conduct their independent analysis of political leaders.

This course is a study of Cyber Intelligence from its nascent stages to its current operational and policy impact. Students will explore the full range of cyber capabilities from exploitation to defense including several case studies that demonstrate the challenges and benefits of cyber intelligence operations. The course will demonstrate how cyber has changed the natures of intelligence collection, operations and analysis across the US Intelligence and Defense communities. (Prerequisite: SSGS500)