Course Portfolio
ANALYSIS & CRITICAL THINKING
Analyst Training: Writing, Analysis, and Preparing Briefings
Analyst Training: Writing, Analysis, and Preparing Briefings is a two- or three-day introductory course that teaches analysts who have had little hands-on experience in analysis, writing, and briefing (or who simply wish to improve their skills) to develop their ability to be more effective thinkers, writers, and communicators. We examine the role of intelligence in the policy process and the need for critical reading and thinking, since much of the insight that contributes to finished products must be gathered before the successful analyst actually begins to analyze and write. Only then does the examination of analysis, writing, and briefing skills begin. The course emphasizes the proper organization of analytic products prior to presentation, as well as issues of format, length, word selection, etc. The two-day course concludes with an in-class exercise that gives students a chance to practice lessons learned. The three-day course devotes its third day to a capstone exercise that provides students a more extensive opportunity to practice their new skills in greater depth. Exercises and capstones focus on areas of interest or concern for the client.
Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking is a two-day seminar that focuses on a key aspect of analytic tradecraft: the ability to think through conflicting and competing data effectively. This course is specifically designed to reflect the standards of analytic integrity and tradecraft as prescribed by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 203. Instructors use case-based discussion as the predominant teaching methodology to introduce students to: the intellectual traits useful in critical thinking as well as barriers to critical thinking; structured analytic techniques; and the application of ethics to analysis.
INTELLIGENCE
History of U.S. Intelligence
History of U.S. Intelligence is a one-day course that reviews the major events and trends that have shaped U.S. intelligence from the colonial era through the current day. The course covers: responses to external threats; the role of technology; espionage; and Congress and partisan politics, among other issues. Attendees gain a deeper understanding of historical context and major forces that continue to influence and determine U.S. intelligence policy.
Intelligence and the Law
Intelligence and the Law is a one-day course that examines the legal and policy frameworks that govern the U.S. Intelligence Community. It presents the core legal authorities and restrictions—the Constitution, statutes, and Executive orders—and explores how and why they are applied to the conduct of U.S. intelligence today. Designed for a wide audience, the course reviews the history and evolution of intelligence law and policy and provides an in-depth look at selected laws that affect intelligence activities. Topics include: covert action; congressional oversight; privacy and civil liberties including electronic surveillance, FISA, and other restrictions on the conduct of intelligence; protection of sources and methods, classification of material, and the problem of leaks; the role of the Director of National Intelligence; and the laws and relationships that govern the fight against terrorism.
Intelligence Collection
Intelligence Collection is a two-day course designed to explain how technical intelligence is collected; its limitations and advantages; and how that intelligence supports policy makers and military operations. This course will be of use to a broad array of intelligence professionals—all-source analysts, collection discipline specialists and analysts, and collection managers who need to understand how collection assets work in practice, challenges for management, and interaction across collection disciplines. The course will also be of value for the national policy and military communities who use intelligence products in the furtherance of U.S. national security objectives.
Intelligence Community 101 (IC-101)
Intelligence Community (IC) 101 is a four-day course tailored for new intelligence officers, with presentations on the structure, mission, and main issues facing U.S. intelligence and intelligence officers, regardless of agency or function. The many topics include policy maker goals, issues in collection and analysis, the role of Congress, and legal and ethical frameworks. The goal of instruction is to provide students with an understanding of key events in the history of the IC; the Intelligence Cycle; sourcing for the IC budget (National Intelligence Program and Military Intelligence Program) and the role of Congressional oversight (House and Senate intelligence committees); the role of each of the IC organizations, the major IC occupations, and the value of working joint IC projects through collaboration; the mechanisms and value of information sharing, partnerships, and teamwork; Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) major components and functions; the Joint Duty Program’s goals; key events that shaped the ODNI’s establishment and now contribute to its vision and leadership in the IC; and how ethics and values underpin decision-making and mission accomplishment in the IC. Exercises enable students to apply their knowledge on a real-time basis. Case studies are conducted as a means of both enhancing the learning experience and testing the students’ knowledge of the material.
Intelligence Community (IC): An Introduction
IC: An Introduction is typically offered as either a one or two-day course. In the one-day session, we offer a broad introduction to current, major issues in U.S. intelligence, including the structure of the IC and the role of the agencies and the Director of National Intelligence; collection; analysis; national security issues; the intelligence budget; and the role of Congress. This course is appropriate for those fairly new to intelligence issues, or as a refresher for those returning to intelligence issues. The two-day session includes a broad overview of the roles, functions, and activities of the IC, but then provides government employees and contractor professionals who work with IC clients a firm basis for understanding the Community’s roles, needs, and culture, and the issues that they face today as the IC deals with a new structure and new threats. This course places special emphasis on the changes that have been implemented since 2001 and how they are progressing. It also incorporates threat and collection exercises, which are particularly useful to students learning to apply their knowledge to real problems.
Intelligence Community (IC): Advanced Seminar
IC: Advanced Seminar is a one- to three-day course (depending on the number of modules selected) that provides a more in-depth examination of many of the issues covered in the introductory course, with a greater emphasis on viewing these as IC-wide issues at the managerial level. This course is designed for current and upcoming managers who will be supervising programs and staff in support of the IC. This advanced course also includes exercises to put course information to use.
Intelligence Process
Intelligence Process is a one-day course that covers in detail the issues and stress points that exist at each stage of the intelligence process (intelligence cycle): requirements, collection, analysis, dissemination, policy consumption, and covert action. It examines the interdependencies of each step in the process and includes the role of Executive branch and Congressional policy makers in each stage of the process.
Intelligence Resource Management
Intelligence Resource Management is a two- or three-day course that thoroughly examines the financial management of intelligence resources in the federal government. It provides students an in-depth understanding of intelligence budget components, the creation of the budget in the Executive branch, consideration of the budget in Congress, and the actual expenditure of funds. The course covers in detail the National Intelligence Program (NIP) and its component programs, and the Military Intelligence Program (MIP); the resource management systems used to formulate budgets for these programs; the roles of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence in formulating and coordinating the NIP and MIP; the role of the President’s Office of Management and Budget; the Congressional budget process, with special emphasis on the authorization of intelligence activities; and highlights of budget execution. This is a highly interactive three-day course with many in-class exercises. The two-day course excludes the exercises and some of the materials used in the three-day course.
CONGRESS & NATIONAL SECURITY
Congress and National Security
Congress and National Security is a one-day course that examines the role of Congress across a range of national security issues such as defense, intelligence, and foreign policy. It assesses the importance of diverse activities, including hearings, investigations, and the critically important role of Congress in budget formulation. This course is designed to give individuals more accustomed to working with Executive branch agencies a greater understanding of the interplay between those agencies and the Legislative branch.
DOD
Department of Defense 101 (DOD-101)
Understanding the complex working environment of the Department of Defense (DOD) can be challenging for those new to the department and even for some who are not so new. This course provides critical insights into the history, structure, and operations of the DOD. It focuses on how the department is organized, key officials and their roles, DOD’s war powers, and a sampling of key historic milestones in the development of this authority. The course also discusses how DOD interacts with other executive branch agencies and DOD’s roles and responsibilities in the interagency process. The course also covers DOD’s relationship with Congress seeking the appropriate authorities and funding to accomplish DOD’s mission. Finally, the course offers information about the DOD budget process and current issues facing the Department.
Doing Business with the Government
The Doing Business with the Government course focuses on the relationship between the government and its vendors. It provides government contractors with an insider’s understanding of how the government works to align its requirements for personnel, equipment, facilities, resources, and services with the financial resources needed to fund these requirements. Although this course is not intended to teach students how to be government contractors or how to win contracts, it provides useful information to help contractors understand the government processes that can lead to contracting opportunities. Through this course, students will be able to identify how best to engage in the contracting and acquisition processes and to apply that knowledge to increase opportunities to provide services.
CYBER
Cyber Security: Risk and Mitigation
Cyber Security: Risks and Mitigation is a course that addresses the reality that cyber-attacks have focused senior managers, corporate officers, and boardrooms in every sector of business on their exposure to cyber-risk. With the pervasiveness of computers and interconnectivity an inescapable reality for just about any enterprise, vulnerabilities and opportunities for cybercrime are inevitable. This training provides corporate managers and leaders with familiarity and understanding of cyber issues. It examines vulnerabilities, the inevitability of cyber-attacks, corporate and legal responsibilities, and the managerial requirement to understand and mitigate risks and impact. The goal is to give leaders the tools to guide their organizations in taking necessary measures and making the best trade-offs in combatting cyber risk.
Open Source Intelligence
The US Intelligence Community estimates that some 80 percent of the intelligence it seeks is in Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), meaning that it is neither classified nor proprietary. At the same time, the Internet is a largely unstructured and unauthenticated body of data. Using the Internet in successful searches and investigations requires more than the rudimentary knowledge that most people bring to it. This course is designed to introduce learners to the fundamental concepts underlying OSINT—including its strengths and weaknesses, the legal and ethical issues associated with it, and the resources necessary for a successful OSINT program. In addition, the course will familiarize students with basic OSINT tradecraft as well as advanced tradecraft unique to their mission area.
POLICY
National Security Policy Process
National Security Policy Process is a one-day course that examines the role of the interagency process in the formulation of national-level security polices and intelligence. It provides an overview of security policy and strategy development and reviews the institutions, mechanics, and output of this complex dynamic. The course reviews the roles and responsibilities of the White House and National Security Council, departments and agencies, Congress, and the private sector. Through a critical review of relevant case studies, the course improves understanding of the national security decision making process and provides a practical foundation for policy consumers and intelligence analysts. This course complements our intelligence courses by providing a firm policy context.
The National Security Policy Seminar
The National Security Policy Seminar is a one- or two-week course (depending on the preferences of the client) that offers an extensive exploration of the key processes, players, and factors that influence U.S. national security policy. The seminar deals with the national security policy process; bureaucratic cultures of key players; the interconnectedness of the various aspects of national security, including law, diplomacy, defense, and intelligence; the role of Congress; the role played by external factors such as domestic and global economics, health issues, and the media; and the challenges presented by transnational threats, counterinsurgency, radical Islam, energy security, cyber security, etc. The course includes lectures, guest speakers, and a variety of in-class exercises, including a capstone graduation exercise.
REGIONAL SEMINARS
Regional Seminars
These are usually one- to three-day seminars during which ISA brings together experts in a given region (former government officials, academics, journalists, representatives of business) to explore current issues in that region and their importance for the United States.
Customer Feedback
“The course crystalized for me what it truly means to be an analyst.”
“I came into this training questioning whether or not I wanted to transition my career towards intel analysis. After finishing this course there is no doubt I want to make that transition.”
“This is by far the best course I have taken at the Agency. I think it would serve well in being offered more regularly and extended to employees beyond the minimum five-year requirement.”
“Amazing training. This training should be required for all incoming personnel.”
“Both instructors plus all guest lecturers were great, with a wealth of real-world experience to share.”
“Exceptional instructors, I am OSD-Comptroller certified level III and this is the best training I’ve ever received.”
Introducing Our Instructors
DR. MARK M. LOWENTHAL
Dr. Mark M. Lowenthal, an internationally recognized expert on intelligence, is the former President of The Intelligence and Security Academy where he now serves as a senior instructor. From 2002-2005, Dr. Lowenthal served as the Assistant Director of Central Intelligence for Analysis and Production and also as the Vice Chairman for Evaluation on the National Intelligence Council. Prior to these duties, he served as Counselor to the Director of Central Intelligence. Dr. Lowenthal was the Staff Director of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in the 104th Congress (1995-97), where he directed the committee’s study on the future of the Intelligence Community, IC21: The Intelligence Community in the 21st Century. He also served in the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), as both office director and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and has been the Senior Specialist in U.S. Foreign Policy at the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Dr. Lowenthal has written extensively on intelligence and national security issues, including six books and over 100 articles and studies. His most recent book, Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy (Sage/CQ Press, 8th ed., 2019), has become the standard college and graduate school textbook on the subject. He has also written three novels, Crispan Magicker (1979) The Great God Pan, and Jack Dawkins, The Artful Dodger (the latter two both Kindle e-books). Dr. Lowenthal is a frequent public commentator on intelligence issues. He has appeared on each of the major networks, the Lehrer Newshour, and Charlie Rose; his op-eds have appeared in The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Dr. Lowenthal received his B.A. from Brooklyn College and his Ph.D. in history from Harvard University. He is on the adjunct faculty of the Johns Hopkins University, the National Intelligence University, and Sciences Po in Paris (Institut d’études politiques de Paris). He was an adjunct at Columbia University for 14 years. He is the Executive Director of the International Association for Intelligence Education and a Chairman Emeritus of the Intelligence Committee for AFCEA. Currently, he is a member of the Intelligence Community Studies Board and the FBI Intelligence Analysts Association.
In 2005 Dr. Lowenthal was awarded the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the Intelligence Community’s highest award. In 2006, he received AFCEA’s Distinguished Service Award for service to the Intelligence Community. In 1988, Dr. Lowenthal was the Grand Champion on Jeopardy!, the television quiz show.
GEORGE BEEBE
George Beebe is Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for the National Interest. He is a former director of Russia analysis at the Central Intelligence Agency, chairman of the Russia Strategy Board, and member of the Senior Intelligence Service. As a Foreign Service Officer, he had tours at the US Embassy in Moscow and on the US Delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, where he was the delegation’s point man on conflicts in Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Moldova, and served as Deputy Chief US Negotiator for the Adapted Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe. From 2002-2004 he served as Special Advisor to Vice President Cheney for Russia/Eurasia and Intelligence Programs. Since leaving government, his work has appeared in The National Interest, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, and NPR and other venues. His book, The Russia Trap, was published in 2019 by Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press. Mr. Beebe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Principia College and a Master of Arts in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.
ANNE DAUGHERTY MILES
Anne Daugherty Miles is a senior faculty member of the Intelligence & Security Academy. Dr. Miles served as a faculty member at the U.S. Air Force Academy, National Intelligence University, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She spent a number of years on Capitol Hill, serving as an intelligence analyst at the Congressional Research Service, a Military Legislative Assistant to a U.S. Congressman, and an American Political Science Fellow on the House Armed Services Committee. She has written extensively on leadership and management of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), and on congressional oversight of the IC—including an assessment of Congress’s role in the creation of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. She spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2000. Dr. Miles earned a Ph.D. in American Government in 1995 from Georgetown University.
ROBERT A. MIRABELLO
Robert A. Mirabello, Colonel USAF (Retired), has over 40 years of experience in military and civilian intelligence education and training; program and curriculum development; execution and evaluation; war gaming and simulation; and experiential education design and implementation. Mr. Mirabello has been a senior faculty member of the Intelligence and Security Academy since 2010. He is an adjunct associate professor at the University of Maryland University College and an adjunct faculty member at the Daniel Morgan School of National Security. From 2008-2010 Mr. Mirabello was a key staff advisor to the Chief Learning Officer, Department of Homeland Security, for the development and integration of the interagency National Security Professional Development (NSPD) program, as well the DHS Homeland Security Planning and Executive Leadership Development programs. From 2007-2008 he was program manager of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Intelligence Community Officer Course, a professional development program for prospective Intelligence Community (IC) executives. From 1990-2007 Mr. Mirabello held several positions at National Intelligence University, including Director of Joint Professional Military Training, Department Chair, and Dean of Faculty. From 1985-1990 he oversaw over 450 field grade students, faculty, and staff at the Joint Forces Staff College, National Defense University. Colonel Mirabello’s military service included combat flying tours in Southeast Asia, and intelligence and related assignments at the squadron, wing, and major command levels, and at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). His awards include the Meritorious Civilian Service (DIA) Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (AF/3 Oak Leaf Cluster (OLC)), and the Air Medal (2 OLC). Mr. Mirabello has a B.S. (International Affairs), from the USAF Academy (1968), and an M.A. (International Affairs), from The Fletcher School, Tufts University (1969). He has completed the Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, Squadron Officers’ School, Armed Forces Staff College, and the National Security Management Course.
CARYN A. WAGNER
The Honorable Caryn A. Wagner has been an intelligence professional for over 30 years. She is a consultant, speaker, and advisor on national and homeland security intelligence issues. She is an adjunct faculty member at National Intelligence University and a senior faculty member of the Intelligence & Security Academy, providing education and training in national security issues. From February 2010 to December 2012, Ms. Wagner served as the Undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis in the Department of Homeland Security. In that capacity, she was the senior intelligence advisor to the Secretary; the Department’s Chief Intelligence Officer; and Chair of the Homeland Security Intelligence Council, which was composed of the chiefs of all the intelligence elements of the Department’s operating components; and the Information Sharing Executive for the Department. She served two tours on the staff of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), as Budget Director for the Committee, and as Staff Director of the Technical and Tactical Intelligence Subcommittee, and as a member of the program and budget authorization staff. Prior to returning to the HPSCI in 2007, Ms. Wagner served as an Assistant Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Management and the first Chief Financial Officer for the National Intelligence Program (NIP). Previously, she was the Executive Director for Intelligence Community Affairs (also known as Director of the Community Management Staff) from April 2004 until May 2005. Ms. Wagner came to community management from the Defense Intelligence Agency, where she served as the senior Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Representative to Europe and NATO; the Deputy Director for Analysis and Production; and the Director of the Military Intelligence Staff, where she was responsible for development and management of the General Defense Intelligence Program (GDIP). Ms. Wagner was an associate at Booz-Allen Hamilton for three years, and a Signals Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Officer in the United States Army for eight years. Ms. Wagner received a Bachelor of Arts in English and History from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, and a Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California.