The U.S. Intelligence Community's accredited research university for national security professionals.
NIU offers four degree and certificate programs: Bachelor of Science in Intelligence (one-year completion), Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence, Master of Science and Technology Intelligence, and Certificate in Intelligence Studies. Programs emphasize interdisciplinary research on geopolitical threats, cybersecurity, terrorism, WMD proliferation, and transnational crime. The university provides multiple delivery formats including full-time residential (11 months), weekend, evening, and day classes to accommodate active military and federal employees.
All applicants must be U.S. citizens employed by the U.S. Armed Forces or federal government, hold a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance, and be nominated by their affiliated organization (for full-time students). Tuition is paid by the government. As of July 1, 2026, NIU will transition to the Department of War and merge with National Defense University as the National Intelligence College.
The Ann Caracristi Institute for Intelligence Research (CIIR) serves as the university's dedicated research unit, supporting academically rigorous projects on critical intelligence and national security topics. The NIU Library houses 2.5 million items including books, declassified documents, 2,000 international periodicals, and archival collections, with particular strength in Russian periodicals. The Office of Research enables faculty and student projects both domestically and overseas.
The primary campus is located at Intelligence Community Campus-Bethesda (ICC-B) in Bethesda, Maryland. Additional academic centers operate at the National Security Agency, and regional centers exist in Europe, the Southern United States, and Quantico. The university maintains a non-residential model with classified learning environments at the TS/SCI level.