friends: grad study--finishing the AMU MA

[winterbadger]

There's a final exam that I take after I've done all my courses. God only know s how they tie them all togetehr.

I have to take (required fro all intel degrees)

Strategic Intelligence: Strategic Intelligence is an examination of the current structure, function, capabilities, and contributions of individual U.S. national intelligence community members. Students appraise the intelligence cycle, including an overview of the intelligence planning, collection, exploitation, analysis, production, and dissemination phases. A review is also made of intelligence oversight structures and restrictions on U.S. national intelligence community activities as prescribed by federal law, executive and agency directives, and the intelligence oversight system.

I also have to take at least one of the following (required for ME studies concentration)

Politics and Security in the Persian Gulf: This course examines the political, economic and security forces that impact on the government and politics of countries in the Middle East, specifically the Persian Gulf, as well as U.S. foreign policy toward this important region. It will touch on the historic, religious, social and cultural aspects that have helped shape the political dynamics of the Persian Gulf as well as the strategic factors which have tied the region to the West generally and to the U.S. in particular. The first part of the course will focus on the historical background of the region, the role of religion, and the emergence of nation-states after centuries of foreign domination. The latter part will concentrate on contemporary issues and problems -- The issue of terrorism and the recent Gulf conflict caused by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. The course will examine the political systems and the political elites of the major players in the Middle East including Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. The course will conclude with an overview of current U.S. involvement in the region.

Arab-Israeli Conflict: Contemporary Politics & Diplomacy: This course examines the Middle East peace process surrounding the Arab-Israeli conflict and focuses on the historical perspectives, the roles of the various Middle Eastern countries in the process, Western intervention efforts, and the inherent successes and failures over the years. Purpose is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the background and history of conflict resolution, the hope for peace in the future, and the ability of the various nations to coexist.

I think I'll take both, with the second serving as one of the three required graduate electives.

Comments

major requirements

[winterbadger]

Two courses more to take here. Six alternatives here that look appealing, so I can fill both the major requirements and the two other graduate electives. Which means I have to decide which two of these six are lower priority or less interesting than the others.

Counterterrorism: This course is a study of the evolution of intelligence and counterterrorism while analyzing U.S. and international policies for combating terrorism, terrorist tactics worldwide, and the scope of terrorism in the twenty-first century. The course focuses on the problems presented by terrorism to U.S. national security, suggested political solutions, and alternatives to the current counterterrorism policy. [I think this is a keeper.]

Intelligence and the War on Drugs: This course is an intensive study of the use of intelligence, particularly Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) in the prosecution of the war on drugs. The history and geography of the struggle will be covered, with emphasis on "La Frontera," the Southwest border of the U.S. [Actually have some--rather dated--experience here, so that might be interesting.]

Regional Threat Analysis: The student analyzes potential and actualized regional threats to U.S. national security and economic interests, specifically, the most volatile threat areas and high-risk nuclear flashpoints. These include the Sino-North Korean alliance, incorporating nuclear proliferation and exploitation of U.S. & UN aid; the Indo-Pakistani rivalry including the Kashmir dispute and nuclear arsenals; the historical & legal aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the potential for use of nuclear weapons, motives and interests of protagonists and regional & international parties. The course continues by examining the rejection by Militant Islamic fundamentalism of the prevailing global free market system, modernity, majority secular world, and New World Order. The syllabus concludes with an assessment of the hazards posed to the United States by the ideological, economic, military, defense, social, expansionist and long term objectives of the European Union. [Kashmir is the main appeal here.]

Intelligence in Low Intensity Operations: This course covers the role of intelligence in counterinsurgency, short-term interventions, and peace operations. Particular attention is given to how well the intelligence system has succeeded in using human intelligence in low intensity operations. [Taught by Lawrence Cline, who is a minor big name in the field.]

Intelligence and Weapons of Mass Destruction: Students in this course examine a top national intelligence priority, weapons of mass destruction, and some of the intelligence techniques used against them. Topics include scientific and technical intelligence and its emergence since World War II, sessions on each of the four dominant WMD (chemical warfare, biological warfare, nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles) and important issues related to monitoring and verification. Capabilities and outlook provided in the open literature will be employed to improve familiarity with issues and impact on national security strategies. [Recent experience in WMD traficking issues.]

Intelligence and Homeland Security: Examines intelligence community responses to threats to the U.S. homeland from transnational and domestic terrorists, including the employment of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Threats to the U.S. borders, including illegal immigration, narcotics smuggling, money laundering, commercial smuggling, and other organized crime activities are also covered. [Weakest candidate, but I'd like to add some domestic context to my knowledge, so as to have some opportunities for domestic LE intel jobs.]