S. A. Yeadon

I haven't looked at foreign schools, mainly because I can't afford to leave the country, even to Canada. I am mulling all of the advice over. My new plan is to do one year of the Masters part time and do an internship that summer. A DIA recruiter told me that 97% of those that do an internship with them are offered a job after graduation. So, this plan still seems like a good idea. I think I would be willing to stomach spending that much money on the chance at a dream job.

That is one of the reasons I came here to check if my idea is sound. I can't join the military due to disabilities, so that option is out the window. Otherwise I would be tempted.

Yeah I know, that was my first question too and my first instinct. However, I checked them out with the reviews left at multiple sites to see that their military science program is decent. The curriculum taught is unlike any other program I can find in except for Georgetown's SSP concentration in military operations. It teaches you how to actually analyze military forces and conduct military operations with classes on future warfare and things like naval warfare. I have checked out many security studies programs and can find none that teach something akin to warfighting except for Georgetown and APU. Of course, any of the U.S. Military war college curricula will do far better than the APU program, and that is a a complaint I see of those in the military at review sites. However, I'm not a Major looking to get ahead, I'm just some dude wanting to get an entry level analytical position. For what I want to do: military analysis, this seems my best bet since Georgetown is just too expensive and the government cares far more about my internships and base skills than my degree or school.

Hello, My desire is to be a military analyst for the Intelligence Community. I have a B.A. in political science and plan to pursue my Masters part-time, while working, in order to work for the Defense Intelligence Agency or CIA. I have narrowed down my degree to an M.A. Military Studies concentration in Joint Warfare from American Public University. The program is the closest thing to a war college that offers classes to civilians. I also plan to set up a job primarily through internships at government agencies. All of this has been decided after talking to multiple IC recruiters. Combined with endless staring at the bullet points of what a CIA Military Analyst must be competent in. I was told to try security studies by a recruiter, but that is just too academic for me. I would rather figure out tactics, strategy, and the operational art to the nth degree, especially given my extensive readings and research in military history. My question to the community is: For those who pursued a job in intelligence, am I on the right track? I just want to be sure before spending a year taking classes before I get to a summer internship.

Wow, I am glad I came back to take a look at this thread. Thank you very much for all of your advice everyone. I have narrowed down my degree to an M.A. Military Studies concentration in Joint Warfare from American Public University. The program is the closest thing to a war college that offers classes to civilians. I also plan to set up a job primarily through internships at government agencies. My hope is to be a military analyst. All of this has been decided after talking to multiple IC recruiters and endless staring at the bullet points related to what a CIA Military Analyst must be competent in. I was told to try security studies by a recruiter, but that is just too academic for me. I would rather figure out tactics, strategy, and the operational art to the nth degree, especially given my extensive readings and research in military history.

I have been accepted to the Fall 2018 cohort. No talk of a scholarship.

I'm really skeptical of this program now. Yesterday, on the phone, I was told by a recruiter for Johns Hopkins that the program is as academically rigorous and as high quality as SAIS. That threw me for a loop.

I have been told I will be contacted by American University by email in less than ten business days by the faculty going over my application. I'll give an update when this happens. This is intense in a good way, because I could get into a top ten school for the first time in my life!

Does anyone know anything about the M.A. in Government or M.A. Global Security Studies at Johns Hopkins University? I am about to apply to what I thought was SAIS, but which I have now been told is another program entirely at Johns Hopkins called the Advanced Academic Programs under the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. I was planning on applying to the M.A. in Global Security Studies, but it isn't online. So, I decided to instead get an M.A. in Government with concentration in Security Studies as well as grab the Intelligence certificate. My goal is intelligence analyst for the government and contractors. The problem is I was seriously confused by this program since it is supposed to be security and strategic studies taught at Johns Hopkins, which given the name recognition of SAIS seemed to be them by default. However, I am wary of the program being much lower quality than SAIS offerings. Its core courses are all different than the SAIS ones as well. I take it name recognition alone is the big pull to the program, but I may get into other top ten schools and don't need to go to JHU.

Hello, I have just wrapped up and submitted my application to American University's School of International Service for Fall 2018. I applied for an M.A. in IR. I listed U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security as my concentration, but upon thinking about it I should switch it to Global Security if I get admitted and to an adviser. I also plan to get a Graduate Certificate in U.S. Foreign Policy. I have a 3.4 GPA, 3.75 in the last 60 credit hours, 3.97 in my major in political science. I also have experience with graduate school when I attempted to get a Masters in Christian Theology with a 3.7 graduate GPA. Unfortunately I got a debilitating illness and was never able to finish that degree. My GREs were waived by American. My big hope is some funding to offset the cost of attendance, as I cannot attend without some funding. This and Johns Hopkins SAIS are my two top options. Anyone else applying to American?

I would not be surprised if there is a significant decrease in prospective students because of the new administration. I myself balked and had to think about going into the intelligence community for a time. The national news is not exactly saying the administration loves intelligence and will take my colleagues and I seriously. Took me a little of the emotional roller coaster to come out on the other side with a decision to just do the best I can do and leave it up to Jesus. Also took some emotional roller coaster to just realize that if I do get to brief an administration official, then these people are my boss and should be treated with the utmost respect. I bet the second most people get on an emotional roller coaster for a State job, which are fewer due to the administration's policies, then they will balk and run to the private sector. Defense being a very constrained interest with its own mentality that takes for granted the use of violence.

I mention in the OP that I am open to other cheaper schools like ASU, UCF, and UTEP. Thanks for the warning about money, and I'll check out Texas A&M. Honestly, without funding there is no way I go to an expensive school. I'm hoping there are fewer, and better funded for it, applicants this year. Thanks for the help!

Thank you. That's all true. The government recruiters are much more interested in the courses and content I get, which at AU is a top ten IR school, compared to where I get my degree. I also talked to at least one PhD program in security studies, and they said a MAIR from AU ought to be make me very competitive. The only problem I have is that some PhD programs want M.A. Thesis credits, but what IR programs have those apart from arguing it is provided in my capstone? I now realize that I was prioritizing things a little off. I was so excited about applying to AU, as their admissions told me I was very competitive, that I forgot I still need to write my essay for JHU. I love the lack of GRE there with an essay assigned to instead show your smarts off. I have my thesis and some research done though. As far as I can tell from the courses, JHU's SAIS is much more my speed than AU's SIS. Of course Georgetown would be best, as stated earlier, but going through their admissions data, I doubt I would be competitive there. Even then, I need at least some scholarship money to attend.

Whoa, American's Masters in IR program was one of the programs I liked the most. It seemed to give versatility. I must have discerned wrong. Could you explain why AU's program is lackluster, at least that will teach me what to watch out for?

Scratch my last question. I understand from an IC recruiter that what I want are graduate certificates in more specific academic areas of security studies such as terrorism studies. I was told a graduate certificate in a specific field or the self-taught ability to write a term paper in that specific field would prove useful to showing I can be an analyst in a field of study. I now aim for a graduate certificate on top of my Masters and eventually I may get a PhD if security studies interests me that much.