Strategic Intelligence Major

 Applying to the SI Program

Students interested in pursuing the Strategic Intelligence major must apply for program admission. Students may apply for entrance to the SI Program no earlier than the second semester of the Freshman year;

• Have a GPA of 3.0 or better;
• Submit a satisfactory, written application and successfully complete an oral interview;
• Successfully complete analytic training requirements upon being admitted to the Track;
• Furthermore, as many will work with sensitive data, Strategic Intelligence students must observe and keep all security and confidentiality agreements.

Necessary application materials will be emailed to all Patrick Henry students who have indicated interest in the SI program during the Spring semester.

Understanding Intelligence

The intelligence profession is a unique and logical culmination of a Christian Liberal Arts education for future leaders of a nation increasingly dependent on knowledge management. The Mission of the Strategic Intelligence in National Security Major is to prepare Christian men and women for service in the United States National Security enterprise. It uniquely accomplishes this by:

1. Applying Patrick Henry College’s Christian Liberal Arts critical thinking framework to intelligence training,
    
2. Cultivating teaching relationships between students and industry professionals in the Washington, D.C. area,
    
3. Positioning students, through a broad apprenticeship program, in high-value internships that complete the security clearance process upon graduation. 

As a result, graduates of the program transition easily into US National Security, community service, and leadership roles, ready to shape the culture for Christ and for Liberty.

The Program

The Strategic Intelligence Program faculty is comprised of industry professionals with decades of Intelligence Community experience and academic credentials. They are advised and supported by a Board of Advisors consisting of nationally recognized experts in the intelligence and foreign policy fields. A regular stream of former and current senior Community professionals also routinely interact with Strategic Intelligence students in small classroom settings. 

Strategic Intelligence students study the history and development of intelligence gathering agencies, the role of intelligence in foreign policymaking, and the application of modern intelligence data collection and analysis techniques. Major courses include History of American Intelligence, Intelligence Research & Analysis, Law Enforcement & Civil Liberties, Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, International Relations, and Comparative Politics.

Meet the Faculty 

Apprenticeship Experience and Methodology

Strategic Intelligence students fulfill Patrick Henry College’s apprenticeship methodology through senior-year internships. While providing invaluable on-site training, internships also help attain Secret and Top Secret security clearances, guaranteeing immediate transition into the Intelligence Community.

Multiple Program graduates have interned at such three-letter agencies as the CIA, FBI, DIA, DHS, NGA, and ONI, as well as in the White House, US State Department, USAF Intelligence, Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS), and the Pentagon.

See Special Projects