<p>Recently I saw Global Security and Intelligence Studies program at Embry Riddle aeronautical university and it seems to be quite interesting program. Which of top universities offer similar programs?</p>
<p>Very few. West Point, Annapolis, the Coast Guard Academy and the Air Force Academy come to mind, for obvious reasons. But, you would have to be okay with the service requirement (and, actually, it’s the best way to break into the field, as Vets have priority in federal govt. hiring, and it just looks good if you’ve been in a position where you’ve had to deal with the consequences of security policy).</p>
<p>I think what’s important is finding universities with the right faculty, and working hard once you get there to get to know them. What universities offer strong programs in IR? That should be one of your first questions. Princeton (Woodrow Wilson School), Georgetown (SFS), George Washington (Elliot), Syracuse (Maxwell), Tufts, Berkeley, UCSD (for Pacific Rim studies) and UCLA all come to mind. Whether they have programs in Global Security or Intel specifically is not something on which I can comment, you’ll have to do your research. BUT, contact faculty in the IR programs there, and ask if they have any info that might be of use to you.</p>
<p>And, most importantly, get involved in research once you enroll. From my own experience, many professors were happy to supervise my research on international security issues, and a few of them offered me research positions in which I helped them gather information, draft papers, etc. for their various publications. Intel is a very, very competitive career field to break into, so do anything you can to give yourself an edge. And stay clean! Background checks can be a b—h!</p>
<p>Feel free to PM me with any other questions, my area of emphasis in undergrad was international security, so I’m quite familiar with the field and related career opportunities :)</p>
<p>Cheers!</p>