About the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies

Shaping the Future of National Security and Intelligence

“The national security sector seeks applicants from an increasingly diverse set of backgrounds, reflecting the broad range of threats to U.S. interests. I invite you to peruse the CISS website or stop by the Center to learn about opportunities in the CISS program.”

Shaio Zerba

Instructional Associate Professor of Intelligence Studies & Director of the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies

• shzerba@olemiss.edu
• 662-915-1474

Recognized For Excellence

CISS holds two distinctions that few intelligence-education programs in the country share: designation as an Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and international certification by the International Association for Intelligence Education.We are deeply grateful to our students, faculty, and staff—past and present—whose dedication has helped CISS stand out on the world stage. 

IC CAE

Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (IC CAE)

 

Established in 2005 by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the IC CAE program partners the U.S. Intelligence Community with colleges and universities to build a competitive, knowledgeable, and diverse pipeline of future intelligence professionals.

 

Through multi-year grants, IC CAE supports participating institutions in developing intelligence-related curricula, research, workshops, simulations, conferences, and sustained engagement with practitioners across the IC.

 

The CISS Intelligence and Security Studies (ISS) minor was designated an IC CAE in 2012—formal recognition of the rigor of our curriculum and our role in preparing students for careers in national security.

Learn about the IC CAE

IAFIE

International Association for Intelligence Education (IAFIE) Certification

 

CISS is the first academic program ever certified by the International Association for Intelligence Education (IAFIE). We earned this distinction in 2014 and were recertified in 2023.

 

Founded in 2003, IAFIE is the leading international professional organization dedicated to advancing intelligence education, with more than 230 member institutions and agencies worldwide. Its certification process evaluates programs against 32 rigorous standards spanning intelligence history, organizations, planning, collection, analysis, counterintelligence, and security.

Learn about the IAFIE

Our Academic Programs

We offer two undergraduate minors in intelligence and national security studies and a master's program in global security.

UG

Global Security Studies, Minor

A minor in global security studies (GSS) familiarizes students with the skills and background necessary for entry-level employment in the national security sector.

• Oxford
• Online

UG

Intelligence and Security Studies, Minor

The Intelligence and Security Studies (ISS) minor is an 18-credit minor designed to prepare students for entry-level employment in the Intelligence Community (IC) and related careers.

• Oxford

GRAD

Global Security Leadership, M.A.

The MA in Global Security Leadership is designed for professionals seeking to advance into leadership and strategic roles within intelligence, security, defense, policy, and related sectors.

• Online

Beyond the Classroom

CISS offers cohort students opportunities that extend well beyond the classroom, including:

• Participation in international intelligence and national security conferences and visits to agencies in Washington, D.C.
• The Center regularly hosts senior speakers from across the U.S. Government, as well as recruiters from the Intelligence Community.
• Each year, in our flagship Days of Intrigue exercise—a weekend-long simulated national security crisis—students put the knowledge and skills they have built in the classroom into practice. 

Where Our Graduates Go

A majority of CISS students go directly into the Intelligence Community or U.S. Government after graduation. Others secure positions with think tanks, NGOs, and leading private-sector organizations.

Center for Open Source Analysis

• About COSA

  Founded in 2017, the University of Mississippi Center for Open Source Analysis (COSA) is a student-run analysis group that works to publish salient open source intelligence pieces on national security issues. COSA utilizes unclassified, open source intelligence (OSINT) to create concise intelligence products to inform the public on important trends and drivers surrounding contemporary issues, while also fostering team-based analytical skills among our students.

  Explore COSA