The following article was also authored by Rachel Cochrane
Strategic Intelligence at Patrick Henry College strives to produce future leaders of a nation increasingly dependent on knowledge management, and its mission is to prepare Christian men and women for service in the United States National Security enterprise. The S.I. program integrates quality classroom education with practical experience, leadership opportunities, and a classical liberal arts perspective.
The Only Christian College to Do It
The Patrick Henry College Strategic Intelligence major meets the requirements of the International Association for Intelligence Education, making Patrick Henry College one of only five undergraduate colleges in the United States to obtain this certification. Patrick Henry is notably one of only two Christian colleges to achieve this standard of professional excellence.
The Strategic Intelligence Program
The requirements for admission in the Patrick Henry College Strategic Intelligence program are a GPA of 3.0 or better, and a satisfactory written application and oral interview. Students in this major are also expected to observe and keep all security and confidentiality agreements.
Patrick Henry offers a wide variety of S.I. courses in addition to their 63-credit core curriculum, such as: History of American Intelligence, Intelligence Research & Analysis, Law Enforcement & Civil Liberties, Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, International Relations, Ethics of Intelligence, and Comparative Politics.
Within these courses, Strategic Intelligence students at Patrick Henry College study the unique 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.
Distinguished Faculty
(updated on July 27, 2022)
Patrick Henry College seeks to not only provide students with unique core classes and hands-on experience, but also qualified faculty who are experts in the field and can guide students toward the best internships and class experience.
Dr. Gordon Middleton is Patrick Henry College’s Director of the Strategic Intelligence Program and has extensive experience in US intelligence, research and analysis, and other subjects related to the intelligence field. He has published several books on war, intelligence, and cyber assurance. Dr. Middleton’s classes are infused with discussions that focus on the implications of strategic intelligence in today’s modern world, as well as ethical questions that impart a three-dimensional perspective through a scriptural lens.
Other faculty members include Professor Jonathan Binnie, who is a former FBI Chief Counterintelligence Strategist, and David Shedd, a former acting director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Mr. Shedd is also an Advisor for Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence Program.
In addition, Rich Harver is the former Special Assistant for Intelligent to the Secretary of Defense and former Chief of Staff of the National Intelligence Council.
Ed Waltz is a former Distinguished member of the Technical Staff at Virginia Tech and has authored several publications. He is an Adjunct Instructor at Patrick Henry College.
The numerous distinguished faculty give Patrick Henry College students the best understanding of Strategic Intelligence as well as the connections necessary to explore the field through immersive internships.
Opportunities
Patrick Henry College faculty consult with a Board of Advisors comprised of nationally recognized experts in intelligence and national security. As a result, a regular stream of former and current senior Intelligence professionals routinely interact with Strategic Intelligence students in small classroom settings, providing a forum for close connections and networking opportunities as students prepare to enter their chosen careers.
Students enrolled in the S.I. program publish 10 issues of an undergraduate Intelligence journal every semester called The Intelligencer. Each article involves 7-8 hours of student research, 2-3 hours of writing, and typically feature an analysis of U.S. foreign policies with specific predictions or recommendations based on the research conclusions.
Why Now?
Patrick Henry College believes that there is an unacceptable status quo in higher education. The Strategic Intelligence Major at Patrick Henry College seeks to give Christians opportunities to become United States policymakers who are guided by the importance of the American tradition, and will uphold Christ and liberty in an ethical, servant-focused, and knowledgeable way.
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Getting into the intelligence community is hard. It's extremely selective and competitive. These agencies are looking for the best of the best. If you want to work for the FBI or the CIA, the DHS, or the Department of Defense, you need a college program that will give you a tangible starting point. Click below to learn how PHC gives its students exactly that kind of edge.
