Our faculty and staff prepare students by
- Providing hands-on opportunities to tackle real-world problems head-on
- Assisting students with their resumes and portfolios
- Inviting Industry Partners to campus to connect with students
- Each year, during the fall and the spring, the College of Integrated Science and Engineering, hosts a Career and Internship Fair specifically for students in our college.
Security Clearance
Students who wish to secure an internship and/or career at an intelligence agency (or one of the many businesses that work with intelligence agencies) will also have to secure an appropriate security clearance (usually “Top Secret” or above) The agency or business will nominate you for the clearance and navigate you through the process. But, you will be responsible for making sure that you have a lifestyle that is appropriate to receive security clearance.
Neither JMU or your professors have any control over whether you receive a security clearance.
You do not have to obtain one to obtain the Intelligence Analysis degree, but you will have to obtain one if you plan to intern or work at an intelligence agency (or business that works with intelligence agencies). It is strongly recommended that you understand what you need to do (or not do) to qualify for security clearance (e.g. avoid drug use, illegal file sharing, etc.).
Internships
All Intelligence Analysis Majors will be encouraged to serve as summer interns at an intelligence agency or company as part of their degree. The Intelligence Analysis Program has been structured so that successful students will be strong competitors for internships. Students will have appropriate assistance (where possible) to help secure an internship in an area appropriate to their chosen specialty. Students seeking internships at corporations or businesses should employ the Handshake system. Students seeking internships from intelligence agencies will be advised how to proceed once they are in the major.
Internships and careers are very competitive. A typical internship program at a government agency may have up to 100 applications for each open position and Intelligence jobs have up to 1000 applications per open position. The best IA students will be able to compete with anyone for those positions. Most agencies require a minimum of a 3.0 GPA to even be considered for an internship, and the average GPA of applicants for most positions is well over 3.5.
Careers
Senior leaders in many fields, including the military, the civilian side of the government, law enforcement, and the corporate world express a desire to have employees who can help in making tough decisions by being outstanding at critical thinking, researching, writing, and briefing.
A recent survey quoted in The Chronicle of Higher Education noted that most employers were looking to hire people with "a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems" as well as having "ethical judgment and integrity; intercultural skills; and the capacity for continued new learning."
Graduates who have mastered such skills and abilities, as offered in the Intelligence Analysis Program, will find many opportunities in a wide variety of fields; and those who have majored in IA have found interesting jobs, where they can make a significant contribution, in a wide variety of fields.
Read about The Education Impact on Broadening Intelligence Career Options.
