The minor in Intelligence & National Security Studies in Political Science supports the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) Intelligence Communtiy Centers for Academic Excellence mission, which is to enhance the recruitment & retention of an ethically and culturally diverse workforce with capabilities critical to U.S. national security interests. DIA has identified specific core courses as fundamental to the academic preparation for entry-level positions within the U.S. Intelligence Community. This minor directly supports these core requirements. Students complete six courses(18 hours), four of which are the required core for the INSS minor (12 hours).
Requirements for the Minor
- To complete the INSS minor in Political Science, students complete six courses (18 hours), four of which are the required core for the INSS minor (12 hours) and available through KU Online
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| POLS 125 | Intelligence: Supporting National Security | 3 |
| POLS 130 | US Intelligence Community | 3 |
| POLS 325 | Intelligence Analytics | 3 |
| POLS 345 | Counterintelligence | 3 |
In addition to the the four core courses, students then complete two additional courses related to INSS (6 hours) from the list below (Each course is offered at least once per year on the KU Lawrence campus):
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| POLS 310 | Contemporary Issues in U.S. Politics | 3 |
| POLS 356 | Politics of East Asia | 3 |
| POLS 371 | United States Foreign Policy | 3 |
| POLS 361 | Politics of the Middle East | 3 |
| POLS 375 | Russian Foreign Policy | 3 |
| POLS 378 | Chinese Foreign Policy | 3 |
| or POLS 678 | Chinese Foreign Policy |
| POLS 425 | Extremist Groups and Government Response | 3 |
| POLS 433 | Iran, Turkey, and the Kurds | 3 |
| POLS 452 | Politics in Europe | 3 |
| POLS 467 | Islam and Politics | 3 |
| or POLS 667 | Islam and Politics |
| POLS 472 | International Political Economy | 3 |
| POLS 477 | U.S. National Security Policy | 3 |
| POLS 476 | International Relations of Asia | 3 |
| POLS 480 | Politics and Government in Israel | 3 |
| POLS 482 | Transnational Terrorism | 3 |
| POLS 648 | Western European Politics | 3 |
| POLS 668 | Politics and Society in China | 3 |
| POLS 687 | Introduction to Cyber Intelligence | 3 |
| POLS 688 | U.S. Counterterrorism Approaches to International and Domestic Terror Groups | 3 |
| POLS 692 | International Security and Migration Policy | 3 |
| GEOG 358 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| GEOG 526 | Remote Sensing of Environment I | 4 |
| GIST 371 | Environmental Geopolitics | 3 |
| or GEOG 371 | Environmental Geopolitics |
Additionally, participation in 10 hours of campus activities with INSS focus, such as lectures, workshops and other events, will be required.
As designed, the INSS minor will fulfill the majority of the required ICCAE Knowledge Units within the core and optional intelligence topics categories. Upon completion of the minor, students will have in-depth knowledge of the intelligence community, intelligence collection, intelligence analysis, and threats the United States faces in the public and private sectors.
