Augusta University, Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Prestigious School Pioneers New PhD in Intelligence, Defense, and Cybersecurity Policy

In fall 2025, Augusta University will welcome the inaugural class of students for its PhD in Intelligence, Defense, and Cybersecurity Policy — the first of its kind, globally in a prestigious university, that caters to students who are working full-time and those already in the industry.

“We created a PhD based on informal feedback from military members of the DoD [US Department of Defense] and different US federal agencies who were saying they needed a PhD that really understood cyber, that really understood intelligence within security studies,” says Craig Albert, graduate director of the new PhD program and the MA in Intelligence and Security Studies. “The idea was, if we wanted to help fill that gap and create a well-rounded expert in security studies, that they would be able to connect the dots between intelligence analysis and cyber intelligence operations within the larger framework of national defense and general security studies.”

Albert worked with the school to structure the program to have maximum flexibility. It caters to working professionals across the globe, with fully remote, synchronous online classes; accessible recordings; and apps that connect students with each other, their professors, and Albert around-the-clock. “That’s helpful for students who might work nights or are deployed and need to communicate at different times than the rest of the class can communicate,” he notes.

The dynamic virtual classroom will foster a rigorous graduate classroom debate environment and enable students to participate in simulations, wargaming, and other hands-on, practical exercises. The program’s faculty will comprise experienced researchers, distinguished academic scholars, and accomplished military veterans with advanced degrees. “It’s the best of both worlds — theoretical research and practical experience — coming together to give a different perspective to the cohort in each of the courses that they take,” Albert explains.

The PhD program requires 84 credit hours and allows students to choose from three distinct pathways for their dissertation to help tailor their academic journey to their interests: a traditional academic-style long book-length manuscript; three scholarly papers deemed publishable in academic journals; or an original policy research white paper, which is an option for students currently working in the field.

Admissions requirements are inclusive and accessible, with a minimum GPA of 3.25 for either undergraduate or graduate degrees earned and no required standardized tests. Albert explains: “We believe that test scores aren’t indicative of who a person is as a potential scholar. If you’re willing to do the hard work for a PhD, you meet our expectations, your letters of recommendation are strong and show that people have confidence in you, that you have a good work ethic, then this is the place to go.”

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Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies

Augusta University’s MA in Intelligence and Security Studies provides a rigorous foundation for advanced studies in intelligence and security. Students can specialize in Social Influence (synchronous online) to explore the complex dynamics of information warfare or Technical Intelligence Analysis (asynchronous online) to develop expertise in data-driven intelligence. “If people aren’t sure about the PhD, they can check out the master’s program, see how they like it, and if they excel in it and want to continue, they can roll right into the PhD,” Albert says.

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Augusta University, Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
http://augusta.edu/defensestudies
[email protected]
706-737-1710