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MSU masters program first of its kind developed after Sept. 11

January 14, 2016

Director of Intelligence Program and professor David Carter said MSU’s own Law Enforcement Intelligence and Analysis, or LEIA, degree program was an addition to an existing program.

“The first course in Law Enforcement Intelligence was offered by 1988,” Carter said. “They wanted a course that would help support their new, popular class.”

Carter said changes to intelligence architecture only began after Sept. 11.

“The intelligence career path needed a Masters degree who specialized in intelligence, responding to the needs of federal partners who wanted to help develop the expertise,” Carter said. “My background has always been within working with the major.”

Carter said the LEIA program is probably not what a student would expect.

“Very research oriented,” Carter said. “We develop critical thinking skills, analytical skills, privacy and civil rights issues in terrorism, take out bias. After 9/11, as a country we developed new standards and guidelines for Law Enforcement Intelligence, we reflect those standards.”

Carter said the degree program was created about six or seven years ago but, is updated every semester.

“I teach on terrorism and intelligence and I update the course to make it current,” Carter said. “I emphasize current issues, for an example, analytic comparisons of the Paris attacks.”

He said the program was popular when it was first introduced and it continues to grow.

Graduate secretary for MSU School of Criminal Justice Melissa Christle said there are currently 68 students enrolled in the LEIA Masters program.

“Many applicable courses were offered as elective credit before the Masters program was formed, such as CJ 837 Counterterrorism and Intelligence, CJ 838 Terrorism, and CJ 439/CJ 803 Homeland Security,” she said.

126 students graduated from the program during Summer 2015. Undergraduate courses are not offered within this program.

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