For every kid who pretended to be James Bond and hoped one day to have a job half as cool. Now is their chance.
Creighton will soon be offering a program to prepare students for careers in the intelligence field.
It’s called the Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence, and it’s beginning to take shape on campus.
The program, available to any student who applies and meets the requirements, is federally funded and designed to help educate students on different types of jobs within the government.
The ICC AE is specifically designed to appeal to students with an array of interests and helps introduce them to the intelligence community.
While that’s the main focus, it’s not the only reason to join, said Dr. Terry Clark, chair of the Political Science Department.
“We are always thinking about expanding opportunities for Creighton students,” Clark said.
Clark has been one main supporter of the program on campus. He was assigned to write the proposal for the program, and last fall Creighton was awarded a $3 million grant to start up the masters program.
As Clark explained, one of the main appeals of the ICC AE is its flexibility, and the skills learned from the courses.
“The purpose is to develop skills such as critical thinking and critical analysis, which is a skill set that can be used in the many different fields of business, government and non-profit,” Clark said.
He explained that while the ICC AE is an introduction to the intelligence community, participation does not mean they are required to automatically join it. They are given a choice at the end of the program.
This introduction to the intelligence community is not limited to just one department but is actually training for jobs in 16 different government agencies. The classes also teach how the government is organized, how it works on a daily basis and how one should behave in a professional environment.
Another advantage of the program is that it is not limited to any one group. Students can be any major and still get into the program, and undergraduate members are also allowed to enroll in the graduate classes.
Once students are admitted to the program, they are given the title of ICC AE Associate Scholar, but once their education is complete, they are a graduate ICC AE Scholar. This title will give the students special consideration when applying to various government agencies.
Patrick Borchers, vice president of academic affairs, explained the excitement growing around the program.
“I thought it was a good way to enrich our educational offerings and make available research and student learning opportunities that we wouldn’t have available to us in any other way,” Borchers said.
On Jan. 25, Creighton hosted an informational meeting about launching the ICC AE. Clark will run monthly meetings for the program. In addition to the program beginning this semester, the university is also working on adding the option to minor in ICC AE for interested students.