Apply to Bachelor of Science Intelligence Degree

NIU’s Bachelor of Science in Intelligence (BSI) is a unique, senior-year degree completion program for students who have already completed a minimum of 80 semester hours of undergraduate coursework. Interested applicants must secure a nomination from their home organization or military service to be considered and should contact NIU’s Office of Admissions to discuss the credits they have earned and determine what else is needed. This program is offered in the in-residence format in Bethesda, MD only. Applicants should have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale, and must have completed a minimum of 80 semester hours of undergraduate work that includes:
  • 20 upper-division (300–400 level) semester hours.
  • 30 hours earned from a U.S. college or university that is accredited by one of the regional accreditors recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
  • 9 hours in communication skills, 6 hours of which must be in composition courses.
  • 12 hours in math or science, 3 hours of which must be in math.
  • 15 hours in the humanities, social sciences, or fine arts.
In evaluating BSI admissions eligibility, NIU will accept transfer credits, where the student earned a grade of C or better, from a U.S. college or university that is accredited by one of the regional accreditors recognized by the CHEA. In addition, NIU accepts a maximum of 50 semester hours of credit from testing and military training that has been evaluated by the American Council on Education for the undergraduate program only. The University does not accept transfer credits for any required courses in the BSI curriculum. NIU will not accept any transfer credits to meet BSI program requirements beyond the 80 credits applied as part of the admissions process. NIU does not have any articulation agreements established with other institutions. Foreign credits must be evaluated by a foreign accrediting service before being presented for transfer credit consideration. BSI applicants are responsible for requesting that each institution previously attended submit official transcripts of all work completed directly to the Admissions Office. Failure to report all previous academic work will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of an application or for dismissal from the University. A BSI student may be conditionally admitted to the BSI program with a portion of the 80 semester hours of General Education (Gen Ed) credit not yet completed. Students admitted with fewer than 80 of the required Gen Ed approved credits must agree to a Credit Completion Plan, establishing expected dates of completion. These credits must be approved by NIU and must be completed no later than the end of the fall quarter in the academic year in which the student enrolls. Extensions may be granted under extenuating circumstances.

1. BSI Self-Evaluation – Submission period: July 1, 2025 – September 1, 2025

2. Submit NIU Application Package Submission period: October1, 2025 – December 1, 2025

Application package must include the following.

        • NIU Application Form
        • Statement of Purpose – 500-word essay explaining your motivation for pursuing undergraduate study in intelligence, professional goals and objectives, and career or educational achievements that will help you successfully complete the BSI degree.
        • Official Transcripts/Test Scores – Confirmation of request

Official copies of transcripts and test scores must be sent directly from the organization that issued them to NIU Admissions. Examples of acceptable transcripts and test scores include:

        • Universities and colleges
        • Service transcripts, e.g., Community College of the Air Force
        • Joint Services transcripts (Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Marines)
        • DoD school transcripts
        • Defense Language Institute
        • National Cryptologic School
        • Examination/Test Scores, e.g., CLEP (NIU Code 7542), DSST (NIU Code 9442), Excelsior College, DLPT
    •  

Reminder:  The BSI program requires a nomination 

Nomination Process

      • Applicant should contact their human resources authority to discuss the nomination process for their organization or branch of service and determine internal procedures and deadlines. 
      • Nomination must be e-mailed to NIU_Admissions@niu.odni.gov by the applicant human resources authority no later than two weeks prior to the application deadline posted on NIU’s website. 
      • The nomination should be written as a memorandum on official U.S government letterhead or prepared on a U.S government standard form 182. 
      • Applicants for program formats requiring a nomination will only be considered for admission when a nomination is received by NIU Admissions. 

Please check the NIU Academic Catalog 2025 – 2026 for the latest requirements. 

  • Completed applications should be submitted electronically to NIU_Admissions@odni.gov.
  • To protect PII, please send applications from a .gov or .mil account.
  • If electronic submission is not possible, applicants can submit their documents by mail. Please note that mail can take several weeks to arrive, so please plan accordingly.
  • NIU Admissions can accept hand-delivered document. Please contact NIU_Admissions@odni.gov to arrange delivery.
  • For mail sent through the United States Postal Service, the following address must be used:

National Intelligence University
Office of Admissions
ICC-B, Roberdeau Hall
Washington, DC 20511

  • For mail sent by FedEx or UPS, the following address must be used but note that weekend deliveries are not accepted:

National Intelligence University
Office of Admissions
 Roberdeau Hall, ICC-B Gate 5
 1000 Colonial Farm Road
  McLean, VA 22101

Office of Admissions
Phone 301-243-2094
Fax 301-227-7067
Email: NIU_Admissions@odni.gov

The Privacy Act of Public Law 93-579 requires Federal Agencies which collect personal information from individuals to inform each individual of the following:

      • Authority: 44USC3101 and 3102 Establishment of Program Management.
      • Principal Purpose: To record information solicited from and furnished by individuals nominated to attend courses of instruction of the NIU.
      • Routine Use: Used in preparation of tentative and final class rosters for official University use, biographic data on students, statistical studies, attendance verification, historical records, alumni surveys, academic/fitness reports, and other official correspondence.
      • Disclosure and Effects: Disclosure of information by the applicant is voluntary. However, non-disclosure may result in errors in reporting course completion, incomplete statistical comparisons, non-receipt of security clearance, errors in historical files, incomplete student academic/fitness reports, and non-receipt of official correspondence.
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