The CIS program is offered in the non-residence evening format. Each of the 12 certificate topics is offered at the Intelligence Community Campus Bethesda (ICCB), and a select group of topics is available at other locations. Please note the locations where each topic is offered, and any additional requirements needed.

Applications for the CIS program are accepted throughout the year with some exceptions (please see below). All materials must be received, and the applicant’s TS//SCI clearance must be verified by the first day of the academic quarter to be considered for admission in the following quarter (i.e., all must be complete/verified by the first day of winter quarter if the applicant would like to begin in the spring quarter).

Part-Time Fall Admission Window:
Submission period: January 1, 2026 – March 1, 2026
Fall term starts: August 22, 2026

Download the Certificate of Intelligence Studies (CIS) Application

Note: Ensure you check with your home agency/service, as you will be subject to their internal deadlines!

Please see the academic calendar to determine these dates. Course enrollment in the applicant’s quarter of choice is subject to availability.

• Completed applications should be submitted electronically to NIU_Admissions@niu.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@niu.odni.gov to arrange this.

For mail sent through the United States Postal Service, the following address must be used but note that weekend deliveries are not accepted:

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:

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

• Official and unofficial transcripts contain the same information about a student’s academic record: a chronological list of classes, grades, and credits. However, photocopies, scans of original documents, and emailed copies from the applicant’s personal email address are unofficial.
• Official transcripts are original documents issued by the institution and sent to NIU Admissions electronically through a secure third-party transcript delivery service or by hard copy mail in a sealed envelope which should not be opened by anyone except the NIU Admissions.An official transcript is a legal document and includes distinguishing marks such as the Registrar’s signature, the college seal, and the date it was issued.
• NIU Admissions can accept hard copy official transcripts from applicants if they are still in a sealed envelope.

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.