The National Research Council (NRC) was asked by the National Defense Intelligence College (NDIC) to convene a committee to review the curriculum and syllabi for their proposed master of science degree in science and technology intelligence. The NRC was asked to review the material provided by the NDIC and offer advice and recommendations regarding the program’s structure and goals of the Master of Science and Technology Intelligence (MS&TI) program.
The Committee for the Review of the Master’s Degree Program for Science and Technology Professionals convened in May 2011, received extensive briefings and material from the NDIC faculty and administrators, and commenced a detailed review of the material. This letter report contains the findings and recommendations of the committee.
The NDIC’s new degree program was found to be both needed and justified. The user population strongly supported this effort. An examination of the program revealed that it meets the four criteria referenced: it is necessary, it is unique, it conforms to general academic practice, and the administrative processes support academic freedom.
The committee’s recommendations center on two general areas. First, the committee found that the biological sciences and systems engineering were underrepresented in the existing program structure. Secondly, the committee recommends that the NDIC faculty restructure the program and course learning objectives to focus more specifically on science and technology, with particular emphasis on the empirical measurement of student achievement. Given the dynamic and ever-changing nature of science and technology, the syllabi should continue to evolve as change occurs.
Detailed review comments regarding the curriculum in general and certain syllabi provided to the committee are included in the Discussion section of this report. Following that section, findings and recommendations are provided.
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