CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED// 
ROUTINE 
R 081621Z MAY 24 MID120001090906U 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC 
TO NAVADMIN 
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC 
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NAVADMIN 095/24 
 
MSGID/NAVADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N2N6/MAY// 
 
SUBJ/NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNIVERSITY// 
 
REF/A/DOC/OPNAV/17JAN17// 
 
NARR/REF A IS OPNAVINST 3870.6A, OBLIGATED SERVICE REQUIREMENTS FOR 
INFORMATION WARFARE COMMUNITY ENLISTED PERSONNEL TO ATTEND THE NATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE UNIVERSITY.// 
 
RMKS/1.  This NAVADMIN solicits applications from the active-duty enlisted 
Information Warfare Community (IWC) personnel for enrollment in National 
Intelligence University (NIU) Bachelor of Science in Intelligence (BSI), 
Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence (MSSI), and Master of Science and 
Technology Intelligence (MSTI). 
These programs aim to prepare personnel for senior positions in the IWC and 
the broader national security enterprise. 
 
2.  NIU is the Intelligence Community's sole, accredited, federal 
degree-granting institution.  It is a unique and technologically advanced 
university that focuses on the profession of intelligence and is the only 
institution of higher education in the nation that allows its students to 
study and complete research in the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented 
Information (TS/SCI) arena.  NIU is committed to offering and continuously 
maintaining an in-depth curriculum intended to enhance the desired analytical 
skills and competencies of intelligence analysis to include critical 
thinking, communications, engagement, and leadership. 
 
3.  Active-duty Sailors are eligible for the BSI, MSSI, and MSTI full-time 
programs. Selectees will be assigned as full-time students under permanent 
change of station orders to Bethesda, MD, with a July start.  As full-time 
students, Sailors will be required to carry a full academic schedule year-
round.  Degree requirements must be completed in 12 months. 
 
4.  Active and reserve Sailors are eligible for the MSSI and MSTI part-time 
programs (there is currently no part-time BSI program). 
Selectees will attend either evening or weekend classes, either in person or 
via VTC (NIU does not offer asynchronous programs). 
Weekday part-time students will typically take two classes per quarter, with 
each class occurring one day per week for three hours over the ten-week 
quarter (i.e., ten 3-hour classes per class). 
Weekend part-time students will typically take two classes per quarter, with 
the classes occurring one weekend per month.  Weekend part-time students also 
take part in an annual intensive 2-week summer program.  Degree requirements 
are typically completed within 2-4 years. 
 
5.  Each degree program has specific eligibility requirements which can be 
found on the NIU website at https://ni-u.edu/admissions/. 
Competitive BSI applicants will have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 
4.0 scale.  Competitive MSSI/MSTI applicants will have a cumulative GPA of 
3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.  All applicants must hold or be eligible for a 
TS/SCI clearance.  Orders to NIU will not be issued until the TS/SCI 
clearance is fully adjudicated. 
 
6.  Non-IWC enlisted personnel, who possess the requisite security clearance 
and meet NIU's eligibility requirements, may request an exception via their 
detailers and the NIU Navy Service Chair.  NIU will not sponsor T5 personnel 
security investigations for enlisted personnel that do not have the required 
security clearance. 
 
7.  Potential full-time applicants must be active duty and shore tour 
eligible, in line with their community's Sea Shore Flow.  They should begin 
their application process by contacting their command career counselors.  If 
the NIU class start time requires the applicant to depart their current 
command early, they must request command concurrence before continuing the 
application process. Next, applicants must contact their detailers to discuss 
the implications for their current assignments and careers.  Detailer release 
is required for this program.  Failure to gain release may result in 
withdrawal of selection.  Once the applicant has been released, the applicant 
will notify the NIU Navy Service Chair (see POC information below).  The 
applicant will then submit their application via the instructions on the NIU 
website at https://ni-u.edu/admissions/.  Finally, the NIU Navy Service Chair 
will submit a nomination memo to NIU Admissions on behalf of all full-time 
Navy applicants. 
 
8.  NIU's full-time academic year (AY) runs from July to June each year. 
Applicants should receive detailer release no later than the end of October 
of the year prior to the start of their desired AY. 
For example, applicants for AY25-26 must receive detailer release no later 
than October 31, 2024.  Applicants are highly encouraged to begin the process 
early and not wait until the last moment. 
 
9.  Potential part-time applicants must be located within the National 
Capital Region (NCR) and/or assigned to a major intelligence center (e.g., 
ONI, Combat Support Agency, Combatant Command JIOC) with access to TS VTC 
facilities for the duration of their NIU education program.  The applicant 
will then submit their application via the instructions on the NIU website at 
https://ni-u.edu/nominations/ nomination memo from the NIU Navy Service Chair 
is required. 
 
10.  Per OPNAVINST 3870.6A, full-time applicants for the MSSI or MSTI 
programs must obligate 60 months of service.  Full-time applicants for the 
BSI program must obligate 54 months of service.  Obligated service reflects 
the total time while in the education program and post-education.  Part-time 
applicants do not incur a service obligation if the course work does not 
occur during working hours. 
 
11.  General information about NIU can be found at https://ni-u.edu/about-
niu/. 
 
12.  The NIU point of contact is CDR Jay McVann, NIU Navy Service Chair, at 
jay.p.mcvann@odni.gov. 
 
13.  This message will remain in effect until superseded. 
 
14.  Released by Vice Admiral K. O. Thomas, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations 
for Information Warfare, OPNAV N2N6.// 
 
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