ACADEMIC YEAR 2025 26 FULL TIME STUDY FOR ENLISTED MARINES NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS

R 291944Z OCT 24
MARADMIN 521/24
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC DC I WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-26 FULL-TIME STUDY FOR ENLISTED MARINES
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE
PROGRAMS//
POC 1/J. D. CHAVIS/MSGT/OCCUPATIONAL FIELD SPECIALIST/IID DC I/
703-614-2082/ [email protected]//
POC 2/T. M. WILSON/MAJ/SENIOR SERVICE ADVISOR/NIU/ 301-243-2335/
[email protected]//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. Purpose. This message solicits applications for
the enlisted National Intelligence University (NIU) full- time
programs for Academic Year (AY) 2025. All nomination packages are
due to HQMC/INTEL no later than 10 January 2025. Paragraph 8 details
the procedures for submission.
2. Background. The purpose of the Marine Corps Enlisted NIU Program
is to broaden the education and experience of enlisted Marines who
demonstrate potential for future leadership positions in their
respective occupational fields. AY 2025-26 will convene on or about
16 July 2025.
3. Execution. The following programs are available to qualified
02XX/0321/17XX/26XX/68XX enlisted Marines:
3.A. Undergraduate Program: A Bachelor of Science in Intelligence
(BSI) Degree. The BSI is a one-year degree completion program.
3.B. Full-time Graduate Programs: A Master of Science of Strategic
Intelligence (MSSI) Degree or a Master of Science and Technology
Intelligence (MSTI) Degree. The MSSI and MSTI programs consist of 40
weeks of graduate coursework. Applicants admitted into these
programs will remain at NIU to complete an intelligence related
thesis during the summer term and will detach on or about 10 August
2026 after graduation.
4. Marines must meet the following United States Marine Corps (USMC)
prerequisites to qualify for an NIU program:
4.A. Applicants must be 02XX/0321/17XX/26XX/68XX enlisted Marines in
the rank of Corporal through Gunnery Sergeant.
4.B. Applicants may not have less than four years of service or more
than 18 years of service as of 1 July 2025.
4.C. Applicants must have at least two years on station by 1 July
2025 for Continental United States (CONUS) commands. Applicants on a
three-year accompanied Outside the Continental United States
(OCONUS) tour must be within 60 days of Rotation Tour Date (RTD)
upon class convening date on or about 2 August 2025.
4.D. Applicants must have completed CMC-directed Professional
Military Education (PME) by class convening date on or about 2
August 2025.
4.E. Applicants must meet USMC height/weight and military appearance
standards.
4.F. Applicants must possess a Top-Secret clearance and be eligible
for access to Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information
(TS/SCI). Application for this program is not sufficient
justification to request initial processing of a TS/SCI clearance.
5. In addition to meeting USMC prerequisites, a Marine must also
meet the following NIU academic prerequisites:
5.A. Undergraduate Program:
5.A.1. Possess a high school diploma or General Education
Development (GED).
5.A.2. This program requires applicants to have a minimum of 80
undergraduate semester hours completed prior to graduation; however,
priority consideration will be given to eligible applicants who meet
the 80 hours requirement at the time of application submission.
Applicants should contact the NIU admissions office to review
transcripts prior to application submission if an applicant requires
an academic plan to meet the final requirements for application and
graduation. NIU will accept a maximum of 50 semester hours for
coursework completed by an examination (e.g. the College Level
Examination Program) or professional/military training approved by
the American Council of Education (ACE). The remaining 30+ hours
must have been earned at a regionally accredited institution. NIU
does not accept transfer credit for any required course in the BSI
curriculum. Applicant must have a cumulative Grade Point Average
(GPA) of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. The semester hours must
include:
5.A.2.A. 20 upper division (300-400) level hours.
5.A.2.B. Nine hours in communication skills, six of which must be
earned in English composition courses.
5.A.2.C. 12 hours in Mathematics and Science, three of which must be
earned in Mathematics.
5.A.2.D. 15 hours in Humanities, Social Science, or Fine Arts.
5.B. Graduate Programs:
5.B.1. Possess a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited
institution.
5.B.2. Competitive applicants have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of
3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
6. All applicants must notify their respective enlisted assignments
monitor and occupational field specialist prior to submitting their
nomination package to this headquarters.
7. Marines selected for a program will incur a three-year service
obligation requirement upon graduation. Service obligation will be
served in a work role of the Marines' Occupational Field that
provides a return on investment to the service. Marines applying
from Primary Military Occupational Specialty 0211 will serve in
a follow on assignment at Marine Expeditionary Force level or
higher, based on the needs of the Marine Corps. Nominees will be
required to provide a Page 11 entry to the selection panel stating
acknowledgement of the obligated service requirement.
8. Submission Requirements:
8.A. General:
8.A.1. Application packages will be submitted under the cover of an
Administrative Action (AA) form with an endorsement from the
Commanding Officer at the battalion or squadron level. The AA form
will contain enclosures to document all prerequisites.
8.A.2. The Commanding Officer endorsement must certify the
eligibility of the applicant for reenlistment in accordance with MCO
P1040.31J, and that the applicant is within USMC height/ weight and
military appearance standards.
8.B. Application package must include:
8.B.1. A copy of the Page 11 entry for the obligated service
requirement along with a counseling statement from the Commanding
Officer.
8.B.2. NUI Application for admission form found at the NIU website
http(slash)(slash)ni-u.edu/wp/ or Intelligence Division website at
http:(slash)(slash)www.intelligence.Marines.mil/occ-field-foreign-
language/educational-programs.
8.B.3. Letters of Recommendation. You must provide two letters of
recommendation from individuals familiar with your academic
achievement and professional potential. If you have been out of
school for several years and are unable to contact former
professors, you may submit non-academic references (e.g.,
employers).
8.C. BSI Applicants will also include the following:
8.C.1. Official college transcripts forwarded by the issuing
institution directly to the addresses in paragraphs 9 and 10 for all
undergraduate degree transcripts.
8.C.2. Official copies of standardized tests such as College Level
Examination Program, DANTES Subject Standardized Tests, Defense
Language Proficiency Test, Excelsior College Exams, etc., forwarded
by the issuing institution directly to the addresses in paragraphs 9
and 10.
8.C.3. Joint Service Transcript (JST). JSTs can be requested from
the JST website: https:(slash)(slash)jst.doded.mil/smart/signln.do.
8.C.4. A Statement of Purpose (500-word unclassified essay, typed
and double-spaced) explaining: your motivation for pursuing
undergraduate study in intelligence; your professional goals and
objectives, and; career or educational achievements that will help
you successfully complete a BSI degree.
8.D. MSSI/MSTI Applicants will also include the following:
8.D.1. Official transcripts forwarded by the issuing institution
directly to the addresses listed in paragraphs 9 and 10 for all
undergraduate degree transcripts and graduate transcripts (degree or
partial).
8.D.2. A nomination letter from your agency training office or
branch of service detailer/branch manager/function manager.
8.D.3. Resume or Curriculum Vitae.
8.D.4. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are optional. You
may submit official GRE scores, sent directly from the Educational
Testing Service to NIU Admissions, if you would like them to be
considered as part of your total package. This is not required.
8.D.5. An unclassified Statement of Purpose and Preliminary Research
Prospectus, typed, double spaced, 12 point font. The Statement of
Purpose should be no longer than eight pages, explain why you want
to attend NIU by briefly describing your qualifications, academic
experience, future career plans, and other aspects of your
background and interests that may aid the admissions committee in
evaluating aptitude and motivation for pursuing a degree. The
Preliminary Research Prospectus should illustrate an area of
research interest that you wish to pursue at NIU. Marines will
coordinate area of research interest with the Occupational Field
Manager via their respective Occupational Field Specialist. A good
preliminary research prospectus requires the author to be precise,
informative, and compelling. This should include elements: A
preliminary problem statement that identifies a proposed topic and
its importance to the intelligence or national security community.
Gaps or opportunities that exist in the current literature on this
topic, which should include refereed/authoritative citations of
research or scholarly work. Citations and references should be
included but do not need be in full bibliography format.
9. Application package, as endorsed by the Battalion or Squadron
level Commanding Officer, may be submitted electronically by the
unit as a portable document format (.pdf) file to the HQMC/INTEL
POC: justin.chavis(at)usmc.mil and homas.m.wilson(at)niu.odni.gov.
10. NIU Points of contact and university information can be found at
the NIU websites http:(slash)(slash)ni-u.edu/contact/.
11. Upon receipt of a nomination package, HQMC/INTEL will contact
the applicant to acknowledge receipt of the nomination, and forward
nomination to NIU Admissions niuadmit(at)dodiis.mil for academic
approval.
12. HQMC/INTEL will convene a selection panel to review applications
and confirm academic approval with NIU. Program selectees will be
notified by MARADMIN.
13. Selectees will receive orders to Intelligence Community Campus-
Bethesda (MCC: J90), Bethesda, MD. Selectees will coordinate with
HQMC SSO to receive Intelligence Community Badges for use while
attending the University.
14. Direct all questions to MARADMIN POCs.
15. Release authorized by LtGen Melvin G. Carter, Headquarters
Marine Corps, Deputy Commandant for Information.//