Level 1 Intelligence Analyst Certification
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- 2.5 hours on-demand video
- 3 articles
- 5 downloadable resources
- Full lifetime access
- Access on mobile and TV
- Certificate of Completion
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Try Udemy for Business- Apply critical thinking skills throughout the analytic process
- Identify and mitigate biases to reveal unstated assumptions
- Refine and clarify intelligence questions
- Conduct research to identify existing data and gather new evidence
- Select and apply appropriate analytic techniques
- Reevaluate and revalidate previous analytic conclusions.
- No prior preparation is necessary; however, a strong academic background, understanding of the scientific method, and an open mind will help the student perform well in this course.
The views expressed in this course are the instructor's alone and do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, the Intelligence Community, or the Department of Defense.
Although anyone can claim the title of “intelligence analyst,” there are currently few commonly understood, standardized certifications available to confirm analytic skill and proficiency. Some may argue that each analytic assessment should be judged on its content and not on the certification or reputation of the author. However, an analytic product can often read well even though its analytic underpinnings are flawed. Also, it would be beneficial to have some objective measure of an analyst’s skill before selecting him for a task, rather than to discover afterwards that the analyst was unable to meet the task. Having addressed why certifications are needed and assuming certifications would provide a worthwhile benefit, the discussion then turns to how and in what areas should one attain certification. Through an analysis of the concept of analysis, the author proposes that three basic divisions should be created to train and certify one as either a descriptive, explanative, or predictive analyst. This course provides level 1 certification as a descriptive intelligence analyst.
- This course is intended for the new intelligence analyst who has little to no prior experience. This course will provide the basic analytic skills necessary to produce basic, logically sound, descriptive intelligence analysis.
- More experienced intelligence analysts will also find this course provides great "back to basics" refresher training.
I’ll introduce myself and the works of others; clarify the differences between descriptive, explanative, and predictive intelligence analysis; and go over the broad topics within the course. Also, I’ll explain why the course will help students and provide some motivation to complete this course.
This short paper argues for intelligence certifications and forms the foundation for this and follow on courses.
I’ll explain how to get the most from the course by leveraging all the features Udemy provides. I’ll also describe the associated reference material, practical exercises, and the final certification exam.
I’ll define critical thinking and introduce the students to other experts and sources on the topic. I’ll discuss the traits of a critical thinker, critical thinking skills, and how to employ them. I’ll end this lecture with instruction on logical, plausible, and probable reasoning.
During this lecture, I’ll broadly cover potential sources of intelligence and help the student focus their collection efforts on relevant evidence, which addresses the major factors in a problem statement. Thus, the student will learn how to be efficient and effective by not wasting effort in gathering extraneous information.
I’ll review multiple structured analytic techniques and categorize them to aid the student in selecting the technique(s) most appropriate in providing descriptive intelligence analysis.
I'll teach students how to diagram the nodes and connections of an adversary network to reveal interrelationships.
I’ll discuss the importance of measuring performance and tracking progress to improving one’s intelligence analysis. Moreover, I’ll show the students how to evaluate an argument using devil’s advocacy, and reevaluate and re-validate previous analytic conclusions based on new evidence.