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/ JUSTIN.CHAVIS@USMC.MIL//
POC 2/T. M. WILSON/MAJ/SENIOR SERVICE ADVISOR/NIU/ 301-243-2335/
THOMAS.M.WILSON@NIU.ODNI.GOV//
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.//