R 042028Z DEC 24
MARADMIN 581/24
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC I//
SUBJ/ACADEMIC YEAR 2025 NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNIVERSITY (NIU) 
RESERVE COMPONENT MASTERS DEGREE PROGRAMS//
POC/R. WONG/LTCOL/UNIT: CMC WASHINGTON DCI/EMAIL: 
RAYMOND.WONG@USMC.MIL//
POC/D. HEYWOOD/MAJ/UNIT: CMC WASHINGTON DCI/EMAIL: 
DANIEL.HEYWOOD@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  National Intelligence University (NIU) is an 
accredited institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees 
in Strategic Intelligence and Science and Technology Intelligence. 
NIU is a directorate of the Office of the Director of National 
Intelligence (ODNI), supported administratively by the Defense 
Intelligence Agency (DIA), and located at the Intelligence Community
Campus–Bethesda (ICC-B).  The Master of Science of Strategic 
Intelligence (MSSI) and the Master of Science and Technology 
Intelligence (MSTI) are graduate-level education programs conducted 
at NIU.  Successful program completion results in the awarding of an
MSSI or MSTI graduate degree.  NIU’s graduate degree programs 
include core and elective courses; both the MSSI and MSTI offer 
thesis and non-thesis completion options.  The progression of 
classes in the part time monthly degree programs is designed to 
allow United States Marine Corps Reserves (USMCR) students to 
complete all required course work and completion options in two 
years.  Marines accepted into the part time monthly program attend 
classes in-person at NIU in Bethesda, MD one weekend per month for
22 months plus two, two-week periods of annual training.  These 
graduate degree programs are open to Individual Mobilization 
Augmentee (IMA), Selected Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR), and 
Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) component Marines.  Active-duty 
candidates pending reserve affiliation will be considered as long as
their timelines for reserve affiliation will allow for joining the 
IMA detachment and matriculation into the academic program.
2.  NIU now offers rolling admissions through the academic year. 
Marines are encouraged to directly apply to NIU and upon successful
acceptance apply for membership to the NIU IMA Detachment. 
3.  A selection panel convened by the USMCR NIU IMA Detachment 
Faculty will review applications in synchrony with NIU’s rolling 
admissions process.  The panel will provide an endorsement to the 
Deputy Commandant for Information (DCI) for the applicants most 
qualified to attend the MSSI/MSTI Program for Reserves as a member 
of the NIU IMA detachment.  The panel does not make admission 
decisions for NIU and applicants must apply and be accepted into 
NIU’s Monthly Executive MSSI/MSTI at ICC-B in order to join the NIU 
IMA Detachment.   Applicants who are accepted into the MSSI/MSTI 
programs outside of the drilling IMA should be mindful of the 
challenges of balancing other USMCR drilling requirements with the 
demands of the MSSI/MSTI program.  
3.  Prerequisites for NIU IMA Detachment:
3.A.  USMCR: 
3.A.1.  Acceptance by NIU into the Monthly Executive MSSI/MSTI 
program.  Those waitlisted by NIU will not be considered.  
3.A.2.  Grade:  First Lieutenant to Major, Chief Warrant Officer 2 
to Chief Warrant Officer 3, Staff Sergeant to Gunnery Sergeant.
3.A.3.  Military Occupational Specialty (MOS):  Open to any MOS, 
however, preference will be given to Marines in the following 
priorities: Intelligence, Cyberspace, Space, and Communications 
military occupational specialties. 
3.A.4.  Experience:  Minimum five years intelligence, cyber, space, 
or communications experience through either military and/or civilian
occupations.
3.A.5.  Service:  Candidates must have had four satisfactory years 
(50 points minimum each year) during the last five years.
3.A.6.  Officers must not have failed selection for promotion to the
next higher grade and majors must have less than four years’ 
time-in-grade.
3.A.7.  Staff Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCO) must be eligible for 
re-enlistment and have two years remaining on contract after 
graduation.
3.A.8.  Officers and SNCOs must agree to remain in an intelligence 
billet in the reserves (IMA detachment or SMCR unit) for three years
following graduation.
3.A.9.  Applicants must meet Marine Corps height and weight 
standards per MCO 6110.3A.
3.B.  NIU:
3.B.1.  Possess a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited
institution.
3.B.2.  Possess (at the time the candidate submits his/her 
application) a Top Secret clearance and be eligible for access to 
Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI).  Application for this
program is an insufficient justification to request initial 
processing for a TS/SCI clearance.
4.  Applications.  Applicants must submit an application package to
both NIU and DCI, as outlined below:                           
4.A.  Apply to either the MSSI or MSTI program via the procedures 
outlined at https:(slash)(slash)ni-u.edu/wp/admissions/. Questions 
about the university admissions process, requirements, or 
application status must be addressed directly with the NIU Office of
Admissions at NIU_Admissions@odni.gov.
4.B.  Upon NIU acceptance, coordinate with the DCI POC and alternate
POC listed above to deliver the documents below via a method 
approved for PII (DOD SAFE, https:(slash)(slash)safe.apps.mil, is 
preferred).   
4.B.1.  Copy of NIU acceptance notification.                        
4.B.2.  Copy of Essay Submission to NIU.
4.B.3.  Current Reserve Qualification Summary (RQS).             
4.B.4.  Current civilian resume.
4.B.5.  A favorable endorsement from the applicant's command (IMA 
detachment or SMCR), IRR Marines should obtain this endorsement from
the Marine Corps Individual Reserve Support Activity (MCIRSA).  As 
part of the NIU application process, the applicant’s command will 
provide a nomination memorandum in NIU’s prescribed memorandum 
format to NIU. A copy of this nomination memorandum will suffice as
a favorable endorsement.
4.B.6.  Current copy of the applicant's Master Brief Sheet.
5.  Marines selected to join the DCI IMA Detachment (RUC 88600) will
be provided a Billet Identification Code (BIC) for their transfer 
package.  
5.A.  Selectees will not be transferred to the IMA Detachment until 
a confirmation from NIU of the selectee’s admission to NIU and 
security clearance is confirmed.
5.B.  Attendance at NIU 12 weekends over a 10-month academic year is
required and will be considered normal drill periods.
5.C.  Attendees will be required to perform active-duty training at 
NIU for 12 days each summer for two consecutive academic years. 
5.D.  NIU students will also be required to complete all Marine 
Corps annual training requirements.
5.E.  Drill attendance sheets, orders requests, and other 
administrative requirements associated with this duty will be 
processed by DCI. 
5.F.  Applicants located outside the National Capitol Region should 
familiarize themselves with which travel expenses are reimbursable 
for IMA IDT and AT, and plan accordingly.  
6.  These programs do not currently qualify as an Intermediate Level
School (ILS) equivalent.  
7.  Selectees will be notified individually by this headquarters.  
This bulletin is applicable to the Marine Corps Reserve or those 
joining the Marine Corps Reserves.  This bulletin is cancelled 31 
December 2025.
8.  Release authorized by Lieutenant General M. G. Carter, 
Headquarters Marine Corps, Deputy Commandant for Information.//