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Intelligence & Command Operations

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 29.0201 - 29.0299.

Types of Degrees Intelligence & Command Operations Majors Are Earning

Those studying Intelligence & Command Operations can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	65
Associate’s Degree	844
Bachelor’s Degree	1,459
Master’s Degree	1,671
Doctor’s Degree	12

What Intelligence & Command Operations Majors Need to Know

Studies in Intelligence & Command Operations develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Intelligence & Command Operations graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Intelligence & Command Operations emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Law and Government — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Intelligence & Command Operations program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Intelligence & Command Operations careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Intelligence & Command Operations graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Intelligence & Command Operations professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database	Data base user interface and query software	—
Linux	Operating system software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
The CAD Zone The Crime Zone	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Computer aided composite drawing software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
SmartDraw Legal	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System IAFIS	Data base user interface and query software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Intelligence & Command Operations graduates include:

• Crime Scene Investigator (CSI)
• Identification Officer
• Criminalist
• Police Investigator
• Investigator
• Law Enforcement Specialist
• CIA Agent (Central Intelligence Agency Agent)
• Latent Print Examiner
• Cyber Forensic Specialist
• Site Identification Specialist
• Forensic Technician (Forensic Tech)
• Crime Scene Technician
• Field Evidence Technician
• Investigative Police Specialist
• Forensic Specialist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Intelligence & Command Operations graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	30.0%
Bachelor’s degree	27.6%
Some college courses	18.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	11.7%
Postsecondary certificate	7.3%
Master’s degree	2.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Intelligence & Command Operations?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 73.6% of Intelligence & Command Operations degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,071	26.4%
Men	2,980	73.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Intelligence & Command Operations graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,142	52.9%
Asian	165	4.1%
Hispanic or Latino	517	12.8%
Black or African American	387	9.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	16	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	13	0.3%
Two or More Races	166	4.1%
Race Unknown	252	6.2%
International Students	393	9.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Intelligence & Command Operations Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Intelligence & Command Operations graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$63,824
4 years	$63,738
5 years	$74,331

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $74,331 — roughly 16% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Intelligence & Command Operations Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Intelligence & Command Operations. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	3
Bachelor’s	15	10
Master’s	14	9
Doctoral (Research)	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Intelligence & Command Operations Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Intelligence & Command Operations graduates earn a median of $63,738 four years after completion — roughly 68% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Military Technologies Sciences	4,796
Military Applied Sciences	383
Military Systems and Maintenance Technology	207
Military Technologies and Applied Sciences, Other	144
Military Technology and Applied Sciences Management	11
MILITARY TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLIED SCIENCES	—
Reserved	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.