 I'm glad to see you're interested in our geospatial analysis program. My name is Greg Thomas. I'm an associate teaching professor in the geography department at Penn State. I'm also the coordinator for the intelligence and geospatial analysis option in the master professional studies in Homeland Security. Combining intelligence analysis with geospatial science and technology provides important situational awareness. Intelligence offers a decisive advantage in preventing and responding to Homeland Security threats. Intelligence in its simplest form is information that has had value added through analysis. In addition, effective intelligence is proactive and anticipatory, providing an advantage against an adversary or competitor. Because everything happens somewhere, there is a spatial component to most activity that occurs. Being able to analyze this spatial data provides a unique geospatial perspective. Through the courses offered in this option, students learn to use space-time thinking to produce accurate intelligence reports that can help save lives, improve government, and assist businesses. Students will gain hands-on experience learning to solve complex, real-world problems in disciplines such as public safety, law enforcement, emergency management, and national defense. All courses are asynchronous, meaning students are not required to log in at a particular time each week. They have the flexibility to complete weekly assignments online at their own pace from anywhere in the world, while still having the opportunity to engage with Penn State faculty and class peers. In addition to the three core Homeland Security courses, students take classes covering such technical competencies as geographic information systems or GIS, imagery, and social networks, as well as cognitive competencies such as critical thinking and structured analytic techniques. A capstone course at the end of the program involves students conducting research on real-world problems and reporting out their findings. If you feel you might not have the appropriate level of geospatial analysis skills to enter this option, don't worry. The program is flexible, so students with little or no experience in geography or GIS may use electives as credits to prepare for the more advanced courses. As an academic advisor in the Intelligence and Geospatial Analysis program, I look forward to working with you. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.