Master of Anticipatory Intelligence (MAI)

Program Overview

The Master of Anticipatory Intelligence (MAI) program is a nationally pathbreaking professional degree program that uniquely prepares students from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), social science, humanities, arts, and other disciplinary backgrounds to anticipate and successfully navigate complex emergent security challenges across a wide range of fields and industries. The MAI constitutes the nation’s first graduate degree in the field, responding to a significant upswell in labor market demand across the US public and private sectors for security-focused graduates and professionals from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds who possess advanced training in both hard and soft skills of security thinking, structured toolkits for system-level threat assessment and resilience design, and sophistication in interdisciplinary analysis and synthesis regarding complex and emergent security issues affecting their professional fields.

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USU's Center for Anticipatory Intelligence has led the pioneering effort in the US to establish the academic field of Anticipatory Intelligence: a multidomain approach to anticipating threats and opportunities emerging from the world’s increasingly complex security environment, oriented around the goal of reducing uncertainty and designing resilience across future scenarios. The MAI operationalizes this academic field through an interdisciplinary, cross-college degree integrating core coursework in Anticipatory Intelligence with an applied emphasis track in International Security, Cyber & Security Analytics, Biosecurity, or Geographic Information Sciences to equip graduates with a potent combination of analytic and applied skills, cross-trained competencies, and an actionable professional education fit for the security challenges of the twenty-first century. 

Tyler Doering

Academic Advisor

Phone: 435-797-1835
Email: tyler.doering@usu.edu
Interested in learning more? Email me!


Program Requirements

The Master of Anticipatory Intelligence program is a 33-credit professional degree with 1) a required curriculum core in Anticipatory Intelligence, 2) elective courses in Anticipatory Intelligence, 3) a graduate capstone project, and 4) a hard-skill emphasis track facilitated in conjunction with partner departments. The design of this professional master's degree offers students significant curricular choice in order to deliver a tailored graduate experience and leverages interlocking, stackable components with other USU colleges and programs to create an innovative and actionable interdisciplinary graduate education.

Overview of components of MAI degree.

All MAI students must complete a 12-credit required curriculum core that lays a strong foundation in the central principles and toolkits of Anticipatory Intelligence. Students who can demonstrate direct equivalency in undergraduate or previous graduate study may be able to petition to apply other MAI elective or emphasis courses to satisfy some curriculum core credits (see bottom of page). Other course substitutions for the elective and emphasis requirements may be approved by an Anticipatory Intelligence academic advisor on an individual basis. 

  • CAI 5000: American National Security Framework (3 credits)
  • CAI 5200: Threats and Resilience in the Knowledge Century (3 credits)
  • CAI 6300: Art and Science of Anticipation (3 credits) 
  • CAI 6400: Ethics and Emerging Technology (3 credits) 

MAI students must complete 6 credits of elective coursework, which may include specialized Anticipatory Intelligence courses, directed readings and research, or internship opportunities across a range of settings. Variable or repeatable credit (1-6) is permitted for directed readings/research and internship opportunities where they appropriately reflect time and effort committed across one or two semesters. MAI students have ample opportunities to complete internships with I3SC industry partners and public sector entities and engage in other experiential learning events. 

  • CAI 5010: Dynamics of Disruptive Technology (3 credits)  
  • CAI 6310: Strategic Culture and Analytics (3 credits) 
  • CAI 6500: Strategic Intelligence (3 credits)
  • CAI 5880: Critical Soft Skills (1-3 credits)
  • CAI 6890: Special Topics in Anticipatory Intelligence (3 credits) 
  • CAI 6900: Directed Readings and Research (1-6 credits) 
  • CAI 6910: Public Sector Internship (1-6 credits) 
  • CAI 6920: Private Sector Internship (1-6 credits) 
  • CAI 6930: I3SC Labs Internship (1-6 credits) 
  • CAI 6940: CAI Field Experience (1-3 credits) 
  • IS 5820: Cyber Strategy in the Modern World (3 credits)

All MAI students must complete a tailored capstone project building on their core coursework. Wide parameters of creativity, innovation, and flexibility are built into the capstone project, but two requirements must be met: 1) the project must leverage at least one key tool or substantive issue area in the Anticipatory Intelligence domain, and 2) the project must be designed and conducted by the student in partnership with an external public sector or industry partner. MAI students should not begin their capstone project until they have completed both CAI 5000 and CAI 5200. 

  • CAI 6990: Graduate Capstone Experience (3 credits) 

Students electing to complete the International Security emphasis track may select any four courses from those listed to complete the emphasis (co-facilitated with the Department of Political Science). Courses are 3 credits unless otherwise listed. 

  • CAI 6500: Strategic Intelligence
  • CAI 6510: Russian Security Affairs
  • CAI 6520: Chinese Security Affairs
  • CAI 6530: Weapons of Mass Destruction
  • CAI 6540: Future Space Security
  • CAI 6310: Strategic Culture & Analytics
  • CAI 6890: Special Topics in Anticipatory Intelligence
  • POLS 5140: Law, Politics, and War
  • POLS 6210: International Security
  • POLS 6230: Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism
  • POLS 6400: United States Foreign Policy
  • Other approved 5/6000-level POLS electives

Students electing to complete the Cyber & Security Analytics track may select any one of the four-course certificate block options listed below (facilitated by the Department of Data Analytics and Information Systems) to complete the emphasis: the Data Technologies certificate, the Cybersecurity certificate, or the Data Analytics certificate. In accordance with USU Registrar’s Office policy, a post-baccalaureate certificate may be earned concurrently with this MAI emphasis. Courses are 3 credits unless otherwise listed. 

  • Data Technologies Certificate (no prerequisites) 
    • IS 3600: Introduction to Cloud Computing
    • DATA 3330: Database Management
    • DATA 3400: Data Visualization with Tableau
    • DATA 3500: Introduction to Python Programming
  • Cybersecurity Certificate (prerequisites required) 
    • IS 3800: Cybersecurity I: Magical Theory
    • IS 5800: Cybersecurity II: Defense Against the Dark Arts
    • IS 5850: Enterprise Security: Advanced Arithmancy Studies 
    • IS 6830: Networks: Binary Potions and Protocols
  • Data Analytics Certificate (prerequisites required) 
    • DATA 5600: Introduction to Regression and Machine Learning for Analytics
    • DATA 6500: Advanced Python Programming for Analytics
    • DATA 6610: Advanced Machine Learning for Analytics
           and one of
    • DATA 6330: Data Pipeline Engineering
    • DATA 6360: Data Warehousing
    • DATA 6400: Visual Data Analytics
    • DATA 6480: Data Mining

Students electing to complete the Biosecurity track must take two required courses and may select any two elective courses from those listed to complete the emphasis (co-facilitated with partner departments in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences and the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources). Courses are 3 credits unless otherwise listed.     

  • CAI 6600: Biosecurity I (required)
  • CAI 6610: Biosecurity II (required)
        and two of
  • CAI 6620: Food Security and Solutions
  • CAI 6630: Water Security and Solutions
  • NDFS 5010: Hunger Issues and Solutions
  • NDFS 6140: Introduction to Public Health
  • ENVS 6550: Sustainability: Concepts and Measurement
  • PSC 6810: Climate and Climate Change
  • Other approved 5/6000 partner dept electives

Students electing to complete the Geographic Information Science track may select any four courses from those listed to complete the emphasis (facilitated by partner departments in the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources). In accordance with USU Registrar’s Office policy, a post-baccalaureate certificate may be earned concurrently with this MAI emphasis. Note that NR-prefix courses are offered as online courses, while all other prefixes are taught as in-person courses on the USU Logan campus. Courses are 3 credits unless otherwise listed. 

  • NR 6910: Geographic Information Systems for Natural Resource Applications
  • NR 6920: Python Programming for GIS
  • NR 6930: Advanced GIS for Natural Resource Applications
  • NR 6940: Principles of Remote Sensing of Natural Resources
  • NR 6950: Geospatial Analysis for Natural Resource Management
        or in-person variants
  • GEOG 6870: Geospatial Analysis
  • WATS 6920: Advanced GIS and Spatial Analysis
  • WILD 6750: Applied Remote Sensing
  • WILD 6920: Python Programming for GIS

Applying for the MAI

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Interested candidates from all disciplinary and professional backgrounds are welcome and encouraged to apply for the Master of Anticipatory Intelligence. Please note the following points of guidance:

  • The MAI degree program is competitive and the curriculum is rigorous. Applicants must have (or be about to graduate with) a bachelor's degree and should have a strong academic record (minimum GPA 3.0+). For current professionals applying to the MAI, work/career experience will be weighted appropriately in application review. Candidates from any disciplinary or professional background will be considered and should establish clearly in their application materials why they want to pursue a graduate degree in the field of Anticipatory Intelligence. A disciplinary quota system is used to ensure a blend of disciplinary backgrounds in each MAI cohort.  
  • Our ethos revolves around the concept that diversity in thinking is a necessity in taking on complex problem sets. We aim to cultivate this essential heterogeneity by recruiting widely from across academic disciplines, ethnic and racial backgrounds, neurodiverse perspectives, professional interests and trajectories, and life experiences. We are looking for candidates who are eager to bring their own active contributions to the program.
  • Competitive candidates will have a strong interest in security issues across multiple fields and domains; an appetite for studying societal-level "wicked problems" that rarely have simple solutions; a high tolerance for complexity and ambiguity; and an eagerness to significantly stretch their paradigm and work collaboratively with dissimilar thinkers in interdisciplinary spaces. Competitive candidates will have a strong draw toward becoming big-picture analysts and synthesists that can help identify complex emergent threats to systems and help build resilient organizations and communities. 

We are now accepting Master of Anticipatory Intelligence applications for the 2025-2026 cohort. Because there is a disciplinary quota system for each cohort, early applications are highly encouraged. Interested candidates should apply through the USU School of Graduate Studies (SGS) and will need to supply the following materials:

  • USU SGS application form – Fill out your personal, contact, and educational details. Select Graduate as your level of study when setting up an application account and the Master of Anticipatory Intelligence as your intended program of study when you reach that stage of the form.
  • Personal statementExplain your interest in the field of Anticipatory Intelligence, why you want to pursue graduate study in this field, and the background and experiences that make you a strong candidate for this program. (1000 words max)
  • Current résumé/CVWe encourage providing a broad picture of your background and qualifications, including education, work experience, volunteerism, research or project interests, languages and technical skills, foreign travel, extracurricular activities, and hobbies.
  • Writing sampleProvide a 2-3 page sample of your academic or professional writing. This may be excerpted from a longer work (such a course paper, thesis or capstone work, professional report or publication, etc.).
  • Transcripts Submit your official undergraduate (and if relevant, previous graduate) transcripts from all higher education institutions attended. 
  • Two letters of recommendation Fill out the letters of recommendation request forms as prompted in the application. Your referees will then receive an email with instructions to submit their letters on your behalf. Recommendations must come directly from the referee, not the applicant, to be considered valid. 
  • USU SGS application fee ($55) – You can pay the $55 non-refundable application fee online with a credit or debit card.

Note: You will need to 1) fill out the SGS application form, 2) pay the application fee, and 3) submit the application form before you will receive the link where you will submit the supplemental materials listed above. To see the process overview for SGS applications, visit the SGS Steps to Apply page. A limited number of application fee waivers are available in cases of financial hardship. If you encounter questions or issues during the application process, you can contact SGS Admissions Officer Laurie Smith or CAI Program Coordinator Tyler Doering.

Key Dates & Deadlines
  • December 27, 2024: MAI regular season application window for the 2025-2026 cohort opens
  • February 2025: Applicants assessed, interviews conducted, and decisions returned
  • March 2025: Rolling MAI applications assessed for remaining underrepresented disciplines 
  • August 2025: One-day pre-semester boot camp for incoming MAI students (in person/date TBA)
  • August 2025: First day of classes for 2025-2026 MAI cohort students

Tuition & Funding Info
  • The 2024-2025 USU Tuition & Fees table provides the breakdown of costs per semester credit. The MAI falls under the regular graduate tuition bracket.
  • Full-time resident graduate students taking a regular courseload (9 credits) pay roughly $3,800/semester tuition & fees across 4 semesters, totalling around $15,200 across the degree (variable on schedule, credit load, and future tuition rates). Full-time nonresident graduate students pay roughly $12,000/semester tuition & fees until residency is established. 
  • A pool of funding for partial tuition support is available through the Center for Anticipatory Intelligence. Eligibility for partial tuition support for a limited number of MAI students is assessed after acceptance and is based on financial need and academic merit.

Delivery & Instruction
  • Because the Anticipatory Intelligence curriculum is highly interactive and built around intensive classroom and cohort collaboration, the MAI is taught as a primarily in-person program on the USU Logan campus. Select courses within the program may be offered as online or broadcast courses, but it is not possible to complete the MAI without being located in Logan. 
  • MAI students benefit not only from Center for Anticipatory Intelligence programming but also the broader Intermountain Intelligence, Industry, and Security Consortium (I3SC) that CAI co-leads, including student opportunities with I3SC's standout industry partners. 
  • CAI offers competitive funding to support student experiences, internships, and capstone projects for MAI students. 

Current and Former CAI Students

CAI students spelling out C-A-I.Interested current and former CAI students in the Minor and Graduate Certificate in Anticipatory Intelligence programs are eligible and warmly welcomed to competitively apply for the MAI. Please review the details below that fit your circumstances.

1) Accelerated master’s route (for current undergraduate students). Students who a) are currently enrolled in the Minor in Anticipatory Intelligence, b) want to complete the MAI immediately after their bachelor’s, and c) apply and are successfully admitted to the MAI the spring of their senior year can choose to drop the minor and use up to 9 credits of CAI courses as unmatriculated graduate credit that is carried over to the MAI – functionally shaving one semester off the completion time for the MAI. This is done by filling out a Split Form through the School of Graduate Studies after successful admission to the MAI. Note that the CAI courses you have taken cannot count for both the minor and unmatriculated graduate credit for the MAI – you will have to choose one or the other. If you have already graduated with your bachelor’s and the minor, you cannot retroactively pursue the accelerated's master's route. Prospective students outside the Anticipatory Intelligence program who are interested in the accelerated master’s route should start by applying for the minor.

2) Students who have graduated with the minor. Undergraduate students who are currently enrolled in the minor and want to complete and graduate with it, or who have previously graduated from USU with the minor, can also apply for the MAI. If accepted, these students will need to complete the full 33 credits required for graduation starting from their semester of entry. However, they do not have to repeat CAI courses previously taken (e.g., CAI 5000, CAI 5200). Rather, these students can choose to take additional CAI electives or complete a second MAI emphasis track to fill the “core curriculum” credit block and reach the necessary 33 credits for graduation.

3) Graduate Certificate students. Graduate students who are currently enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Anticipatory Intelligence can apply to the MAI and, if accepted, switch their completed credits to date over into the MAI (dropping the Graduate Certificate). Students who have previously graduated with the Graduate Certificate in Anticipatory Intelligence and are accepted into the MAI cannot retroactively apply their CAI courses to the MAI and will need to complete the full 33 credits required for graduation starting from their semester of entry. However, they do not have to repeat CAI courses previously taken (e.g., CAI 5000, CAI 5200). Rather, these students can choose to take additional CAI electives or complete a second emphasis track to fulfill the “core curriculum” credit block and reach the necessary 33 credits.