PUBPOL-507S
INTEL FOR NATIONAL SECURITY
Not in Fall 2026
Term
Overview
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that the readings, films, or examples carry real weight. Best for students who will engage with the materials instead of skimming everything. The sample is still thin, so treat this as directional rather than definitive.
DepartmentPPS
Terms offeredSpring
Typical enrollment15–15
Semesters of data1
5
Responses
15
Enrollment
33%
Response Rate
Evaluation Scores
Overall quality
Teaching, content, and experience combined.
4.8
Intellectually stimulating
Challenges students to think deeply.
4.8
Instructor effectiveness
Explains concepts and facilitates learning.
5.0
Difficulty
Higher means harder.
2.8
Feedback Analysis
Feedback Analysislow
Analysis based on student evaluations
Based on 18 comments across 1 sections
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that the readings, films, or examples carry real weight. Best for students who will engage with the materials instead of skimming everything. The sample is still thin, so treat this as directional rather than definitive.
Student Reports
How hard is the A?
A is doable but not automatic
The signal here is more do-the-work-and-you-should-be-fine than easy-A chatter. Students do not describe the A as automatic, but the evidence also does not paint grading as punishing.
Homework Load
Moderate homework load
Homework load looks moderate. The recurring signal is steady weekly work, but not a course that turns every assignment into a grind.
Lecture Load
Lighter lecture burden
Student comments describe this as more discussion-, seminar-, or workshop-driven than lecture-dependent. The lecture burden itself does not sound like the main source of friction.
Strengths
• Readings, films, or outside materials come up repeatedly as a real strength rather than filler.
• Discussion is a clear strength; students repeatedly describe the class conversation as engaging and useful.
• Students frequently describe the course structure as organized and easy to follow.
Tradeoffs
• There is no single dominant complaint theme, but the feedback is not uniformly glowing either.
Best fit for
Best for students who will engage with the materials instead of skimming everything.
Watch out for
• Most of the signal comes from a limited sample, so be careful about over-generalizing.
• A large share of the evidence comes from one instructor's version of the course, so this may not generalize cleanly.
Student Responses
Analysis, critical thinking, reading, presenting, briefing, team work.
Spring 2024 · Nichols, Timothy
I learned how to approach a problem from a joint/community perspective including state department and other intelligence agencies instead of a Navy/Military focused approach. I also learned the importance of planning ahead and communicating early on group projects to ensure the ease and timeliness of project completion.
Spring 2024 · Nichols, Timothy
Better understanding of the intelligence community. Historical background on 9-11. Great lessons from General Dempsey (Retired)
Spring 2024 · Nichols, Timothy
This course taught me about the U.S. intelligence structure, how intelligence informs national security policy, and how the United States made reforms after significant intelligence failures.
Spring 2024 · Nichols, Timothy
This course was very engaging and was broken down in a way that was very digestible. The instructor made the topic of intel structure and the development of intel legislation very easy to understand. We also looked at several different topics during the course. The cases studies were also a great opportunity to learn about very specific intel failures.
Spring 2024 · Nichols, Timothy
Rating History
Rating history
Error bars show \u00B11 std dev
| Term | Instructor | Overall | Difficulty | Hrs/wk | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2024 | Nichols, Timothy | 4.8 | 2.8 | — | 15 |
Instructor
Also teaches
PUBPOL-505S NATL SECURITY DECISION MAKING4.5PUBPOL-881 PROFESSIONAL PRAC IN NAT SEC4.7