The Graduate Certificate in Intelligence and National Security is designed for working and mid-career professionals who already hold a baccalaureate or graduate degree and are interested in further professional education. Applicants must complete the graduate school application and provide an official transcript. Students can be classified as non-degree-seeking students or have the certificate program incorporated into the degree requirements appropriate to their department and after meeting all program requirements for admission. Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Intelligence and National Security and decide to pursue a graduate degree at a later date can apply to the appropriate graduate program and request that the units become part of their program upon admission.

For graduates of institutions outside the United States where English is not the first language, the Graduate School requires a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (or a 79 on the TOEFL ibT) or a minimum score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).