
The PhD in Intelligence, Defense, and Cybersecurity prepares students for leadership roles in government, the military, or the private sector.
Our synchronous online curriculum offers extensive core work (with required credit hours in research methods, intelligence studies, cybersecurity policy, and security studies), that will equip students with a strong, broad-based understanding of security studies, especially as it pertains to the national security of the United States and its position in the international arena. Each course will expose students to US policy documents, military doctrine, and academic literature pertinent to the course of study.
Our PhD program in Intelligence, Defense, and Cybersecurity Policy offers a robust core curriculum, including essential courses in research methods, intelligence studies, cybersecurity policy, and security studies. You’ll gain hands-on experience by analyzing U.S. policy documents, military doctrine, and cutting-edge research, equipping you with the skills and knowledge to excel in high-level security roles.
Did you know Pamplin’s national defense programs are now recognized by two prestigious organizations? Augusta University’s MAISS and PhD programs are now affiliated with the prestigious Sword and Shield Honor Society and the International Association for Intelligence Education (IAFIE). These distinctions recognize our commitment to excellence in homeland security and intelligence education. These partnerships give students access to national networks, recognition, and leadership opportunities, reinforcing Augusta University’s role as a leader in national defense education.
Dr. Craig Albert- Program Director
Summerville Campus
1120 15th St, AH-N309
Augusta, GA 30912
706-737-1710
Classes You Can Take:
Area I: Intelligence Studies
SECR 7200: Us Intelligence Theory and Practice
SECR 7202: Intelligence and Research Analysis
SECR 7205: Social Media Intelligence
SECR 7206: Counter-Intelligence Theory and Practice
SECR 7208: Strategic Intelligence
Area II: National Defense Studies
SECR 7101: U.S. Grand Strategy and Foreign Policy
SECR 7104: Domestic Terrorism
SECR 7105: Advanced Counterterrorism Strategies
SECR 7106: International Conflict and Security
SECR 7107: Nationalism, Identity, and Ethnic Conflict
SECR 7108: Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and International Security
Area III: Cybersecurity Policy
SECR 7300: Theories of Cyberwar
SECR 7301: US Cyber Strategy and Policy
SECR 7302: Comparative Cyber Policy: NATO
SECR 7303: Comparative Cyber Policy: US Adversaries
SECR 7304: Cyber Intelligence and Theory
SECR 7305: Information Operations and Warfare
SECR 7308: The Psychology of Cyberspace
SECR 7309: Social Media Psychology and Propaganda Operations


Patrick Walworth

Dr. Valery Dzutsati



Dr. Weeda Mehran

Dr. Reyhan Topal

Dr. Robert Nagel

Dr. Anton Sobolev

Dr. Matthew Ellis
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​ Integration of NLP in Digital Forensics: A Pilot Study of Practitioner Perceptions on Chat Data Analysis ToolsBardhan, R., Dorai, G., Griffith, C. & Ramasamy, V., 2027, Digital Forensics and Cyber Crime - 16th EAI International Conference, ICDF2C 2025, Proceedings. Choo, K.-K. R., Perez-Pons, A., Upadhyay, H., Lu, R. & Chow, K. P. (eds.). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, p. 359-379 21 p. (Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST; vol. 685 LNICST).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution |
​ Exploration of eating and grocery shopping behaviours among undergraduate students: A qualitative study at a Southeastern UniversityPeritore, N. & Griffith, C., Dec 2026, In: Food and Humanity. 7, 101419.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Online government censorship and domestic terrorism in mixed and democratic regimesHunter, L. Y., Dec 2026, In: Research in Globalization. 13, 100383.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Public Administration Institutions, Access to Public Services, and Homicide Rates: A Cross-National AnalysisHunter, L. Y., Hatcher, W. S. & Meares, W. L., Oct 2026, In: Politics and Policy. 54, 5, e70178.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Effects of differential contacts with the criminal legal system on mental health outcomes of adolescents and young adults: A fixed-effects modelVelez Oliveira, R. L. & Culatta, E., Jun 17 2026, In: PloS one.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ An advocacy coalition framework analysis of local government autonomy in NigeriaIkpebe, E., Boykin, E., Osei-Kojo, A. & Peters, B. U., Jun 2026, In: Policy Sciences. 59, 2, p. 417-437 21 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Political Ideology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Labor Markets: How Political Party Members Perceive AI’s Effects in OECD CountriesHunter, L. Y., Jun 2026, In: Political Research Quarterly. 79, 2, p. 410-425 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Revolutionary Ideology and Conflict IntensityYang, Y., 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Civil Wars.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ From Practice to Classroom: AI in Public Procurement Education and ManagementDimand, A. M., Boykin, E. & Smith, B., 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Journal of Public Affairs Education.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Regime characteristics, public policy, and artificial intelligence readiness: a cross-national analysisHunter, L. Y. & Antilla, R., 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Policy Studies.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review |
​ Nudging Across Borders? A Collaborative Governance Framework of European Cross-Border Public ProcurementBoykin, E., Prier, E. & McCue, C., 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: International Journal of Public Administration.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Not Going Back Public Opinion on Abortion in Post-Dobbs AmericaElder, L., Greene, S. & Lizotte, M.-K., 2026, Temple University.Research output: Book/Report › Book |
​ The United States, China, and Global AI GovernanceHunter, L. Y., Albert, C. D. & Antilla, R., 2026, Handbook on Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review |
​ Preparing for Future Wars: Incongruent Beliefs on Autonomous WeaponsGodbolt, N., Albert, C. D., Hunter, L. Y. & Morris, J., 2026, In: Prism: The Journal of Complex Operations .Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Evading Detection or Triggering False Alarms? A Character-Level Adversarial Attack on LLM Detection of Arabic Social Media BotsMelhem, A., Aleroud, A. & Albert, C. D., 2026, The 59th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), Proceedings. .Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution |
​ Information Warfare and Influence OperationsAlbert, C. D., 2026, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies. Oxford University Press, (Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter |
​ Disrupting the Nation as Self: Russia’s Attack on Ukrainian Ontological Security through Information WarfareCelestino, O. & Albert, C. D., 2026, In: Journal of Information Warfare.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Rethinking Budgeting? An Analysis of Budget Theory and Reform for Modernizing Municipal PracticeBoykin, E., McCue, C. & Goldman, D., 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Public Administration Review.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Overcoming stigma: the role of responsiveness in transgender identity disclosureReif-Stice, C. E., Culatta, E., Venette, S., Smith-Frigerio, S., Ellefsen, A. & Butauski, M., 2026, In: Communication Quarterly. 74, 3, p. 264-287 24 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Work-Life Balance in the Public Sector: Burnout, Public Service, and the Search for Compassionate OrganizationsHatcher, W. & Meares, W. L., Jan 1 2026, Taylor and Francis. 108 p.Research output: Book/Report › Book |
​ AI, monitoring, and the public workplaceBoykin, E., Hatcher, W., Hunter, L., Meares, W. L. & Ginn, M. H., 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Administrative Theory and Praxis.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ GraphRAG-Based NLP at Risk: Graphemic Dot-Level Adversarial Attack on Arabic Sentiment and LLM Retrieval-Augmented ModelsMelhem, A., Aleroud, A. & Albert, C. D., 2026, Social Networks Analysis and Mining - 17th International Conference, ASONAM 2025, Proceedings. An, A., Cuzzocrea, A. & Hu, H. (eds.). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, p. 252-263 12 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; vol. 16322 LNCS).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution |
​ Recidivism among Violent Offenders: Evaluating the Cumulative Impact of Psychological and Social Risk FactorsVelez Oliveira, R. L., C. Reid, J., Brown, S. & Mims-Beliles, B., 2026, In: Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology. 12, 2Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ The curious public administrator and positive public administration: two frameworks to guide policy design and practiceHatcher, W., 2026, In: Policy Design and Practice. 9, 2, p. 244-251 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review |
​ Understanding factors associated with the decision not to bid – empirical tests and strategies for improving public procurementBoykin, E., McCue, C., Atkinson, C. L. & Prier, E., Nov 10 2025, In: Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management. 37, 5, p. 676-695Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Intentions to Seek Healthcare Following Sexual Assault: Understanding Stigma as a BarrierCulatta, E., Reif-Stice, C. & Boyle, K. M., Jun 2025, In: Social Currents. 13, 3, p. 156-171 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Defending Health Security: Securing Healthcare Infrastructure against RansomwarePavlova, P. & Albert, C. D., 2025, In: Cyber Defense Reivew.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Coalitional Utility of Formidable Men as a Function of Perceived Humor StylesBrown, M., Stewart, P. A. & Murray, G. R., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Psychological reports.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ INNOVATION AND PUBLIC PROCUREMENT ∙ Introduction to the Special IssueTátrai, T., Boykin, E., McCue, C. & Prier, E., Jan 1 2025, In: European Procurement and Public Private Partnership Law Review. 20, 1, p. 6-7Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Tuition‐Free College Policies and Workforce Diversity: How Policy Incentives and Environmental Favorability Shape RepresentationBoykin, E. & Bell, E., 2025, In: Public Administration Review. p. 1-16Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Analyzing Influence Operations on Facebook: An Exploratory StudyAlbert, C. D., Hunter, L. Y., Mullaney, S. & Mays, M., 2024, In: Digital War.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Year-End Spending Spikes and Single Bid Procedures: An Analysis of Public Procurement in the European Economic AreaLofaro, R. J., Boykin, E. A., McCue, C. P. & Prier, E., Jun 1 2023, In: Public Finance and Management. 21, 2, p. 135-166Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Public procurement and European Union integration: a systematic reviewBoykin, E. A., May 19 2023, In: Journal of European Integration. 45, 4, p. 613-632Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ A Lesser-Known Arms Race: the Military Application of Artificial Intelligence in Non-Major Power Developed States and the Implications for Global SecurityHunter, L. Y., Albert, C. D., Rutland, J. & Hennigan, C., 2023, In: International Journal of Security Studies & Practice .Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Towards a General Theory of Ethnic Conflict: Explaining Identity and Violence in ChechnyaAlbert, C. D., 2023, In: International Journal of Security Studies & Practice .Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Weaponizing Words: Using Technology to Proliferate Information Warfare.”Albert, C. D., Hunter, L. Y., Mullaney, S., Huitt, J. & Snider, L., 2023, In: Cyber Defense Reivew.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Democracy and Cyberconflict: How Regime Type Affects State-Sponsored CyberattacksHunter, L. Y., Albert, C. D., Garrett, E. & Rutland, J., 2022, In: Journal of Cyber Policy.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Competitive Public Procurement during COVID-19: The Unique Political and Policy Experience of the United StatesMcCue, C., Boykin, E. & Prier, E., Jul 1 2021, In: European Journal of Public Procurement Markets. 1, 3, p. 81-97Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ Assessing European Union standardization: a descriptive analysis of voluntary ex ante transparency noticesPrier, E., McCue, C. & Boykin, E. A., May 7 2021, In: Journal of Public Procurement. 21, 1, p. 1-18Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
​ The Initiation of State-Sponsored CyberattacksHunter, L. Y., Albert, C. D. & Garrett, E., 2021, In: Cyber Defense Reivew.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |


