Augusta University is expanding its academic offerings in intelligence education with the introduction of a new graduate certificate in epidemiological intelligence. Set to debut this fall, the program will become the third certificate available through the university’s Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies (MAISS) program.
The new certificate is designed to equip professionals working in public health, security, and intelligence-related fields with specialized skills that bridge epidemiology and intelligence analysis. Its goal is to strengthen preparedness and response capabilities at the local, state, federal, and international levels as public health threats continue to evolve.
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Health Security
The epidemiological intelligence certificate brings together expertise from intelligence studies and public health, linking the MAISS program with Augusta University’s Master of Science in Epidemiology. The program was developed through a collaboration between Amado Alejandro Báez, MD, a professor of emergency medicine and epidemiology at the Medical College of Georgia, and Craig Albert, PhD, director of the MAISS program.
Báez, who also serves as vice chair of operational medicine and director of the Center of Operational Medicine, has built a career around interdisciplinary collaboration. His professional background includes advisory roles with federal and state law enforcement agencies, leadership in translational science education, and recent appointment as a National Security Fellow with the President Truman National Policy Center.
“What makes this program stand out is how seamlessly it connects intelligence and epidemiology,” Báez said. “It’s designed for professionals already involved in medical intelligence, public health operations, or security roles, and it reflects how these fields increasingly overlap in real-world settings.”
Integrating Research With Real-World Practice
According to program leaders, the certificate emphasizes applied learning rooted in operational experience. Course content incorporates case studies and research derived from real-world public health and intelligence operations, allowing students to connect theory with practice.
Báez explained that much of the curriculum draws directly from firsthand experiences that he and his colleagues have translated into academic research. That research has helped shape how epidemiological intelligence is taught within the program.
Fully Online Program Structure
The certificate will be delivered entirely online and will consist of 15 credit hours across five courses. Students will complete foundational coursework in intelligence studies alongside specialized classes focused on medical intelligence and epidemiology.
Course topics include:
- Intelligence fundamentals and analysis
- Intelligence collection methods
- Medical intelligence
- Core epidemiology concepts
- Infectious disease epidemiology theory and methods
Albert emphasized that the program is intentionally integrative, encouraging collaboration across disciplines.
“Our aim is to bring together students, faculty, and researchers from different backgrounds to create a shared framework for studying public health intelligence,” Albert said. “We believe this will open the door to innovative research and provide students with a competitive advantage for careers at organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Built on Established Research Collaboration
The certificate builds on previous scholarly work by Báez and Albert, including research conducted with graduate student Joshua Rutland. Their 2021 publication explored how public health crises like COVID-19 challenge traditional definitions of national security.
More recently, the group collaborated with faculty from Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences on a study examining epidemiological intelligence fusion centers in the Dominican Republic. That research, published in the Journal of Intelligence and National Security, served as a foundation for the new academic offering.
Albert noted that the long-term vision includes expanding the certificate into a full concentration or even a standalone master’s degree focused on public health and intelligence.
A Program With Few Comparisons Nationwide
Both program creators describe the certificate as highly distinctive within higher education. Báez said similar offerings are rare, if they exist at all, and emphasized the program’s flexibility.
The certificate is designed to complement a variety of graduate pathways, including intelligence studies, public health, public administration, and related disciplines. Program leaders also hope to make the coursework transferable across institutions, broadening its reach.
Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic
Báez’s experience during the COVID-19 pandemic played a critical role in shaping the program’s direction. While working in the Dominican Republic, he helped establish an epidemiological fusion center that integrated public health officials with security and intelligence services.
“That experience showed how powerful it can be to combine intelligence frameworks with epidemiology,” Báez said. “This program is built directly from that fieldwork—research that we conducted ourselves and translated into academic content students can now learn from.”
Enrollment Now Open
The epidemiological intelligence certificate is currently accepting applications and will welcome its first cohort of online students this fall. University leaders hope the program will attract professionals seeking to work at the intersection of public health, intelligence, and national security, while laying the groundwork for expanded academic offerings in the future.
