The Competitive Intelligence Center (CIC) offers courses to working professionals that can lead to a master's degree or post-master's certificate in competitive intelligence. Those seeking professional development for no credit are also eligible to enroll. Graduate students in other degree programs at Simmons College may take CIC courses as well.

A course meets for a total of 21 hours over three consecutive days (Thursdays from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.). Upon the successful completion of assignments, students will receive two credits per course.

Preparing for Graduate Study at the CIC

Competitive intelligence professionals should be familiar with general management principles (i.e. financial accounting, market research, and strategic development). Work experience or academic preparation in business fundamentals is critical for employment and/or career growth.

In some instances, a thorough understanding of the operating forces within specific industries gained from holding advanced degrees and/or extensive work experience is beneficial for many intelligence professionals.

Finally, successful practitioners bring specific personal traits to their career. Those wishing to enter the profession should consider whether they possess the following attributes: creativity, persistence, effective written and oral communication skills, and independent learning skills.

Informational Interview

Substitute courses will be suggested for those who may have already acquired the material within our course offerings. Students are encouraged to arrange an informational interview with the CIC Director Jerry Miller.

Jerry Miller
CIC Director and Professor
617-521-2809
jerry.miller@simmons.edu

Cross Registration for GSLIS Students

Graduate students who wish to specialize in competitive intelligence are encouraged to complete the following courses for a total of eight credits:

LIS 530M/CI 400 An Introduction to the Intelligence Function (2 semester hours)
To achieve a competitive advantage, organizations can establish a formalized process for: 1) identifying the users of intelligence as well as a precise understanding of their needs, 2) collecting and analyzing information, and 3) disseminating the resulting intelligence to decision makers. This course examines the various phases of the intelligence cycle as well as how to manage each phase effectively. Discussion and practice cover analytical models and tools, use of information sources, and primary research methods. Individual projects reinforce these principles. No prerequisite, but a working knowledge of print electronic business information is highly recommended. 

CI 420: Basic Quantitative and Qualitative Analytical Tools & Techniques (2 semester hours)
This course introduces the following techniques and framework, with numerous applications and examples: the "Five Forces" model, growth-share analysis, critical success factors, competitor profiling, SWOT analysis, and gap analysis. Also included are presentations on recognizing the interaction between the collection and analysis phases, methods to analyze creatively, how to employ inductive and deductive reasoning in analysis, how to recognize gaps and blind-spots and ways to determine to cease analysis.

CI 404: Conducting Competitive Intelligence Legally (2 semester hours)
This course provides details on the misappropriation of trade secrets, including how they differ from patents and copyright, the basic rules of trade secret law, what cannot be claimed as a trade secret, the elements of a trade-secret, and breach of confidence. Related laws are also presented, such as inducement, fraud, invasion of privacy, unfair competition, and copyright infringement. An overview of the Economic Espionage Act is provided as well as its implications for the competitive intelligence profession. The course concludes with guidelines on fair conduct.

CI 408: Conducting Competitive Intelligence Ethically (2 semester hours)
This course begins with a presentation of the distinctions between ethical and legal behavior in intelligence, and introduces guidelines for business conduct and for the ethical collection and dissemination of intelligence. Additional topics include information gathering outside the U.S., public information, information gathering methods, reverse engineering, right-to-protect proprietary information, responsibility for agents' actions, disclosure and use by the firm, bribery, trespass, misrepresentation, and questionable information sources. The course concludes with a presentation of guidelines for the protection of trade secrets and other intellectual property.

Those pursuing this specialization would greatly benefit from having completed:

LIS 430 - Business Information Sources and Services (4 semester hours) 
During the first half of the course, a survey of print and electronic information sources, as well as brief coverage of basic business concepts, is provided. Coverage will include both national and international company and industry data. Basic business research concepts are incorporated. The second half examines various methods and technologies for gathering, organizing, and routing business information to end-users. Prerequisite: LIS 407. 

Contact Us:

Jerry Miller
CIC Director
617-521-2809

See Also:

CIC Web Site

 

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