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Concentration · CIP 29

Military Technologies and Applied Sciences

Military Technologies and Applied Sciences (CIP 29) is a tightly focused family of 12 majors offered at 28 colleges nationwide, designed for students pursuing careers inside — or directly adjacent to — the U.S. armed forces and national security apparatus. Programs range from intelligence analysis and strategic intelligence to cyber and electronic warfare, space systems operations, and explosive ordnance disposal. With roughly 2,729 graduates per year, this is a niche concentration, but the career pathways it opens are both distinctive and well-compensated. Students typically arrive here through ROTC programs, military academies, community college transfer pathways, or civilian degree-completion tracks affiliated with defense agencies.

Majors
12
Colleges
28
Annual completions
2,729
Top career
First-line supervisors of police and detectives
Majors in this concentration

Sorted by popularity

Intelligence, General

15 colleges · 1,676 completions/yr

Cyber/Electronic Operations and Warfare

28 colleges · 485 completions/yr

Military Applied Sciences, Other

6 colleges · 122 completions/yr

Military Technologies and Applied Sciences, Other

6 colleges · 118 completions/yr

Air and Space Operations Technology

Top career: Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians

2 colleges · 105 completions/yr

Aerospace Ground Equipment Technology

Top career: Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians

1 colleges · 68 completions/yr

Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations, Other

2 colleges · 65 completions/yr

Strategic Intelligence

7 colleges · 41 completions/yr

Space Systems Operations

2 colleges · 19 completions/yr

Explosive Ordinance/Bomb Disposal

1 colleges · 14 completions/yr

Military Technology and Applied Sciences Management

1 colleges · 11 completions/yr

Signal/Geospatial Intelligence

Top career: First-line supervisors of police and detectives

3 colleges · 5 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

How do I choose between Intelligence, General and Cyber/Electronic Operations and Warfare?
Intelligence, General is the larger and more established program, offered at 15 colleges with 1,676 annual graduates. It focuses on analytical tradecraft, geopolitics, and information assessment — skills that transfer readily to the CIA, DIA, or FBI. Cyber/Electronic Operations and Warfare is offered at all 28 colleges in the data set, with 485 graduates per year, and concentrates on technical skills like signals exploitation, network penetration, and electronic countermeasures. Choose Intelligence, General if your strengths run toward analysis, writing, and foreign languages; choose Cyber/Electronic Operations and Warfare if you want hands-on technical skills with the broadest civilian crossover.
What do graduates from this concentration typically earn?
Median earnings across the Military Technologies and Applied Sciences family run about $53,037 per year, but the range is wide. Graduates who move into law enforcement supervision can reach the $105,980 median wage for First-line Supervisors of Police and Detectives, while Detectives and Criminal Investigators earn a median of $93,580. Engineering technologist roles attached to defense contractors pay a median of $77,390. Earnings tend to be highest for graduates who pair their degree with active-duty service, federal law enforcement credentials, or security clearances.
Can I enter this field at a community college before transferring?
Transfer pathways into military technology programs are narrow but do exist. Intelligence, General and Cyber/Electronic Operations and Warfare are the two majors most likely to have articulation agreements or prior-learning credit policies at four-year institutions. However, 28 is a small college count for a concentration of this kind, which means you should confirm that your target four-year institution accepts community college transfer credit for these specific CIP codes before enrolling. Students pursuing active-duty commissions should also research whether ROTC programs at their transfer destination accept two-year transfer students.
Which majors in this family are most niche or specialized?
Explosive Ordnance/Bomb Disposal (1 college, 14 annual graduates) and Military Technology and Applied Sciences Management (1 college, 11 graduates) are the most specialized programs in the family. Space Systems Operations is offered at only 2 colleges and produced 19 graduates per year. These programs are typically offered only at military-affiliated institutions or service academies, and enrollment is often tied to active-duty assignment rather than open civilian application. Signal/Geospatial Intelligence (3 colleges, 5 graduates) is similarly rare and highly sought after in intelligence community hiring.
Does a degree in this concentration help with civilian careers after military service?
Yes, particularly for graduates who hold security clearances or have operational experience to pair with their academic credential. The top careers tracked for this family — First-line Supervisors of Police and Detectives and Detectives and Criminal Investigators — are roles commonly filled by veterans transitioning into federal or state law enforcement. Cyber/Electronic Operations and Warfare graduates are especially well-positioned for civilian roles at NSA, Cyber Command's contractor ecosystem, and defense-sector cybersecurity firms. Aerospace Ground Equipment Technology graduates have a clear path into aviation maintenance roles for commercial carriers or government contractors.