A look inside program giving future Nat Sec experts 5-year head start amid evolving threats: 'Ready day one'

"My goal for my students is they're ready day one if they get hired," Mirghahari told Fox News Digital.

"Our program is unlike any other in the nation because our graduate students are actually tackling real-world national security challenges and issues from government agencies," Mirghahari explained. "As we know, most government agencies have a lot of things going on and they don't have enough resources, but what our graduate students are able to do is support those government agencies, answering and doing research for real-world requirements in the national security field."

Mirghahari says the program is also unique due to the practitioners from "across the United States government" that serve as guest lecturers and professors giving students a necessary insight into experiences in the field, particularly given the changing landscape and variety of threats facing the nation compared to 10 or 20 years ago.

"That's part of what we do, provide that real-time research," he said.

The program also focuses on emerging national security challenges involving artificial intelligence, data and foreign influence. Mirghahari said younger students often bring valuable technological expertise and perspectives that government agencies may not have previously considered.

"Artificial intelligence, data and all these different things impacting our national security play a major role in our work," he said.

On the artificial intelligence front, which has changed how the United States deals with cyber threats along with how it conducts cyber operations, Mirghahari says it has become a "force multiplier" for his students.

"We examine foreign influence, including how data is mined and distributed, and we use tools such as artificial intelligence, graph theory and other analytical methods to examine large datasets," he said. "We're giving students an awareness of these technologies and how they can be used across the government.

Mirghahari added, "Our students can sift through large amounts of information and extract what is relevant to support their research. That process is extremely time-consuming, so we're helping government clients bring the information together in one place and examine it more thoroughly."

Mirghahari told Fox News Digital he believes students would need to work for five years in a national security position to be able to learn the on the job skills they learn at the Seton Hall program and explained that now, perhaps more than ever, hitting the ground running is critically important.

"Some of the feedback we've received from agencies is, 'Your students are well-equipped. They're better than some of the people who have been here for five to 10 years,'" Mirghahari said.