The Academy for Scientific Investigative Training

What The Academy for Scientific Investigative Training does

The Academy for Scientific Investigative Training (ASIT) is a privately held, founder-led forensic psychophysiology training institution headquartered at 1704 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA. Founded in 1980 and accredited by the American Polygraph Association since inception (and additionally by the International Society of Polygraph Examiners), the Academy delivers in-person training in polygraph examination, forensic interviewing, statement analysis, and interrogation to law enforcement, intelligence, private security, legal, HR, and corrections/probation professionals. Its curriculum is built around internally developed proprietary methodologies — including the Integrated Zone Comparison Technique (IZCT), the Horizontal Scoring System, the ASIT PolySuite scoring algorithm, the Forensic Assessment Interview Technique (FAINT), the Morgan Interview Thematic Technique (MITT), and the Integrated Interrogation Technique — several of which have been validated in peer-reviewed studies in Egypt, Costa Rica, South Africa and European journals.

The Academy's product portfolio spans a 10-week academic plus 2-week post-graduate Polygraph 101 Basic course ($5,750 per student in Philadelphia, $6,250 internationally), short-format 2- to 5-day certification seminars in FAINT, MITT, PCSOT and advanced polygraph topics ($300–$600 each, with bundle pricing), and physical educational products (textbooks and the MITT Kit). Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and seminar fees, supplemented by textbook and kit sales (including distribution through Amazon and bookstores), and a software licensing arrangement with Limestone Technologies for the ASIT PolySuite algorithm.

Delivery is global and multilingual: courses are offered in English, Arabic, Spanish and Hebrew across the United States, South Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, coordinated through named regional contacts. The organization operates with approximately five employees, anchored by Director Nathan J. Gordon (past President of APA and IAFPI, current President of ISOPE), instructor William L. Fleisher (40+ years federal law enforcement, co-founder of the Vidocq Society), and Assistant Director Tuvia Shurany for Central and South America. The Academy is privately held, has no disclosed parent company, no external funding rounds, and generates undisclosed annual revenue.

Name

The Academy for Scientific Investigative Training

Legal name

Academy for Scientific Investigative Training

Website

https://polygraph-training.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Philadelphia, the Academy for Scientific Investigative Training is a privately held forensic psychophysiology training institution that delivers APA- and ISOPE-accredited polygraph, forensic interviewing (FAINT/MITT), and interrogation courses to law enforcement, intelligence, private security, legal, HR, and corrections professionals across the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe in four languages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Training Services

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

General Security Officer (Unarmed) Training & Certification (BPAKAOAA)

Keywords

• Polygraph training
• Forensic psychophysiology
• Interview and interrogation
• Credibility assessment
• Deception detection training

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Training Courses: Fee-based professional training programs including Polygraph 101 Basic (10 weeks academic + 2 weeks post-graduate), advanced courses, and certification seminars. Revenue generated through tuition fees for in-person instruction at multiple international locations.
2. Seminars and Certification Programs: Shorter intensive seminars including FAINT (5-day), PCSOT (5-day), MITT (2-day certification), and Advanced Polygraph/PCSOT courses. Revenue from seminar registration fees.
3. Educational Publications and Materials: Sale of textbooks and training manuals including 'Effective Interviewing and Interrogation Techniques' (4th Edition), MITT Kit (Administration Manual, Index of Sketches, 42 thematic sketches) available in English and Spanish.
4. Training Materials and Equipment: Sale of James Allan Matte's DVD 'Essentials of Polygraph and Polygraph Testing' and other educational aids.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Academy for Scientific Investigative Training (ASIT) is a forensic psychophysiology (polygraph) and credibility assessment training institution offering in-person professional training programs, certification seminars, and proprietary investigative methodologies to law enforcement, intelligence, security, legal, and human resource professionals. Its revenue-generating offerings include the Polygraph 101 Basic Course, FAINT and MITT seminars, PCSOT seminars, advanced polygraph courses, and supporting educational publications (textbooks, MITT kits, training DVDs).

Product overview

The Academy for Scientific Investigative Training offers a portfolio of forensic psychophysiology training programs and investigative methodologies. The core offerings include the Polygraph 101 Basic Course (a comprehensive 10-week academic plus 2-week post-graduate program), the Forensic Assessment Interview Technique (FAINT) seminar, and the Morgan Interview Thematic Technique (MITT) certification course. Related offerings include Post Conviction Sexual Offender Testing (PCSOT) seminars, advanced polygraph courses, and Community Safety seminars. The Academy provides proprietary tools including the ASIT PolySuite Polygraph Scoring Algorithm, Horizontal Scoring System, and Integrated Zone of Comparison Technique. Educational products include textbooks and the MITT Kit with physical materials. Training is delivered in multiple languages (English, Arabic, Spanish, Hebrew) at locations including Philadelphia, South Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. The organization has operated since 1980 and is accredited by the American Polygraph Association and International Society of Polygraph Examiners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Polygraph 101 Basic Course A comprehensive basic polygraph training course covering the history of lie detection, psychophysiology, instrumentation, multiple polygraph techniques (Reid, Backster Zone, Federal Zone, Utah Zone, Matte Quadri-Track, AFMGQT, Positive Control, Recognition Tests, Integrated Zone of Comparison Technique, and Polygraph Verification Technique), interviewing methods, question formulation, chart interpretation, deliberate distortions, supervised practicum, and legal/ethical aspects. Delivered as a 10-week academic plus 2-week post-graduate program. Targeted at law enforcement, intelligence, and security professionals seeking APA-recognized credentialing.
• Forensic Assessment Interview Technique (FAINT) Seminar A 5-day forensic interview seminar based on a technique developed by Academy researchers that assesses non-verbal behavior, projective analysis of unwitting verbal cues, forensic statement analysis, the Morgan Interview Thematic Technique, and the Integrated Interrogation Technique. Used for over 30 years worldwide by law enforcement, intelligence, security, legal, and HR communities to determine interviewee veracity.
• Morgan Interview Thematic Technique (MITT) Kit A criminal interviewing training kit based on Dr. Raymond Morgan's MITT methodology, grounded in the principle of Projection. Includes an administration manual, hardback index of sketches, and 42 black-and-white sketches. Available in English and Spanish for $99 plus $15 postage. Designed for forensic practitioners learning projective deception-detection interviewing.
• Morgan Interview Thematic Technique (MITT) Certification Seminar A 2-day certification course teaching the MITT methodology, including introduction, history, listening skills, structure and methodology, introducing MITT into criminal interviews, overcoming defensiveness, non-verbal observations, theme development, identifying deception within language structure, and practical exercises including video-taped criminal interviews covering industrial loss, arson, rape, child molestation, and homicide cases.
• Post Conviction Sexual Offender Testing (PCSOT) Seminar A 5-day seminar accredited by the American Polygraph Association covering the history of polygraph testing by the judicial system, the Containment Model, roles of the Polygraphist/Therapist/Parole-Probation professional, pre vs. post test examinations, types of polygraph examinations in PCSOT testing, and understanding sexual deviant behaviors and the abuse cycle. Targeted at corrections, probation, and parole agencies.
• Advanced Polygraph Course An advanced polygraph training course priced at $300 per seminar in Philadelphia. Offered on scheduled dates for polygraph practitioners seeking continuing education beyond the Polygraph 101 Basic curriculum.
• Advanced PCSOT Seminar An advanced Post Conviction Sexual Offender Testing seminar priced at $300 per seminar in Philadelphia. Continuation education for PCSOT-experienced practitioners.
• Community Safety / PCSOT Basic Seminar A 5-day basic seminar on community safety and post conviction sexual offender testing priced at $600 in Philadelphia, scheduled in recurring sessions.
• Forensic Assessment Interview & Interrogation Seminar A 5-day seminar covering forensic assessment interview and interrogation techniques, including FAINT methodology and Integrated Interrogation Technique. Priced at $600 in Philadelphia.
• Effective Interviewing and Interrogation Techniques (Textbook, 4th Edition) A 4th-edition practical manual by Gordon and Fleisher providing forensic practitioners and investigators insight into human behavior for detecting truthful and deceptive behavior. Includes FAINT and Integrated Interrogation Technique (IIT); expanded chapters on torture, statement analysis, MITT, interrogation, and new chapters on passenger screening and report writing. Available in English and Spanish at bookstores and Amazon.
• James Allan Matte's 'Essentials of Polygraph and Polygraph Testing' DVD An educational DVD on polygraph and polygraph testing by James Allan Matte, available through the Academy in English and Spanish.

Quantifiable outcome

• FAINT has been successfully used for over 30 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• Limestone TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationLimestone Technologies now offers the ASIT PolySuite Polygraph Scoring Algorithm, a proprietary polygraph data analysis tool developed by the Academy. This represents a product licensing/integration relationship where the Academy's technology is distributed through Limestone Technologies.
• Vidocq SocietynotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerNathan J. Gordon serves as a Director of the Vidocq Society, a professional organization of forensic experts. Mr. Gordon received the prestigious Vidocq Medal of Honor for assistance in solving a cold case homicide. William Fleisher is co-founder and Commissioner of Vidocq Society.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Backster School of Lie Detection: One of the longest-standing APA-accredited polygraph training schools in the United States. Offers comparable basic and advanced polygraph courses and competes directly with ASIT for APA-accredited cohorts in the U.S. market.
• Axciton Systems: Polygraph instrumentation manufacturer and training provider. Sells hardware and runs examiner courses that overlap with ASIT's curriculum, particularly on chart analysis and scoring techniques.
• National Polygraph Institute: APA-accredited polygraph training school offering basic and continuing education courses. Direct competitor for entry-level polygraph certification students and ACS-tested continuing education credits.
• John E. Reid and Associates: Established interview and interrogation training organization offering the Reid Technique. Overlaps with ASIT's forensic interviewing, statement analysis, and interrogation curriculum for law enforcement and corporate audiences.
• Limestone Technologies: Polygraph instrument manufacturer and software provider that distributes the ASIT PolySuite algorithm. Sells instrumentation and digital scoring tools to the same polygraph examiner market that ASIT trains, and is both a partner and adjacent competitor in scoring technology.
• Wicklander-Zwerman (WZ): Leading provider of interview and interrogation training and certification used by law enforcement, retail loss prevention, and corporate security. Competes with ASIT's FAINT and Integrated Interrogation Technique seminars for the same buyer personas.

Broad incumbents

• Paul Ekman Group: Broader emotion and deception detection training provider with global reach into corporate, law enforcement, and security audiences. Competes for deception-detection training budgets but covers a wider scope than ASIT's polygraph-centric curriculum.

Emerging players

• Behavioral Analysis Training & Consulting (BATC): Provides interview, interrogation, and statement analysis training for law enforcement. Partial overlap with ASIT's FAINT and statement analysis offerings, typically serving similar but distinct course tracks.

Others

• International Association of Forensic Psychophysiological Institutes (IAFPI): Professional association of polygraph training institutes, of which Nathan J. Gordon is past President. Functions as an accreditation/standards body and indirectly shapes competition among member schools including ASIT.

Regional players

• European Polygraph Institute: European-based polygraph training and certification body offering comparable examiner courses across European jurisdictions. Competes with ASIT's European course delivery for the same multilingual polygraph practitioner market.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-academy-for-scientific-investigative-training

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Academy for Scientific Investigative Training