Intelligence and security issues have become increasingly prominent in public debates since the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001 and the launch of the war on Iraq.
This course is the longest-running non-governmental postgraduate course in the UK to offer the opportunity to study contemporary intelligence and security issues. In addition, the increasing availability of archival intelligence material in the public domain means that it is possible to place these issues within their historical context.
The course comprises of one core module and several optional modules. You can exit the course after the second semester with a -Postgraduate Diploma or progress to the Masters by completing the dissertation in semester 3.
Semester 1
Issues in Intelligence (core module - 30 credits)
This module introduces you to the theory, practice and history of secret intelligence. The module considers the nature of intelligence studies as a relatively new field of serious intellectual inquiry, and provides a suitable foundation for further study and research in the area.
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Choose one optional module, from:
Contemporary Maritime Security (30 credits)
This module aims to analyse contemporary maritime strategies and naval doctrines. You will develop a sophisticated level of knowledge and understanding about the economic and legal aspects of maritime power, the relationship between naval power and other forms of maritime activity, and the potential and dynamics of sea power in the contemporary globalised world.
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Strategic Studies (30 credits)
This module considers the complex relationship between strategy and politics, and examines the dynamics of war, nuclear deterrence, arms races, arms control, alliances and the revolution in military affairs.
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Terrorism: Threat and Response (30 credits)
You will consider the issue of terrorism and the problems for democratic states and international organisations (EU, NATO, UN) in responding to this threat. This module provides you with the analytical tools to systematically assess the phenomenon of terrorism, its increasingly international character, and varying national and international responses to the problem.
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Semester 2
Choose two optional modules from:
Security Networks, Intelligence and Internal Security (30 credits)
This module focuses on the specific issues relating to intelligence and internal security, a relatively under researched area that has assumed greater importance in recent years
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Security Studies (30 credits)
This module introduces the traditional and new approaches to defining and conceptualising security. It goes on to examine the actors and organisations involved in international security and to consider some of the most pressing issues on the broader security agenda.
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Middle East and Terrorism (30 credits)
This module offers the chance to develop an understanding of the scope and nature of terrorism as it related to the Middle East. You will develop the ability to differentiate between varying forms of terrorism in relation to the political and societal context from which they originate and the differing domestic, regional and international responses they provoke.
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Terrorism and the Media (30 credits)
This module explores the claims and evidence about the relationship between the media and terrorism. Starting from the realisation that terrorism is, essentially, communication and that the media are the battleground for the spreading of both terrorist messages and for the implementation of anti-terrorist measures, the module addresses the complex interaction among policymakers, media, terrorists, and the public in an international comparative perspective.
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Please note that the above list may be subject to change as the availability of optional modules varies each year.
If you do not wish to continue onto the dissertation project you can be awarded the Postgraduate Diploma if leaving the course at this stage.
Semester 3
Students who successfully complete the taught component of the programme may then proceed to the dissertation.
Dissertation(60 credits)
You will research and write a 12,000 word dissertation on a topic of your choice in the field of intelligence and security.
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For the Part Time Study Option:
Year 1 Semester 1
- Issues in Intelligence (core module)(30 Credits)
Year 1, Semester 2 (one core module)
Choose one from:
- Contemporary Maritime Security (30 Credits)
- Strategic Studies (30 Credits)
- Terrorism: Threat and Response (30 Credits)
Year 2, Semester 1 and 2
Choose two, one for semester 1 and one for semester 2:
- Security Networks, Intelligence and Internal Security (30 Credits)
- Security Studies (30 Credits)
- Middle East and Terrorism (30 Credits)
- Terrorism and the Media (30 Credits)
Year 3, Semester 1 and 2
- Dissertation (60 Credits)
