Intelligence and security policy issues are one of the fastest growing areas of academic and public concern. More than ever before, national governments, international agencies and international corporations need employees with a strong grasp of intelligence and security concerns who can also demonstrate first-rate skills of research and assessment.

Intelligence and Security Studies at Brunel offers you a unique opportunity for practical, policy oriented graduate study of intelligence issues across the private and public sectors around the world.

As part of the course, you’ll study a range of modules on campus over one year full-time or two years part-time, including participation in the Brunel Simulated Intelligence Analysis Exercise (BASE) on a real-world subject. The MA will allow you to demonstrate your ability to complete a substantial piece of intelligence and securities research through a dissertation project.

Highly committed and enthusiastic tutors combine broad-ranging expertise in areas such as cryptography, computer networking, imagery, intelligence analysis, economics and law, with the knowledge, skills and understanding to develop your academic and professional potential.

You will be taught by one of the UK’s most innovative scholars in intelligence and security studies: an expert on covert action and military intelligence doctrine, a specialist in structured analytic techniques and a former senior military imagery analyst.

Entry Requirements

Are you eligible to apply?

Course Content

Intelligence and Securities Studies MA is structured around a core of compulsory modules and one optional choice, plus a dissertation in a subject of your choice.

Teaching and Learning

You will learn in lectures, seminars and directed reading. In the Case Studies module, you will prepare a detailed case study for presentation in a seminar environment for review by your peers.

Additionally, the Brunel Analytical Simulation Exercise centres around group work on joint all-source intelligence assessment modelled on the actual joint assessment processes used by the US and UK governments.

Intelligence and Security Studies Dissertation

The aim of this module is to bring perspectives derived from the taught modules to bear on an issue of significant research interest to the student in intelligence and security studies using research methods introduced through the Case Study and Simulation modules. Students will develop and undertake a detailed and rigorous piece of research on an intelligence and security studies topic.

Intelligence History: Failure and Success

This module will introduce students to the study of Intelligence and Security issues in policy-oriented context through the medium of history. It will provide a critical historical background on the practice of intelligence from ancient times onwards, with particular attention to the impact of intelligence and security agencies on major international and national events since 1939.

Contemporary Threats and Analytical Methodology

This module will introduce students to the role of intelligence in assessing and countering the principal threats to national security in the 21st century, as well as ntroducing students to forecasting and estimative methodologies.

Intelligence Concepts, Issues and Institutions

Careers

large banks conducting market analysis
large oil-industry firms
large consultancies such as McKinsey & Co
specialist private analysis firms such as MS Risk and cyber security firm Digital Shadows