Since the end of the Cold War, and particularly after the 9/11 attacks, intelligence has become increasingly important to governments and other entities trying to deal with a growing number of traditional and non-traditional threats: terrorism, international crime, pandemics, natural disasters, climate change, food security and competition for natural resources. But intelligence can only assist if it is properly understood and used effectively. Thus, the study of intelligence has now become an important component in the fields of security policy, international relations and politics. This module addresses some of the central questions about intelligence such as: what is intelligence? How is it managed, controlled and held accountable? Is the Intelligence Cycle valid? How can intelligence be used to reduce risk and uncertainty? What are its limitations? As a case study this module will use the Edward Snowden leaks to examine what they revealed about the conduct of intelligence and how they, in turn, affected it.

This module is divided into two sections. In the first section you’ll look at the main methods by which intelligence is collected – open sources, human sources, and signals intelligence – to understand the capabilities and limitations of each. This section introduces the concept of ‘big data’ and examines the challenges and opportunities for intelligence when agencies are presented with the vast amounts of information now available through the use of technology. In the second section you’ll study the various methodologies of intelligence analysis, including structured analytical techniques and hypothesis generation, to develop a critical understanding of their relative strengths and weaknesses. This section also covers predictive analysis and forecasting, both of which are key elements of intelligence products. You’ll also examine the crucial relationship between analysts and decision makers, and consider the question of ‘politicisation’ of intelligence.

It is often said that victory is the result of good planning, while defeat is the result of poor intelligence. Given that intelligence failure can be catastrophic, the single most important question regarding intelligence is how to prevent failure from occurring. In this module you’ll examine the concept of intelligence failure in detail, first by analysing the theories that seek to explain failure, and then by studying specific cases from national security and police intelligence to consider the utility of these different theoretical approaches. Finally, the module will examine the lessons learned from these cases to see how failure can either be avoided, or its risk mitigated.

Intelligence, by necessity, operates under a veil of secrecy and often seems to be a moral and ethical grey area. This module will examine questions of ethics in intelligence, drawing on Just War Theory and other philosophical perspectives to facilitate discussion of this dimension of intelligence practice. It will draw on cases from national security and police intelligence such as interrogation, electronic surveillance, and undercover policing.

The dissertation provides an opportunity for you to develop a specific subject and specialist knowledge, which means that your research has to be on a topic that fits with your degree title. It is is broken down into four stages, each of which follows a taught module. Each stage develops skills that will help you to write your dissertation. You are also assigned to a Dissertation Supervisor after completion of Stage 2 and the submission of the dissertation proposal.
The four stages of the dissertation module are as follows:

• Dissertation part 1: This stage of the dissertation module introduces you to independent research, a key skill of postgraduate study. It explores how a research question is chosen and develops the skills needed to begin an extended research project.
• Dissertation part 2: In this stage of the module you’ll look at example dissertation proposals and revisit the topic selected in Part One before moving on to develop an outline of your own research project and discussing the ethical implications of research. This module will culminate in you submitting a dissertation proposal.
• Dissertation part 3: Here you’ll look in detail at literature reviews and how they can be used to further understanding of the research topic. This module will be an opportunity for you to develop your own literature reviews as a starting point for writing up the dissertation.
• Dissertation part 4: This final stage of the dissertation module is designed to help you through the writing up stage. It encourages you to revisit the research question and brings together all the skills learnt on the previous stages. The module provides an open forum for you to discuss your work with peers, and finishes with submitting the dissertation.