Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Seminar | 5 x 2 Hour Seminars |
| Lecture | 22 x 1 Hour Lectures |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | 1 x 3,000 word essay | 50% |
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours (1 x 2 hour exam) | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | 1 x 3,000 word essay, | 50% |
| Supplementary Exam | 2 Hours (1 x 2 hour exam) | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. analyse the role of intelligence in key aspects of national security policy making since 1900
2. evaluate the efficacy and morality of 'covert operations' in international politics
3. evaluate the role of espionage in the Cold War
4. assess the relationship between intelligence producers and consumers
5. demonstrate an understanding of the role of intelligence in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism campaigns
6. demonstrate an understanding of the reasons for 'intelligence failures' and to what extent lessons can be learnt from previous mistakes;
7. discuss the importance of ethics and accountability
8. evaluate the implications of the end of the Cold War for intelligence and intelligence services
9. identify the challenges facing the intelligence services in the contemporary world.
Brief description
This module will provide students with an understanding of the concepts and issues central to the academic study of intelligence. It will also provide students with the historical background to the evolution of intelligence as a factor in international relations.
Aims
The aim of this module is to give students an understanding of the central ideas and issues in the study of intelligence. This aim is achieved by studying the historical development of intelligence as a factor in international relations, and analyzing the contemporary issues that affect intelligence services in the contemporary world.
Content
2. The Origins and Structures of Intelligence
3. Intelligence before and during the Second World War
4. The Disciplines of Intelligence Collection
5. Analysis and Dissemination
6. Intelligence and Strategic Deception
7. Espionage and Counter-Espionage
8. Covert Action
9. Intelligence and Counterinsurgency
10. Producers and Consumers: Politicisation, or the Use and Abuse of Intelligence
11. Counterterrorism and Intelligence
12. Intelligence Failures and Surprise Attacks: From Pearl Harbor to 9/11
13. The Ethics of Intelligence
14. Intelligence Accountability and Oversight
15. International Intelligence Cooperation
16. Intelligence in the post-9/11 era: New Challenges and Issues
17. Conclusion
Seminars
1. Intelligence & Policy-Making
2. Intelligence in the Age of Two World Wars
3. Covert Action
4. Intelligence Failures
5. Ethics and Intelligence
Film Workshop
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | N/A |
| Communication | Students will learn how to present their ideas both verbally and orally and how to assert themselves to advantage. They will understand the importance of information and clear communication and how to exploit these. They will know how to use the many sources of information available and how to use the most appropriate form of communication to the best advantage. They will learn to be clear and direct in their aims and objectives. They will learn to consider only that which is relevant to the topic, focus and objectives of their argument or discussion. Seminars will be run in groups where oral discussion and presentations will form the main medium of teaching and the emphasis throughout the module will be on student participation and communication. Fellow students will be encouraged to question the paper-giver to critique their approach or to suggest areas for the development of the chosen topic; in turn each will discuss the contributions and ideas of the other. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | The module aims to promote self-management but within a context of assistance from both the convenor and the fellow students alike. Students will be expected to improve their own learning and performance by undertaking their own research and to exercise their own initiative, including searching for sources, compiling reading lists, and deciding (under guidance) the direction of their essay and presentation topics. The need to conduct a seminar presentation and to meet an essay deadline will focus students' attention on the need to manage their time and opportunity resources well. |
| Information Technology | Students will be expected to submit their work in word-processed format. Also, students will be encouraged to search for sources of information on the web, as well as seeking sources through electronic information sources. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | The discussions in particular will help to develop students' verbal and presentation skills. Learning about the process of planning an essay and a presentation, framing the parameters of the projects, honing and developing the projects and seeing through to completion will contribute towards their portfolio of transferable skills. |
| Problem solving | Independent project work and problem solving will be one of the central goals of the module; the submission of an essay will require that the student develop independent research skills as well as problem solving skills. The need to research and prepare seminar presentations will also enable the student to develop independent project skills. The ability of students to solve problems will be developed and assessed by asking them to: adopt differing points of view; organize data and estimate an answer to the problem; consider extreme cases; reason logically; construct theoretical models; consider similar cases; look for patterns; divide issues into smaller problems |
| Research skills | The submission of an essay will reflect the independent research skills of the student. The need to locate appropriate research resources and write up the results will also facilitate research skills. Research preparation for a role play / seminar presentation will also enable the student to develop independent project skills. A final examination will ensure that an assessment of the student's ability to work alone can be undertaken. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Students have the opportunity to develop, practice and test a wide range of subject specific skills that help them to understand, conceptualise and evaluate examples and ideas on the module. These subject specific skills include: • Collect and understand a wide range of data relating to the module • Ability to evaluate competing perspectives • Demonstrate subject specific research techniques • Apply a range of methodologies to complex political problems |
| Team work | Seminars will consist in part of small-group discussion where students will be obliged to discuss as a group the core issues related to seminar topics. Such class room debates and discussions are a vital component of the module. The role playing element is some of the seminars will also require students to work together as a team. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6