This International Politics and Intelligence Studies degree scheme combines a general approach to the study of International Politics with a specific focus on the nature and role of Intelligence. In the first year of your International Politics and Intelligence Studies degree, you will be introduced to some of the key ideas, debates and issues in the field of International Politics, and the sub-fields of Strategic Studies and Intelligence Studies. These are then developed in a series of core Honours modules in the second and third year. Students on the International Politics and Intelligence Studies degree are provided with the means to analyse complex issues of International Politics from a variety of perspectives and approaches.
Intelligence gathering is how governments find out what others are doing. It is the secret world of spies, espionage, and code breaking. It is also a world of controversy. How is intelligence collected? Who has access to intelligence? How are governments influenced by intelligence? How can intelligence gathering be balanced against civil liberties? These questions and others are central to intelligence activities and the war on terror; they are also central to intelligence when viewed from a longer historical perspective. This unique degree scheme studies not only the history of intelligence and its contemporary uses; it also focuses on the efficacy and morality of 'covert operations'.
International Politics and Intelligence Studies degree structure
Year 1
In the first year of your International Politics and Intelligence Studies degree, you will take the following core modules, which are the foundation for all your further studies
- Introduction To International Politics
- Revolution And Continuity In Political Philosophy
- World Politics In The Age Of The Two World Wars
- War, Strategy And Intelligence
- Introduction To The Third World In International Politics
- Politics In Europe
Years 2+3
During either your second or third year students of International Politics and Intelligence Studies are required to take the core module for their degree scheme. In the case of International Politics and Intelligence Studies this is:
- Intelligence and International Security
Other modules primarily dedicated to the study of intelligence include:
- The Cuban Missile Crisis
- The Past And Present of US Intelligence
- A History of British Intelligence
In your final year you will complete a 12,000-word dissertation on a topic related to your particular interests. In addition to these core elements, Single Honours students take up to nine optional modules from the Department of International Politics over years two and three.