Strand Campus
Strand Campus sits along the Thames at London's cultural heart. Alongside world-class teaching spaces, students enjoy access to the pedestrianised Strand Quad, with Somerset House and iconic landmarks just steps away.
Overview
The Intelligence & International Security MA offers students an in-depth, unique perspective on intelligence and its role in statecraft. Students will examine the nature of intelligence, the practice and process of intelligence agencies, and the interaction between intelligence agencies, the wider machinery of government, and society. Building upon a foundation of historical research and practical experience, the programme uses a multidisciplinary perspective to explore the issues and trends that continue to shape intelligence and international security in the 21st century.
This MA programme offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the nature and mechanics of intelligence, from a global perspective. It delves into the practical matters that concern intelligence officers and organisations as they go about their business, and the challenges national governments face in collecting and utilising intelligence and managing their intelligence machineries. Students will also consider the ethical issues that concern all aspects of intelligence operations.
Students on our MA experience an exceptionally stimulating environment. The compulsory module, Intelligence in Peace and War, offers a broad, authoritative perspective on the evolution and practice of intelligence, and it is complemented by more specialised optional modules. This offers students the opportunity to study both the general contours of intelligence and its role in domestic and international security, and more specific elements of intelligence and security operations.
Key benefits
- Gain an in-depth understanding of the nature of intelligence, intelligence processes, case studies of systems, success, and failure, and examine how intelligence has and continued to impact on national and international security.
- Develop core transferable skills, including the study of effective intelligence analysis, as well as communication, evaluation and analytical skills, interpersonal cooperation and writing opportunities, bias identification, and critical reading and thinking.
- Explore a wide variety of perspectives on the practice and study of intelligence through a diverse range of teaching approaches, including lectures, workshops, games and exercises.
- The Department hosts one of the largest groups of academics focused on intelligence and security anywhere in the world. You will be taught by world-leading experts in their fields who not only engage in academic work and research, but also undertake a wide variety of advisory roles to national governments and non-governmental organisations.
- The Department offers a varied list of interdisciplinary optional modules (approx. 35-45) that are open to students on all residential MA programmes. This provides an opportunity to focus or broaden your MA studies as you wish. (Please note that due to the large number of optional modules we offer, the spaces on any particular module are limited). See ‘Teaching & Modules’ tab for more information.
- Supplementing the academic programme are lectures and masterclasses given by our Visiting Professors, senior practitioners and leaders in the field, who share with students their unique experiences and perspectives on intelligence and its role in statecraft.
- You have the advantage of attending a variety of events run by the King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence (KCSI) which provide a platform and hub for bringing intelligence scholars together to share ideas.
- This MA is excellent preparation for employment in government service or in commercial risk management and open-source intelligence providers.
- Students from this programme have gone on to work in a very wide variety of roles, including working for national governments, international governmental and non-governmental organisations, with the armed forces, or as investigative journalists, think tank researchers, and security consultants.
Studying for my MA in the War Studies Department at King’s College London, proved to be both challenging and rewarding, with professors and the university providing tailored teaching for every student.
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