MA INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY STUDIES
Intelligence and security-related issues have never been more prevalent. With terrorist attacks frequently occurring throughout Europe, the US and the Middle East, governments are working harder than ever to keep people safe. Our MA Intelligence and Security Studies is the longest running nongovernmental postgraduate course in the field and will give you the skills to make a difference in the sector.
You will:
/ Learn from a team of academics who are recognised and published experts in the field
/ Study current, real-world events of international significance and importance
/ Gain the knowledge and transferable skills desired by employers in the intelligence and security sector
/ Have the opportunity to engage with the sector through research projects and guest speakers
WHAT OUR STUDENTS GET UP TO
We have a partnership with Grey Dynamics, a private intelligence firm which offers apolitical analysis on security, geopolitics, defence and espionage. Our students engage with their analysis during the course and are eligible for participation in the Greys Dynamics’ internship programme.
Throughout the course, we invite guest speakers from government departments and private organisations to share their experiences and offer advice about pursing a career in the field. The programme includes an innovative module, Hacking for the Ministry of Defence, in which our students engage with real-world security issues over a 10-week period, working with a relevant government sponsor before presenting their research back to their sponsor.
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Scan the QR to find out what our students gained from this experience
“The lecturers were as well informed with the historical and contemporary aspects of the field as they were approachable to students.”
Mark Soares
MA INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY STUDIES
MEET YOUR PROGRAMME LEADER: DR CHRISTOPHER J. MURPHY
Dr Christopher J. Murphy has been a Lecturer, and more recently a Senior Lecturer, in Intelligence Studies at Salford since 2006. Before this, he was a Leverhulme Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Contemporary British History at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London.
“I am particularly interested in the history of the British intelligence community, from the origins of the Security Service (MI5) and the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS or MI6) from 1909 to the present day. Some of my recent publications include:
‘Dramatising intelligence history on the BBC: the Camp 020 affair’, Intelligence and National Security 34(5) (2019), pp.688-702.
(with Dr Dan Lomas) Intelligence and Espionage: Secrets and Spies (Oxon: Routledge, 2019).”
MODULES YOU WILL STUDY
/ Issues in Intelligence
/ Intelligence and Conflict
/ The Secret State
/ Middle East and Terrorism
/ Security and Strategic Studies
/ Contemporary Security, Intelligence and Terrorism Studies
/ Dissertation
WHAT OUR GRADUATES GO ON TO ACHIEVE
Some of our graduates decide to continue with further study and complete a PhD in a relevant field.
Other students go on to have very successful careers within government agencies and private organisations, from the armed forces and police force to the civil service and international organisations. Due to the highly classified nature of their careers, we can’t name specific roles or organisations.
TO MAKE AN APPLICATION
You will need to meet our entry requirements:
/ A second-class honours degree, 2.2 or above in social sciences or humanities, preferably in history, politics or international relations
/ An IELTS score of 6.5, with no element below 5.5
/ If required, provide an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate
/ A personal statement
Employers within the field are looking for a diverse range of talent from different backgrounds. If you come from a background beyond history, politics or international relations, within your personal statement we recommend that you explain why specifically you are interested in this area and demonstrate an understanding of some of the contemporary issues within the field.
Apply now
