Centre for Intelligence and International Security Studies
Paul Maddrell
The study of intelligence is now a firmly-established part of the modern and contemporary history curriculum in the United Kingdom and, as the data below indicates, it is currently in a growth phase. This data, which has been placed in tabular form, focuses on history and politics departments, but it should be remembered that there are students at many law departments (for example, that of Newcastle University, where Rhiannon Talbot teaches) studying the tension between wide security-related powers and civil liberties. The study of intelligence by historians has been developing over the last thirty years or so and is concentrated at, though not limited to, the fourteen British universities listed below. Archival releases of government records showing the importance of intelligence to domestic and imperial policy, the making of foreign policy and of war have greatly encouraged historians’ interest in it. The greater openness of intelligence issues has attracted more interest on the part of political scientists.
Strong efforts are now being made to develop the study of intelligence further. Birmingham University, under the influence of Scott Lucas, is soon to establish an Institute of Foreign Policy, Media and Culture, which will, among other things, study the role of intelligence in the making of foreign policy. The projected launch date is March 2004. Philip Murphy, at Reading University’s School of History, is trying to establish a multi-disciplinary centre on intelligence; he is also planning to introduce a seminar series on the subject. King’s London’s War Studies Department recently introduced an MA degree in Intelligence and International Security; in 2004-5 it will expand its provision of teaching at undergraduate level. St. Andrew’s also plans to expand its undergraduate teaching, introducing a course next academic year as well. Brunel’s School of International Studies will probably introduce an MA degree in Security and Intelligence Studies next academic year. Teaching of intelligence covers a wide thematic, temporal and geographical range. There is currently a substantial body of students – undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral – engaged in the study of intelligence. Courses on the subject are consistently popular with students. For example, Christopher Andrew’s course at Cambridge University on the history of intelligence and security since 1900 is consistently the most popular third-year undergraduate course. Anthony Glees puts the fact that Brunel students recently voted him “the most interesting lecturer in the School” down to the fact that they were fascinated by the Stasi. Erich Mielke lives on! Lastly, there is a growing body of full-time research-active teaching staff working in the field. This British expertise has a strong reputation internationally. More of Christopher Andrew’s research students come from North America than any other part of the world. Two-thirds of the students taking the MSc courses in intelligence at Aberystwyth last year were non-British.
Where and how it is taught
Some universities offer undergraduate or postgraduate courses specifically on intelligence and security. They are: the University of Wales, Aberystwyth (Department of History and Welsh History and Department of International Politics); King’s College London (Departments of War Studies and Defence Studies); Salford University (Politics and Contemporary History Subject Group); Birmingham University (School of American and Canadian Studies); Cambridge University (History Faculty); Edinburgh University (School of History and Classics); Queen Mary University of London (Department of History); Liverpool John Moores University (School of Social Science); Nottingham University (School of Politics); Reading University (School of History); and Sheffield University (Department of History). The first four listed (UWA, King’s London, Salford and Birmingham) even offer MA degree programmes in intelligence. UWA also offers an undergraduate degree programme in International Politics and Intelligence Studies.
Other universities offer teaching on intelligence as part of courses on international history or security and as part of their PhD supervision. Examples are: Brunel University (School of International Studies); the London School of Economics (Department of International History); and St. Andrews University (Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence). Other universities do the same, of course; these institutions are listed because they have a strong research profile in intelligence.
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KEY: A: Institution; B: Whether an undergraduate course on intelligence (or with large such component) is offered + average number of students on this course; C: Whether a Master’s course on intelligence (or with a large such component) is offered + average number of students on this course; D: Number of PhD students researching intelligence topic; E: Number of staff researching intelligence |
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A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
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School of American and Canadian Studies, Birmingham University
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Yes. One second-year course on the CIA is run (30 students), and one third-year course on the CIA and US Foreign Policy-making (15 students). |
Yes. MA intelligence courses compulsory on MA degree in US Foreign Policy & US Intelligence Services (6-10 students every year); optional on another MA degree (in Transatlantic Studies). |
7 current PhD students working on intelligence topics. Some PhD students previously did the MA degree in US Foreign Policy & US Intelligence Services. |
2 (Prof. Scott Lucas and Dr. Stephen Hewitt); plus 3 further staff members who do some research in the intelligence field. |
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School of International Studies, Brunel University
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No. Intelligence is taught as part of broader historical courses. |
No, but an MA in Security and Intelligence Studies is under development. Likely to be run from 2004-5. |
Occasionally such students appear, but not consistently enough to yield an average figure. |
2 (Professor Anthony Glees and Dr Philip Davies) |
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Faculty of History and Centre of International Studies, Cambridge University
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Yes. Some 50-60 every year take a third-year course on ‘The Growth of the Secret World’. Some 10-12 go on to take an M. Phil at Cambridge; some of these go on to do PhDs on intelligence topics there. |
No. Intelligence is taught as part of broader historical courses & M. Phil students do dissertations on intelligence topics (18 this year). |
Currently, 11 PhD students across all years – therefore, an annual intake of about 3.
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1 (Prof. Christopher Andrew) |
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School of History and Classics, Edinburgh University
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Yes (2 such courses, 1 on US Intelligence and 1 on British, each taking 20 students). Courses are sometimes repeated within the same year.
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Yes. Students can study the subject as
part of the MSc degrees in History and Second World War
Studies. |
Currently about 9 in all (an intake of about 3 a year). |
2 (Profs. Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones and David Stafford) |
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Department of Defence Studies, King’s College London
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Not applicable. |
Yes. Very brief courses are offered to some 20 students every year as part of command courses. 4-5 students write dissertations on intelligence topics. |
Not applicable. |
2 (Drs. Sheila Kerr and Christina Goulter) |
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Department of War Studies, King’s College London
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Yes. There is a third-year intelligence course, which recruits 15-20 students. In the academic year 2004-5 a compulsory second-year course on intelligence will be introduced; it will be taken by some 65 students. |
Yes. Indeed, there is a full MA programme in Intelligence and International Security; 25 students in 2003-4. |
7 PhD students currently working on intelligence topics. |
2 (Drs. Michael Smith and Joseph Maiolo), plus 2 more who make incursions into the field. |
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School of Social Science, Liverpool John Moores University
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Yes. A third-year course on security intelligence, regularly taken by 40 students. |
Yes. Students taking the MA in European Studies can take a course on European Security which has a significant intelligence component (15 students every year). |
No such PhD students so far. |
1 (Prof. Peter Gill) |
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Department of International History, London School of Economics
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No. Intelligence is taught as part of broader historical courses. |
No. Intelligence is again taught as part of broader historical courses. |
1-2 every year, so currently some 6 in all. |
2 (Drs. Alan Sked and Antony Best) |
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Department of History, Queen Mary University of London
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Yes. 6-10 students take a third-year course on ‘The Secret State’. |
No. Intelligence is taught as part of broader historical courses. |
4-6 on average at any particular time (so 1-2 per year). |
1 (Professor Peter Hennessy) |
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School of Politics, University of Nottingham
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Yes. 1 third-year course which recruits 40 students a year. |
No. Intelligence is taught as part of broader historical courses. |
3 currently working on intelligence topics there; 1 is shortly to start (1 per year on average). |
3 (Prof. Richard Aldrich, Drs. Neville Wylie and Gary Rawnsley) |
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School of History, Reading University
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Yes. 1 third-year course on the history of MI5 (15 students per year). |
No. |
2 PhD students recently in the School working on intelligence topics, but there is no regular stream. |
1 (Dr Philip Murphy) |
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Politics and Contemporary History Subject
Group, Salford University
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Yes. Courses are run for second- and third-year undergraduates which respectively recruit approx. 60 and 30-35 students. |
Yes: a number of courses on intelligence, currently recruiting about 20 students. There is also a Master’s degree programme in International History and Intelligence. |
3 currently in the Subject Group. |
2 (Dr Larry Valero and Mr Edward Harrison) |
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Department of History, Sheffield University
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Yes. 3 courses with a large intelligence component, recruiting some 60 students in all. |
No. Intelligence is taught as part of broader historical courses. |
2 currently in the Department. |
2 (Drs. Richard Thurlow and Hugh Wilford) |
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Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, School of International Relations, St. Andrews University |
No, though a course on intelligence for third- and fourth years will be taught from 2004-5. |
No. Intelligence is taught as a significant part of courses on terrorism and security. Much intelligence literature is used in MA and PhD programmes |
Currently 8 PhD students are researching into topics with a significant intelligence dimension. |
3 (Profs. Paul Wilkinson and William Walker and Dr. Magnus Ranstorp, researching into intelligence as a major theme in security studies). |
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Department of International Politics, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
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Yes: 4 (3 third-level courses: one an overview course, one on the Cuban Missile Crisis and one on US Intelligence. Also a first-level course on War, Strategy and Intelligence). Such undergraduate courses can recruit up to 130 students. |
Yes: 2. They recruit 15-20 students a year. 3 MSc degree programmes with a large intelligence component. |
2 or 3 in Department at any particular time. |
5 (Profs. Martin Alexander and Len Scott, Drs. Peter Jackson, R. Gerald Hughes and Paul Maddrell). |
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Totals |
961-1,005 minimum |
121-131 minimum |
61-65 (approx. 21 every year) minimum |
33 minimum |
UK email contact addresses for academic intelligence studies
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Richard Aldrich |
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Martin Alexander |
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Christopher Andrew |
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Antony Best |
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Jonathan Colman |
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Douglas Ford |
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Pete Gill |
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Anthony Glees |
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Christina Goulter |
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Ted Harrison |
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Peter Hennessy |
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Michael Herman |
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R. Gerald Hughes |
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Peter Jackson |
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Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones |
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Sheila Kerr |
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Scott Lucas |
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Paul Maddrell |
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Joe Maiolo |
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Philip Murphy |
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Magnus Ranstorp |
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Gary Rawnsley |
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Len Scott |
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Alan Sked |
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Rhiannon Talbot |
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Richard Thurlow |
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Larry Valero |
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Hugh Wilford |
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Paul Wilkinson |
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Neville Wylie |