War, Strategy and Intelligence (Research Training)

The MA War, Strategy and Intelligence degree at Aberystwyth University will provide you with the necessary conceptual and empirical tools and knowledge to understand, debate and critique the interconnected phenomena of War, Strategy and Intelligence.

The question of war has been at the heart of the human experience since the beginning of political communities and remains an enduring feature of the international system. Understanding the causes and consequences of war is a complex task that requires an interdisciplinary approach. Throughout the course, you will engage with a diversity of fields from the social sciences and humanities to understand the phenomenon of war and the perennial quest for security that characterises international relations. As you explore fields such as military history, security, intelligence, strategic studies, and international relations, you will develop the knowledge and analytical instruments needed to understand the concepts of war and warfare, the various strategies used to wage it and the intelligence apparatuses that inform those strategies.

From Sun Tzu to ‘Shock ‘n’ Awe’ this degree develops your conceptual and empirical understanding of the use of force in international relations. In the 21st century, with the initial post-Cold War hopes for a ‘New World Order’ having faded, fears of major regional and even global wars are growing. This degree examines the most pressing strategic issues facing the world today and analyses the evolving nature of war and conflict from traditional great power competition to modern forms of hybrid warfare. Renewed friction between Russia and the West, escalating tensions in the Middle East and South Asia, growing Chinese military assertiveness, and ongoing intra-state violent conflicts around the world demonstrate the continuing need for an in-depth and critical understanding of the dynamics of war, strategy and intelligence.

Contact Time During the first two semesters you will normally take one two-hour seminar per module per week. You will also have contact with academic staff through participation in research groups, attendance in departmental research seminars and masters workshops and through staff office hours (two one hour sessions per week). There will also be additional sessions working towards developing your master’s dissertation. During semester three you will arrange your level of contact time with your assigned supervisor.

How will I be taught? During the first two semesters (September to May), you will normally take one two-hour seminar per module per week. You will also have contact with academic staff through participation in research groups, attendance at departmental research seminars and Masters workshops and through staff office hours (two one-hour sessions per week). There will also be additional sessions working towards developing your dissertation. During semester three you will arrange your level of contact time with your assigned dissertation supervisor.

What will I learn? Core modules on this course include Warfare in the Twenty-First Century and the Dissertation. You will also choose from a range of optional modules, which currently include: • Thoughts of War • Intelligence, Security and International Relations • British Counterinsurgency in the 20th Century • Critical Security Studies: Emerging Issues • Power and Post-war Reconstruction • Russia at War since 1812 • War and Peace in the Middle East.

You will study a suite of research training modules in place of some optional modules