Course Description
How the Central Intelligence Agency and other agencies gather and assess information, how this information is used by policymakers, the role of such agencies in clandestine operations, and the safeguards against the abuse of this secret power.
Athena Title
Strategic Intelligence
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in INTL 4440H
Prerequisite
INTL 3200 or INTL 3200E or INTL 3300
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course will examine the structure and function of secret agencies in the United States and other nations. With respect to the United States, it will explore the purpose and the effectiveness of such agencies as the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Security Agency. The course will look at intelligence collection and analysis, counterintelligence, and covert action (including paramilitary operations), with a concentration on the period since 1947. The course will be a blend of theory, empirical research findings, ethical evaluations, and concrete case studies. Each student will be expected to take a mid-term examination and final examination (each respectively worth 25 percent of the student's grade in the course), write a research paper (25 percent), and participate actively in classroom discussions (25 percent). Half of the material covered in the exams will come from the reading and half from lecture.
Topical Outline
The Theory of Intelligence The Organization of Intelligence The Intelligence Cycle: from Collection to Dissemination Counterintelligence Covert Action Intelligence and Accountability Comparative Intelligence The Future of Intelligence
Syllabus