Master of Arts (Intelligence Analysis)

What is this course about?

CSU's Intelligence Analysis program is intended to provide intelligence professionals, whether they are in law enforcement, national security, public or private sectors with the opportunity to undertake studies at postgraduate level in the area of intelligence through CSU's Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security (AGSPS).

These courses are designed particularly to meet the growing needs of the public and private sectors that increasingly require effective intelligence analysis to support decision-making in a rapidly changing security environment. The subjects in the course cover a range of areas relevant to promoting sound industry relevant practice in the intelligence office.

Specific areas include but are not limited to the following; an understanding of criminology and criminal justice, strategic, operational and tactical intelligence theory and practice, crime analysis, critical thinking, analytical tools and tradecraft, contemporary professional debates, advanced research skills, imagery and geo-spatial intelligence, risk management and national security issues.

Master of Arts (Intelligence Analysis)
The Master of Arts aims to produce graduates capable of successfully completing a research dissertation or a special studies project which results in a distinct contribution to knowledge in the intelligence field. Students can also choose free electives at Master level from either the terrorism safety and security, leadership, investigations, fraud and financial crime prevention, emergency management or anti-money laundering / counter terrorism financing programs.

This course articulates with the Graduate Diploma of Intelligence Analysis and normally students would complete these subjects first before moving on to complete the Master of Arts (Intelligence Analysis).

Graduate Diploma of Intelligence Analysis
The Graduate Diploma offers students the opportunity to further specialise in various aspects of intelligence practice, including intelligence management, national security intelligence, strategic intelligence and imagery and geo-spatial intelligence. Students can also select electives relevant to their course including fraud and leadership, management and counter-terrorism.

Graduate Certificate in Intelligence Analysis
The Graduate Certificate is suitable for current and future intelligence practitioners and provides them with a theoretical and practical foundation with a best practice approach to intelligence. This course is primarily focused on those currently or wishing to work as analysts in either the national security, law enforcement, regulatory and private sector contexts. Students will study topics with a focus on foundation principles of intelligence, intelligence and analytics and operational intelligence. This course can be completed in one year of full-time study.

Academic expectations

For each 8 point subject at CSU, students should normally expect to spend between 140-160 hours engaged in the specified learning and assessment activities (such as attending lectures or residential schools, assigned readings, tutorial assistance, individual or group research/study, forum activity, workplace learning, assignments or examinations). The student workload for some subjects may vary from these norms as a result of approved course design.

Students will be assessed on the basis of completed assignments, examinations, workplace learning, or other methods as outlined in specific subject outlines.

Where applicable, students are responsible for travel and accommodation costs involved in workplace learning experiences, or attending residential schools (distance education students).

Expectations relating to academic, workplace learning, time and cost requirements for specific subjects are provided in the subject abstracts and in course materials.