Intelligence and Security Studies PhD

About the course

Research students are welcomed to Brunel as valued members of our thriving, research-intensive community. A research degree provides the opportunity to investigate a topic in depth, and contribute new knowledge to your discipline.

Research profile

The Brunel's Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies Team conduct research in most areas connected with intelligence organisation, management, and analysis. Members of BCISS from other departments contribute to research in fields such as law (which governs the intelligence enterprise in Britain and other democratic states), engineering (which builds the tools used for collection) and cryptography (which protects our secrets). Within the Politics and History team at BCISS, expertise

Political sociology as it applies to institution-building and organisational design of intelligence agencies and communities
Theories of ‘intelligence culture’ and the practice of intelligence around the world
Military doctrine of intelligence, with a focus on UK practices
Analytical methods: the tools and practices of intelligence analysts
Intelligence history: how states have organised and practiced intelligence in the period since the bureaucratisation of intelligence, and earlier

We especially welcome research students working in the broad fields of intelligence and security studies, wishing to undertake advanced research projects on intelligence policy. Research students are members of the research team, working on major policy and consultancy projects, and are centrally involved in all of theresearch activities in this area at home and abroad. Research students also participate in the Analytical Simulation Exercise in the University's second term. We provide students with full access to our resources and networks of contacts in support of their research and longer-term career plans, and actively encourages researchers to publish their work in academic and professional spheres.

Course content

Research degrees evolve in different ways according to discipline.

Employability
Careers and your future

Paid work available to research students
Undertaking teaching and learning support duties represents an important professional and career development opportunity for postgraduate research students. Brunel offers two levels of paid work available to Postgraduate Research students. The first level post is as a Demonstrator and the second level post is as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA). Teaching and learning support duties will vary between Departments and research students should not rely on such opportunities being available.