Counterintelligence Nat'l Se

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Counterintelligence and National Security The faculty for this new seminar is in a VERY high-level Intel position! Counterintelligence and National Security is an upper class seminar which explores the theory and practice of counterintelligence as a part of U.S. national security. Taught from a practitioner’s perspective, the course begins with the fundamental question of why nations conduct intelligence activity, continuing into an exploration of both the various foreign intelligence services targeting the U.S. and, using real world examples, the range of intelligence activity they employ, including traditional intelligence collection, economic espionage, and disinformation. While the course touches on the historical evolution of intelligence and counterintelligence, the bulk of the coursework focuses on the post-Cold War international security environment. While not required, prior course work in international security theory and the structure and implementation of U.S. national security policy is preferred. The course includes a moderate amount of reading relating to both historical and current counterintelligence case studies. The course and graded material are designed to expose students to the type of issues and work they would be expected to perform as entry level professional employees within the U.S. intelligence community. Students will be expected to participate in class discussion, research leading to an individual in-class briefing of a current counterintelligence topic, and a final exam.