Course Objectives

• Professionalisation of intelligence and security-related training. The aim is to provide demand-specific academic training to the staff of intelligence services and to those working in military intelligence.
• Meeting international training standards. Institutions outside Germany have been providing professional intelligence training at academic level for many years. The new study programme in Germany will build on their experience and approaches, thus ensuring that it meets international training standards.
• Standardisation and networking.Joint academic training forms the basis for joint standards and promotes mutual understanding between participants from various security agencies. It also facilitates the establishment of interagency networks – an important element for future cooperation.
• Expanding intelligence-specific and security-related research. Hardly any fundamental research has been carried out in German-speaking countries on intelligence and security-related subjects. With the creation of special professorships, the MISS course will scientifically examine the problems that occur in practice, thus benefitting intelligence research in general.
• Providing scientific advice to the German government and policymakers on intelligence and security-related subjects.To date, insufficient work has been undertaken in Germany to scientifically and independently examine interrelated topics in the field of intelligence. The establishment of a scientific centre of excellence for intelligence and security-related issues will therefore play an important role in providing scientific advice to the German government particularly when relevant new legislation is proposed.
• Strengthening the innovativeness of intelligence services and military intelligence.Participation of recognised experts in the scientific discourse will ensure that current scientific findings are incorporated into training and practice. At the same time, the involvement of specially qualified practitioners as guest lecturers will help to link scientific findings with on-the-job experience.
• Encouraging social discourse on intelligence subjects. The course also covers civil society issues (e.g. data protection, ethics), which will help people working in the intelligence community to become more aware of such matters.

Course Structure

The MISS programme is designed as a class-based course with a standard period of study of two years, if pursued full-time. It begins with a six-month preparatory phase containing the modules "Introduction to Intelligence and Security Studies", "Human Rights and Security" and "Digitalisation". The aim of the preparatory phase is to introduce primarily students from the Bundeswehr with no in-depth knowledge of the work of intelligence services and military intelligence to the subject and to ensure a common knowledge base.

The preparatory phase is followed by the module "Theoretical Approaches and Methods of Intelligence and Security Studies" and two core study phases, each lasting three months. The core study phases cover five main subject areas in which students learn about the role of intelligence services in the political decision-making process, various intelligence-gathering methods, the development of peace and security in a changing world, communication and leadership in intelligence services, and the requirements placed on intelligence in the information age. Following this, students choose one of four possible areas of study, in which they can deepen the knowledge and methods they have acquired with a future professional assignment in mind. The areas of study they can choose from are "Cyber Defence", "Intelligence Services and Public Security", "Counterterrorism" and "Regional Security", each of which lasts three months. This phase is followed by a Master's thesis. The courses are held in Berlin, Munich and Brühl.

Admission Requirements

In principle, graduates with initial vocational degrees in any discipline can be admitted to the course. The admission requirements are laid down in Section 3 of the examination regulations (POMISS/Ma). These are:

1. Completion of an initial vocational degree course that corresponds to at least 180 ECTS credit points (Diploma, M.A. or B.A. or equivalent German or foreign degree);
2. A Master's examination in the same area of study may not have been definitively failed;
3. Proof of knowledge of the English language at the level of SLP 3332 or of B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or a comparable language level;
4. Subject-specific ability to undertake academic work. Proof of this must be provided in the form of a degree in accordance with No. 1 (above), with a grade of 3.0 or higher. Students who have obtained a Bachelor's degree or an equivalent degree in accordance with Para. 1 no. 1 of the POMISS/Ma with the grade 3.01 to 3.49 may, upon submitting a request to the chair of the Examination Board, attend a qualification interview conducted and evaluated by a commission in order to demonstrate their suitability to pursue a specific course of study. The ability to study a specific subject can also be proven by successfully completing a selection procedure for promotion to the higher service of the Federal Administration in accordance with Section 36 of the Federal Civil Service Career Regulation or a comparable procedure for tariff employees. Further relevant regulations can be found in Section 3 para. 2 of the POMISS/Ma. Applicants with a diploma (technical college) in the subject area of intelligence, followed by at least one year's professional experience, will be awarded the 30 ECTS credit points from the preparatory phase as part of a general validation process. Their period of study is therefore reduced by half a year. The examination board will adopt an appropriate admission directive for this purpose.

Target Group and Occupational Profiles

The course is aimed at staff of the intelligence services at federal level (Federal Intelligence Service, Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, and Federal Office of Military Counter-Intelligence Service), at the level of the Länder (State Office for the Protection of the Constitution), as well as Bundeswehr military and civilian personnel (in particular from the field of military intelligence). The course is also open to the German government's administrative staff who are involved in security policy (primarily the Federal Criminal Police Office, Federal Ministry of the Interior, Federal Ministry of Defence, and the Federal Foreign Office), to employees of the police authorities of the federal government and the Länder who work in the field of state security, and to members of the parliamentary administration who are involved in parliamentary control of the intelligence services. In future, we hope that employees of security-relevant business enterprises and personnel from specific foreign agencies and armed forces will also be able to complete selected components of the course.

The occupational profiles are essentially derived from the assignments of staff members in their respective organisations and services. The Master's degree will also open up many opportunities for employment in the civilian sector in the fields of national and international security and security policy.