The Modern History of Intelligence, Counter-Intelligence and Spies
UndergraduateMUR-HIS2172026
Course information for 2026 intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- Subject may require attendance
- Enrol by
- 19 July 2026
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 15 weeks
- Start dates
- 27 July 2026
- Price from
- $2,176
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
The Modern History of Intelligence, Counter-Intelligence and Spies
About this subject
On successful completion of the subject you should be able to:
- Appraise the origins and historical development of intelligence services and their impact on political events.
- Explore and assess the main theoretical approaches to intelligence operations, analysis and governance.
- Critically analyse key ethical, accountability and policy dilemmas and issues raised by intelligence in liberal and illiberal states.
- Offer explanations for the issues surrounding intelligence failures and the challenges of the intelligence cycle.
- Intelligence History and the Modern Intelligence Community
- The origins of Espionage: Intelligence Agencies in the Early Twentieth Century
- Foreign Operations: Confronting the Soviets in the Interwar Years
- SIGINT in the World Wars
- Intelligence Failures and Blurred Successes: Pearl Harbour and Operation Barbarossa
- Treason and Ideology: The Cambridge Five
- Treason and Ideology: VENONA and the American Target
- The CIA and the Birth of the Modern American Intelligence Community
- The Puzzle Place: Western Intelligence in the Cold War
- Wetwork: The Ethics of Assassination and Sabotage
- Espionage in the Twenty First Century
- Intelligence History and the Problems for Historians Essay
Spying has long been a mainstay of wars and international diplomacy. This subjectexamines the development of modern intelligence gathering by exploring a range of historical events in which espionage played an important role; the evolution of signals intelligence and code-breaking; the role of special operations, covert actions and state-sponsored assassinations; the motivations and impact of spies and traitors within intelligence organisations, particularly during the Cold War; the expansion of surveillance during and beyond the War on Terror; and the broader legal, political and ethical issues that are raised when spying becomes a normalised part of international statecraft.
Please Note: All students studying at Murdoch University will need to complete the compulsory unit, Murdoch Academic Passport (MAP100), which only takes 2-3 hours to complete online. Find out more: http://goto.murdoch.edu.au/MurdochAcademicPassport.
- Engagement/participation (10%)
- Problem-solving task (20%)
- Essay (40%)
- Invigilated Exam (30%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
Others
To enrol in this subject, you must have passed a minimum of 12 credit points at 100-level.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
UndergraduateMUR-BAR-DEG
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