Learning and teaching
The way we teach this programme is unique. Our aim is not just to expand your theoretical knowledge but to develop practical skills in strategic planning and thinking which you will be able to apply later in your professional life. You will experience strategy in action by participating in crisis simulations, undertaking fieldtrips to post-conflict zones including the Balkans, visiting and interacting with think-tanks and policymakers, and analysing and presenting case studies. You will work in teams to track and assess contemporary security problems, such as the Iran nuclear issue, and at key points will be required to construct policy advice considering strategic options and implications.
Policy development and crisis management simulations
We draw heavily on the types of simulation techniques used to develop and test strategic concepts. In exercises based on actual events in global politics but with an added futures dimension, you’ll be assigned roles and play key figures such as the Secretary General of the United Nations, the Chief Operations Officer of a major NGO, a national ambassador, a military force commander and so on. Working in teams of allies, you will define and work towards implementing your strategic aims.
These will be high tempo exercises in which the emphasis will be on strategic decision-making and developing practical skills such as chairing meetings and running video conferences in a way which achieves a clear outcome. The simulations will be structured so that learning from the real events (facilitated by those who took part) will be blended with ‘alternative futures’ in which skills such as Red Teaming and Scenario Planning will be explored. You’ll not only be assessed on your performance during the simulation but on a relevant portfolio of work including press reports, ministerial briefings and research papers such as intelligence assessments. Simulations will take place at the University of Exeter and the Headquarters of the NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps and will involve practitioners from the UK and overseas.
Block teaching
The full-time MA is delivered in intensive blocks of teaching over three semesters. This approach is necessary for running effective crisis simulations, but also enables you to benefit from much higher levels of contact with teaching staff compared with other Masters-level programmes and a strong ethic of collaboration and teamwork with your fellow students. You will be required to attend three periods of study, one in each semester, at our Streatham Campus. Each will include a number of field trips, either to London, elsewhere in the UK or overseas. The MA starts with a specialist induction and a crisis management simulation, which will introduce some of the main concepts and skills while bringing students and teaching staff together as a team. See the outline timetable for more information. Our approach is to team first-class academics with practitioners who can share their experience but in a way that stimulates your own ideas. The programme will be supplemented with short-notice events and working suppers.
Field trips
The programme involves a number of field trips within the UK and overseas. International trips include a two day visit to battle sites in Europe such as the Somme where you’ll come face to face with the moral, ethical and human dimensions of strategic decision making. You’ll also visit an international organization involved in strategic security such as NATO where you’ll meet policymakers and other professionals dealing with similar issues. Your main field trip will involve five days in the Balkans to develop your understanding of how strategy works in practice and what lessons can be learned from conflict and post conflict situations.
Conferences
You will take part in two research events at RUSI. During the second semester, you will have the opportunity to discuss the material covered in earlier core modules and hear the latest strategic thinking from academics, policymakers and practitioners at a one day event in Whitehall. During the following semester you will have the opportunity to present your Crisis Watch work in groups and submit a short research paper on a related security topic at a conference held jointly with RUSI and the University of Exeter Strategy and Security Institute. The best conference papers will be included in a composite conference report along contributions from researchers and keynote speakers.
Case studies
We will use case studies as a device to investigate strategy. You’ll examine a series of case studies to identify recurring themes, consider what worked and what went wrong and the lessons learned. By drawing on events leading up to the Second World War, events in Berlin and Cuba, the Middle East, the Balkans and Iraq, you’ll get very specific insights into the dynamics of real world crises. You’ll also hear first hand from some of those involved about their experience and perspective.
Practitioner-led workshops
The involvement of practitioners from the UK and overseas in your teaching and learning will provide the latest insights and real world relevance. Participating practitioners will come from a range of organisations within government, the military, private sector and the media. They will be lecturing, providing seminars and involved in mentoring students and will also participate in networking events.