Terrorism Studies: Certificate/Advanced Certificate/Individual Modules

Explaining the differences between the US, UK and European approaches to homeland security, the module considers some key issues including an analysis of risk and disaster preparedness and response as well as problems associated with homeland security.

Why people turn to terrorism, how they become involved, and eventually participate in terrorist activity is a complex area in the study of terrorism. By looking at the root-causes of terrorism and if a ‘terrorist personality’ exists are key ways in which this area can be viewed and understood.The module looks at the process of radicalising individuals and defines key concepts such as radicalisation, disengagement, and de-radicalisation, as well as Islamism, Jihadism, Salafism and Fundamentalism.

What motivates terrorists? Understanding the terrorist mind-set is critical to countering terrorism effectively. This module enhances a participant's analytical ability by identifying the various strains of influence within today's terrorist groups and networks.

This module explores how the ideologies of various terrorist groups can have an impact on group structure, tactics, strategies and target selection. It examines types of terrorist tactics, looking into the role of ideology and the impact of state response on the evolution of terrorist strategies, before considering the possible future trends in terrorist tactics.

The police role in the management of terrorism in modern democracies is critical. By exploring initiatives in various countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and across Europe, this module examines in detail the role of police and other agencies involved in the efforts to prevent terrorism and manage terrorist attack incidents. It also examines the role of the police during pre-emptive operations and major terrorist incidents with the help of case studies.

Beginning with a brief historical survey of aviation terrorism from Dawson's Field to Lockerbie, 9/11 and beyond, this module examines aviation terrorism from both theoretical and tactical perspectives. It discusses the prevailing and potential threats to civil aviation and the measures required to counter them.

This module provides participants with a solid foundation in the complex and often obscure world of maritime security. The module assesses the threat of terrorism to the maritime industry and includes profiles of the various terrorist groups involved. Due to the recent proliferation of maritime piracy as a serious threat to international shipping along many of the major sea lines of communication, this module also analyses this phenomenon.

What is infrastructure and what makes it critical? Why is it imperative to protect it and what would happen if we chose not to protect it? These are all questions addressed in this module before studying the international necessity to protect these areas against a range of threats, and in particular that of terrorism, in an all hazards approach. By critically examining key areas, the module enhances participants’ understanding of this essential topic.

This module examines the concept of cyberterrorism and provides an introduction to the ways in which terrorists use the Internet and the politics of cybersecurity. It offers simplified explanations of the technology of the Internet and major types of cyberattack, with the aim of assisting students to gain a concrete sense of the issues that are under discussion. Note that the module does not provide a technical grounding in cybersecurity.

The threat of the use of CBRN or ‘weapons of mass destruction’ by terrorist organisations is something that is ever present in the 21st century. While the number of cases of attacks using one of these types of weapons is actually rare, the ability of groups to acquire or make these types of weapons is ever present. Therefore the study of this area is something that is of key importance in understanding the terrorist threat.

This module introduces participants to the role that human rights standards play in the fight against terrorism, both in terms of the duties that they impose on governments to protect civilians from harm and in terms of the constraints they place on the counterterrorism measures that governments may adopt.

This module will examine in depth the growing range of threats from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as the terrorist weapon of choice in military and civilian arenas and how they are dealt with and prevented by bomb squads, first-responders, and security and intelligence services in selected countries.

This module reviews and analyses the use of intelligence in supporting counter-terrorist activities, the relationship between intelligence and secrecy, as well as the legal and ethical issues which frame many of the questions around intelligence use. It also looks at how intelligence supports many different forms of activities including terrorist themselves who can make use of intelligence for their own purposes.

The module begins by looking at two phenomena that are central to the study of terrorism: aggression and violence. It then takes you thought the group nature of terrorism, and applies what we know about group psychology to the study of terrorism. It then examines the individual terrorist by looking at so called ‘Lone Wolf’ terrorism and the process of moving away from terrorism. Finally we look at the issue of victimhood.