What is IMSISS?
The International Master in Security, Intelligence, and Strategic Studies specialises in teaching students the complex, challenging realities of international security faced by a wide range of actors, from nation-states and international organisations to multi-national corporations. Globalisation and increased interdependency have radically changed the way we understand security in relation to the state, society, the economy, and even the biosphere. There is a growing demand for greater attention and coordinated responses from the international community, including not only individual countries but also international organisations such as the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN) and security alliances such as NATO.
Our Partners
The IMSISS programme is supported by a consortium of academic and non-academic partners. Together we aim to provide students on the programme with access to knowledgeable teachers, practitioners and researchers working on many different aspects of security, intelligence and strategy, with core values of inclusivity, collaboration and cooperation, communication and the friendly exchange of ideas, and a desire to learn and understand different perspectives to our own.
Click the buttons below for information about each of our partner institutions, as well as information on additional opportunities such as Internships & Placements and Summer Schools.
To support the above organisations there is a need for knowledgeable, well-informed experts with the skills to not only react to crises but to identify and anticipate the threats and challenges that create crises. These experts can and should come from civilian (e.g. academia, governmental, non-governmental and private sectors) as well as military backgrounds. Bridging these ‘expert’ security communities and ensuring opportunities for dedicated training and shared knowledge, experiences and best practice is the purpose of this IMSISS degree programme.
Students on the IMSISS programme will examine a broad range of contemporary security challenges, such as terrorism, civil war and conflict, mass migration, energy supply security, cybersecurity, new technologies, and transnational organised crime. Students will also explore the intelligence and strategic approaches used by governmental and non-governmental actors to combat these threats.
The degree adopts a unique approach to the study of security by combining theoretical, applied and empirical knowledge and skill sets. Students will have the opportunity to meet with and work alongside a range of academics and researchers from international partner universities and think tanks from around the world, as well as practitioner experts from governmental and industry security and defence sectors.
Students on IMSISS will study across Europe in at least 3 cities and universities. They have the opportunity to undertake short study visits to other universities and can apply for work-based learning placements as part of the independent study semester.
- Start date: Teaching for 2024-2026 students begins in September 2024
- Duration: Two years (24 months)
- Teaching and Assessment Delivery: The programme uses small group seminars, tutorials and lectures, with a variety of assessment methods including written assignments (essays, policy briefs, literature reviews), individual and group presentations and projects, dissertation and oral examination.
- Qualification: International Master (IntM)
- Study type: Full-time
- Funding Available: There are no Erasmus Mundus scholarships available. Alternate funding opportunities are listed here
- Programme Application Deadlines:
International/EU applications: 26th July 2024
Home (UK) applications: 16th August 2024 - Please note that a £1000 deposit will be required to secure a place on the programme.
Students should be aware that, unless they are a citizen of the countries listed here, that they can only make their Czech visa application in:
- the state of which they are a citizen;
- the state which issued their current passport; or
- the state in which they hold long-term or permanent resident status and have been continuously resident for at least two years
Students from exempted countries listed in the above link can make their application in any visa-issuing Czech diplomatic mission (as outlined in Decree No. 429/2010 Coll.).
Students who are subject to these regulations may wish to consider applying for Study Pathway B
EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals are exempt from Czech student visa requirements and should familiarise themselves with guidance for staying and studying in the Czechia.
Students can find more information on the Czech visa application process here. This guidance is valid as of August 2023.
Information for Russian and Belarusian Nationals:
Due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, Czechia has placed restrictions on visa services for nationals of Russia and Belarus.
Russian and Belarusian nationals who wish to apply for the IMSISS programme should be aware that, unless they are subject to an exemption listed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czechia, they will be refused entry to the Czechia for the mobility period at Charles University Prague.
We ask any Russian and Belarusian prospective applicants to familiarise themselves with Czech visa regulations and any announcements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czechia. Please consider these restrictions before applying to participate in the IMSISS programme.
For more information on the restrictions in place and any exemptions to these, please see the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czechia.
IMSISS has students from all around the world. In fact, we have had students from more than 45 different countries participating in the programme since 2017. Mehwish Rani is one of our students from the 2017-2019 cohort. Please watch the short video from her visit to London to meet Emily Winterbotham from RUSI (Royal United Services Institute).
Maria Patsikouridi is one of our most recent graduates from the 2021-2023 cohort, and spoke about the programme, the skills she gained, and some of her favourite memories of the programme.
To read more about our students please click HERE to visit their profile pages.
See below sample documents of the IMSISS Higher Education Achievement Report and the 2023-2025 IMSISS Student Agreement (click the pop-out button in the top right corner for full screen).
Follow our social media accounts below to keep up-to-date
Our Values
The IMSISS Programme has had the privilege to teach students from 77 countries since the programme’s inception.
The IMSISS Team are proud to have had this opportunity and seek to continue to attract such a broad range of students as it benefits all parties involved. Whether that be through new friends, research colleagues and networks that could benefit you later in life in the search of employment, careers and new opportunities in the world.
Our core values which we expect our students on each cohort to uphold are:
- Inclusivity
- Collaboration and Cooperation
- Communication and the friendly exchange of ideas
- A desire to to learn and understand different perspectives to our own.