Máster en Terrorismo Seguridad y Defensa

Program Overview

The Master's program in Terrorism, Security, and Defense equips students to analyze armed conflicts, including terrorism, and develop response models for political violence. With a focus on skills in crisis management and planning security systems, graduates can pursue careers in state security, political analysis, and other sectors related to terrorism, security, and defense.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This Master's program aims to equip students with comprehensive expertise in terrorism, security, and defense. It focuses on the analysis of armed conflicts, including terrorism, asymmetric conflicts, and conventional warfare.

Objectives:

• Become an expert in all areas and phases of armed conflicts, including terrorism, asymmetric conflicts, and conventional warfare.
• Analyze the variables that lead to violence.
• Test response models for situations of political and social violence.
• Design strategies for assisting victims of conflicts, crimes, and terrorist acts.
• Plan programs to prevent radicalization.
• Develop skills in crisis management procedures and planning efficient security and defense systems.

Outline:

Structure:

• The program is delivered online with live classes.
• It is taught in Spanish.
• It starts on October 28, 2024.
• It consists of 60 ECTS credits.
• The program duration is 11 months.
• It is an official degree awarded by the Universidad Europea de Madrid.
• The program is delivered by the Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication.

Modules:

First Year:

• Module 1: Violence in International Society (6 ECTS)
• Violence in international society: from Plato to Clausewitz.
• State and non-state actors in armed conflicts.
• Introduction to international conflicts: typology.
• Structural elements of conflicts.
• Strategic elements of conflicts: territory, climate, borders, etc.
• Exogenous elements of conflicts.
• Module 2: Conventional Warfare (6 ECTS)
• Realism and neorealism in international relations: power and military capabilities.
The principle of deterrence.
• The rules of war: ius in bello, ius ad bellum, and International Humanitarian Law.
• Armed Forces.
Structure, functions, and levels of military leadership.
• Arms race and nuclear proliferation (NRBQ).
• Conventional warfare within the framework of the United Nations (legitimate defense and PKO).
• New paradigms: new models of operations within the framework of crisis management (SSR, DDR, peace building, CIMIC, R2P, etc.).
• Module 3: Asymmetric Conflicts (6 ECTS)
• Typology of asymmetric conflicts.
• Insurgencies (I): guerrilla warfare.
• Insurgencies (II): terrorism as an asymmetric conflict.
• Non-state armed actors: organized crime, militias, and PMCs.
• Counterinsurgency.
• Operations in urban environments.
• Module 4: The State and National Security (6 ECTS)
• Security and insecurity.
Security as a service.
• Public security: main actors.
• Private security: actors and operation.
• The concept of police: law enforcement.
• The penal and penitentiary system.
• Module 5: Citizen Security and Crime Management (6 ECTS)
• Crime prevention (I): primary prevention.
• Crime prevention (II): secondary prevention: "community policing".
• Public order policies, strategies, and tactics.
• Protection of public and private spaces.
• Fight against organized crime.
• Cybersecurity and cybercrime.
• Module 6: Terrorism: Ideological and Operational Evolution (6 ECTS)
• The terrorist phenomenon: historical evolution.
• Modus operandi (I) Targeted assassinations.
• Modus operandi (II) The use of explosives.
• Modus Operandi (III) Jihadism and suicide terrorism.
• Modus Operandi (IV) Jihadism and incidents with multiple victims.
• Modus Operandi (V) Jihadism and "low tech" terrorism.
• Module 7: Radicalization and Financing (6 ECTS)
• The radicalization process.
Propaganda and cognitive radicalization.
• Behavioral radicalization.
• Self-indoctrination: "lone wolves" as individual terrorists.
• Terrorist financing: legal mechanisms.
The FATF.
• Terrorist financing: illicit mechanisms.
• The nexus between terrorism and organized crime.
• Module 8: Assistance to Victims of Conflicts and Terrorist Acts (6 ECTS)
• Military health and combat health.
• Tactical health in civilian environments.
• Psychological assistance after emergencies and armed incidents: debriefing and defusing.
• Victim and family recovery.
• Victim follow-up.
Trauma management.
• Communication during terrorist incidents.
• Module 9: Research Methodology (6 ECTS)
• Research question.
• State of the art.
• Formulation of objectives and/or research hypotheses.
• Study design and methodology: quantitative studies.
• Study design and methodology: qualitative studies.
• Study design and methodology: mixed studies.
• Module 10: Master's Thesis (6 ECTS)
• Completion of a thesis that integrates all the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired in the master's program.

Teaching:

• Teaching Methods:
• Online live classes.
• 24-hour support.
• Faculty:
• The program is taught by active professionals in public and private security, members of the Armed Forces and Security Forces, experts in tactical health, political advisors, and Doctors in International Security.

Careers:

• Potential Career Paths:
• State Security
• Political analysis related to terrorism
• Legal and criminological fields related to terrorism
• Management, design, and evaluation of security policies
• The program highlights the high demand for security professionals due to the presence of traditional and emerging global risks.
• The program emphasizes the importance of continuous learning to effectively address the constantly changing challenges in the security sector.
• The program offers the possibility of obtaining a double degree by combining the Master's program with a Course or Expert University degree.
• The program includes a section on frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Master's program.