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Ontario Tech University
   
    Nov 11, 2026  
2026-2027 Undergraduate Academic Calendar 
    
2026-2027 Undergraduate Academic Calendar
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SSCI 3400U – Modern Espionage


This course explores the development of intelligence and espionage from the First World War to the post 9/11 so called ‘war on terror.’ The course will enable students to explore the development of intelligence as an instrument of statecraft, its connection to technological advancement, and its effects on war, peace and the international system. The focus will be on major powers that significantly shaped the development of modern intelligence and espionage: the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union/Russia. The course will also trace the current rise of disinformation and espionage emanating from Russia and the People’s Republic of China. Specific attention will also be paid to the development of intelligence practices in Canada. The course will enable students to not only trace the evolution of espionage, but also interrogate the limits of intelligence and discuss the intersections between security, privacy and civil rights. The course will place particular emphasis on the connections between the development of technology and intelligence. Attention will also be paid to the role of gender in modern espionage history and the portrayal of it in popular culture.
Formerly: LBAT 3400U
Credit hours: 3
Lecture hours: 3
Prerequisite(s): Third-, fourth- or fifth-year standing
Credit restriction(s): LBAT 3400U
Note(s): Third-, fourth- or fifth-year standing



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