Admission requirements
This course is exclusively for students enrolled in the Minor Intelligence Studies at Leiden University. It is not available as a standalone course. To register, you must:
Be enrolled in uSis for the minor.
Have successfully completed SAT 1.
Exchange students may enroll only if committing to the entire minor. Admission is handled by the FGGA International Office before the minor begins, with priority for direct exchange partners. For details,contact: international@fgga.leidenuniv.nl.
Description
Strutured Analytic Techniques for Intelligence Analysis 2 (SAT 2) builds upon the foundations of SAT 1, and transitions students from data collection to strategic forecasting, advancing students’ methodological rigor and practical competencies in intelligence analysis. The course moves beyond baseline frameworks to tackle intelligence challenges characterized by incomplete, ambiguous, or deceptive information.
Key Features:
Integrated Methodology: Harmonizes academic research standards with the high-tempo requirements of professional intelligence practice.
Case-Study Mastery: Students navigate an intelligence challenge, mastering the ability to filter noise and identify denial and deception.
Broad Analytical Toolkit: Practical training in structured analytic techniques such as Key Assumption Check, SWOT-TOWS analysis, Scenario Building and Analysis of Competing Hypotheses, with an added emphasis on collaborative production and peer review (Devil’s Advocacy).
Professional Specialisation: SAT 2 replicates the intelligence cycle, from intelligence requirement, via collection, analysis to dissemination in an actual Intelligence Brief
SAT 2 stands out by addressing the unique demands of intelligence research, including data absence and deception risks through the application of a broad range of Structured Analytic Techniques.
Course objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Evaluate Analytical Risk: Assess Type I (Alpha), Type II (Beta) and Type III (Gamma) errors specfically in intelligence and adjust the research and analysis accordingly.
- Execute Advanced SATs: Deploy specialised techniques such as Analysis of Competing Hypotheses (ACH), including working with augmented intelligence, to navigate uncertain environments.
- Formulate Estimative Judgments: Synthesize complex data into professional intelligence products that contain structured judgements using standardised estimative language.
- Deliver oral briefings to intelligence stakeholders and dynamically defend or refine analytical judgments in response to critical feedback.
- Work Collaboratively: Drive the analytical process jointly and interdependently with peers, including giving and receiving structured feedback (Devil’s Advocacy).
Timetable
On the right side of the programme front page you will find links to the website and timetables, uSis and Brightspace
Mode of instruction
7 working group sessions of 3 hours
1 closing lecture of 2 hours
Participation in lectures, discussions and group work is required in order to obtain a grade. One working group may be missed. Being absent more than once may lead to expulsion from the course.
Assessment method
Analysis report (individual contribution) (70%)
Resit possible in case of a fail (<5.50)
Resit will take the same form
Analysis report (group grade) (20%)
Resit not possible
Grade must be compensated
Analysis report (TL/DA contribution) (10%)
Resit not possible
Grade must be compensated
Details for submitting papers (deadlines) are posted on Brightspace. As timeliness is crucial in intelligence, deadlines for assignments in this course are hard: missing the deadline means that the assignment is not accepted.
In the case of written assessment methods, the examiner can always initiate a follow-up conversation with the student to establish whether the learning objectives have been met.
The Course and Examination Regulation Security Studies and the Rules and Regulation of the Board of Examiners of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs apply.
Resit of the individual contribution to the analysis report is possible in case of a fail (<5.50).
The resit exam will be held in January 2027 and will follow the same format as the original test. After the exam, you can look over your paper and see your score, and you will have the chance to request an exam‑review meeting. Details about how to schedule that review session will be posted on Brightspace.
Reading list
TBA
Registration
Registration via MyStudymap is possible from Tuesday 14 July 2026 13:00h after registration for the entire minor. Register for every course via MyStudymap. Some courses of the minor have a limited number of participants, so register on time.
Leiden University uses Brightspace as its online learning management system. After enrolment for the course in MyStudymap you will be automatically enrolled in the Brightspace environment of this course.
More information on registration via MyStudymap can be found on this page.
Please note: guest-/contract-/exchange students do not register via MyStudymap but via uSis. Registration via uSis is possible from Thursday 16 July 2026 after registration for the entire minor.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer(s) (listed in the right information bar). For questions about enrolment, admission, etc., contact the Education Administration Office osc.fgga@fgga.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
Students will be enrolled for the workgroups of this course in the same workgroups as they participated in in SAT 1.
Leiden University uses Brightspace as its online learning management system. After enrolment for the course in MyStudymap you will be automatically enrolled in the Brightspace environment of this course. Furthermore, announcements and modifications will be communicated via Brightspace. Students have the responsibility to stay informed and are thus advised to regularly check Brightspace for updates.
This course is exclusive to the Minor Intelligence Studies.
All sessions and assignments are in English.