Security Studies: Postgraduate Certificate / Postgraduate Diploma / Masters

This module considers what intelligence and analysis mean, their overall role, and their application to security related issues of criminology and the domain of public protection. It deals with issues pertaining to law enforcement, government agencies and the private sector combating crime and the use of proactive intelligence.

The module immerses students in contemporary trends and emerging paradigms within safety and security at both local and global levels, and explores some justifications for the increasing ‘securitisation’ of social life.
Students will explore a variety of social settings where concepts of safety or security are applied with particular reference to community policing.

This module examines terrorism and political violence conducted by non-state actors. It also analyses counter-terrorism and other responses by the state, the security services and the police. Although it has a prime focus on terrorism by non-state actors it explains the significance of state terror. A major focus is on terrorism organised, orchestrated or inspired by Al-Qaeda. Close attention is paid to the US led war on terror in all its many guises.

This module considers how the strategic environment has evolved and what challenges face the international community in light of the changes. The Cold War was an era quite different from any other period of human history. Its bipolar nature, the central role played by weapons of mass destruction, the intense rivalry between the two superpowers and the ideological context of that competition meant that the relations between the two poles were anything but peaceful.

In an era of huge financial insecurity, this module looks at issues of crime within the international criminal system and dwells on emerging crimes. It deals with the overall aspect and impact of financial crime in the context of the security of the financial system and wider security related issues, including financing of terrorism.

The dissertation enables students to investigate in depth a topic within the field of Security Studies. Students can select their own research area (subject to authorisation of the programme leader) which allows the opportunity to specialise in a particular field of interest or focus on a specific organisational challenge. The dissertation must include independent and original empirical research and should be approximately 15,000 words.