Overview

     

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    Explore the complex challenges shaping our world with the MSc Global Security. This Master's is a forward-thinking course designed for those who aspire to make a meaningful impact in international relations, policy, and security.

    As globalisation, technology, and environmental change transform the international landscape, the need for informed and strategic security professionals has never been greater.

    This postgraduate degree provides an interdisciplinary and research-led education in global security, equipping you with the analytical, theoretical, and practical skills needed to understand and address complex security threats.

    What you’ll learn

    • Analyse historical and contemporary issues as you broaden your understanding of global security.
    • Apply theoretical frameworks to real-world international and political issues.
    • Develop critical research, communication, and analytical skills for professional practice.
    • Engage with expert academics to deepen your understanding of policy and governance.
    • Interrogate current issues surrounding global security on a local, national, and international scale. 

    You’ll study topics such as cyber security, gender and race security, terrorism, environmental security, and human rights, gaining a critical understanding of the political, social, and ethical dimensions of global safety.

    Through a combination of contemporary, multifaceted modules, you'll develop the graduate skills that are essential for you to progress into academia or continue in a range of professions that require specialist knowledge and skills in global security.

    The engaging, open and intellectually stimulating teaching constantly pushes you to better your understanding of the world, and you are allowed a degree of independence through all aspects of learning.
    William, Security and International Relations graduate

    Module information

    Core/optional modules

    *Modules subject to approval

    How you’ll learn

    Your course will consist of two 30 credit modules per semester, followed by a dissertation which is undertaken during the summer months. You will learn in workshops and small group seminars, in which discussion and debate between students and lecturers are key to your learning. You will have 66 contact hours of teaching per module, based on 6 hours of contact time a week for 11 weeks. These sessions may be held by your lecturer, a guest lecturer / industry expert, or an academic tutor. Alongside your specific teaching and learning on global security, international relations and counter terrorism, you will be invited to choose a module from within a range of social science disciplines. This will introduce you to multidisciplinary thinking, allow you contact time with lecturers and experts from other areas of study, and increase your opportunities for networking

    In class learning, and contact with staff is only the tip of the iceberg: you will be expected to carry out essential independent learning on all modules. Each hour spent in class is projected to be followed by 3 to 4 hours of self-managed learning. Academic staff will provide you with guided and independent study tasks which may include activities such as watching pre-recorded material, guided reading, group work, listening to podcasts, contributing to discussion boards and activities such as quizzes or other online activities. There will be a focus on developing students’ skills to enable success in assessments, including formative feedback to support your learning. Tutorial support will also be available where students would like additional guidance or support with their independent study.

    To fully engage in workshops (lectures and seminars), you should complete all necessary reading and preparation. You should feel challenged by your course, and independent learning is key to improving your organisational and time management skills. Being an independent learner means being an active learner, taking responsibility for your workload and deadlines.

    Your overall workload combines taught sessions (66 hours per module / two per semester), guided learning tasks and independent reading and preparation for assessments and workshops. We expect you to dedicate around 300 hours to each module

    You will be primarily taught by lecturers from within the School of Business, Law and Policing. At times, we may invite guest lecturers to present on issues of contemporary importance, in which they have an expertise that we feel will be beneficial to your learning. Academic tutors, librarians and other research specific teaching and learning staff may also be asked to lead appropriate sessions to boost your understanding of the practical sides of research and data analysis.

    You will be taught by a team of experts who are all active researchers in their respective fields and regularly provide consultancy services on a wide range of issues related to international relations and security studies, including advising on peace processes, terrorism and counterterrorism, and working with the European Space Agency. You can pick your own dissertation topic, and you will have one to one supervision during its preparation and writing.
    Dr Dele Babalola

    How you’ll be assessed

    How you’ll be assessed

    You will be assessed by a combination of written work and varied portfolio assignments, these may consist of critical reviews, literature reviews, policy briefs, simulations, evaluations, summaries or other forms of written communication. You may also be asked to partake in group work, conferencing tasks, oral presentations, research and debate. You will not be asked to undertake any exams in this course.

    Credits/modules

    You will take four taught modules, two per trimester. You will study Human Rights and Global Security in the first trimester, followed in the second trimester by optional modules: you may pick between international relations and counter terrorism, and select interdisciplinary module of your choice. In the summer months, during trimester three, you will write a dissertation around 10,000 words.

    Your future career

    An MSc in Global Security is an excellent spring board for a range of career pathways, in particular those with a focus on international security and counter terrorism. This course will provide you with an exceptionally wide knowledge base, allowing you to command both the organising principles and nuanced specifics of the contemporary world and its current security issues.

    Students graduating from our MSc degreess have gone on to work in the diplomatic service, for non-governmental organisations, in the civil service, and in the private sector.

    After completion of bachelor's degree in English and French language, I pursued further studies in the Master's degree programme 'European Politics with Diplomacy Specialism' at the CCCU (year of graduation, 2017). It was an opportunity to develop myself beyond my engineering skills as well as to study, interact and share knowledge with world renowned experts in politics. One of the many benefits of studying in the UK was the language itself. Currently, I am developing a career in the field of diplomacy as an officer at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.
    Lucia Bačová MSc in European Politics, 2016/17, Officer, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic

    Fees

    Tuition Fees for 2026/27 have not yet been finalised. These course web pages will be updated with Tuition Fee information once they have been agreed.

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    Duration:

    1 year

    Location(s):

    Canterbury