Programme Specifications

Programme summary

1. Programme Aims

• To promote knowledge and understanding in the subject of Security Management.
• To provide advanced training where an opportunity is afforded for the security professional to bring together professional expertise and growing academic abilities.
• To promote security management as a serious subject for academic study within the security industry.
• To enhance the self-esteem of the participating students and to establish security management as a relevant discipline within the corporate environment in order that it might rank alongside other management disciplines.
• To assist individuals with career development, advancement of their professional competence and standing, and their lifelong learning.
• To provide an opportunity for security professionals from uniformed backgrounds to migrate into the corporate and private sector security domains.
• To provide a unique academic qualification in security management, that brings together professional expertise and academic disciplines relevant to this interdisciplinary field.
• To assist with entry into security representative bodies, for example The Security Institute, Association of Security Consultants and to assist in gaining Fellow status.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

The Programme conforms to the benchmarks published by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in respect of Masters awards in business and management in 2002. Specifically the programme meets the requirements of a specialist Masters degree (Type 1 B). 

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of;

Organisational behaviour, managing organisational change, and how such concepts interact with the role of the security manager.   Have a critical understanding of professional standards of behaviour and ethical conduct, together with security licensing arrangements via the Security Industry Authority framework.  Students should also understand the due legal process and the key elements associated with a crime and various criminological perspectives.  Additionally, an awareness of how the legal systems; criminal, civil and industrial tribunals impact on the work undertaken by the security professional.  Students must also understand the nuances associated with operating within both corporate and criminal domains and have an appreciation of Human Rights legislation and its’ impact upon the security industry.  The concept of pure risk, risk assessments, business continuity and contingency planning must be clearly understood.  Students must have a clear understanding of the international standards to be applied in the fields of business continuity and contingency planning.  Students will also gain knowledge of fraudulent activity, key principles of physical security (including closed circuit television) and of fraud prevention strategies.  An appreciation of the Fraud Act 2006 and the new bribery and corruption act must also be in evidence.   Data and Information Technology Security must also be understood including the relevant legal framework and countermeasures.

However the levels of knowledge and understanding are linked to the study programme undertaken, i.e. Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or MSc.

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to understand security management as both a practically and academically based profession that adds real value to an organisation’s effectiveness, including financial performance as opposed to being regarded as a general overhead cost. Students should also view security management not only in problem solving mode but conceptually. They should be able to conceptualise various security problems and appreciate the ramifications of various courses of action. But most important of all, the solutions on offer must be based upon credible evidence and graduates must be willing to challenge conventional wisdom.

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to understand and debate the changing nature of organisations and critically analyse the nature of management and motivators within a security management context. They should also be placed in a position to understand and to apply financial appraisal systems.   Students should also appreciate the importance of professional standards and ethical frameworks and workplace diversity within a security context. In addition to this they should appreciate the evolving nature of legislation, offender behaviour and be able to construct coping/preventative strategies for dealing with nefarious activity. They should appreciate the rudiments of pure risk, be able to analyse problems and offer up practical cost effective solutions. Students should be able to apply the various crime prevention theories in a practical setting and analyse logically crime statistics. They must be capable of devising policies and procedures to deal with physical, data protection and information technology security issues, these to include risk assessment, business continuity and contingency planning.

Student shouldgain an appreciation of computer related crime and the application of various security countermeasures. All students should be able to conduct and evaluate primary and secondary research in the field of security.  Students are aware of the various security related international standards and their location and interpretation when policy documents have to be written.

c. Key transferable skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to write a good quality academic essay in both a logical and coherent fashion in a variety of security related settings by making use of a variety of information sources. This skill set should prove invaluable when the security manager is detailing a business case to acquire additional resources.

The student will also be capable of critical analysis of source material and have the ability to work to a pre-set timescale, and independently of others, in an organised fashion.  An ability to manage time efficiently, must also be demonstrated.

4. Programme structure

4.1 Compulsory Subjects (total modular weight of 15)

4.2 Optional Subjects

4.3 MSc Subjects (total modular weight of 60)

*  by Distance Learning

4.4 The choice of optional subjects will be made from those available.  Information on the up-to-date position is available from the School of Business and Economics.

4.5 For full details of the specific assessment requirements for each module see the Module Specification.

4.6 Exemptions

If applicants possess certain prior qualifications they may be considered for exemption from some modules. 

(i) Consideration for exemption from BSP552 will be given if candidates have a first degree in law from a UK University.

(ii) Applicants possessing a recognised Diploma in Security Management, from another UK University, may be considered for the Masters with exemption from certain modules, providing the final award totals 180 credits.

(iii) Exemption from the compulsory modules, BSP551 and BSP558 will not normally be granted.

(iv) Any exemptions to be offered must be at the final discretion of the Associate Dean (Teaching).

5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award

5.1 In order to be eligible for an award, candidates must not only satisfy the requirements of Regulation XXI but also:

5.1.1 To be eligible for the award of Postgraduate Certificate, candidates must have accumulated at least 60 credits.  Specifically, candidates must complete the compulsory module listed in 4.1 (modular weight 15 credits), two optional modules from those listed in 4.2 (modular weight 30 credits) and the Certificate Work-Based Assignment (modular weight 15 credits).   This specific requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Programme Director.

5.1.2 To be eligible for the award of Postgraduate Diploma, candidates must have completed modules with a total modular weight of 120.  Specifically, candidates must have completed the compulsory module listed in 4.1 (modular weight 15 credits), four optional modules from those listed in 4.2 (modular weight 60 credits) and the Diploma Project (modular weight 45 credits).

Candidates must also have accumulated at least 105 credits and achieved module marks of not less than 40% in one further module with a total module weight of 15.

5.1.3  To be eligible for the award of MSc, candidates must have completed modules with a total modular weight of 180.  Specifically, candidates must have completed the compulsory module listed in 4.1 (modular weight 15 credits), four optional modules from those listed in 4.2 (modular weight 60 credits), the Diploma Project (modular weight 45 credits).  In addition the candidate must complete the Masters Project module listed in 4.3.

Candidates must also have accumulated at least 165 credits and achieved module marks of not less than 40% in one further module with a total module weight of 15. 

5.2 Candidates who have the right of re-assessment in a module may choose to be re-assessed in the University’s special assessment period.

6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the Purposes of Final Degree Classification