Course description

The MSc in Terrorism, Security and Policing will provide you with a detailed understanding of the key issues surrounding security, policing and terrorism post-9/11 (and 7/7) and in the face of new and different threats from organisations such as ISIS and Boko Haram. The course content also reflects emergent global crime and security issues concerning organised crime, financial crime and the relationship between security and human rights.

You will develop an in-depth knowledge and understanding of terrorism and other transnational security challenges and their consequences, both theoretical and applied. Option modules allows you to specialise in areas of interest that relate to your professional needs.

This degree will develop your capacity for imaginative, rigorous and critical thinking. As well as gaining specific knowledge of global security challenges and strategies for addressing these, you will strengthen your ability to understand and use different types of evidence. You will develop transferable skills that are highly sought after by employers, including the ability to present and develop a cohesive argument, communicate information to academic and non-academic audiences, conduct research and identify solutions to theoretical and practical problems in a rapidly changing field.

Teaching and learning

You will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars where you will have the opportunity to discuss and clarify ideas with lecturers and fellow students. Some modules will also involve practical skills workshops or online tasks and interaction.

Our assessment strategy is coursework-based and provides students with opportunities to both consolidate and strengthen academic skills through assessments such as short written pieces, annotated bibliographies, essays and research exercises; whilst also completing tasks which develop the skills required in future employment. These more 'authentic' modes of assessment may take the form of oral presentations, practitioner briefing papers, reports and letters to government ministers. You will also complete a dissertation in which you will conduct research on a topic of your choice.

Careers and employability

Our MSc in Terrorism, Security and Policing will equip you with a whole host of skills that will give you a head-start in today’s competitive job market. We work closely with the University’s Career Development Service to alert you to relevant opportunities.

Our graduates most often seek and secure employment in statutory criminal justice agencies (police, prisons, probation, national criminal justice and security agencies), forensic health settings, third sector agencies, local and central government (nationally and internationally) and social/policy research institutes. Moreover, each year approximately 10% of the cohort either secure or begin to consider opportunities for doctoral studies. Doctoral work often leads to employment in a research-related area or in an academic environment.

A postgraduate qualification from the University of Leicester is career changing. It can be the springboard to promotion with your current employer, the platform from which to launch a new career, or simply an aid to becoming more effective in your current role.

If you are already in employment, enhancing your career by studying at postgraduate level gives a clear signal to employers that you are committed to developing your skills and knowledge and have studied to a higher level. Postgraduate education at Leicester is a rewarding and enriching experience that enhances personal development.