International Defence and Security MSc/PgCert/PgDip

September

Full Time/ Part Time:

Full-Time

School:

CDS

Theme:

Defence and Security

Entry Requirements:

A first or second class UK Honours degree (or equivalent) ideally in a related subject. Other recognised professional qualifications or several years relevant industrial experience may be accepted as equivalent; subject to approval by the Course Director. For further and specific information please visit the course page.

English Language:

If you are an international student you will need to provide evidence that you have achieved a satisfactory test result in an English qualification. The minimum standard expected from a number of accepted courses are as follows:

• IELTS - 7
• TOEFL - 100
• Pearson PTE Academic - 68
• Cambridge English Scale - 190
• Cambridge English: Advanced – with a minimum of Grade A
• Cambridge English: Proficiency – with a minimum of Grade B

In addition to these minimum scores you are also expected to achieve a balanced score across all elements of the test. We reserve the right to reject any test score if any one element of the test score is too low.

We can only accept tests taken within two years of your registration date (with the exception of Cambridge English tests which have no expiry date).

Students requiring a Tier 4 (General) visa must ensure they can meet the English language requirements set out by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and we recommend booking a IELTS for UKVI test.

Duration:

Full-time MSc - one year, Full-time PgCert - one year, Full-time PgDip - one year

(For MOD status students the duration may vary, subject to annual review.)

Course Format:

• Taught
• MSc/PgCert/PgDip

Overview: 

This course considers some of the most pressing issues of world politics such as the causes of war and peace, the pressures and opportunities of globalisation, the threats posed by terrorism, and the problems of global poverty and injustice.


Who is it for?:

This course is intended to attract students who are either currently employed in posts relating to Security Cooperation or those individuals who generally have an interest in issues pertaining to defence and security.

Students come from the following areas:

•     Serving members of the UK MOD (civilian and military)
•     Foreign MOD civil servants and members of foreign armed forces
•     Staff from other UK and foreign government departments, as well as international
•     Governmental and non-governmental organisations, who have an identified need to develop their knowledge of Defence and Security
•     Civilians with an interest in defence and security.

There is often a wide range of nationalities on the course, with a maximum of 30 places available.

Why this course?:

The course content is dynamic, challenging, and cutting edge, designed to equip you with the skills and insights needed to understand and authoritatively analyse contemporary debates in international relations using a mixture of theoretical and empirical tools to deal with and confront the challenges presented by contemporary world politics.

The course draws upon our established expertise in international security, foreign and defence policy analysis, security studies, international law, conflict resolution, and environmental issues.

Your teaching team:

•     Dr Anna Maria Brudenell
•     Dr Tom O’Brien
•     Dr Peter Caddick-Adams
•     Dr Laura Cleary
•     Dr Anastasia Filippidou
•     Dr Stevyn Gibson
•     Dr Sukanya Podder
•     David Turns
•     Edith Wilkinson
•     Roger Young
•     Dr Matthew Healy

Course details:

The course consists of three core modules and a wide range of elective modules, of which you must pass seven, followed by a dissertation.

Assessment:

There are a variety of assessment methods including written assignments, individual and group presentations, dissertation and examinations.

Core modules:

• Study Skills and Research Methodology
• Issues in International Security, Conflict and Development
• Defence in the 21st Century

Elective

• Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution
• Managing Defence in the Wider Security Context
• International Law and Armed Conflicts
• International Criminal Law and Human Rights
• Intelligence in International Security
• Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism
• Regional Security
• International Interventions for Peace and Statebuilding
• Managing Natural Disasters
• Weapons of Mass Destruction, Control and Verification
• Military Support to Disasters
• Crisis Management
• The Resilience Context
• Strategy for Resilience

Fees and funding:

Home EU Student Fees:

• MSc Full-time £17,250 
• PgDip Full-time £13,900 
• PgCert Full-time £6,950  

Overseas Fees:

• MSc Full-time £17,250 
• PgDip Full-time £13,900 
• PgCert Full-time £6,950

Fee notes:

• The fees outlined apply to all students whose initial date of registration falls on or between 1 August 2017 and 31 July 2018.
• All students pay the tuition fee set by the University for the full duration of their registration period agreed at their initial registration.
• A deposit may be payable, depending on your course.
• Additional fees for extensions to the agreed registration period may be charged and can be found below.
• Fee eligibility at the Home/EU rate is determined with reference to UK Government regulations. As a guiding principle, EU nationals (including UK) who are ordinarily resident in the EU pay Home/EU tuition fees, all other students (including those from the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) pay Overseas fees.

Security clearance for Shrivenham:

Some Cranfield University courses are delivered at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham which is a Ministry of Defence (MOD) site. All applicants to courses that are wholly or partially delivered at Shrivenham must complete the BPSS (HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard V4 April 2014) prior to registration on the course or must already hold a security clearance to this level or higher.

Your application and BPSS clearance application will be shared during the application process with the MOD who have ultimate discretion over whether to admit applicants to the Shrivenham site. This information will be returned by the MOD to Cranfield University after checks are completed and no copies will be retained by the MOD.

BPSS checks may involve confirmation of the following:

•     Identity (e.g. Photo ID)
•     Nationality and Immigration Status
•     Employment/Academic History (covering the past 3 years)
•     Criminal record (unspent convictions only)

Additionally, applicants are required to give a reasonable account of any significant periods (6 months or more in the past 3 years) of time spent abroad.

This may be revised from time to time dependent on national security requirements. For more details, please consult the BPSS Guidance.

It will take additional time to process your BPSS clearance application once you have completed your course application.

Inability to access the Shrivenham site as a result of failure to meet security clearance requirements will result in a withdrawal of offer, or, if already registered, a termination of registration.

Your career:

Students may also wish to pursue careers with private security companies, think tanks, within academia or for foreign governments.

Applicants to this degree come from a range of backgrounds. While we have a number of candidates who have recently completed their undergraduate degrees, we also have a significant number who are civil servants working within defence, serving and retired military personnel and those who working within the financial services. The aim of this course is therefore to provide all students with a high quality, and transferable, postgraduate qualification.

The course therefore assists in taking you on to senior positions in the armed forces, government, international organisations, media and academia.