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Security, Intelligence and Cyber

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B-B,B,C

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

31-32

UCAS Tariff

112-120

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

2years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

3 years | Full-time | 2024

Subjects

International relations

Politics

Security policy

The University of Buckingham is:
- Home of the two-year degree, the University of Buckingham, based in the South East of England, is ranked 6th for Student Satisfaction in the UK (National Student Survey, 2020).

- We are proudly independent and not-for-profit, and offer courses in Allied Health, Business, Computing, Education, Humanities, Law, Medicine, Psychology and Security and Intelligence. We are one of the few universities in the UK that offer September and January start dates for almost all of our courses.

- Based in Buckingham on a riverside campus, we are only 20 minutes’ from Milton Keynes central station and a short drive from Bicester, Aylesbury, Banbury and Northampton. There is free parking on-site and we are within easy reach of London and Oxford.

- Our award-winning small class tutorials ensure every student is known by name and supported throughout their studies, including by dedicated personal tutors.

- As pioneers of the two-year degree, we offer a condensed version of the traditional three-year degree, meaning you can gain a full honours degree and complete your studies a whole year earlier. Alternatively, you can complete both your undergraduate and master’s degree with us in just three years: saving you time and money.

Global politics and diplomacy in the 21st century are increasingly underpinned by questions of security, both as threat and as policy. Diplomats and decision-makers in government and business increasingly need to understand the complex dynamics of regional and global security, whether that be the complex dynamics of the Middle East; the resurgence of assertive powers in a multi-polar world; or domestic extremist movements, to name but a few. Processes of globalisation have taught us that two further developments are also critical. First, in order to survive and prosper in an uncertain world, all states need good intelligence on threats and adversaries. But how do intelligence capabilities properly interface with the business of government, especially in democratic states where security, privacy and accountability must be carefully balanced? Secondly, the twenty-first century is and will increasingly signify a world where the virtual and the physical become intertwined. The key managers and decision-makers of tomorrow will need to be very much at ease in the cyber realm, recognising both its opportunities and its threats. The intersection of technology, security and politics will become the essence of modern life.

This programme builds upon the success of the Centre of Security and Intelligence Studies at Buckingham (BUCSIS) which has established itself as one of the world leaders in educational provision in this subject area. Both the centre and the university at large offer a very diverse environment. With students coming to Buckingham from over 80 countries, it is an ideal situation to learn about matters of international concern and to discuss them with people from differing cultural backgrounds.

The programme is structured around a core set of modules, and two optional pathways, focusing respectively on politics and diplomacy; and foundational-level computing and cyber security.

Students wishing to pursue careers in security, intelligence, diplomacy, foreign affairs or business management will find this programme a unique and attractive foundation.

This is the 2-year, or 2-year (+ 1 term) format of the BA degree. You get the same number of teaching weeks as the 3-year degree, but complete the syllabus in a shorter time by working an extra summer term. This is for those who want to complete more quickly, and so begin their career, or progress earlier to further training or a higher degree. For those wishing to progress on to a Master’s or research degree, excellent options are available in the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (BUCSIS), with discounts for high-performing graduates.

Modules

Development and Security,
Terrorism and Counter Terrorism,
Foundations of Global Security and Intelligence,
Technology and National Security in a Cyber Age,
Key Developments in Security and Intelligence History,
National Security and Strategy in the Modern World,
Conflict, Crisis and Strategic Decision-Making,
Media, Society, Security and Cyberspace,
Political Psychology and Intelligence Analysis,
Research Design and Method,
Security, Intelligence and Policy-Making,
Diplomacy in the Modern Age,
Introduction to Political Thought,
International Law and Organisations in Global Security,
The New International Society,
Political Risk Analysis,
Introduction to Computer Systems,
Principles of Computer Networks,
Information Security,
Cloud Computing,
Technologies for Business Intelligence.

Assessment methods

Teaching is carried out through a combination of lectures supported by seminars and tutorials. A key feature of the Buckingham teaching method is the use of small tutorial groups which provide the most effective means of ensuring that the students benefit from the academic expertise at their disposal. It is also the philosophy of Buckingham’s faculty to be available to students outside the scheduled tutorial times and to encourage good working relationships between staff and students.
The assessment of individual modules within each course varies according to the subject. Assessment is usually by examination, assessed coursework, or a combination of the two. Please check module information for more details.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£27,750
for the whole course
England
£27,750
for the whole course
EU
£44,400
for the whole course
International
£44,400
for the whole course
Northern Ireland
£27,750
for the whole course
Republic of Ireland
£44,400
for the whole course
Scotland
£27,750
for the whole course
Wales
£27,750
for the whole course

The Uni


Course location:

University of Buckingham

Department:

International Studies

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

96%
International relations
96%
Politics

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Politics

Teaching and learning

88%
Staff make the subject interesting
88%
Staff are good at explaining things
85%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
85%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

100%
Library resources
92%
IT resources
88%
Course specific equipment and facilities
85%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

49%
UK students
51%
International students
59%
Male students
41%
Female students
76%
2:1 or above
19%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
B
C

Security policy

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Politics

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

100%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

28%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
11%
Public services and other associate professionals
8%
Business, research and administrative professionals

The numbers of people taking politics degrees fell sharply last year and we'll keep an eye on this one - it can't really be because of graduates getting poor outcomes as politics grads do about as well as graduates on average. Most politics or international relations graduates don't actually go into politics - although many do, as activists, fundraisers and researchers. Jobs in local and central government are also important. Other popular jobs include marketing and PR, youth and community work, finance roles, HR and academic research (you usually need a postgraduate degree to get into research). Because so many graduates get jobs in the civil service, a lot of graduates find themselves in London after graduating. Politics is a very popular postgraduate subject, and so about one in five politics graduates go on to take another course - usually a one-year Masters - after they finish their degrees.

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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