Reduced UK/EU postgraduate fees for May
For UK/EU students* we are offering a fee reduction on this course. This equates to a 15% reduction of the normal published course fee listed above. The postgraduate reduced fee will be confirmed in your offer letter.
*Please note, the reduced fee does not apply to alumni or sponsored students.
Overview
From international sporting events and concerts to world-class retail and transport hubs, mass gatherings are increasing in scale and complexity. In the current global environment, the challenges of keeping people safe are greater than ever – whether that’s planning for international mega events or dealing with the impacts of social distancing.
This course aims to provide you with the academic underpinning to analyse the features that make for best-practice planning, policy and process, so that you can go on to devise effective crowded places arrangements of your own. Graduates could work in a range of organisations with crowded places duties, including venue and stadia management, the uniformed services, private security management, and the live events, transport and retail sectors.
Why Coventry University?
An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.
COVID-19
The University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via emerging online technologies and methods across all courses. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2020/2021 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to Covid-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedStudent experience
All the support you need, in a top student cityAccreditation & Professional Recognition
This course is accredited by the following professional bodies:

Chartered Management Institute
As part of this course you will be required to undertake a professional development module which is currently accredited by the Chartered Management Institute for the 2020-21 intake. Upon successful completion of the module, you will gain the CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice at no additional cost. Further details can be found under the ‘course detail’ tab and on the Professional development homepage homepage. Coventry University’s accreditation with CMI is currently ongoing for the relevant modules and is regularly reviewed and monitored by the CMI through their quality systems. Whilst Coventry University anticipates that these reviews will continue to be successful, if they were to be unsuccessful, the relevant module in this course would no longer be accredited and we would notify applicants and students of this change as soon as possible.
Course information
This course aims to provide you with the academic underpinning to analyse the features that make for best-practice planning, policy and process, so that you can go on to devise effective crowded places arrangements of your own.
Employers recognise that the challenges found in postgraduate study positively changes the way you analyse problems and create solutions. This course aims to provide you with a space to network with others from a diverse range of experience and disciplines, to learn and apply concepts, theories and academic skills to professional practice.
The course’s flexibility and delivery pattern of 4.5-day blocks enables full-time students to develop their knowledge alongside opportunities to gain practical experience. The part-time route allows those already employed in crowd safety, health and safety, and security management to balance their studies with other commitments and apply academic rigour to their practical experience.*
The programme covers important legal and socio-political frameworks within crowd safety and emergency management, as well as investigating emerging technological solutions, and the contemporary safety and threat environments that impact on the sector.
The course also aims to provide an understanding of the issues that underlie many of the concerns faced by crowd safety management practitioners, such as leadership, risk management, training and exercising, multi-agency cooperation and coordination and business continuity. In particular, you will examine how these issues may be addressed in practice, with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of crowd safety management and organisational resilience.
You should advance your skills in evaluating complex situations, developing creative and innovative solutions, and implementing lessons learned. There will be opportunities to take part in training and exercises through simulated emergency scenarios in our state-of-the art, immersive Simulation Centre.
You will have the opportunity to carry out an independent piece of research of your choosing, producing an industry facing working paper of publishable quality.
As a Coventry University graduate, upon successful completion of the course you should have gained the skills you need to move your career in crowd safety management forward, both in the UK and overseas. This includes the development of transferable skills and knowledge dealing with risk, problem solving, decision making under uncertainty, team and leadership skills.
Course Specification
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Modules
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
In more detail...
- Crowds and crowded places are an increasing fact of everyday life: from special events such as international sports and music festivals, to routine retail environments and transport hubs. Such is the complexity of these crowded places that to plan for them effectively requires specific understanding of the related internal and external threats that have the potential for catastrophic impact.
- Designed with this need in mind, this specialist master’s course aims to support the development of the knowledge, skills and competencies necessary to deliver more effective crowd safety management planning for risks and threats, all based on evolving best practice. It will provide you with a chance to develop a deeper understanding of the underlying issues and problems faced in the crowd safety, public safety and security management environment beyond simple crowd dynamics approaches.
- Designed for practitioners and those in associated roles in the crowd safety field, this course aims to enable crowd managers to develop the skills and expertise to work in a range of organisations with crowded places planning and response duties, such as security management, event management, the uniformed services, local authorities, public sector agencies, transport hubs and retail management, as well as private sector companies.
- Course content is broad-based to reflect the multidisciplinary nature of the subject. For example, as well as being taught current and evolving techniques and tactics used to prevent, plan, prepare or respond to crowded places emergencies, we will also cover and critically appraise relevant technical data and information, best practice in emergency planning and crisis management.
- Students will have the chance to learn about behavioural theory and leadership at an organisational and individual level, providing an opportunity to develop a wide range of interpersonal skills to help develop and execute appropriate training initiatives and coordinate the work of broad-ranging teams.
- Members of our current teaching team have practical experience and have carried out employment, consultancy and research in crowd safety management and allied professions. This includes emergency planning for managing mass gathering events, risk mapping, the preparation of response frameworks for mass evacuation, and the design and running of simulated emergency exercises.
- We aim to draw from our own experience, as well as real-life case studies, to help you link the theories of crowded places and public safety management that you learn, to their application within actual local, national and international contexts.
- Use our award winning Simulation Centre with its 10m curved-screen immersive virtual training environment with XVR Simulation platform. Eight break-out rooms connected with audio and CCTV to the control room for operational, tactical and strategic simulations.
- Coventry University is a leader in digital learning. This expertise is applied to our campus delivery, which is supported by our innovative online social learning platform, allowing you to undertake substantial parts of your study at home where you can revisit classroom delivery.
- Opportunities for recognition of prior learning and experience (RPL/RPEL) on a case-by-case basis (evidence required). Please see the course specification for further information.
- All assessments are designed to be of value to both you and your employer – no examinations.
- Our student-centred approach: Coventry University has been rated 5 Stars for Teaching Excellence and Employability (QS Stars 2020) and has been rated a top 15 UK university 5 years running (Guardian University Guide 2016-2020).
- Access to our library's electronic resources 24/7, including thousands of books, ejournals and newspapers.
- Dedicated support for those who are new to Higher Education, or returning after a long break, with additional modules designed to transition you into postgraduate study and support you as you learn to research.
- Choose or switch to study either full-time (one year) or part-time (two years). Please see the course specification for further information.
- Start in September, January or May.
- Option to progress from the Postgraduate Certificate to the full MSc, taking into account the credits already achieved. Please see the course specification for further information.
- Learn from guest speakers (subject to availability) who are experts in their field, providing insight into real-life scenarios.
- Enhance your career prospects and extend your industry network by studying with safety and security practitioners, emergency planners, incident and crisis managers from the public, private and charitable sector, both in the UK and internationally.
Crowded places, crowd dynamics, complexity analysis, command and control, interoperability, leadership, safety, security, risk management, emergency planning, emergency management, emergency response, crisis management, organisational resilience, business continuity, research, communication, stress management.
This course can be studies on a one year full-time basic and is also offered on a part-time basis. Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary. Please request information about studying this course part-time.
Modules are delivered as 4.5-day face-to-face events that provide the depth and rigour required for development, reflection and networking in this sector. Campus delivery is supported by our innovative online social learning platform, allowing you to undertake substantial parts of your study at home where you can revisit classroom content and find additional materials. You also have access to our library's electronic resources 24/7, including thousands of books, ejournals and newspapers.
On this course you will be taught via:
1. seminars and discussion
2. practical sessions and workshops
3. simulation exercises
4. study visits*
Your dissertation working paper tutor will assist you in developing your study and research skills.
Please note that if you are an international ‘Tier 4’ student, you will be required to take the course on a full-time basis. You must attend academic skills seminars during intervening weeks to fulfil UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requirements. For more information, visit our page on Tier 4 compliance.
* May be subject to availability, limited places and additional travel costs.
This course is be assessed using a variety of sector-appropriate methods which vary depending upon the module. All written assignments are submitted online and presentations can be recorded. Assessment methods include reports, proposals and business cases, presentations, posters etc. There are no exams.
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy aims to ensure that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards the achieving the intended learning outcomes.
On successful completion, you will have:
- A comprehensive evaluation of risk, its components and influencing factors, approaches to assessment, prioritisation and role in planning and managing crowded places.
- An in-depth knowledge of policy and approaches for mitigating, preparing for and managing crowded places for the private sector, responding agencies and organisations and other affected stakeholders.
- A thorough comprehension of approaches to assessing complexity and interaction, and developing, monitoring and evaluating processes, systems and organisations within the sector from known and emergent threats in a sustainable way.
- A detailed analysis of multi-stakeholder engagement, communication, co-operation and governance in all aspects of policy and strategy, implementation and management at all scales.
- An ability to manage information, evaluate uncertainty, ambiguity and complexity in knowledge, method and management, and make appropriate and defensible decisions.
- A critical awareness of issues and challenges at the forefront of research and practice in crowded places and public safety.
- An ability to evaluate and use appropriate methods of enquiry and analysis, and progress good practice in the discipline over the course of their career.
- The skills demanded to research, evaluate high level material in order to produce an independent working paper that meets ethical requirements of the university, synthesises both academic and sector perspectives and presents findings and recommendations in a professional way.
Each 15 credit module will consist of 150 hours of activities with typically about 30 hours of contact time associated. The activity time will be made up of a mixture of guided and self-guided study. Taught modules are normally delivered in a block (typically 4.5 days of campus-based delivery). This will include a combination of, but may not be limited to, face-to face teaching such as lectures, small-group sessions, workshops, online classes and support sessions.
Students will have access to an experienced team of tutors and lecturers who will support their studies. Each module will have dedicated online content to support the learning.
This course focuses on emergency management within a global context, drawing on case studies and the experience of organisations working in the UK, Europe, US, Canada and Australia.
International, EU and UK students (dependant in intake of students each year) take classes together, participating in discussion-based seminars and workshops, so all students have the opportunity to benefit from the personal experiences of other students, as well as staff, from other parts of the world.
Global ready
Did you know we help more students travel internationally than any other UK university according to data from the experts in higher education data and analysis, HESA?
In 2016/17, we were able to provide a total of 3,482 student experiences abroad that lasted at least five.
Much of this travel is made possible through our Global Leaders Programme, which enables students to prepare for the challenges of the global employment market, as well as strengthening and developing their broader personal and professional skills.
Explore our international experiences1st for
international experiences
Sending more students overseas than any other UK uni (HESA 2016/17)
3,482
Student experiences
The number of student trips abroad for at least 5 days in 2016/17
21,000
and counting
The number of students we’ve helped travel internationally so far
12
global programmes
As well as trips, we offer other opportunities like language courses
Entry Requirements
Tuition Fees
We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis and offer a wide range of scholarships to support students with their studies. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.
This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to) travel, accommodation, activities and visas.
This course may incur additional costs associated with any equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire.
EU student fees
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year remain eligible for the same fees as home students and the same financial support. Financial support comes from Student Finance England, and covers undergraduate and postgraduate study for the duration of their course, providing they meet the residency requirement.
For tuition fee loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for the three years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that three year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
For maintenance loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the UK and Islands for the five years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that five year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
Career prospects
Graduate Immigration Route visa
Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
The increasing recognition of the value of crowded spaces within our society, along with concerns for the threats and risks associated with such mass gatherings, is creating a demand for qualified crowded places professionals.
Our graduates could work in a range of organisations with crowded places duties, including venue and stadia management, the uniformed services, private security management, and the live events, transport and retail sectors.
The course aims to support the development of your skills in problem-solving, teamwork and leadership, project management and communication, all of which are qualities employers demand. We strive to produce graduates who can make difficult decisions whilst being culturally sensitive, ethical and compassionate.
Coventry University is committed to preparing you for your future career and aims to give you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The University’s Talent Team provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.
Where our graduates work
Opportunities may exist globally within:
- Crowd Management and Public Safety
- Emergency Services
- Security and safety sector
- Multi-lateral organisations
- National and Local government
- Risk and resilience consultancy
- Research and further study
Disclaimer
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2020/21 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.
For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.