Protective Security and Resilience PGCert, PGDip, MSc

 

Course Code

AHT030 (MSc), AHT031 (PGDip), AHT032 (PGCert)

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

 

Study mode

Part-time
Distance learning

Duration

24 months (MSc)
8 months (PG Cert)
16 months (PG Dip)

Start date

September 2022

How to apply
Book an Open Day
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Course overview

Study level: Postgraduate

Protective Security and Resilience is becoming an important and influential consideration in the counter terrorism, security and development disciplines, particularly in relation to crowded places and critical infrastructure protection.

Our new and impactful programme focuses on the complex security-related challenges faced by law enforcement, governments and businesses and how these are understood and mitigated in order to help keep people safe.

Qualifications available:

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Protective Security and Resilience (8 months by distance-learning)
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Protective Security and Resilience (16 months by distance-learning)
  • Full Term MSc Protective Security and Resilience (24 months by distance-learning)
  • Fast-Track MSc (APEL) Protective Security and Resilience (16 months by distance-learning)
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Global ready

An international outlook, with global opportunities
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Teaching excellence

Taught by lecturers who are experts in their field
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Employability

Career ready graduates, with the skills to succeed

Why you should study this course

  • Study wherever you are, whilst working. We can provide the flexibility of studying online and through short workshops where you can network and learn with peers in a diverse range of roles around the world.
  • Complete an MSc in 16 months with accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL1) - For those with 5 years+ working experience, you could gain one-third of your Master’s degree credits in recognition of what you’ve already achieved, through our APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning) route (subject to eligibility criteria1).
  • Complete a Postgraduate Certificate in 8 months. Our course can be studied at Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and Master’s Level, with the opportunity to stop, pause or progress between stages. Whilst most complete a full Master’s degree with us, many students choose to pause after the first or second stage, graduating and continuing their careers with ‘PGCert’ or ‘PGDip’ after their name.
  • An international network of professionals. Access to a network of practitioners working in roles related to peacebuilding internationally, as well as the large team of researchers and practitioners working in the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations.
  • A distinctive, international course led by world-leading experts. Delivered by active international researchers, our courses are global: from the content of the programme and the staff leading them, to the diverse backgrounds of our participants.

Accreditation and Professional Recognition

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL1) is the process by which Coventry University awards credits towards a qualification based on a student’s prior learning and experience in, for example, their career, previous qualifications and other, relevant life experience.

For this course, Coventry University is able to award a third of the credits of the qualification based on a student’s reflection on the outcomes of their prior experience and learning, providing a fast-track option and an opportunity to complete a master’s degree in 16 months rather than 2 years. For more information on our APEL route or this course, contact our Postgraduate Programmes Team at study.ctpsr@coventry.ac.uk.

More than just a degree

Our aim is to deliver protective security and resilience programmes that are comprehensive, applied and relevant not only for those already working in security-related fields but also for individuals considering a career in protective security.

Professor Rachel Monaghan, Course Director, Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations
A student studying in a pod in the Hub

What you'll study

Protective Security and Resilience is becoming an important and influential consideration in the counter terrorism, security and development disciplines, particularly in relation to crowded places and critical infrastructure protection. Our new and impactful programme focuses on the complex security-related challenges faced by law enforcement, governments and businesses and how these are understood and mitigated in order to help keep people safe.

Our postgraduate programmes in Protective Security and Resilience (PG Cert, PG Dip, MSc) are shaped by research-active staff and real-world events. Delivered in a friendly and supportive learning environment, these innovative and highly interactive programmes allow students to understand and analyse current issues and develop their skills in response.

If you take the full route, the whole course will take two years. If you take the APEL1 fast track however, you don’t study the PGDip and you study all modules within a 16-month period.

This programme is studied in three stages: - Postgraduate Certificate (60 Masters Level credits); - Postgraduate Diploma level (120 Masters level credits); and - Masters (180 Master level credits). Each stage is offered through distance learning, allowing you to study flexibly around work and personal commitments. There are 3 short workshops during the course. The three qualifications are sequential: you start by completing the Certificate level, then the Diploma and finish by completing the full Master’s degree, with the option to stop, pause or continue at each stage.

Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert)

  • Introduction to Protective Security and Resilience
  • Principles of Cyber Security and Resilience
  • Physical, Procedural, Personal and Personnel Security
  • Complexity in Protective Security and Resilience

Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip)

  • Identifying and Mitigating Protective Security Challenges
  • Protective Security and the Public and Private Sectors
  • Organisational Behavious and Security Culture
  • Understanding Insider Threat

Modules

  • The core aims of this module are to provide you with a specialist understanding of the theory, concepts and key perspectives of protective security and resilience at the international level. It is designed to provide insights on how governments, businesses and individuals can protect their information, assets, people, and reputation from the threats and impacts of terrorism and transnational organised crime.

    Compulsory

  • This module is designed to introduce the principles of cyber security and its interconnectedness with the other components of protective security, including its synergies with physical security, and personnel and people security.

    Compulsory

  • This module is designed to explore the four ‘P’s’ of protective security (physical, procedural, personal and personnel) and the interlinkages that exist between each of these approaches. It is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of each of these and explore these in the context of proportionate holistic protective security.

    Compulsory

  • This module is designed to critically explore the complex issues impacting on protective security approaches in urban, maritime and aviation contexts. It is designed to critically analyse these complexities in the context of threats, governance (jurisdictional/governmental/organisations), geography (location/physicality of sites), and people (public/private) and the interconnections and dependencies that exist between all of these components. 

    Compulsory

  • This module will provide you with the abilities to effectively assess and understand the threats, risks, and vulnerabilities posed by terrorism and transnational organise crime. In turn, and with the prior learnings from this MSc, you will be able to develop and justify proportionate responses to these, through the creation of appropriate management and mitigation strategies informed by best practice in the literature base. 

    Compulsory

  • This module explores these benefits and challenges in the context of new developments of crowded places and critical infrastructures, and also critically analyses the potential incentives for overcoming these challenges through research informed teaching. 

    Compulsory

  • This module is designed to provide you with a strong theoretical and practice based knowledge and understanding of the concepts, processes, and models that can be utilised in the countering and mitigating of hostile acts.

    Compulsory

  • The core aims of this module are to provide a specialist understanding of the ‘enablers’ which afford ‘Insider Threat’ to flourish and how human vulnerabilities can be exposed and exploited through the use of techniques such as social engineering. Corruption is an endemic problem which is transnational, and exists within business, critical infrastructure organisations, and wider society in general. Its causes can range from an individual’s greed, to societal inequalities and the need to survive.

    Compulsory

The final stage in your Master’s qualification is the Protective Security and Resilience Dissertation. Supported by a subject expert from our Centre, you will design and conduct a piece of academic research, from developing a proposal through to presenting your findings. You can choose a topic close to you or relevant to your work whilst developing your research skills for use in your career or further study. Some use the experience to prepare for a PhD or career in research.

Modules

  • Protective Security and Resilience Dissertation – 60 credits
    This module is designed to enable you to write an extended piece of written work entailing independent study and the use of appropriate research techniques and source materials – your dissertation. The dissertation may consist of a critical evaluation of literature, of a reassessment of evidence, of an evaluation of particular approaches or techniques, or of a limited piece of original or applied research.

    Compulsory

  • This module is designed to enable you to write an extended piece of written work entailing independent study and the use of appropriate research techniques and source materials – your dissertation. The dissertation may consist of a critical evaluation of literature, of a reassessment of evidence, of an evaluation of particular approaches or techniques, or of a limited piece of original or applied research.

    Compulsory

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.

How you'll learn

Starting in September, each year our distance learning courses combine short participatory workshops and online learning. There are 3 optional workshops during the course.

This course is part-time. 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 contact the CTPSR Postgraduate Programmes Team at study.ctpsr@coventry.ac.uk if you have questions about part-time study and teaching hours.

Online modules are provided through the virtual learning environment (Aula) to facilitate communication between staff and students, and between students. You will have access to Coventry University’s library, including its digital resources and library support for distance learners.

At each stage of the programme, you will have the opportunity to participate in three optional online workshops. Each workshop will last for five days. The online workshops are covered in the course fees.

Teaching contact hours

The number of part-time contact hours and self-directed study hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, it is likely to be around 20 hours per week, in total.

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2022/2023 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.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods include:

  • Essays
  • Group work
  • Presentations
  • Reports
  • Projects
  • Coursework
  • Individual Assignments

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

Entry requirements

All applications will be evaluated individually with admissions decisions made by CTPSR. Admission decisions are based on the entry criteria elaborated below and an evaluation of the required application documents. Ordinarily, the minimum entry criteria for each stage (PGCert, PGDip & MSc) of the Protective Security and Resilience programme are as follows:

Applicants should hold a 2:2 or above degree (or equivalent international grade/qualification), from a recognised university.

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning

To be eligible for AP(E)L an applicant must have a minimum of five (5) years evidenced working experience in a relevant field to Protective Security and Resilience and be operating in a relevant role at the level of mid-management or above at the time of application, or have operated within a relevant role at the level of mid-management or above within 12 months of the time of application. An eligible applicant seeking AP(E)L will be assessed by a portfolio and admissions interview, alongside their capacity to complete the programme successfully.

For further information on eligibility and the application process please email study.ctpsr@coventry.ac.uk.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications; speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

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Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

Europe

Americas

Middle East

South Asia

South East Asia

East Asia

Africa

Russia and Central Asia

You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

All applications will be evaluated individually with admissions decisions made by CTPSR. Admission decisions are based on the entry criteria elaborated below and an evaluation of the required application documents. Ordinarily, the minimum entry criteria for each stage (PGCert, PGDip & MA) of the Maritime Security programme are as follows:

Applicants should hold a 2:2 or above degree (or equivalent international grade/qualification), from a recognised university.

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning

To be eligible for AP(E)L an applicant must have a minimum of five (5) years evidenced working experience in a relevant field to Protective Security and Resilience and be operating in a relevant role at the level of mid-management or above at the time of application, or have operated within a relevant role at the level of mid-management or above within 12 months of the time of application. An eligible applicant seeking AP(E)L will be assessed by a portfolio and admissions interview, alongside their capacity to complete the programme successfully.

For further information on eligibility and the application process please email study.ctpsr@coventry.ac.uk.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 overall, with at least 5.5 in each component area

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

Where applicants do not hold up-to-date IELTS certification, we will look at whether an applicant has previously studied and successfully completed a Higher Education qualification in English. Where an applicant does not hold such a qualification entry will be at the discretion of the Course Director and subject to a review of documentation and an interview. Please chat with us if you have questions about this requirement.

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Fees and funding

Student Full time Part time
UK Not available £10,600 (MSc) | £7,066 (PG Dip) | £3,533 (PG Cert) in total
International Not available £10,600 (MSc) | £7,066 (PG Dip) | £3,533 (PG Cert) in total

For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Careers and opportunities

On successful completion of the course students will receive a Postgraduate Certificate; Postgraduate Diploma or MSc. Completion of the course will provide students with a more holistic and critical understanding of key factors and discussions in the field of protective security.

The programme is evolving alongside contemporary challenges and our teaching reflects that. Further to this, the course ultimately seeks to create a learning community, where ideas can be interchanged and debated amongst everyone.

  • These are the benefits that the MSc in Protective Security and Resilience can offer you, and should thus enhance your career prospects in the following ways:
    If you are already a practitioner, you will have the opportunity to broaden your professional network, which is very likely to be useful to you in the workplace, whilst also gaining a formal accredited postgraduate qualification, which may be required for further progression in your career.
  • If you are an individual with an interest in protecting crowded places, critical infrastructure and business risk mitigation, this course can help equip you with the skills and knowledge.

Where our graduates work

Graduates from this course have developed the skills and knowledge necessary to enter into jobs within a broad spectrum of organisations, including: law enforcement, government, private security organisations, architectural design and development companies, international non-government organisations and also academia.

How to apply

  • Prior to submitting an application please ensure you have the following supporting documents ready to upload:

    *This must be sent directly by the referee to study.ctpsr@coventry.ac.uk.

    Part-time students applying to start in September should apply directly to the university. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

    How to apply

  • Prior to submitting an application please ensure you have the following supporting documents ready to upload:

    *This must be sent directly by the referee to study.ctpsr@coventry.ac.uk. 

    Part-time students applying to start in September should apply directly to the university. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

    How to apply

    For further support for international applicants applying for postgraduate degree view our International hub.

    You can also download our International guide which contains lots of useful information about our courses, accommodation and tips for travel.

    Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.

    (+44) 024 7765 2152

    generalenquiries.io@coventry.ac.uk

     Chat with our admissions team.

     Complete our contact form.

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Your next steps

Student life
Accommodation
Fees and funding

  • 1Accreditations

    The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

    2UK and international opportunities

    Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or International opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel COVID and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

    3Tuition fees

    The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For Home Students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University 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.

    For International Students, we may increase fees each year but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

    4Facilities

    Facilities are subject to availability. Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.

    Student Contract

    By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. The 2022/23 Contract is currently being updated so please revisit this page before submitting your application. 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.