This degree aims to deliver an understanding of the contemporary security and intelligence environment in western democracies, focusing particularly on the law enforcement environment in the UK. As well as the MA, studied over 12 months, these programmes are available: Postgraduate Diploma in Law Enforcement, Security and Intelligence (9 months, starting in September) Postgraduate Certificate in Law Enforcement, Security and Intelligence (6 months, starting in September) Postgraduate Certificate in Law Enforcement, Security and Intelligence by distance learning (6 months, starting in September) There is a national and international need for graduates to acquire the skills to analyse security and intelligence matters. Emphasis is placed on relating academic and historical analyses to contemporary problems and policy questions especially in the UK but also to western states in general. This course uniquely uses a degree of “practice” expertise within those delivering the programme. This MA is aimed at both those seeking professional skills and those requiring a more general grounding in this subject. Graduates will be able to demonstrate deep knowledge and understanding of security and intelligence issues. For the Law Enforcement intelligence community in particular, this programme offers one component of “professionalisation” within the growing and increasingly significant career pathway of intelligence within the overall arena of policing in the contemporary UK. The five modules and dissertation on an agreed topic fit together to deliver a strong contemporary security and intelligence focus for students by: providing a robust theoretical model, or argued thesis in which a student’s research, reading and writing may be placed; outlining and examining the key priority geopolitical threats facing the UK; exploring the context in which security and intelligence agencies and the law enforcement intelligence sector are required to operate. Drawing on the extensive practitioner experience of some of the fellows of the University of Buckingham Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (BUCSIS), it examines carefully and in detail the security and intelligence tradecraft and machinery which interface with these threats, paying due attention to a number of plans for reform both in the UK and beyond.

Our graduates have gone on to further study at most of the world’s leading universities, including Harvard, London, Oxford and Cambridge and secured jobs in senior positions around the world. Among our alumni we have a graduate who became the head of his country’s civil service and one who became a leading Formula One motor-racing driver. Another secured a position as the Minister of Sabah and one female law graduate became the first British lawyer to become a French Advocate.