Course summary

Are you fascinated by global affairs? Do you wonder if businesses study their competitors and, if so, how? Do you love solving problems, working collaboratively analysing events, patterns or crimes? All of these are covered - and a great deal more - in this unique course. This course is offered as four-year programmes, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate programme. You’ll be taught by experienced professionals with decades of operational experience in the global security industry, the armed forces, police and government. And by the end, you’ll be ready for a wide range of roles in a vibrant and growing profession spanning opportunities in the police, armed forces, corporate security, insurance and financial sectors, retail analysis, the humanitarian sector and many more. The commercial intelligence sector is increasingly important , with new graduate jobs being created in the private and public sectors all the time. Whether you’re looking to start a career in intelligence, security and resilience, or if you already have some experience that you wish to build on with an academic qualification, this degree will expand your professional knowledge and your life skills such as public speaking, creating visual aids, research and critical analysis. Why study at Buckinghamshire New University? This modern, industry relevant course will give you a unique body of knowledge and practical skills that you can apply to a wide range of future careers. We will help you to channel your natural curiosity about the world around you, teaching you a range of research and analytical techniques to get to the heart of any problem. At BNU, we are very connected with industry and public sector employers. You’ll learn from experienced professionals and we regularly welcome visiting speakers. We also visit organisations active in intelligence, security and resilience, giving you direct exposure to the real world. We continue to grow our placements offers, which are integrated into the course, and our network of industry connections will help you find summer internships and provide expert advice, encouragement and support as you transition to your chosen career. We will actively help you develop your communication skills, running workshops on public speaking and helping you become an accomplished presenter, as well as developing your online and written communication skills in workplace-related exercises. Opportunity modules are a key part of the BNU curriculum. You’ll choose modules in both your first and second year from a broad selection in areas such as sustainability, entrepreneurship, creativity, digital skills, personal growth, civic engagement, health & wellbeing and employment. Opportunity modules are designed to enable you to develop beyond the boundaries of your discipline and help you to further stand out from the crowd to future employers. What will I study? The programme uniquely blends well-established theory with future-proof enquiry, starting in the first year by introducing Intelligence, Security and Resilience, and encouraging you to examine how each has changed and is likely to develop in the future global context. From the second year, you can choose to specialise in areas that directly support your career choices and academic interests by selecting optional modules to create your own bespoke route through the course. All students will build on the foundation from year one and gain skills in structured analytical techniques. You can choose from optional modules in cyber security, corporate intelligence and security, espionage and counter-terrorism and business continuity management.