Programme Description

This degree provides students with an introduction to the advanced study of security in world politics as viewed from a perspective wider than - but not excluding - the military focus advanced in traditional strategic studies. In particular, the programme is designed to facilitate the development of a critical awareness of the state of theory and practice in the field of contemporary security studies.

The degree also incorporates a significant Research Training and Development component designed to provide students with general research and transferable skills.
This degree provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge, understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:

* the assumptions, theories and practices that have defined `traditional security studies´ as well as the most important alternative conceptualisations of security;
* the inter-relationship between global processes and specific security dynamics in both the developing and developed world;
* the policy responses to the new security agenda, and the alternatives to them;
* the basic principles of research design and strategy;
* a range of methodological and analytical skills applicable in a wide variety of research contexts; and,
* the significance of alternative epistemological positions that provide the context for theory construction, research design and the selection of appropriate analytical techniques.