Postgraduate Programmes in Security Management

2006

LOUGHBOROUGHUNIVERSITY

Programme Specification

Postgraduate Programmes in Security Management

(by Distance Learning)

Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if full advantage is taken of the learning opportunities that are provided. More detailed information on the learning outcomes, content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of each module can be found in Module Specifications and other programme documentation and online at

The accuracy of the information in this document is reviewed by the University and may be checked by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

Awarding body/institution; / LoughboroughUniversity
Teaching institution (if different); / Not applicable
Details of accreditation by a professional/statutory body; / Not applicable
Name of the final award; / MSc in Security Management; Postgraduate Diploma in Security Management; Postgraduate Certificate in Security Management
Programme title; / Postgraduate Programmes in Security Management
UCAS code; / Not applicable
Date at which the programme specification was written or revised. / June 2006

1. Aims of the programme:

. To promote knowledge and understanding in the subject of Security Management.

. To provide advanced training where an opportunity is afforded for the security professional to bring together professional expertise and growing academic abilities.

. To promote security management as a serious subject for academic study within the security industry.

. To enhance the self-esteem of the participating students and to establish security management as a relevant discipline within the corporate environment in order that it might rank alongside the other disciplines.

. To assist individuals with career development, advancement of their professional competence and standing, and their lifelong learning.

. To provide an opportunity for security professionals from uniformed backgrounds to migrate into the corporate and private sector security domains.

. To provide a unique academic qualification in security management, that brings together professional expertise and academic disciplines relevant to this interdisciplinary field.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external and internal reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

The Programme conforms to the benchmarks published by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in respect of Masters awards in business and management in 2002. Specifically the programme meets the requirements of a specialist Masters degree (Type 1 B).

3. Intended Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of; organisational behaviour, managing organisational change, and how such concepts interact with the role of the security manager. Students should also understand the due legal process and the key elements associated with a crime and various criminological perspectives. Additionally, an awareness of how the legal systems; criminal, civil and industrial tribunals impact on the work undertaken by the security professional. The concept of pure risk, risk assessments, business continuity and contingency planning must be clearly understood. Students will also gain knowledge of fraudulent activity, key principles of physical security (including closed circuit television) and of fraud prevention strategies. Data and Information Technology Security must also be understood including the relevant legal framework and countermeasures.

However the levels of knowledge and understanding are linked to the study programme undertaken i.e. Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or MSc. The course being modular in design means that Certificate students are afforded a choice of Modules.

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated:

Teaching is by means of distance learning and involves the student studying each of the chosen modules. It is anticipated that each module should be completed in 150 hours of private study.

Assessment is by means of an essay not exceeding 5,000 words (100% weighting). However, students on each of the programmes are also expected to complete a work-based project (4,000 words for the Certificate and 8,000 words for the Diploma).

Skills and other attributes:

Subject-specific cognitive skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to understand security management as both a practically and academically based profession that adds real value to an organisation’s effectiveness, including financial performance as opposed to being regarded as a general overhead cost. Students should also view security management not only in problem solving mode but conceptually. They should be able to conceptualise various security problems and appreciate the ramifications of various courses of action. But most important of all, the solutions on offer must be based upon credible evidence and graduates must be willing to challenge conventional wisdom.

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated:

Teaching is by means of distance learning and involves the student studying each of the chosen modules. It is anticipated that each module should be completed in 150 hours of private study. Assessment is by means of an essay not exceeding 5,000 words (100% weighting). The assignment questions are devised in such a manner that the students must clearly demonstrate not only a practical understanding of the core module material, but also an in-depth intellectual analysis of the material and be able to demonstrate a research capability. In addition to the assignments students are expected to complete a work based project not exceeding 4,000 words for those on the certificate programme and not exceeding 8,000 words for those on the diploma programme. To be awarded the MSc students must complete a dissertation not exceeding 20,000 words.

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to understand and debate the changing nature of organisations and critically analyse the nature of management and motivators within a security management context. They should also be placed in a position to understand and to apply financial appraisal systems. In addition to this they should appreciate the evolving nature of legislation, offender behaviour and be able to construct coping/preventative strategies for dealing with nefarious activity. They should appreciate the rudiments of pure risk, be able to analyse problems and offer up practical cost effective solutions. Students should be able to apply the various crime prevention theories in a practical setting and analyse logically crime statistics. They must be capable of devising policies and procedures to deal with physical, data protection and information technology security issues, these to include risk assessment, business continuity and contingency planning.

Student shouldgain an appreciation of computer related crime and the application of various security countermeasures. All students should be able to conduct and evaluate primary and secondary research in the field of security.

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated:

Key/transferable skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to write a good quality academic essay in both a logical and coherent fashion in a variety of security related settings by making use of a variety of information sources. This skillset should prove invaluable when the security manager is detailing a business case to acquire additional resources.

The student will also be capable of critical analysis of source material and have the ability to work to a pre-set timescale, and independently of others, in an organised fashion.

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated:

Teaching is by means of distance learning and involves the student studying each of the chosen modules. It is anticipated that each taught module should be completed in 150 hours of private study. Assessment is by means of an essay not exceeding 5,000 words (100% weighting). However students on each of the programmes are also expected to complete a work based project (4,000 words for the Certificate and 8,000 words for the Diploma and a 20,000 word dissertation for the MSc.). These projects deal with practical problems, where the student must conduct some basic research, analyse the findings, offer up some practical solution and then write a properly referenced project report. All pieces of course work have to be submitted within a pre-set timescale, unless there are well-explained extenuating circumstances.

4. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards:

This particular programme consists of the Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and Master of Science in Security Management. Students however can only gain one award. Hence, a student might begin with the Certificate and then decide to move onto the Diploma phase and beyond. The University will not award three certificates, but only one (highest award attained). This is dependent upon the student fulfilling the programme requirements/general regulations for modular postgraduate awards (GRMPA).

The various programmes are delivered by means of distance learning and are modular in design. There is one compulsory module (Business Management Skills) across all three programmes and all taught modules have a credit weighting of 15 credits. The certificate work based project has a credit weighting of 15 credits and the diploma project has a weighting of 45 credits, with the Masters dissertation attracting a weighting of 60 credits.

Loughborough Postgraduate Certificate students are allowed a choice of modules once they successfully pass the compulsory module.

Compulsory module:

Table 1

Modular Weight
BSP551* / Business Management Skills / 15
Or one from BSP561, P571, P581, P591, P610

The following modules are available;

Table 2

BSP552* / Law and Criminology / 15
Or one from BSP562, P568, P572, P582, P592, P611
BSP553* / Physical Security and Fraud and Information Security / 15
Or one from BSP563, P573, P583, P593, P612
BSP554* / Information Technology Security / 15
Or one from BSP564, P574, P584, P594, P613
BSP555* / Security Risk Management / 15
Or one from BSP565, P575, P585, P595, P614
BSP556* / Certificate Work-Based Assignment / 15
Or one from BSP566, P576, P586, P596, P615
BSP557* / Diploma Project / 45
Or one from BSP567, P577, P587, P597, P616
BSP558* / Masters Project / 60
Or one from BSP578, P588, P598

*by Distance Learning

Candidates for the Postgraduate Certificate must study the compulsory module in Table 1 and two further, chosen from Table 2, plus the Certificate Work-Based Assignment. This gives an overall credit weighting of 60.

Candidates for the Postgraduate Diploma must study the compulsory module in Table 1 and four modules from Table 2, plus the Diploma Project. This gives an overall credit weighting of 120.

Candidates for the MSc must study the compulsory modules in and Table 1, four modules from Table 2, the Diploma Project and the Masters Project. This gives an overall maximum credit weighting of 180.

Two classes of award are possible - pass or pass with distinction. To achieve the pass with distinction candidates must achieve a Programme Mark of no less than 70%.

For those students holding a first degree and who register at the beginning for the MSc programme the time taken for completion is three years.

5.Criteria for admission to the programme:

This series of programmes is delivered by means of Distance Learning and is directed towards members of the ‘security community’ many of whom do not have a first degree. Hence there is a flexible and non-discriminatory recruitment policy with the intended aim of matching the student up with the most appropriate study programme for his/her needs.

The selection process takes into account the following issues;

the potential of the student and here an assessment is made relating to the student’s realistic prospect of success.
the nature and relevance of any formal academic qualifications and professional qualifications, and the grades.
relevant security work experience and expertise.
applicant’s reason for wanting to join the programme and his/her personnel development plans.
references, both academic and work related.
english language skills as considered appropriate.

Prospective students whose first language is not English must possess GCSE (or O level) English Language, or University Test in English (JMB) or Proficiency in English (Cambridge) or a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOELF) score of 213 (or 550 under the old scheme) or an IELTS score of 6.5, or other qualifications acceptable to the University.

No applicant is considered for a place on the Postgraduate Masters programme unless they are in possession of a first degree from a recognised institution of higher education. All other applicants may be considered for admittance to either the Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma programmes (criteria detailed above). However an opportunity exists for the student to begin with the Certificate programme and if successful proceed to the Diploma programme. A successful Diplomate may then progress to the Masters level of study and ultimately achieve the MSc award.

All applications are scrutinised by the Director of the Security Management Programmesand by the Faculty’s Associate Dean of Teaching, prior to the offer of a place.

6.Information about assessment regulations

Full information about the assessment regulations is contained in the programme regulations for each programme.

The current regulations for all the BusinessSchool programmes can be accessed via the University web site which lists all at:

The current regulations for each of the BusinessSchool programmes can also be directly accessed from section 6 of our comprehensive statement to supplement this programme specification which is available on our web site at:

7.Indicators of quality:

Upon completion of the various programmes students may apply for membership of a number of prestigious security representative bodies and these include; ASIS International (formerly known as the American Society for Industrial Security), International Institute of Security Management (IISM), International Private Security Association (IPSA), Guild of Security Professionals, and The Security Institute, without having to successfully complete the various associations entrance examinations. The grade of membership of the various associations is dependent upon the Postgraduate award attained (Certificate, Diploma or Masters).

In addition to this students on the security programmes have won the Ted Legge essay competition run by ASIS International (the leading association for security practitioners world-wide) and have been invited to compete for the Imbert Prize by the Association of Security Consultants.

Comments have also been forthcoming from students who have attributed career advancement and or employment directly as a result of achieving their various awards in Security Management.

Particular support for learning

Information about the support offered by the BusinessSchool for this programme and the general support offered by the University for all programmes can be found in section 8 of our comprehensive statement to supplement this programme specification which is available on our web site at:

Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standards of learning

The official University statement about improving quality for all programmes can be found in section 9 of our comprehensive statement to supplement this programme specification which is available on our web site at:

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