Course Essentials
Welcome to MSc Global Security at Canterbury Christ Church University and congratulations on starting your course! We are looking forward to welcoming you into our learning community, where you will meet like-minded students, supportive, friendly staff, and a set of internationally recognised research-active academics who will support you through this phase of your studies. We look forward to meeting you in Welcome Week but, in the meantime, if you have any questions about the course, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.
Dr Dele Babalola
Course Director
Your Teaching Timetable
Teaching for your course will begin w.c 21 September 2026.
To help you plan your first few weeks, you can view an overview of the teaching activities for your course.
View your first trimester teaching timetable.
On a mobile device, click the arrow next to “Search” at the top right of the page to view your timetable.
If your course is taught in groups, the overview will show activities for all groups. You will only need to attend sessions for your allocated group.
Once teaching begins, your individual timetable and group allocation will be available in MyTimetable provided you have completed online registration and created your computing account.
| Your Trimester 1 Modules |
| Human Rights: Philosophical Debates |
| International Security and Counter Terrorism |
Key dates
Academic Calendar: Trimesters [15 Week]
View key dates for this Academic Calendar for 2026-27 including when teaching starts and finishes and when you break for holidays.
Welcome
The first time we will meet is the week commencing 14 September 2026. This is a welcome and induction week, where you will be invited to a number of activities to get you started on our course. You will find details of welcome week activities via your timetable, which is linked to above.
You will meet key members of staff and also be assigned (and speak with) your Personal Academic Tutor (PAT), who will provide you with academic and personal support and signpost you to other relevant departments for additional support throughout your time with us.
By the end of welcome week, you will be a fully-fledged member of our learning community. Teaching begins the following week, week commencing 21 September 2026, as you start your trimester 1 modules.
Getting started
Course Structure
The academic year will be split into three trimesters and you will complete the following modules:
Trimester 1
Human Rights: Philosophical Debates. Module leader: Dr Narissa Ramsunder.
International Security and Counter Terrorism. Module leaders: Dr Erika Brady and Dr Muzaffer Kutlay.
Trimester 2
Theories and Philosophies in Global Security. Module leader: Dr Laura Cashman.
Research Methodologies and Analysis. Module leader: Dr Susan Kenyon.
Challenge Module.
Trimester 3
Global Security Dissertation. Module leader: Dr Susan Kenyon.
Teaching on Your Course
Your teaching will be in-person, supported by our virtual learning environment, Blackboard.
You will mainly be taught in a workshop format, which will include lecture elements and plenty of class discussion. You will be introduced to Blackboard, your assessments and module expectations, including your guided and independent learning, in the first weeks.
You will find that preparing for workshops is critical to your learning, so always ensure that you are up to date and never hesitate to ask your lecturer for support, or clarification, if you need it.
Support is also available to you via our Learning Skills Hub, which includes many useful self-complete mini-modules, which we highly recommend you complete during your first trimester.
Your Must Do Tasks
Once you have been invited to register for your course, there are some key tasks you'll need to complete to make sure you are ready to become a CCCU student.
Registration invitations are sent towards the end of August. We'll send yours to the email address you used when you applied, so please check this inbox regularly to make sure you don't miss any important information.
Pre-course reading
Before arrival, we suggest that you take a close interest in international affairs, read a good broadsheet newspaper and pay attention to contemporary issues arising on the global stage.
We expect you to arrive with a sound knowledge of current affairs and a lot of enthusiasm.
Key themes addressed during the MSc include international relations, contemporary security issues, human rights and foreign policy analysis. So, getting on top of these topics is key.
As well as paying daily attention to national and international news, students are encouraged to prepare for September by obtaining and readings at least 2 of any of the following texts (most recent editions possible):
- International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity, T. Dunne, M. Kurki and S. Smith, Oxford University Press.
- The Evolution of International Security Studies by Barry Buzan and Lene Hansen, Cambridge University Press.
- Security: A Critical Introduction, Lee Jarvis and Jack Holland, Palgrave.
- Understanding Security, Mike Bourne, Palgrave.
International student success programme
International students: don't miss out! Make sure you register for our international student success programme which provides practical advice on preparing to live and study in the UK.
Contact details
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