With increased competition in the job market, many professionals are turning to the proven shortcut for development: a security postgraduate degree.<\/p>\n
Studying a security postgraduate qualification doesn\u2019t just strengthen your CV, it also helps you stand out from other candidates when being considered for a promotion or new role. The ideal qualification is industry-focused, and allows you to specialise in an area that is necessary for your line of work, so that you can build key skills and make connections with like-minded people in your industry.<\/p>\n
It is also shown that gaining a security postgraduate qualification can boost your salary. In 2013, the Sutton Trust released a report that claimed that those with a postgraduate degree earn, on average, \u00a3200,000 more over their lifetime than their contemporaries. Taking the time to study also shows to employers that you are serious about your career path, and worth investing in.<\/p>\n
The barrier that most people find with postgraduate study is that they can\u2019t afford to take a year off work to complete a qualification. Today, however, there are many more flexible options available for those in full-time employment, including part-time and online study at Master\u2019s, Postgraduate Diploma, and Postgraduate Certificate level.<\/p>\n
These kinds of flexible postgraduate courses help you gain an academic qualification in your field, developing your skills of analysis and strategic thinking, and demonstrating to employers that you have a broad understanding of security.<\/p>\n
Sir Jon Murphy QPM, Professor of Advanced Policing Studies at Liverpool John Moores University, explains: \u201cAs the former Chief Constable of a Metropolitan Force, a career detective and Head of National Police Chiefs\u2019 Council Crime Operations Business Area, I know there is an increasing requirement to bridge the gap between the practical application of security legislation, sensitive investigative techniques and the academic study of the phenomenon that is terrorism.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere needs to be a joined-up understanding of why those who threaten national security do what they do, how they do it and how the threat that they present can be neutralised. \u201cPostgraduate study in security-related areas draws together each of these strands and will equip those in charge with keeping our citizens safe, with a firm base of theoretical understanding and practical knowledge to complement existing skills and prepare individuals for more senior levels of responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n