With increased competition in the job market, many professionals find that their industry experience isn’t enough to propel their career to the level they want.
Because of this, many people are turning to the proven shortcut for development: a postgraduate qualification.
Studying a postgraduate qualification doesn’t 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 likeminded people in your industry.
It is also shown that gaining a 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 £200,000 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.
The barrier that most people find with postgraduate study is that they can’t 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.
Take Liverpool John Moores University for example. This year, in partnership with KNect365 Learning, the university are launching seven online courses, taught at Master’s, Postgraduate Diploma, and Postgraduate Certificate level.
These 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.
These new courses consist of:
- MSc in Security Studies
- MSc in Counter-terrorism
- MA in Security and Terrorism Law
- MSc in Security Management
- MSc in Terrorism, Policing and Security
- MSc in Intelligence and Security
- MSc in Diplomacy and Security
Sir Jon Murphy QPM, Professor of Advanced Policing Studies at Liverpool John Moores University, explains: “As the former Chief Constable of a Metropolitan Force, a career detective and Head of National Police Chiefs 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.
“There 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.
“These programmes draw 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.”
For more information on these courses, and to download the brochures, go to www.security-studies.com/security-buyer-june.
* “The Postgraduate Premium”, The Sutton Trust, 7 February 2013, https://www.suttontrust.com/research-paper/the-postgraduate-premium-earnings-increase
