Master of Arts in Research Biography

at University of Buckingham United Kingdom

This programme aims to deliver a deep understanding of the contemporary security and intelligence environment in western democracies, with a focus on the UK. Security and Intelligence Studies are an important new field in political science but there is also widespread recognition that a good knowledge of how security and intelligence agencies operate; of the environment in which they operate; and of how their products are, and should be, used has become a key component of good and successful governance. Emphasis is placed on relating academic and historical analyses to contemporary problems and policy questions especially in the UK but also to western states in general, using a unique degree of practitioner-led expertise.

With regard to intelligence-led policy and practice, emphasis is placed on the very skills that the intelligence community itself has been urged to develop in the wake of the Butler Review on Intelligence on WMD. This specifically recommended the development of a greater degree of ‘professionalisation’ in intelligence analysis skills, including critical thinking and analysis (developed in part through an element of exercising and collaborative working on challenge problems), and a greater ability to evaluate and assess disparate sources of sometimes conflicting information. This programme is aimed at everyone who is interested in intelligence and security issues, whatever their career plans, but also at those who may be aspiring to work in the field of security and intelligence. It can also assist the career development of those already employed within that field.

BSc Business Economics if a perfect programme for you to pursue a business career, or if you want to work as a consultant or as a specialist business economist in the private sector.  This programme offers the spread of subjects that are likely to be most useful. It enables you to supplement the basic economics modules with modules from the Department of Manage

How will the rise of digital currencies affect international business? How will disruptions to international supply chains affect businesses post-pandemic? How will remote working impact the management of businesses?

Our fast-track 2-year Business Economics programme will explore these topics and many others. The course is designed to equip students with the quantitative and analytical skills to progress into economics and management related jobs in finance, business and consulting, as well as preparing them for master’s level study.

On this course, we blend business management, business strategy, macro and micro-economics, financial markets and consumer behaviour, together with practical real-world analysis and applications. There are many optional choices built into the programme so you can tailor your degree towards economics or business to suit your career or academic preferences.

We regularly host events and seminars where we discuss the latest research from our academics and invite speakers from the world of business and entrepreneurship.

Our academics offer a supportive, diverse and creative environment for you to explore your interests and ensure a successful educational experience. You will join an international community of students, staff and alumni.

A dedicated professional development course runs through the degree covering academic and job market skills. You will also benefit from internships and research opportunities in the Vinson Centre for Economics and Entrepreneurship.

Our graduates continue their studies with us at master’s level or go on to careers in business management, financial markets, corporate finance and economic/business consultancy.

ment thus providing a rounded view of business activities.

How will tackling climate change impact the economy? Will Bitcoin become the new global currency? What are the economic lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic?

Our fast-track 2-year Economics programme will explore these topics and many others. The course is designed to equip students with the quantitative and analytical skills to progress into economics-related jobs in finance, business and consulting, as well as preparing them for master’s level study.

As a student, you will blend theory in econometrics, macroeconomics, financial markets and microeconomic behaviour, together with practical real-world analysis and policy applications. We regularly host events and seminars where you can see the latest research from our own academics.

Our academics offer a supportive, diverse and creative environment for you to explore your interests and ensure a successful educational experience. You will join an international community of students, staff and alumni.

A dedicated professional development course runs through the degree covering academic and job market skills. You will also benefit from internships and research opportunities in the Vinson Centre for Economics and Entrepreneurship.

There are also many optional choices built into the programme that allows you to tailor your degree to suit your career or academic preferences.

Many graduates continue their studies with us at master’s level or careers in banking and financial markets, corporate finance, economic consultancy and think tanks.

The main BA Digital News and Media (2-year degree) comprises study and training in a wide range of aspects of the subject area, including online media, news management, PR, advertising, photojournalism, broadcast journalism and legal/ethical issues in journalism, and is intended for those considering careers in these and related fields.

The degree consists of a combination of practical modules in all aspects of design and content production in online, broadcast and print media together with courses in communication and English language studies in order to professionalise students’ writing abilities.

The BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (3-year degree) combines the three important subjects of Philosophy, Politics and Economics. What makes it different to PPE offered in other universities is its integrated character, with a special focus on explaining how human behaviour shapes economic and political institutions.

In the Philosophy strand, you will take an Introduction to Philosophy module and study the Philosophy of Mind. In addition, there will be more specialised modules in political theory: Introduction to Political Theory; Freedom; Evolution and Human Cooperation. And students will receive a grounding in the Philosophy of Social Science.

The Politics element of the degree focuses on area and country studies, with a particular emphasis on political order and security challenges. Those challenges vary from region to region but typically take the form of political violence (war, terrorism and organised crime), mass migration and economic instability. Students are encouraged to approach these problems from a number of disciplinary perspectives. For example, the study of Latin America would consider the historical, cultural and economic determinants of the region’s politics.

The Economics element of the PPE programme covers the core areas of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. But in addition, there is an emphasis on the interaction between Economics and Politics. Students also receive a strong grounding in mathematics and quantitative methods.

Another distinctive feature of the degree is that two modules – in Politics and Philosophy – will be based on a series of lectures by prominent academics and public figures. These are taught in London (travel and other expenses will be covered in the fees).

BA History and Heritage Management is one of the five most popular subjects among UK university students, and with good reason. Having a historical perspective enables people to make sense of today’s rapidly changing world. Employers like it because history teaches you to think for yourself, to work under pressure, and to construct a coherent argument from the evidence. Historical research has never been more exciting than it is today, with the internet making available so many treasures from the archives.

This BA in History and Heritage Management has been carefully designed and fine-tuned by Buckingham’s team of experienced and high-calibre historians. It offers an outline and conceptual modules which concentrate on the period from 1800 to the present day – though we do study some earlier periods too from the 1500s onwards too.  It covers, in particular, empires, the rise in political polarisation, World Wars and the shaping of our modern political systems, whilst considering the relationship between ideology and the historical process.

Students progress to study the history of history and to reflect on historical method. In the last part of the course, we study historical documents and texts and develop research and writing skills through a long essay and a dissertation. So the programme not only teaches history; it also teaches you to think historically and to research and write history.

Heritage Management

This distinctive combination of theoretical and vocational study of the BA History and Heritage Management provides students with a pathway to careers in the heritage sector; our students find employment in museums, galleries, the art market and with prestigious organisations like the National Trust, English Heritage and Historic Royal Palaces. Of course, our students also acquire transferable skills applicable in other fields, such as journalism, law and business.

With military history one of the fastest-growing areas of academic study, the University of Buckingham introduced a one-year MA in Military History, by research, in 2009. This is a groundbreaking programme: the first one-year Research MA in Military History, and the first with an integral course of seminars by visiting lecturers of international repute. The programme was enthusiastically reviewed by The Financial Times, which noted that “Intellectually curious professionals are signing up for a new course that gives them the opportunity to exchange thoughts on security, diplomacy and the armed forces over dinner with stellar historians and military top brass.”

The programme is London-based and directed by one of the country’s finest military historians, Professor Gary Sheffield. The lectures offered by the Course Director will be supplemented by a series of ten guest seminars by some of the most eminent scholars and authors in the field, including Professors N.A.M. Rodger, Sir Hew Strachan, Richard Overy, Sir Richard J. Evans, David Reynolds, Saul David, and Sir Antony Beevor.

This strategic marketing MSc will be invaluable to anyone wishing to pursue a career in marketing (e.g. marketing management, brand management, customer experience and customer service management).

In today’s global, digital world, effective strategic marketing puts the customer and their needs at the centre of decision-making, and a clear focus on customer experience is a critical part of this.  An understanding of this need for customer-centricity is at the core of our MSc in Strategic Marketing & Customer Experience Management.

This leading-edge programme is designed to be totally relevant to today’s organisations, exposing you to managerially relevant theory and practice, which will be of value in real-world business contexts.  The programme will provide you with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to help firms address the marketing challenges that lie at the heart of their business.

This programme provides an in-depth understanding of how firms can develop compelling value propositions, within the context of the strategic marketing planning process, and then how to deliver these value propositions across the customer journey, creating a positive customer experience.

In addition, the programme will enable you to examine the concept of service from many perspectives, by exploring service systems as well as service leadership, along with the critically important area of managing employees in a service-focused culture.

The programme also provides an understanding of consumer behaviour and digital and social media marketing – essential knowledge in this complex, digital world where consumers increasingly expect a seamless omnichannel experience throughout their customer journeys.

Additionally, a practical research methods module will set you up to embark on a dissertation, which will give you the opportunity to ‘deep dive’ into an aspect of the programme which is particularly inspiring.

The University of Buckingham’s Master’s programme in Country House Studies offers the opportunity to pursue research at Master’s level in any one of a wide range of country-house-related topics: from explorations of individual houses and their architects and decorators, to studies of their social and political use, and the role of the country house in literature and film.

Individual research topics are closely focused; but the approach of the course is to encourage students to investigate the interconnections between the country house’s multiple facets and roles, rather than to examine it in exclusively architectural-historical terms. Recent dissertations have surveyed, for example, the Baroque mural in country house decoration; the use of music in the country houses during the 1650s; and the professionalisation of the sale of country estates in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The choice of subject area is ultimately the student’s own.

The MA is awarded solely on the basis of the dissertation (there are no ‘exams’), and the relationship between you and your supervisor is therefore at the heart of the course. The maximum length for the MA dissertation recommended by the School of Humanities is 25,000 words (or approximately 75 pages at line-spacing of 1.5), excluding notes and references. Student and supervisor meet regularly on a one-to-one basis to discuss, plan, and review the dissertation as it develops through the year.

In a world of uncertainty and rapid change it is more important than ever to study why and how wars are fought. The University of Buckingham has a well-established Master’s degree in Modern War Studies and Contemporary Military History based in London. The one year (two years part time) course* commences in October with a ‘Course Study Day’ followed by ‘Research Skills’ lectures and culminates, after a period of supervised research, with the submission of a dissertation. The course includes a Saturday ‘Seminar Day’ at the Honourable Artillery Company’s House headquarters, three evening seminars at the university’s London home in Bloomsbury, and a ‘Course Symposium’ at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. This series of talks examines a range of historical subjects as well as those issues affecting modern Defence in all dimensions.