Program Overview

In the current global environment, the challenges of keeping people safe are greater than ever – whether that’s planning for international mega events or managing regional entertainment venues.

With the flexibility to study either 100% on campus, 100% online or as a blend of both, these courses aim to provide you with the academic underpinning to analyse the features that make for best-practice planning, policy and process, so that you can go on to devise effective crowded places arrangements of your own.

• The programmes cover important legal and socio-political frameworks within crowd safety and emergency management, as well as investigating emerging technological solutions, and the contemporary safety and threat environments that impact on the sector.
• You will examine how these issues may be addressed in practice, with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of crowd safety management and organisational resilience.
• The part-time route allows those already employed in crowd safety, health and safety, and security management to balance their studies with other commitments, and apply academic rigour to their practical experience.

Why you should study this course

• You should advance your skills in evaluating complex situations, developing creative and innovative solutions, and implementing lessons learnt. If you study on campus, there will be opportunities to take part in training and exercises through simulated emergency scenarios in our immersive Simulation Centre4.
• Course content is broad-based to reflect the multidisciplinary nature of the subject. For example, as well as being taught current and evolving techniques and tactics used to prevent, plan, prepare or respond to crowded places emergencies, we will also cover and critically appraise relevant technical data and information, best practice in emergency planning and crisis management.
• Students will have the chance to learn about behavioural theory and leadership at an organisational and individual level, providing an opportunity to develop a range of interpersonal skills to help develop and execute appropriate training initiatives and coordinate the work of broad-ranging teams.
• Members of our current teaching team have practical experience and have carried out employment, consultancy and research in crowd safety management and allied professions. This includes emergency planning for managing mass gathering events, risk mapping, the preparation of response frameworks for mass evacuation, command and control design, and the design and management of simulated emergency exercises (staff subject to change).
• There is dedicated support available for those who are new to Higher Education, or returning after a long break. The Centre For Academic Writing’s programme of online and in-person tutorials are available to all students.
• MSc students will have the further opportunity to carry out an independent piece of research of their choosing, producing an industry-facing working paper which should be of publishable quality.