Global Security with Investigation (Online)

Corporations, humanitarian organisations and local authorities are all regulated by third parties. Whether you are motivated by societal resilience, crisis recovery or profit-margins, have you considered the specialists who maintain the security of the operation? BSc (Hons) Global Security with Investigation focuses on the analytical processes, ethics and skills underpinning professional investigation.
Designed for those interested in protecting communities, uncovering wrongdoing, and supporting fair systems, this course opens doors to careers in law enforcement, regulatory bodies, and private security. If you’re fascinated by societal safety or commercial investigations and want to be the person who finds the answers, this pathway puts you on the right track.

Why study Global Security with Investigation at BNU?
Flexible Learning Options
This course is available as either a full-time, in-person degree at our High Wycombe campus or as a fully online Distance Learning programme. In-person study gives you access to live workshops, guest speakers, and face-to-face networking with peers and professional. Distance Learning, on the other hand, is ideal for those needing more flexibility, offering access to expert-led content, virtual simulations and real-world case analysis from home. Whichever route you choose, you’ll learn the same high-quality content and gain the same qualification.

Hands on Learning
Our curriculum centres on active, workshop-based sessions: you’ll analyse real-world data, debate live case studies and run tabletop exercises that mirror the challenges of an investigative team. From day one, you’ll practise briefing decision-makers and using structured techniques to turn raw information into actionable insight.

Graduate Career ready
We aim to equip you with a toolkit that employers are looking for from day one. You’ll learn to analyse complex risk scenarios, present clear security briefs and make rapid decisions under pressure. With an internship embedded into in your second year, you’ll graduate with both the theoretical grounding and the professional network to hit the ground running. BNU graduates have proven their skills in real settings well before graduation day.

Shared First Year
Your first year brings you together with students from our Aviation and Intelligence Analysis pathways, giving you a solid grounding in global security theory, structured analytical methods, and cyber-risk fundamentals. This means that at the end of your first year, you will get the opportunity to change your specialisation if you want to.

What Will I Study?
The course begins with a foundation in global security, intelligence concepts, cyber risks, and structured analysis. As you specialise, you’ll develop key investigative skills in areas such as terrorism and counter-terrorism, digital forensics, and criminal justice systems. You'll explore the ethical dimensions of investigation work and learn how to lead inquiries across both public and private sectors. You'll also enhance your ability to give confident presentations, assess evidence critically, and manage decision-making under pressure. In your final year, you’ll complete a research project on a topic that reflects your professional goals, helping you graduate with both subject expertise and investigative credibility.

What are my career prospects?
As a graduate of Global Security with Investigation you will be equipped to step straight into roles such as Intelligence Officer, digital forensics, or regulatory compliance. You could join regional police forces, corporate fraud teams or private security consultancies Many graduates also choose to progress to postgraduate research at BNU.

Course Modules

Year one
Academic and Professional Development
Intelligence Concepts and Practice
Security Operations and Management
Structured Analytical Techniques
Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Techniques
Information (with Cyber) Security

Year two
Core
Research Methods
Global Intelligence Security and Resilience
Technology and Security
Investigations
Financial Intelligence

Optional
Terrorism and Counter Terrorism
or
Cybercrime: Motivations, Methods and Impact
or
Undergraduate Internship

Year three
Core
Extended Independent Work
Career Transition Experience
Criminal Investigation Systems
Ethics for Intelligence Investigations

Optional
Corporate Security Challenges
or
Operational Leadership
or
Espionage and Counter-Espionage

At BNU, your learning will be interactive, applied, and rooted in real-world scenarios. Teaching happens mainly through hands-on workshops and small-group seminars, where you'll work on live case studies, role-play exercises, and group problem-solving. While some large lectures will help set the scene for core concepts, most of your development will take place in active learning environments.

The assessments are designed to reflect the work you'll do in a professional setting. Instead of exams, you'll be evaluated through investigative reports, briefings, and reflective assignments. You'll also have the opportunity to carry out your own independent research project — a chance to showcase your skills, curiosity, and professional readiness.