Counter Terrorism, Intelligence and Cybercrime (Dual Degree)BSc Hons

Dr Leah Fox: This course is bachelor of honours in Counter Terrorism, Intelligence and Cybercrime, and it's a dual award degree course, and in this case, students will be able to graduate with two degrees. Within the three and a half years, the first two years will be spent in the University of Portsmouth following that, students will study their third year in Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia, and then they'll come back to complete their studies.

It's a multidisciplinary course that will allow students to gain a good, in-depth knowledge in three specific subject areas: counter terrorism, intelligence and cybercrime. They'll be covering cybercrime related subject areas or topics whilst they're studying in Portsmouth. The counter terrorism and intelligence aspects of the course will be covered whilst they're studying in Australia. Some of their modules that look into physical security, intelligence analysis, some of the applications of the intelligence techniques in relation to counter terrorism operations.

We're looking for an applicant who wants to make a change, who is open minded and prepared to be confronted with a number of challenges. But overall, someone who is curious and wants to learn. Studying in Australia brings a number of benefits. In addition to getting a more comprehensive and enhanced knowledge, students also will be able to get to network with other individuals from different countries.

They will enhance their overall experience. They'll be exposed to different cultures and it will help them tremendously in their future career prospects. They'll have access to an intelligence analysis in cyber security. They'll be able to become analysts, or they'll be able to pursue their career in policing. This will create an immense benefit in terms of their employment opportunities.

Even though they're geographically away, they'll still be able to get access to that same level of support as they were getting in the University of Portsmouth, so they'll have access to wellbeing, they'll have access to financial services, they'll have access to personal tutoring. In addition to that, students are able to still gain access to student loans in order to get support with traveling and accommodation. When the students come back from any study abroad, they are transformed. They're immensely competent. They are able to bring in their knowledge and share it with other students here locally.

They're confident and immensely proud for students and and to be able to see that achievement is fantastic.

Chris Chang: We have a strategic partnership with Edith Cowan University in Australia, particularly for students who have not travelled abroad or lived abroad, that gives them the opportunity to experience a dual degree. The design of our programmes means that we have developed the programme from the ground up, which doesn't require you to study that much more time for a degree programme.

Heather Massey: There's lots of reasons why people might want to come and study this dual award course at the University of Portsmouth. Learning in a different environment from different tutors and the facilities that they have at Edith Cowan are absolutely first-class.

Chris Chang: Students have the opportunity to travel for a year and the question that some students will have is "how will I be able to afford this?" Now the UK Government has launched the Turing programme and what this programme does is fund them to do study abroad, internships, placements. It makes it accessible to all students from different groups, whether they are international students or students from the UK.

Dr Sarah Reynolds: Experiencing life in a different country. You would mature and develop your confidence during that time and definitely walk out of the degree, I think standing up a bit taller than if you hadn't.

Chris Chang: Now the benefits of this is that you can actually show to employers that you have two degrees from two different universities in two different countries. Jobs these days have changed quite substantially. Your future job may not be in the UK and employers are looking for the kind of employees that are able to work in different contexts, different cultures be able to work in multidisciplinary and multinational teams.

One of the other benefits of this programme is that you can actually travel around, not just, Australia but around the ASEAN region because from Perth it's a very short flight to Hong Kong; to Singapore; to Malaysia.

Heather Massey: It's an amazing opportunity to learn both from experts in their field, but also learn about how different people in a different culture operate.

Chris Chang: There are inter-semester breaks of two-three months and you should use that opportunity to see the world. The other thing that you have is having studied a year abroad, you will make friends who could in the future be your supporters, be your allies, and be your collaborators of the future.

Dr Leah Fox: Even though they're geographically away. They'll still be able to get access to that same level of support as they were getting in Portsmouth. They'll have access to wellbeing, they'll have access to financial services, they'll have access to personal tutoring.

Chris Chang: These courses that we have delivered so far: Global Sport Management, Cybersecurity, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, Environmental Science and Management are all in very specialist and niche areas. Means that wherever you end up working or living, you're prepared for it. The demand for these courses are high, so we want highly motivated students who will benefit from this programme and benefit from a year abroad.

Dr Leah Fox: We're looking for an applicant who wants to make a change, who is open minded and prepared to be confronted with a number of challenges. But overall, someone who is curious and wants to learn.