The aim of the course is to undertake an interdisciplinary analysis of the relationship between security and crime. ‘Security’ has become an increasingly important concept in criminological analysis over the last 25 years, yet there are many interpretations of its nature and meaning both within criminology, and in other disciplines such as sociology and political science. Criminological interest in security has developed within certain important yet diverse areas of study. Proponents of situational crime prevention have focused on matters of personal and organisational security. There is a growing discourse of security associated with analyses of trends in the local governance of crime. For others, 'security' is synonymous with the growing social role for commercial security and analysis of the boundaries of public and private policing. Particularly ripe for development is criminology’s growing interconnections with political science through shared international security concerns, including terrorism prevention, international peacekeeping, border security, organised crime and state crime. With an emphasis on security from criminal threats, the Security and Crime course will address much of the confusion about the nature and meaning of the concept. It will also explore its relevance to criminological analysis in a global era in which the challenge of providing security is now entrenched in the political and social agenda.