National and International Security Programme code: W3-N1BM19.2024

The National and International Security study program expresses an interdisciplinary approach to security issues. The study profile is generally academic. Its main goal is to prepare the student to work in organizations, institutions, and services that deal with broadly understood security, including internal, national, and international aspects. At the same time, it provides graduates with advanced knowledge and skills in political science and international relations, which is essential in the context of the dynamics of contemporary threats to national and international security. The skills obtained by graduates, thanks to a combination of theoretical and practical aspects, will provide multidimensional preparation for their future professional duties. Theoretical preparation is mainly the responsibility of the research and teaching staff of the Institute of Political Sciences and the Faculty of Social Sciences, including researchers in international relations and national and international security. Specialists in criminal law, psychology, armed forces, secret services and other uniformed services carry out the practical dimension. The aim of first-cycle studies in National and International Security is to develop graduates' ability to accurately identify threats to broadly understood security and properly select measures to eliminate or limit them, both from the perspective of internal conditions of individual countries (internal security) and evolution. Closer or further international environment (external security). As part of internal security, it is about showing the role of uniformed services in guaranteeing the constitutional order of the state and acquiring basic knowledge in all areas of state security: political, economic, social (including social) and cultural security. The second dimension of security exposed in the course is external security, understood in the context of phenomena and processes occurring in the international environment. External security aims to recognize threats to the security of a given country and counteract them using instruments, both unilaterally and in cooperation with other participants of international relations, at all levels: political, military (military), economic and cultural. Sub-regional, regional and global dimensions will be analyzed. If the subject of study is the security of a particular group of states, then it is justified to use the term "international security". Therefore, the multi-aspect approach to security within the field aims to develop graduates with knowledge, skills, and competencies that are useful for understanding the specificity and combating contemporary threats to the security of humans and their communities in various spheres. In order to holistically achieve the assumed primary objectives, students were offered a flexible selection of some modules within three paths, which were named: (1) Uniformed services in the state security system; (2) Cybersecurity, terrorism and crisis management; (3) Non-military security. In the program assumptions of the field of study, not only is it possible to follow one selected path during the entire period of study, but it is also possible to select modules included in other paths in individual semesters, which increases the flexibility and freedom of creating an individual competence profile for students. A graduate of the first-cycle studies in National and International Security knows basic political processes in the internal and international dimensions, including the political system of the Republic of Poland, contemporary political systems, the political history of Poland, Europe and the world. Has the ability to recognize and analyze threats to national and international security based on acquired theoretical knowledge (security theory, national and international security strategies of great powers, introduction to strategic studies) and practical knowledge (armed conflicts and international disputes in the post-Cold War period, the role of forces armed forces in the state security system, special services in the state security system, transnational crime and ways of combating it). The student knows the specificity of security policies of selected international entities (not only Poland but also European and non-European countries). The graduate of National and International Security recognizes and understands the essence of radical ideologies as a challenge for members of the international community (radical political doctrines, Islamic fundamentalism, terrorism as a threat to national and international security, civilizational and cultural aspects of security), and knows practical ways to combat them (methods and operational techniques of special forces in Poland and around the world, Border Guard as a component of the state security system, combating organized crime, prison system). The graduate is prepared to work professionally and continue education in second-cycle studies. Graduates of first-cycle National and International Security studies can obtain additional security and international relations education as part of second-cycle studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Silesia. First-cycle studies in National and International Security aim to prepare graduates to work in: − in governmental and non-governmental organizations whose activities cover the sphere of national and international security; − in public administration at various levels (local, provincial, state), in units dealing with national security, − local and regional government; − in political parties; − in enterprises operating on international markets; − in the broadly understood mass media, in the field of national and international security; − in research centres dealing with broadly understood security issues (political, military, economic, social, cultural, digital); − crisis response teams; − as well as broadly understood uniformed and special services (such as the police, the Internal Security Agency, the Border Guard or the Polish Army).

The condition for admission to the diploma examination is to achieve the learning outcomes provided for in the study program and to obtain a certificate of an appropriate level of language proficiency in a foreign language. The condition for graduation is to pass the diploma examination with at least a satisfactory result. A graduate receives a higher education diploma confirming obtaining the qualifications of the appropriate degree. Detailed rules for conducting the diploma examination are specified in the diploma regulations.

Internships are an integral part of the study program, carried out by students in individual fields, levels, profiles and forms of study. Internships are to help in confronting the knowledge acquired during studies with the requirements of the labour market, acquiring skills useful in the profession, learning about practical issues related to working in positions for which the student is prepared during the course of studies. The internship is to familiarize the student with professional language relevant to a specific industry and work culture. The rules for the organization of internships are set out in the Rector's ordinance. Detailed rules of apprenticeship taking into account the specifics of particular fields of study are set out in the field's of study apprenticeship regulations, in particular: learning outcomes assumed to be achieved by the student during the apprenticeship, framework apprenticeship program including a description of issues, dimension of apprenticeship (number of weeks of practice); form of internship (continuous, mid-year), criteria for choosing the place of internship, obligations of the student staying in the internship, obligations of the academic tutor, conditions for completing the internship by the student and conditions for exemption from the internship obligation in whole or in part. The number of ECTS and the number of hours are specified in the course structure.

The connection of studies with the university's strategy and socio-economic needs is complete in priority 3: "Improving the quality of education of students and doctoral students, in particular in fields and disciplines related to POB, among others, by including them in scientific research." Full compliance with POB 1: Harmonious human development - concern for health protection and quality of life.