Cyber Security MSc/PG Dip/PG Cert

About the course

Cyber security is recognised as a priority for governments and large organisations throughout the world. State sponsored cyber attacks are widely reported and whilst the responsibility for them is usually denied, what is far more certain is that cyber attacks on the national critical infrastructure and the theft of the intellectual property of large organisations are increasing and need protecting against. It is impossible to ignore the importance of cyber security. Developed in conjunction with Deloitte, this course provides you with knowledge of the very latest cyber security principles, practices, tools and techniques, taught by a team of specialist staff in purpose-built computer cyber security laboratories. If you are interested in a challenging and worthwhile career in a rapidly expanding and vitally important area of computing then this is the course for you. Graduates from this course are expected to make a real contribution to safeguarding cyber space and protecting national and organisational resources from unauthorised access and or malicious intent. The course will:

• Provide you with the latest tools, techniques and knowledge in one of the most exciting areas of modern computing
• Present a holistic perspective of cyber security including the underpinning technology of the cyber domain and the role of linguistics, psychology and sociology in dealing with new cyber challenges.
• Be delivered in purpose-built, state-of-the-art cyber security and forensics laboratories
• Taught and supported by expert academic staff and Deloitte cyber security professionals
• Provide you with excellent career prospects in a rapidly expanding industry in which you can make a real difference to the safety and security of cyber space

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Key facts

Duration: One year full-time (with optional one year placement available) or two or more years part-time.

Institution code: D26

Start date: September

Entry and admission criteria

You should have the equivalent of a British Honours degree (2:1 minimum) in a relevant subject.

We are happy to consider equivalent qualifications from anywhere in the world.

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 or equivalent when you start the course is essential. English Language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning|, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

If you have no formal academic qualifications but do have extensive industry experience we will consider your application on an individual basis.

If you feel you would like to talk to us about your qualifications before submitting an application please do not hesitate to call or email using the contact details below.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching methods include lectures, tutorials and laboratory work. A strong emphasis is given to real world problems. Assessment is by a combination of coursework, projects and laboratory-based assessments.

Course modules

First semester (September to January)

• Foundations of Cyber Security
• Cyber Threat Intelligence
• Host and Network Security
• Penetration Testing and Incident Response

Second semester (February to May)

• Cyber Engineering
• Digital Forensics Principles and Practice
• Malware Analysis
• Legal, Ethical and Professional Practice

Third semester (June to September)

• MSc Cyber Security Project/Dissertation

Academic expertise

The course teams within the Cyber Security Centre| have unrivalled expertise in cyber security. The team includes former Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) of large telecommunications companies, internet banks and cloud service providers, an ex vice president of one of the largest cyber security companies in the world, information assurance specialists with extensive experience working in various UK defence organisations, leading digital forensics experts and respected government advisors. Several of the team are regular media commentators on forensics and security. Professional input throughout the course will come from Deloitte and their cyber security professionals.

Graduate careers

Graduates are likely to be employed as cyber security specialists within law enforcement, government or other related agencies, in commercial IT departments or security consultancies, or in other computing positions where cyber security is an issue. The involvement of Deloitte in designing the course and supporting its delivery and development will assure it remains current and supportive of the real challenges cyber security specialist face in the rapidly changing cyber domain. Opportunities also exist for further academic study towards a PhD and a career in research.

Fees and funding

Annual Tuition Fees for Higher Education Courses from 1st September 2013 to 31st August 2014.

Full-time UK/EU Postgraduate Courses Standard Fees £9,900 Postgraduate Placement Year Fee £650 Students Equivalent or Lower Qualification Status £9,900
Overseas
Postgraduate Courses Standard Fees £12,200 Postgraduate Placement Year Fee £750 Part-time (where available) Part-time fees are charged on a credit basis, you will need to complete 180 credits over the course of an MSc programme. Per 15 credit taught module £825 Project module £3,300 Students Equivalent or Lower Qualification Status* 15 Credits
£825 Continuation Fee** £150

For more information please take a look at our Funding| section.

** A fee that is charged on a periodic basis where PG or Research students need to extend their registration to complete the course.

Facilities

The Cyber Security Labs are amongst the best equipped facilities of this type in the UK. Developed in consultation with leaders in the industry, they are designed to meet the highest forensics and security standards.

The labs contain 65 high-spec, specially customised PCs configured with multiple operating systems, virtualisation and removable hard drives, as well as specialised servers, wired and wireless networking equipment and a wide variety of other hardware and software components.

Industry standard investigative software is used to support the analysis of networks, computers and mobile devices. Students on the cyber security programme spend almost all of their practical time in these labs; configuring commercial systems through to military grade systems, defending, attacking and analysing them and practising with the latest cyber security tools and techniques.

The lab facilities are also used to show students how to penetrate systems and how to identify and respond to attacks whether they are successful or not.

Security

Security in the labs is tight. Once past the outer electronic locks, there is an 'airlock' room in which all bags and electronic devices are locked away before access to the lab is granted.

The labs are heavily defended and its network is easily isolated from the outside world. It is important, however, that the more lawless parts of the Internet can be reached from the lab – modern malware research demands easy access to hacking websites – and the lab machines are able to access sites that are deemed too dangerous for computers in the rest of the university.

It is essential that no computer viruses or other malware can get into the labs undetected, and even more vital that the highly dangerous software within the labs cannot escape. We apply and enforce industry standard security procedures to our cyber security resources.

Cyber Security Centre

The labs are also the base for the University's Cyber Security Centre|, a multidisciplinary group of academics and industry experts who focus on a wide variety of cyber security and digital forensics issues. Their mission is to provide the full benefits to all of a safe, secure and resilient cyberspace.

The labs play a vital role in the group's research, development and consultancy case work. Whether you are a first year undergraduate or a PhD student, within the labs you will be working with the latest tools and techniques at the forefront of cyber security research and practice.