Forensic Computing BSc (Hons)

About the course

This course includes a mix of technical computing and professional practice, developing your ability to investigate digital technology abuse.

Reasons to study Forensic Computing at DMU:

• Taught by experts from DMU'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
• Benefit from a fortnightly series of guest lectures, given by a wide range of experts in the forensics and security domain
• Study in some of the best equipped facilities of their kind in the UK, which have been designed to meet the highest forensics and security standards.

The course has been refined over the years to help an investigator understand precisely what digital devices do, and how digital evidence can be investigated in a forensically sound manner. Computational theory is used across a range of experimental playgrounds and you will learn to interpret complex scenarios so a non-specialist can understand.

The course has been designed for students interested in a career in either computer security or forensic computing.

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Key facts

UCAS course code: FG45

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement

Institution code: D26

Entry and admission criteria

Entry requirements for 2014

• Normally 260 UCAS Points from at least two A Levels or equivalent
• Five GCSEs at grade C or above, including Maths and English
• BTEC requirements: Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) at National Diploma Level.
• Additional qualifications can contribute towards the points score such as a third A Level or AS Levels
• International Baccalaureate: 28+ points.

If you are unsure about the amount of UCAS points your qualifications may attract you can use our UCAS Tariff Chart|.

We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications.

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| is available at DMU both before and during the course if required.

Teaching and assessment

The course is part of the University’s Cyber Security Centre, which has a national and international reputation in computer forensics and computer security and influences the government and UK corporations in their approach to digital forensics and security.

As a result, you will learn what is important as well as having access to excellent career opportunities. In the first year, timetabled taught sessions are around 18 hours per week: 67 per cent lectures and 33 per cent in smaller group laboratory and tutorial sessions.

In the second year, there are roughly 14 timetabled hours: 70 per cent in lectures and 30 per cent in smaller group laboratory and tutorial sessions.

In the final year, timetabled taught sessions are around 10 hours: 80 per cent lectures and 20 per cent smaller group laboratory sessions and project supervision In all years of the course, assessment is split evenly between end of year examination and coursework.

Coursework includes frequent laboratory based phase tests to give early feedback on progress. Assessed essays are set for some topics and you will put together a portfolio to showcase your abilities.

In the second year, you will be set more substantial, but less frequent assignments, including a research study. In the final year, options are typically assessed by examination with the core material being evaluated by coursework.

A prominent part of the course is the fortnightly series of guest lectures, given by a wide range of experts in the forensics and security domain.

Course modules

First year

• Computer Ethics
• Computer Law
• Portfolio (Forensics and Security)
• Operating Systems
• Network Security
• Computer Architecture
• Programming in C
• Algorithms
• Scientific Testing
• Mathematics
• Functional Programming

Second year

• Internet Protocols
• Databases
• Secure Scripting
• Linux Security
• Window Forensics
• Organisations
• Project Management
• Research
• Issues in Criminal Justice

Final year

• Digital Evidence
• Professionalism
• Individual Project

Work experience and placements

You can improve your CV, become highly employable and put the skills you learn on your course into practice by taking a work placement as part of your studies.

Technology's dedicated Placement Unit| provides support to all of our students looking to integrate a placement within their university career on both undergraduate degrees and postgraduate masters programmes. The placement unit will help you search for placement opportunities, create and refine your CV and interview approach, and offer any advice you need to find a great placement. Our placement students have worked for a range of organisations from small business through to multinational companies across the world including Microsoft Ltd, IBM, GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) and PepsiCo International.

Placements can enhance your career prospects and give you the chance to use theory from the classroom in a real-world scenario before you have graduated.

Students of this course have taken part in work experience placements at many local and national companies over the past three years, including Viglen Ltd, Syngenta, Jagex Ltd, Capgemini UK, CY4OR Ltd, PepsiCo.

Graduate careers

Graduates pursue careers as forensic computing specialists for government agencies, security consultancies and commercial IT departments. Recent graduates are working for companies including Santander and CCL Forensics Ltd.

Fees and funding

UK/EU Full-time £9,000 Placement year £650 Part-time (Where available) 4 year course £5,925 per year 6 year course £3,950 per year Per module £988 per 15 credits International
Full-time £11,250 Placement year £750

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

Scholarships

Scholarships and bursaries are available to home undergraduate students studying on a full time basis. To see if you are eligible, take a look at the Fees and Funding| section of the website.

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 forensic analysis of both computer and mobile phone data. Students on the computer forensics and security programmes spend almost all of their practical time in these labs; configuring typical e-commerce systems through to military grade systems, defending, attacking and analysing them and practising with the latest forensics tools and techniques.

The lab facilities are also used to show students how to penetrate systems and how to spot a successful attack.

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.

Cyber Security Centre

The labs are also the base for the University's Cyber Security Centre| (CSC), a multidisciplinary group of academics and industry experts who focuson 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 and development 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 computer forensics and security research.

Facility tour

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