About the course
Course content
This course has been developed in response to the demand from industry for cyber security professionals who have a systematic understanding of the principles and technologies underpinning today's IT systems.
Cyber security is a key problem in the provision of services, from the application layer through to the basic building blocks of computer and network systems. People trained in cyber security are greatly sought after and in the UK analysts expect that there will be a shortage of security professionals for the next 10 years or more.
The digital world is a complex place, varied in form and distributed, serving different types of stakeholder who use a variety of devices to access information. Specialists who recognise the diversity of business needs and the breadth of technologies and techniques to combat cyber threats, and have a systematic approach to understanding the impact of technology on organisations, are essential to the success of today's and tomorrow's cyber systems.
Equal in importance to securing cyber systems and their supporting technologies, is the management and delivery of content and services through to the users. These systems are in reality socio-technical-economic systems incorporating people, technologies, service providers, content providers, governments (laws, regulations, policies) through to law enforcement. The cyber security specialist is a broadly based professional able to work with technologists, senior management, service providers and suppliers, through to the end users, with their aim to provide secure services and investigate breaches.
This course builds on typical undergraduate computing courses, or those degrees with a high degree of computing content, whose graduates are looking to develop new knowledge and skills in cyber security. This course is designed to help the student gain an understanding of how cyber security systems are designed and constructed, and of the impact of technology into an organisation. The course will also give you the skills you need to work effectively in a business environment, and provide a solid basis for cyber security research. The course is supported by several research groups within the School of Computing and Engineering and the school has received research funding in cyber security.
Course detail
The course will also give you the skills you need to work effectively in a business environment, and provide a solid basis for cyber security research and development. The course is supported by several research groups within the School of Computing and Engineering and the School has received research funding in cyber security.
Teaching consists of lectures, seminars and laboratory work to provide a basis for the intensive individual study you need to undertake to maximise your achievements and the potential outcomes from taking the course.
Modules
- Fundamentals of Cyber Security
- Security Management
- Network and Systems Security
- Research Methods
- Learning and Professional Development
- Employability Skills and Employment
- Dissertation
Optional Modules:
- Distributed Application Development
- Mobile Web Component Development
- Principles of Project Management
- Consultancy and Technical Innovation
- Programming Support
- Security Operations and Assurance
- Data Architecture
- Knowledge Management
Format
Diverse methods are used to explore all aspects of the field. A strong supportive culture exists amongst the course tutors which enables students to achieve their potential.
Assessment
Assessed work is a significant part of the total assessment in the masters. There is practical work, report writing, presentations, critical academic writing and the skills and knowledge gained in these contribute to a capacity to deliver a high quality dissertation.
There are a number of end of module exams. Course tutors provide appropriate support throughout the module to ensure candidates are well prepared.
Career and study progression
Graduates in cyber security have a good record of achieving employment and progressing in their professional work. The security industry is wide, including companies that need to protect themselves, government and law enforcement through to the providers of equipment and services, such as the:
• anti-virus, security software vendors (such as McAfee, Kaspersky, Symantec, Sophos, EMC/RSA, Entrust, etc.),
• network and computer vendors (such as Cisco, Juniper, Palo Alto, HP, Barracuda, etc.),
• network and service providers (such as British Telecom, Vodafone, Rackspace, Amazon, etc.),
• consultancies (such as KPMG, IBM, Fujitsu, HP, etc.)
• services companies and in government and law enforcement.
Outstanding graduates have gone on to further study at the level of MPhil and PhD at UWL and at other institutions.
We actively encourage students with potential for research to make their interest known early on in their course.
Scholarships and bursaries
Information about scholarships and bursaries can be found .