Our MSc in Advanced Computer Science with Cyber Security (January start) offers a balanced set of modules that cover the depth and breadth of the cybersecurity landscape, as well as relevant modules from computer science.
Our modules provide an understanding of both technological and sociological perspectives. You'll discover the roles of people, processes and technology - and how their interaction creates risks and vulnerabilities, as well as opportunities - to ensure individual and organisational cyber security.
The course will create new cyber security leaders capable of formulating their own abstractions, which enable them to manage conceptually the infinite range of attack vectors that increasingly sophisticated actors may attempt to exploit.
Applicants require, at a minimum, a second-class (2:2) Honours degree or international equivalent in computer science or a closely related discipline.
Significant programming experience in one or more programming languages such as Python, Java, C++ and Haskell.
Several modules will use Python.
If you come from a closely related subject, you would be expected to have experience in the following areas:
computer networking (familiarity with OSI layer networking such as Ethernet/Wi-Fi, MAC addressing, IP addressing, TCP/UDP, sockets, DNS, DHCP, and HTTP/HTTPS protocols)
mathematics behind computer science, particularly discrete mathematics topics such as logic, set theory, graph theory, probability, and automata theory
Our MSc in Cyber Security is designed to prepare you for these opportunities. You will gain both the technical expertise and the strategic understanding that employers are looking for, supported by the University’s award-winning Careers Service, which offers tailored, industry-specific sessions to help you plan your professional trajectory. You will also have access to the annual IT Careers Fair, where leading employers connect with our students for internships and graduate roles.
For those with a passion for research, the MSc also serves as an ideal foundation for doctoral studies. Throughout the programme, you will engage deeply with lecturers’ areas of expertise, developing your dissertation into work that can lead to meaningful and publishable outcomes. Students interested in pursuing a PhD in Cyber Security will receive dedicated mentoring and guidance on developing research proposals, identifying supervisors, and building an academic career.
Core modules:
Research Methods (10 credits)
Human-Centred Security (20 credits)
Security Protocols & Threat Models (20 credits)
Legal, Ethical & Professional Issues for the Information Society (10 credits)
Optional modules:
Game Theory & Multi-Agent Systems (10 credits)
Vulnerability Assessment & Security Testing (20 credits)
Advanced Security-by-Design (20 credits)
Research Topics in Cyber Security (10 credits)
Advanced Topics in Software Engineering (20 credits)
Designing Usable Systems (20 credits)
Concepts & theories of Sustainable Development (10 credits)
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