Cyber Security (with a Placement Year)

Most businesses rely on cyber security to protect their critical systems and stay one step ahead of criminals. Viruses, malicious attacks and hacking can cripple company software and place confidential data at risk.

Complete our BSc (Hons) Cyber Security degree and your specialist skills will be in huge demand as employers grapple with these challenges. You’ll also gain practical experience through our amazing industry links and placement opportunities.

Through a partnership with Staffordshire Police’s High Tech Crime Unit, you can even get involved in a forensic internship in your final year. We have also recently just become the first UK educational partner with Offensive Security. This will give you access to industry-standard training and resources to support your learning.

The course has a strong focus on hands-on practice. We have a Cyber Lab with its own private, isolated network so you can test out scenarios and complete challenges. You’ll get to ‘break into’ this network to learn all about ethical hacking – the expert role that helps companies identify vulnerabilities within their infrastructure.

The course also covers the essentials of networking, programming, software development, data analytics and machine learning. You’ll look at regulations and ethics, as well as the theoretical and practical aspects of cyber security.

Alongside your degree, there’s the chance to gain certification with EnCase, Microsystemation XRY and Cellebrite UFED. You can also become a certified ethical hacker through EC-Council.

The version of EnCase we use in the lab is identical to the one used by real law enforcement agencies. It means you can perform investigations on both PCs and mobile technology such as smartphones and sat navs.

Other industry connections include guest lectures and Q&A sessions with our network of experts in the field. And as we are accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, you’ll get a qualification that meets rigorous national standards for quality.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BSc (Hons) Cyber Security

Course Modules

Year One: Cloud And Network Technologies; Computing Project; Cyber Security and Artificial Intelligence; Programming Concepts

Year Two: Cloud Infrastructure Security; Computing Teamwork, Professional Practice and Business Analysis; Data Structure and Algorithms; Ethical Hacking

Year Three: Placement

Year Four: Applied AI: Vision, Language and Secure Systems; Emerging Issues in Security, Privacy and Forensics; Final Year Project

This course is mainly assessed via coursework, but does include a small number of exams. We have carefully designed assessments in order we use the best methods available to assess the integrated approach to theory and practice that you’ll engage in within the Computer Science discipline. Your coursework, carried out in response to assignments, project briefs or self-initiated proposals, will be presented in forms appropriate to that in the workplace, and will require you to work both individually and in teams in generating computing solutions to set problems. To back up your work you will also write reports and deliver presentations.  Formative assessment is carried out in tutorial and practical sessions and feedback is usually provided to you orally.