Cybercrime (Distance Learning) (Taught)

Overview
Explore the human dimensions of cybercrime on this part-time, distance learning Master's course, delving into the causes of cybercrime, digital investigations and the methods and motivations of cybercriminals.

Studying online at your own pace, you'll gain the critical knowledge and analytical skills to meet the growing threat of cybercrime, allowing you to facilitate investigations and operate as a link between the police and technological forensic investigation teams.

You'll learn how investigative cybercrime practices work in the public and private sectors, in areas such as hacking, online drug markets, the dark web, and sexual exploitation and child protection online.

You'll graduate with the skills needed to play your part in mitigating and tackling all kinds of cybercrime, from the local to the global.

• Immerse yourself in the world of contemporary cybercrime and approaches for tackling it, covering topics including cyber offender and victim characteristics, debates around freedom of information and privacy, challenges of national cybersecurity, and the impact of global cybersecurity governance

• Study with one of the first UK universities to offer a campus-based Master's degree in cybercrime and to bring a criminological strategy to the subject - expert academics from our School of Criminology and Criminal Justice have been researching and publishing in the field of cybercrime and online deviance for over 15 years

• Learn alongside Master's students specialising in a wide range of criminology subjects, giving you a diverse learning experience with the opportunity to discuss and develop interdisciplinary ideas

• Be taught by academics with previous experience as police officers, crime scene officers, probation officers and intelligence analysts

• Get involved with our criminology research groups, such as the Cybercrime and Cybersecurity group, the Economic Crime group, and the Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime

• Complete a major project based on your chosen area of research, with the support of qualified and enthusiastic experts in the field

Careers this Master's prepares you for
The risks and threats of cybercrime are only continuing to grow, yet there's a recognised shortfall in the cybersecurity skills needed to tackle cybercrime skills around the world (securitybrief.co.uk). What's more, there's also a lack of non-technical ‘soft skills’ relating to cybercrime – such as understanding and communicating risks and the ability to appreciate the wider context of threats.

So there's an increased demand for more people with the right skills to identify, investigate and counteract the problem of cybercrime, and not just from security and technological backgrounds. Cybercrime investigation agencies need to substantially increase their understanding of the criminological behaviour of online offenders in the UK and abroad, as well as how cybercrime intersects with serious crime in the 'real' world.

These are the skills and perspectives you'll gain on this distance learning Master's course in cybercrime, supported by specialist academics and active researchers in cybercrime and criminology. You’ll graduate with knowledge of practice and theory in cybercrime, as well as the research and analytical skills needed for private or public sector careers in the UK or abroad.

Graduates of this course can go on to roles such as:

• cybercrime investigator

• online behavioural analyst

• policing (as an officer or civilian staff)

• crime, security and intelligence analysis

• private security

• data analyst

Graduates of this course can go on to work for organisations such as:

• the Civil Service

• national and international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

• international government agencies and departments

• probation and prison service

• the Courts

• local administration / authorities

• charities

The University of Portsmouth is passionate about creating career-focused modules that do more than support your studies, they empower your academic journey and prepare you for what comes next.
 
We design modules that have:
 
• Clear themes and skills development as you progress through each year
• Assessments that feel meaningful, often based on real-world tasks rather than isolated exams
• Career-enhancing opportunities such as placements, live projects, enterprise and volunteering
 
For a full list of the modules you will study on this course, please visit the link to the course page.

https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/postgraduate-taught/msc-cybercrime-distance-learning#modules

You'll be assessed through:

• essays
• briefing papers and reports
• blog posts
• narrated presentations
• a major independent project or dissertation

You'll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.

You can get feedback on practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.