Computer Science with Cyber Security
Entry requirements
A level
Grades ABB (preferably to include Computer Science or Mathematics)
Access to Higher Education will be considered when combined with substantial work or other experience.
We welcome applications that include the EPQ. Where relevant, this may be included in our offer, resulting in an ‘A’ Level offer reduced by one grade.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE English Language at grade 4 (C) PLUS GCSE Mathematics at grade 6 (B)
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
IB with 31 points to include 5 in Mathematics Higher Level or Standard Level and minimum of grade 5 in Standard Level English.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Computing or Information Technology only
T Level
Digital Production, Design and Development. Distinction overall including GCSE Mathematics grade 6.
UCAS Tariff
Grades ABB (preferably to include Computer Science or Mathematics)
About this course
This integrated master’s degree will equip you with the skills for a career in the multi-million pound cyber security sector. You’ll learn how computer systems are built and work, before learning to audit systems for vulnerabilities and flaws. In an increasingly digital world, these skills are in high demand.
On this four-year degree, you will develop a firm foundation in technical computing, before specialising in cyber security.
You’ll learn how software and systems work, developing practical skills in analysis, design and programming. Later, you’ll move on to topics such as cryptography, cyber crime, sociotechnical risks and digital forensics. You’ll become ethical hackers, identifying flaws in computing devices and networks, and tracing attacks while auditing systems.
You will study at master’s level in your fourth year, learning alongside our internationally renowned researchers at the cutting edge of the subject.
- Become proficient in a broad range of programming languages and cutting-edge games programming techniques
- Boost your professional credibility, employability and earning potential with a degree that satisfies the academic requirements for CEng status
- Gain practical work experience with an optional one-year work placement: past students have worked for Accenture, Deloitte, HP, IBM and Xerox
- Study in City’s computing labs, which include the latest hardware and software, such as state-of-art NVidia GPUs
- Gain three years of professional experience with our innovative Professional Pathway Scheme, combining paid employment and study.
The School has its own dedicated placements team with over 20 years of experience in providing on-hand placement and internship support as well as guidance for students throughout their studies. Placements are highly encouraged at City. Students that complete a placement year benefit from gaining professional experience working on real-life projects and are also more likely to achieve higher grades, secure a graduate-level job and earn a higher salary. In recent years students from our computer science courses have been able to obtain placements at leading companies within their chosen field such as Accenture, Deloitte, Hewlett Packard, IBM and Xerox.
Modules
During this four-year Computer Science with Cyber Security MSci course you will learn to solve real-world cyber security challenges, using programming, problem-solving and analytical skills.
Year 1
Study our common first year for all our computer science students, learning six core topics including operating systems, web development and Java.
-Introduction to Algorithms (15 Credits)
-Mathematics for Computing (15 Credits)
-Systems Architecture (15 Credits)
-Programming in Java (30 Credits)
-Databases (15 Credits)
-Operating Systems (15 Credits)
-Computer Science, Ethics & Society (15 credits)
Year 2
Deepen your knowledge of computer science with core modules such as C++ and data structures. Boost your professional skills with a team project or a work-based project.
-Data Structures and Algorithms (15 credits)
-Language Processors (15 credits)
-Computer Networks (15 credits)
-Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (15 credits)
-Professional Development in IT (15 credits)
-Team Project (30 credits)
-Programming in C++ (15 credits)
Year 3
Study specialist modules such as digital forensics. Choose elective modules to tailor the degree to your interests.
-Network Security (15 Credits)
-Digital Forensics (15 Credits)
-Information Security Fundamentals (15 Credits)
-Cyber Crime and Sociotechnical Risk (15 Credits)
-Games Technology (15 Credits)
-Advanced Databases (15 Credits)
-Computer Graphics (15 Credits)
-Theory of Computation (15 Credits)
-Advanced Games Technology (15 Credits)
-Professional Experience and Career Development (30 Credits)
-Data Visualization (15 Credits)
-Digital Signal Processing and Audio Programming (15 Credits)
-Project Management (15 credits)
-Advanced Programming: Concurrency (15 Credits)
-Functional Programming (15 Credits)
-Cloud Computing (15 Credits)
-Computer Vision (15 Credits)
-Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (15 Credits)
-Programming and Mathematics for A (15 Credits)
-Agents and Multi Agents Systems (15 Credits)
-User Centred Systems Design (15 Credits)
-Semantic Web Technologies and Knowledge Graphs (15 credits)
Year 4
Develop in-depth professional expertise to prepare you for your career in cyber security. Study core modules and elective modules in topics such as cryptography and cyber crime. Undertake an individual project to showcase your skills.
-Advanced Algorithms and Data Structures (15 Credits)
-Cryptography (15 Credits)
-Security Auditing and Certification (15 Credits)
-Individual Project (45 Credits)
-User-centred Systems Design (15 credits)
-Advanced Databases (15 Credits)
-Project Management (15 credits)
-Computer Graphics (15 Credits)
-Digital Signal Processing and Audio Programming (15 Credits)
-Data Visualization (15 Credits)
-Advanced Programming: Concurrency (15 credits)
-Cloud Computing (15 credits)
-Computer Vision (15 credits)
-Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (15 credits)
-Programming and Mathematics for Artificial Intelligence (15 credits)
-Computational Cognitive Systems (15 Credits)
-Agents and Multi-Agent Systems (15 Credits)
-Advanced Games Technology (15 Credits)
Students have the opportunity to follow two placement routes: a one year placement or the Professional Pathway scheme. The one year placement can be undertaken following successful completion of year 2.
Students can join the Professional Pathway scheme after successful completion of year 1 (early entry) or after successful completion of year 2 or a one year placement (late entry).
Assessment methods
The balance of assessment by examination, practical examination and assessment by coursework will to some extent depend on the optional modules you choose. The approximate percentage of the course assessment, based on 2019/20 entry is as follows:
Year 1
Written examination: 41%
Coursework: 59%
Year 2
Written examination: 35%
Coursework: 65%
Year 3
Written examination: 52%
Coursework: 48%
Year 4
Written examination: 25%
Practical: 2%
Coursework: 73%
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
City, University of London
Department of Computer Science
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Computer science
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Software engineering
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Computer science
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
This is a newly-classified subject area for this kind of data, so we don’t currently have very much information to display or analyse yet. The subject is linked to important and growing computing industries, and over time we can expect more students to study them — there could be opportunities that open up for graduates in these subjects as the economy develops over the next few years.
Software engineering
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
A specialist subject, and not surprisingly graduates tend to go into software engineering roles or related. The degree classification students achieved made a particular difference last year — computing graduates with the best grades were much less likely to be out of work after six months and employers can even rate a good grade as important as work experience. Most students do get jobs, though, and starting salaries are good — particularly in London, where average starting salaries for good graduates were getting towards £38k last year. Be aware that at the moment, recruitment agencies are much the most common way for graduates from this degree to get their first job, so it may be worth getting in touch with a few specialist agencies in advance of graduation if you take this degree to get a foot in the door.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Computer science
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£29k
£35k
£42k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Software engineering
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£29k
£35k
£42k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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