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Cyber Security

Entry requirements


Pass in the QAA accredited Access to HE. English and Mathematics GCSE required as a separate qualification as equivalency is not accepted within the Access qualification. We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

26

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

BTEC National Diploma/ Extended Diploma Plus five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English and Mathematics or equivalent

T Level

M

UCAS Tariff

104

from at least two A-levels Plus five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English and Mathematics or equivalent.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Computer and information security

Technology and computer systems are becoming ever more integrated with our day-to-day lives and protection of the data and information they contain is paramount. With many organisations and businesses now considering the defence of online information a critical business issue, there’s an increased focus and demand on the role of cyber security.

On our Cyber Security BSc, you will learn about different types of cyber-attack, how to solve they and how to prevent them. Discover how to build ultra-secure software and systems, carry out rigorous penetration testing and study cryptography techniques. By putting yourself in the mind of a hacker, you will come to expect the unexpected and develop problem-solving skills that are highly-valued in the world of work.

A versatile range of core computing and cyber security skills are embedded throughout the course, giving you a solid understanding of the underlying principles of cyber security. This includes the mathematical foundation of computing, secure coding and computer ethics. Your Final Project in year three provides an opportunity to work innovatively and creatively to produce a quality solution that addresses a societal or organisational need.

By the time you graduate, you will have the skills required for an exciting career in the cyber security sector. Recent graduates have progressed into careers in industry, government and law enforcement, as security analysts, penetration testers, forensic investigators and cyber security engineers, at organisations such as Deloitte, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), Airbus, and Rolls-Royce.

**Key features

- Named a gold standard ‘Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education’ by the leading authority on cyber security in the UK, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). It is also an ‘Airbus Centre of Excellent in Cyber Security’. Boasting an international reputation in computer security and digital forensics, its research influences the approach taken by the UK government and leading organisations. Computer Science research at DMU is among the most frequently cited in the world, so you can be sure you’re learning from the best.

- Benefit from our specialist Cyber Security laboratories which are among the best equipped facilities of this type in the UK. Developed in consultation with leaders in the industry, they are designed to meet the highest forensics and security standards and are fitted with customised PCs configured with multiple operating systems, virtualisation and removable hard drives.

- Get hands-on experience and meet like-minded peers by joining DMU’s Hacking Society. It has more than 150 members who meet weekly to shar e skills such as web application hacking, binary exploitation and reverse engineering and enter competitions. 

- Gain valuable industry experience on a one-year placement with the support of our award-winning Careers Team. Previous Cyber Security students have undertaken placements with Boeing Defence, GCHQ, Jaguar Land Rover and Virgin Media in roles such as Cyber Security Analyst, Technology and Innovation Intern and Product Engineer.

- Experience an unforgettable international experience with DMU Global as part of your studies. Cyber Security students recently gained insights into San Francisco’s tech industry, while others put their skills to the test at New York’s Spyscape museum.

- Our new £6.5m Digital Tech Learning Hub, due for completion in 2024, will combine state-of-the-art facilities with a fresh approach to teaching and investment in industry-standard technology, placing DMU at the forefront of digital education.

- Benefit from Education 2030, where a simplified ‘block learning’ timetable means you will study one subject at a time and have more time to engage with your learning, receive faster feedback and enjoy a better study-life balance.

Modules

Year one
Block 1: Foundation of Computing and Cyber Security
Block 2: Endpoint Security
Block 3: Secure Coding
Block 4: Business Infrastructure and Security
Year two
Block 1: Secure Scripting and Business Applications
Block 2: Incident Response and Cyber Threat Intelligence
Block 3: Penetration Testing
Block 4: Industrial Cryptography
Year three
Block 1: Malware and Attacker Techniques
Block 2: Cyber Physical Systems Security
Block 3 / 4: Final Project
Optional Modules (choose one):

Block 3 / 4: Cyber Security and Social Responsibility
Block 3 / 4: Artificial Intelligence for Cyber Security
Block 3 / 4: Digital Forensics and Cyber Crime Investigation

Assessment methods

The course is part of DMU’s Cyber Security Centre, which influences the government and corporations in their approach to cyber security. This shapes the curriculum so that you learn what is important. It also grants you privileged access to career opportunities.

You may be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, group work, laboratory sessions, practical sessions and self-directed study. Assessment and how assessments are weighted is varied across modules. Our assessment practices reflect the best practices in teaching methods deployed by academic members of staff each year. Indicative assessment weighting and assessment type per module are shown as part of the module information. Again, these are based on the current academic session and are subject to change.

Teaching contact hours
This is a full-time course. Each module is worth 30 credits. Outside of your normal timetabled hours you will be expected to conduct independent study each week to complete preparation tasks, assessments and research.

Self-directed study: In order to prepare for, and assimilate, the work in lectures and seminars you will be expected to use our on-line resources, participate in flipped or virtual classroom discussions on our virtual learning environment (VLE) and engage in personal study and revision for approximately 25 hours per week.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,250
per year
International
£16,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Leicester Campus

Department:

Computing, Engineering and Media

Read full university profile

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.

58%
Computer and information security

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.

Software engineering

Teaching and learning

58%
Staff make the subject interesting
58%
Staff are good at explaining things
66%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
64%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

82%
Library resources
82%
IT resources
81%
Course specific equipment and facilities
53%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

81%
UK students
19%
International students
90%
Male students
10%
Female students
82%
2:1 or above
9%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
C
C

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.

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.

£21,360
med
Average annual salary
88%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

52%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
11%
Information technology technicians
5%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

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.

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.

£23k

£23k

£28k

£28k

£34k

£34k

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.

Explore these similar courses...

Lower entry requirements
University of Derby | Derby
Cyber Security with Foundation Year
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 72
Nearby University
University of Derby | Derby
Cyber Security
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 112-120
Same University
De Montfort University | Leicester
Software Engineering
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 112

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here