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Cyber Security and Forensic Computing (Top-up)

Entry requirements


HND (BTEC)

M

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

1year

Full-time | 2024

Other options

2 years | Part-time day | 2024

Subjects

Computer and information security

Computer forensics

**Why study this course?**

This is a top-up version of our Cyber Security and Forensic Computing BSc degree. A top-up degree is the final year (Level 6) of an undergraduate degree course and is for those who have a foundation degree, Higher National Diploma or equivalent qualification, or those wishing to study the final year of their degree in London.

The Cyber Security and Forensic Computing (Top-up) BSc is an inclusive course that has a strong focus on cyber security and forensic investigation, expanding on the career led BSc programme. You will have the opportunity to develop skills in cyber security technology, which will lead to an undergraduate degree completion and an entry into the professional world that it brings.

**More about this course**

You'll be taught in our Cyber Security Research Centre which offers a unique collaborative environment in the UK. It provides a space for researchers, students and industry experts to develop new approaches and best practice. The course comprises of multiple practical opportunities to carry out projects in the dedicated Cyber Security Research Centre, working with industry-based software. Practical projects may be carried out through topics such as Computer Networking, Cyber Security, Digital Crime Investigation and Ethical Hacking.

With professionally scrutinised modules by the British Computer Society, this career-focused course will equip you with the key skills necessary to succeed in the cyber security industry. This cutting-edge course is designed to put you at the forefront of computer security, with the curriculum regularly updated to keep up with the industry. You’ll study the prevention, detection, correction and conviction of digital crimes and enhance your essential knowledge of cyber security principles such as digital crime investigation, ethical hacking and security risk management.

As a digital crime-fighter, you’ll have the chance to boost your arsenal through exposure to specialist Forensic Tool Kits (FTK) and Mobile Phone Examiner Plus (MPE+) as well as open-source toolkits such as Kali, Metasploit and Honeypot.

Throughout the course you’ll be supported by highly qualified teaching staff who have strong links with the industry and potential employers. The tutors on your course will provide you with excellent academic guidance and careers advice throughout your studies. You'll learn all about the world of internet fraud on this intensive Cyber Security and Forensic Computing degree course. You’ll also discover techniques for stopping hackers, analysing risks and troubleshooting security issues on the latest gadgets.

Modules

Example modules include:

Project
Ethical Hacking
Network and Cloud Security
Digital Crime Investigation
Management Support Systems
Work Related Learning
Risk, Crisis and Security Management

Assessment methods

You'll be assessed through essays, individual and group coursework, exams, research projects and a final dissertation. You'll receive regular supportive feedback throughout the course.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£17,600
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£17,600
per year
International
£17,600
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£17,600
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Holloway

Department:

School of Computing and Digital 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.

91%
Computer and information security
100%
Computer forensics

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

87%
Staff make the subject interesting
91%
Staff are good at explaining things
81%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
81%
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

97%
Library resources
87%
IT resources
97%
Course specific equipment and facilities
84%
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?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
86%
Male students
14%
Female students
93%
2:1 or above
23%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

E
B
D

Others in computing

Teaching and learning

100%
Staff make the subject interesting
100%
Staff are good at explaining things
88%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
100%
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

100%
Library resources
94%
IT resources
100%
Course specific equipment and facilities
100%
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?

95%
UK students
5%
International students
80%
Male students
20%
Female students
87%
2:1 or above
21%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
D
D

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.

£20,000
low
Average annual salary
90%
med
Employed or in further education

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.

Others in computing

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.

£20,000
low
Average annual salary
90%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

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.

£19k

£19k

£26k

£26k

£29k

£29k

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.

Others in computing

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£19k

£19k

£26k

£26k

£29k

£29k

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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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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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:

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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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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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