Computer Networks and Security
UCAS Code: G611
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
104-112 UCAS points at A2
104-112 UCAS points
GCSE/National 4/National 5
5 GCSEs at Grade C/4 or above including Maths and English or equivalent. Equivalent qualifications are Functional Skills Level 2 in Maths and English or Level 3 Key Skills in Maths and Communication.
Pass IB Diploma including 104-112 UCAS points from Higher Level subjects.
104-112 UCAS points
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
104-112 UCAS points
UCAS Tariff
Our typical offer is 104 - 112 UCAS Points. We operate a flexible admissions policy and treat everyone as an individual. This means that we will take into consideration your educational achievements and predicted grades (where applicable) together with your application as a whole, including work experience and personal statement.
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
This practice-based degree will prepare you for a career in a rapidly changing industry that, thanks to new ideas, applications and constantly evolving technology, is a fascinating arena to work in. It includes the latest developments in wired and wireless computer networking and relevant theory to offer a broad view of the networking industry. Supported by teaching in purpose-built laboratories, you’ll use specialist software to develop not only your networking skills and understanding of theory - you’ll also consider the associated legal, social, ethical and commercial issues. You’ll graduate with a range of transferable skills allowing you to work across the computing industry, as well as in other graduate careers.
You can take a one-year industrial placement after completing your second year/third year if on Foundation entry. Most placements are UK-based, but we regularly place students in English-speaking workplaces elsewhere in Europe. It is possible to study a year of the course at a university abroad.
The taught element of the CNAA qualification is integrated into the course, so you can gain the qualification by taking the CNAA examination.
Most students find roles in network management, design and implementation. Others will be employed as security analysts, systems managers and technical support staff. There will also be opportunities in graduate careers that do not require a specific degree.
Our innovative course will enable you to work as a network designer, network manager or even a network engineer. With Cisco accreditation and a wide range of transferable skills including project management, group working and communications, you will develop excellent long-term career prospects and a high earning potential.
Our graduates have gone on to work in IT support for organisations such as GlaxoSmithKline, Intel, Red Bull, Fujitsu -Siemens and a large defence organisation. Some have undertaken an MSc in computer security while others have gone into teaching.
Modules
Year 1: Introduction to Networking, Computer Systems and Security, Computing Challenge, Introduction to Programming, Interactive Applications, Programming, Systems Analysis & Database Design
Year 2: Computer Security, Introduction to Routing, Network Management, Interacting with the Internet of Things, The Agile Professional. One from the following: Advanced Programming, Database Systems, Internet Application Development
Year 3: Advanced Routing, Wireless and Mobile Networks, Penetration Testing, Double Project. One from the following: Computers, Society and Law, Cloud Computing, Science Communication, A level 5 option which hasn’t been taken
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of Central Lancashire
School of Physical Sciences and Computing
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 networks
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
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This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
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 networks
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
There are a lot of computing courses out there, and they vary a lot in content, modules and the way they work with employers, so individual courses can have very different outcomes. This is a course where you really need to get a good grade — employers really pay attention to the class of your degree and a low grade will serious hit your prospects. But you can get a job on pretty much any industry in the country with a computing degree - and organisation with an IT system and a web site needs graduates in this discipline - and many employers report difficulty in finding graduates. So most students do get jobs, and starting salaries are good, particularly in London. If you want to find out more about the prospects for a computer science course at a particular institution, it's a good idea to go on open days and talk to tutors about what previous graduates went on to do.
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 networks
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£25k
£26k
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.
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
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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.
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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?
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