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Applied Cyber Security

Entry requirements


A level

B,C,C

Pass Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 104 UCAS Tariff points

GCSE/National 4/National 5

The University normally requires Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C/4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.

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

DMM

T Level

Pass (C and above)


Passing the T Level with Pass (C or above in the Core)

UCAS Tariff

104

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

C

and BC at A Level

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Computer and information security

Computer forensics

Attacks on computer systems and technology are increasing, making cyber security a growing discipline. With a shortage of experts to deal with the threat, graduates with the right skills are likely to be in high demand.

This is a practical Cyber Security course where you will work with industry to become a highly skilled graduate. Through projects and study, you will learn how to keep computer systems free of interference and find solutions to real-life problems. You will work directly on 'live briefs' from industry, so your training will stay relevant and address current issues and topics. This hands-on approach will also enable you to gain industry contacts and understand what will be expected of you in the workplace when you graduate.

This Cyber Security degree is part of the National Cyber Security Academy, which brings theUniversity, Welsh Government and industry experts together to tackle the skills gap and create experts who can fight against cybercrime. USW's Cyber Security degree has three main themes: penetration testing, digital forensics, and governance. During the first year, you will study all three topics, then you can specialise in one of these fields as you progress through your studies.

You will study in our Secure Operations Centre, based in Newport, which is equipped with specialist cyber security software and facilities. You will also have mentors from the industry and the University who will support and guide you. This workplace environment emulates what it's like to work in cyber security, so it differs from traditional classroom-based teaching. Given this nature of the degree, assessments are entirely project-based.

This Cyber Security course is based at our Newport Campus. Right at the heart of the city, overlooking the River Usk, is one of the University’s most iconic buildings and it couldn’t be in a better location to embrace city life in Newport. Plus, the Halls of Residence are just a few minutes’ walk away, so you won’t have to get up too early for your early morning lectures!

Tuition fees

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

England
£9,000
per year
EU
£9,000
per year
International
£12,600
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,000
per year
Scotland
£9,000
per year
Wales
£9,000
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Newport

Department:

Computing and Mathematics

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.

75%
Computer and information security
71%
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

73%
Staff make the subject interesting
83%
Staff are good at explaining things
72%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
78%
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

87%
Library resources
87%
IT resources
88%
Course specific equipment and facilities
62%
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?

76%
UK students
24%
International students
87%
Male students
13%
Female students
80%
2:1 or above
19%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
C
D

Others in computing

Teaching and learning

71%
Staff make the subject interesting
83%
Staff are good at explaining things
76%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
72%
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

83%
Library resources
83%
IT resources
86%
Course specific equipment and facilities
57%
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?

92%
UK students
8%
International students
85%
Male students
15%
Female students
85%
2:1 or above
19%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
C
D

After graduation


We don't have more detailed stats to show you in relation to this subject area at this university but read about typical employment outcomes and prospects for graduates of this subject below.

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

£25k

£25k

£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.

£23k

£23k

£25k

£25k

£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.

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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here