Applied Cyber Security
University of South Wales
UCAS Code: 7B9P | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
University of South Wales
UCAS Code: 7B9P | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
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)
T Level
Pass (C and above)
Passing the T Level with Pass (C or above in the Core)
UCAS Tariff
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
and BC at A Level
About this course
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
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What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score 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.
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)
Others in computing
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 and information security
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.
Computer forensics
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
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.
£21k
£30k
£30k
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.
£21k
£30k
£30k
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...
Higher entry requirements
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Teaching Excellence Framework (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.
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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?
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