Computer Networking and Cyber Security with Work Experience – MSc

Why study this course?

The Computer Networking and Cyber Security with Work Experience MSc includes a work experience placement as well as Cisco accreditation upon successful completion of the course.

You’ll develop your knowledge of the very latest cyber security principles, tools and techniques taught by our specialist staff in a dedicated laboratory. Guest speakers from the industry will contribute to your learning, while the work experience will provide a unique student experience that will enhance your employability after graduation.

This degree course has been accredited with partial CITP status by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. This accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by BCS. As a graduate of this course, accreditation will also entitle you to professional membership of BCS, which is an important part of the criteria for achieving Chartered IT Professional (CITP) status through the Institute.

The course has also achieved partial CENG status by BCS on behalf of the Engineering Council. Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by the Engineering Council in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC). An accredited degree will provide you with some or all of the underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills for eventual registration as an Incorporated (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng).

Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited degrees, and an accredited degree is likely to be recognised by other countries that are signatories to international accords

More about this course

Taught by qualified Cisco instructors, this course offers you a unique opportunity to combine networking technologies with cyber security and gain Cisco accreditation. Such a combination will be attractive to employers increasingly seeking staff with postgraduate qualifications in this area.

The work experience embedded in this course will form a crucial element of your learning. The course team will help you find a relevant opportunity with the help of a Cisco Academy manager who has built a network of relevant employers in the past 15 years through the Networking Academy and its contacts.

The Academy has 18 smaller academies providing continuous technical and academic support, as well as training their instructors according to Cisco’s regulations. 

The rest of the modules involve hands-on practical workshops and are housed in specialist laboratories with up-to-date networking technology and equipment, such as our IT security laboratory. Guest speakers from the industry will complement your learning from the teaching staff.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course.

Modular structure

The modules listed below are for the academic year 2022/23 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.

Year 1 modules include:

Cyber Security Management (core, 20 credits)

Cybercrime and Cyber Security (core, 20 credits)

MSc Project (core, 60 credits)

Network Routing Protocols (core, 20 credits)

Switched Networks (core, 20 credits)

Work Experience (core, 20 credits)

Digital Forensics (option, 20 credits)

Hardening Network Infrastructure (option, 20 credits)

Network Troubleshooting (option, 20 credits)

Security Auditing and Penetration Testing (option, 20 credits)

Where this course can take you

You could enjoy a career as a network engineer, network manager, network security and cyber security consultant, crime and computer forensic or network security professional.