Cyber Security and Digital Forensics [with Placement Year]
Anglia Ruskin University
UCAS Code: I128 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Anglia Ruskin University
UCAS Code: I128 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
GCSE/National 4/National 5
3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above, including English and Maths.
UCAS Tariff
We accept A Levels, T Levels, BTECs, OCR, Access to HE and most other qualifications within the UCAS Tariff.
About this course
Study an industry-standard, hands-on digital forensics, incident response and cyber security course in the heart of Cambridge.
**Why study Cyber Security and Digital Forensics at ARU?**
- Study in the Silicon Fen, home to Apple, Microsoft, Samsung AI and many more – the perfect opportunity to connect with top employers.
- Bring the world of work to life through Live Briefs; designed and developed with regional employers, such as PA Consulting and Kear Technology Solutions to give you exposure to ‘real world’ problem-solving.
- Gain expert witness experience by defending digital forensics scenarios against Law students, performing mobile forensics on Android OS, revealing suspect actions and analysing malware activity.
- Gain access to the Cisco CCNA, CompTIA Security+ and EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) curriculums.
- Explore our on-site specialist labs and our online virtual lab (NETLAB), equipped with cutting-edge cyber security and forensics tools and operating systems.
The computer you’re viewing this on knows your location, browser history, passwords and habits. Imagine using this knowledge to legally track a suspect's activities, evidence this in a scientific manner, and help convict or prove innocence in civil or criminal proceedings. Our course centres on practical, hands-on skills development in areas from malware science to ethical hacking.
You’ll start by learning how operating systems work and how scripting languages can be used to address security issues. You'll develop your understanding of cybercrime and how security threats and vulnerabilities can be dealt with. In our labs you’ll develop specialist skills, learning how to isolate and analyse malware, and undertake penetration testing or ‘ethical hacking’. You’ll also explore how threats originate and how to undertake threat intelligence. You’ll learn in lectures and the lab, working both independently and as part of a team.
Digital forensics and incident response is one of the most prominent labour shortages in the UK cyber security sector, and our specialist labs are the perfect place to develop knowledge and skills for your future career. We're set up to support the next generation of industry professionals. Will you be one of them?
Modules
Year 1:
Introduction to System Architecture and Automation (30 credits)
Software Principles (30 credits)
Cyber Crime Fundamentals (15 credits)
Core Mathematics for Computing (15 credits)
Introduction to Networks (30 credits)
Year 2:
Network Routing and Switching Essentials (30 credits)
Advanced Digital Forensics (30 credits)
Principles of Digital Forensics (15 credits)
Digital Security (15 credits)
Cloud and IoT (15 credits)
Ruskin Module (15 credits)
Year 3:
Work Placement (120 credits)
Year 4:
Ethical Hacking and Countermeasures (15 credits)
Digital Forensics and Malware Science (15 credits)
Software Security (15 credits)
Mobile Forensics (15 credits)
Security Management, Operations and Analytics (30 credits)
Final Project (30 credits)
Assessment methods
Throughout the course, you'll be assessed through case study projects applying your understanding through practical application of the knowledge acquired during the lectures. During practical sessions, you'll be asked to keep a logbook of activities completed and reflect on what you have learnt from the activities undertaken.
Your knowledge and understanding of essential skills and critical security issues will be assessed through multiple-choice examinations and formal written reports. These elements are where you discuss your knowledge and the application of that knowledge in a fictional context.
You'll be expected to conduct and apply research in cyber security. In some modules, you'll be assessed through a research report related to a specific area of cyber security. Also, you will have to complete your undergraduate major project to be eligible for the degree.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Cambridge Campus
School of Computing and Information Sciences
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
£26k
£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
£26k
£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.
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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:
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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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