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Cyber Security

City College Plymouth

UCAS Code: HCYB | Higher National Certificate - HNC

City College Plymouth

UCAS Code: HCYB | Higher National Certificate - HNC

Entry requirements

A level

C,C,C

To include a relevant subject such as Computing.

Access to HE Diploma

M:45

In a relevant subject such as Computing.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE (or equivalent) Maths and English at Grade C/Level 4 or above.

Normal minimum entry requirements are an equivalent of 96 UCAS Points to include a relevant subject such as Computing at Higher Level

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

MMM

In a relevant subject such as Computing.

T Level

Pass (C and above)


In a relevant subject such as Computing.

UCAS Tariff

96

About this course

Course option

1year

Full-time | 2025

Subject

Computer and information security

A graduate of the HNC Applied Cyber Security is someone who has studied the fundamental technical aspects of computing. They have chosen an academic pathway that enables them to develop further their understanding of how individuals and organisations can reduce the risk of and protect themselves from cyber attack. Cyber Security is a key priority at all levels, from Government to small businesses. Any type of industry requires cyber security specialists, however, it is particularly notable in employers where personal data is vulnerable to attacks or where information essential to National Security is stored.

You will develop essential skills including Cryptography, Threat Intelligence, Computer Networks, Software Engineering and more... Our courses are practical in nature and have been created in partnership with employers to ensure they equip graduates with the relevant skills for industry. Our staff come with a wealth of experience to enhance your learning and a true passion for the subjects they teach.

Modules

Planned modules are: Applied Cryptography, Computer Systems & Operating Systems, Introduction to Software Engineering, Security Fundamentals with Computer Networks, Systems Analysis and Threat Modelling & Intelligence

Assessment methods

This course will be assessed via coursework.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£7,680
per year
England
£7,680
per year
International
£9,450
per year
Northern Ireland
£7,680
per year
Republic of Ireland
£7,680
per year
Scotland
£7,680
per year
Wales
£7,680
per year

The Uni

Course location:

City College Plymouth

Department:

Science and Computing

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What students say

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.

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.

85%
med
Employed or in further education
80%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

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.

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.

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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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