UCEN Manchester
UCAS Code: N2S5 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
About this course
Students develop an in-depth, theoretical understanding of network security principles and penetration techniques. The course emphasises the practical application of skills needed to design, implement, and support network security.
This course provides students with knowledge and hands-on experience of penetration testing using current testing tools and techniques. It will enable the students to conduct penetration testing on a secure network using Adaptive Security Appliances, including planning, testing and report writing. It will give the students an understanding of common vulnerabilities, allow them to explain their implications and give recommendations for mitigation techniques. Providing students with a comprehensive, theoretical and practical approach to the principles of Penetration testing, this will contextualise an in-depth understanding of Penetration testing methodology.
In addition will further allow learner to evaluate network security through inherent vulnerabilities within systems.
Hands-on labs help students develop critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills. Hands on activities promote the exploration of network security concepts. Thus, allowing student to experiment with network behaviour and ask "what if" questions.
The aim of this course is to provide learners with the knowledge, understanding and practical experience of managing secure communication across a large-scale network using industry standard equipment and best practice. Students will develop the ability to undertake individual research to contextualise their specialist subject in the broader security management environment as a final project.
The use of Cisco CyberOps Associate will be utilised to allow learners to achieve a CCNA Cyberops at a later stage, in their studies or career.
Modules
Examples of current modules-
Negotiate Research (60 credits)
This unit will enable students to further develop general and discipline specific knowledge and skills through extended research activity. After consultation and agreement with the tutors, the students will be required to undertake a Literature Review in the area of their choosing within the context of the programme studied; formulate a research proposal with research question/s and carry out the research as proposed.
Penetration testing (30 Credits)
This unit provides students with knowledge and hands-on experience of penetration testing using current testing tools and techniques. It will enable the students to conduct penetration testing on a secure network using Adaptive Security Appliances, including planning, testing and report writing. It will give the students an understanding of common vulnerabilities, allow them to explain their implications and give recommendation for mitigation techniques. Providing students with a comprehensive, theoretical and practical approach to the principles of Penetration testing, this will contextualise an in-depth understanding of Penetration testing methodology. In addition will further allow learner to evaluate network security through inherent vulnerabilities within systems.
Securing Information Systems (30 credits)
The aim of this unit is to provide learners with the knowledge, understanding and practical experience of managing secure communication across a large-scale internet work using industry standard equipment. Students will develop the ability to undertake individual research to contextualise their specialist subject in the broader security management environment. Cybersecurity Operations is a hands-on, career-oriented course with an emphasis on practical experience to help students develop specialised skills to successfully handle the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of an associate-level Security Analyst working in a Security Operations Centre (SOC).
Assessment methods
A range of assessment methods are used and could be in the form of the following:
• Proposal presentation
• Literature review
• Dissertation
• Poster presentation
• Written report
• Hands on skills assessment
Tuition fees
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What students say
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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 science
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
This is a newly-classified subject area for this kind of data, so we don’t currently have very much information to display or analyse yet. The subject is linked to important and growing computing industries, and over time we can expect more students to study them — there could be opportunities that open up for graduates in these subjects as the economy develops over the next few years.
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.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Computer science
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£19k
£25k
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.
Computer and information security
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£19k
£25k
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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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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