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Cyber Security and Forensic Computing at University of Portsmouth - UCAS

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2024 - 20252025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

University of Portsmouth has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Course summary

This is a Connected Degree Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course. Overview Digital security breaches can bring down banks, hospitals and governments. But you can join the fight against cybercrime. Investigate cyberattacks, expose flaws in security systems and stop hackers in their tracks. Use ethical hacking to secure the operating systems of global companies. Become an expert in malware forensics and cryptography in a world that relies on computing to thrive. On this BSc (Hons) Cyber Security and Forensic Computing course, you’ll build technical and investigative skills to break down security systems, expose gaps in security and identify cyber intruders. You’ll also learn how to investigate cybercrime for the police and see a case through to court. Course highlights

  • Benefit from our close relationship with the Hampshire Police High Tech Crime Unit through an optional internship
  • Design and develop software, hardware and networks, in fields such as digital forensics and artificial intelligence
  • Benefit from the Student Union's cyber and computing clubs and societies such as the AI and Robotics Club, IT Society and Gaming Society
  • Gain insight from guest expert lecturers from the forensic and cyber security field
  • Be taught by industry professionals such as Fudong Li, who is currently working towards Foresight, an ecosystem of training and simulation platforms that will advance the skills of cyber-security professional
Accreditation This course is accredited by the British Computer Society, partially meeting the educational requirement for CITP. Careers and opportunities The cost of cybercrime was estimated at $1 trillion in 2020 – 50% higher than in 2018. According to the UK Government, 64% of large businesses and 51% of high-income charities reported cyber security breaches or attacks in a 12 month period. Not surprisingly, with the growing threat of cyber crime, senior cyber security analysts can expect salaries from £35,000 to £60,000 and you can earn up to £80,000 a year as a senior forensic computer analyst. And the demand is there – 100% of our students from this course who are in work 15 months after they graduate are in highly skilled work. Our graduates have worked for companies such as:
  • Metropolitan Police
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Capgemini
  • Adatis
  • F-Secure
  • Dynamics Consultants
Roles you could go onto with a Cyber Security and Forensic Computing degree include:
  • digital forensic examiner
  • threat hunter
  • cyber intelligence analyst
  • cloud infrastructure consultant
  • cyber security analyst
  • data analytics consultant
Placement year opportunities Taking an optional placement year will give you the experience you need to increase your chances of landing your perfect role after graduation. We'll give you all the support you need to find a placement that prepares you for your career, and we'll continue to mentor you throughout your placement. Previous students have taken placement roles such as:
  • cyber analyst
  • cyber forensic analyst undergraduate
  • security operations analyst
  • undergraduate software developer and support analyst
  • technology industrial placement student
They've completed placements at organisations including:
  • InTandem
  • Nomura
  • BAE Systems
  • IBM
  • Pfizer

Modules

Year 1 Core modules in this year include:

  • Architecture and Operating Systems (20 credits)
  • Core Computing Concepts for Cyber Security (20 credits)
  • Cyber Security and Forensics Essentials (20 credits)
  • Programming (40 credits)
  • System Administration and Internetworking (20 credits)
Year 2 Core modules in this year include:
  • Ethical Hacking (20 credits)
  • Forensics Fundamentals (20 credits)
  • Operating Systems and Internetworking (20 credits)
  • Security and Cryptography (20 credits)
Optional modules in this year include:
  • Business Information Systems Security (20 credits)
  • Cloud Computing (20 credits)
  • Computing Undergraduate Ambassador (20 credits)
  • Cyberlaw Governance and Human Rights (20 credits)
  • Data Structures and Algorithms (20 credits)
  • Exchange Study Abroad (40 credits)
  • Network Servers and Services (20 credits)
  • Web Programming (20 credits)
Year 3 Core modules in this year include:
  • Malware Forensics (20 credits)
  • Security and Cryptography (20 credits)
  • Vulnerability Discovery and Exploitation (20 credits)
Optional modules in this year include:
  • Complex Problem Solving (20 credits)
  • Distributed Systems and Security (20 credits)
  • Final Year Study Project (40 credits)
  • Individual Project (Engineering) (40 credits)
  • Internet of Things (20 credits)
  • IT and Internetworking Security (20 credits)
  • Practical Data Analytics and Mining (20 credits)
  • Security Management (20 credits)
Placement year (optional) At the end of your second or third year of study, you can do an optional placement year in the UK or overseas. This gives you experience in the field, helping to boost your skills and career prospects with real-world experience. Previous students have secured placements in roles such as cyber specialist, forensic investigator and cyber security analyst at organisations such as: Deloitte, The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year. We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies. Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Assessment method

You’ll be assessed through:

  • critical evaluation essays
  • written exams
  • research projects
  • mini projects
  • presentations
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future. The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:
  • Year 1 students: 27% by written exams and 73% by coursework
  • Year 2 students: 52% by written exams, 3% by practical exams and 45% by coursework
- Year 3 students: 30% by written exams and 70% by coursework

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • British Computer Society

How to apply

29Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Please select a course option – you will then see the application code you need to use to apply for the course.

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)

We welcome applications for advanced entry. If you’d like to apply for advanced entry, you need to select the required year when you complete your UCAS application.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.
PTE Academic54An overall score of 54 with a minimum of 51 in each skill.
TOEFL (iBT)7979 with a minimum of 18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing.
Cambridge English AdvancedCambridge English: Advanced (CAE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
Cambridge English ProficiencyCambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
Trinity ISEPassTrinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
70%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
85%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

EU £9250 Year 1
England £9250 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 Year 1
Scotland £9250 Year 1
Wales £9250 Year 1
Channel Islands £9250 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9250 Year 1
International £19200 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Students who are resident in EU countries: please note that the net fee is inclusive of the Transition Scholarship Placement Year and Year abroad: UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £1,385 EU – £1,385 (including Transition Scholarship)| International (Non-EU) – £2,875. Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice. Fees may also go up in later years, in line with inflation. For more information about fees, go to port.ac.uk/ug-tuition-fees
Cyber Security and Forensic Computing at University of Portsmouth - UCAS