Course overview
In the modern world’s always-connected environment it has become critical for organisations to ensure robust cyber defences to protect against attacks. This MSc Cyber Security* will provide individuals that don’t have a background in IT with the skills to work professionally in cyber security roles.
You will gain an insight into all areas of cyber security, from technical approaches and managerial concerns to legal ramifications and the psychological background to breaches. The course will prepare you to cope with cyber attacks in a measured and decisive way and will also help you to develop essential skills in teamwork and communication. Through this course, you will gain a strong academic foundation which will enable you to unlock a range of careers available to cyber security professionals.
This conversion degree is delivered 100% online and part-time. You will learn and be assessed wholly online via our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) – no need to travel to assessment centres! This means you can easily and flexibly fit your professional development ambitions around your personal life, and you won’t need to take a career break. Though you will study exclusively online, on successful completion of your MSc Cyber Security, you will be invited to attend a graduation ceremony at the University of Essex’s Colchester campus.
* The start date and details of this course are still subject to the institution’s approval. In the event that approval is not granted by your course start date, an alternative date will be offered or a full refund given. If we need to make changes to this programme as part of the University of Essex validation process, we will communicate these to you at the earliest possible date.
Job outcomes
- Policy Maker
- Software Developer
- Risk Analyst
- Threat Management
- Secure Systems Designer/Programmer
- Information Systems Administrator
- Forensic Analyst
Study method
- Online
- Blended
- In-class
Awards
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Duration study load
24 months – Part-time
Entry requirements
We offer two flexible entry routes onto our MSc Cyber Security, which consider your academic and work-based experience:
- Academic entry route
In order to satisfy the academic entry route requirement, you must have either of the following qualifications as a minimum:
- an undergraduate degree from an approved institution, equivalent to a UK Honours degree; or
- a relevant professional qualification
- Work experience entry route
To apply for the work experience entry route, you must meet the following criteria:
- at least three years’ relevant work experience
English language requirement
If English is not your first language, you must have an IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 or equivalent. If you don’t hold an IELTS or equivalent qualification, you will be required to pass a free online English test to assess your proficiency.
Course features
You are supported throughout your course by a dedicated Student Adviser and have opportunities to regularly interact with fellow students and your tutor. To ensure you receive the support you need from your tutor, we cap our class sizes at 20 students.
Assessment
All assessments are delivered through our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). There is no requirement to go to external test centres. Instead, you will submit written assignments through the VLE; and for the few courses where exams are required, we use a virtual system which allows you to take academically rigorous exams from the comfort of your own home.
You are always aware of your current provisional grade which allows you to continually evaluate the success of your current study methods and identify areas to improve. We believe that this information helps you to make the most of your course. We achieve this by:
- assessing you throughout modules rather than waiting for the end of year exams
- showing your marks in your grade book which can be viewed whenever you log onto the VLE
- rapid turnaround on work assessed to ensure your grade book is always up to date
- ensuring you have regular contact with your Student Adviser
We also have a policy of ensuring that the work submitted by students is authentic – we use a well-established electronic monitoring system to check for plagiarism.
Career prospects
Given the increasing need for robust cyber security measures and the skills shortage in this area, this course is designed to make you an attractive candidate in this sector. You will be able to succeed in a range of roles such as Policy Maker, Software Developer, Risk Analyst, Threat Management, Secure Systems Designer/Programmer, Information Systems Administrator or Forensic Analyst.
Delivery
We’re a 100% online education provider, so we use a state-of-the-art Virtual Learning Environment to deliver our teaching, resources and assessments. Our system tracks and manages the learning process in real-time and provides you with immediate access to your learning materials. The VLE allows both students and tutors to actively take part in real-time conversations and listen to and view live lectures and seminars. All courses are delivered in English only.
For our MSc Cyber Security, there’s no need to download different software packages – all programming languages are included within the tuition fee and all work is carried out on an online development environment.
About University of Essex Online
Online learning is a cost-effective, convenient and flexible way to enhance your career. Our quality-assured distance learning courses allow you to work towards your qualification in a unique virtual learning environment and still have access to all the support and facilities you would expect to receive on campus.
University of Essex Online courses are delivered by Kaplan Open Learning, an experienced online learning provider, part of Kaplan International Pathways. The University and Kaplan have developed their partnership since 2007 in order to offer high-quality online courses.
