About the course
Course content
This course is subject to approval.
Cybersecurity is a fast developing and exciting subject. There is an unprecedented rise in cybercrime, cyber attacks and cyber threats to individuals, businesses and society. Resilient cybersecurity systems and infrastructures attempt to prevent attack and protect individuals and businesses from such attacks.
Course overview
This newly developed Cybersecurity course will provide you with the technical and organisational skills to make a difference to society by providing safe and secure digital environments, allowing the public, business and industry, and the economy to function safely.
As a student studying Cybersecurity, you'll contribute to the wellbeing of society by raising awareness of threats and attacks and designing systems, structures and networks to identify attacks and recover from them allowing business continuity.
The course has been designed to cover a wide range of relevant, interesting and current topics in the cybersecurity field. You'll study industry-specific topics and specialise in areas such as network security, cybersecurity in organisations, big data security and breach and incident response.
Our close links to industry and businesses in the North East, as well as the research expertise of our academics makes this course unique and ensures that the course structure is developed according to the needs of the employment sector. We work alongside the following companies: Net Defence, PWC, Northumbria Police, SAGE, Accenture and Sapphire.
This course will provide you with a thorough grounding in the creation of cybersecurity solutions for information security, systems security and network security. You’ll develop the skills to determine, establish and maintain cybersecurity infrastructures, and you’ll examine the underlying technologies of secure systems and their inherent risks and privacy issues. You’ll also learn how to select appropriate tools and techniques to address and manage risks, threats, vulnerabilities and potential attacks, in order to deliver cyber resilience.
You’ll cover topics such as digital forensic tools, network technologies, security procedures and defensive programming. You’ll also choose an optional module that covers a particular specialism such as big data security, user experience design or artificial intelligence for cybersecurity.
Throughout the course you’ll develop skills and knowledge that give you the confidence to apply cybersecurity tools and techniques; to be innovative in using cybersecurity skills; to solve cybersecurity problems, identify breaches and attacks; to create opportunities for information security management, risk management and business continuity; and to enable effective and efficient implementation of cybersecurity systems and infrastructures.
You’ll be taught by research active academics that have a wealth of experience, and the research produced underpins the teaching you'll receive.
The course is pending accreditation from the British Computer Society, the UK’s Chartered Institute for IT.
Course content
The course mixes taught elements with independent research and supportive supervision. At Masters level, responsibility for learning lies as much with you as with your tutor.
Modules on this course include:
-Research Skills and Academic Literacy (15 Credits)
-Network Security (15 Credits)
-Cybersecurity in Organisations (15 Credits).
-Fundamentals of Cybersecurity (30 Credits)
-Breach and Incident Response (15 Credits)
-Principles of Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience (15 Credits)
-Masters Project (60 Credits)
Optional Modules – (choose one module from the following)
-Big Data Security (15 Credits)
-Cybersecurity and User Experience Design (15 credits)
-Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (15 credits)
Teaching and assessment
We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods which include lectures, group work, research, discussion groups and seminars.
Compared to an undergraduate course, you will find that this Masters requires a higher level of independent working. Assessment methods include written reports and research papers, practical assignments and the Masters project.
Facilities & location
The course is taught at the David Goldman Informatics Centre, based at the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s, it looks out over the River Wear and is less than a mile from the seaside.
Sunderland offers one of the most modern and best equipped computing environments in the UK. The open-plan David Goldman Informatics Centre is equipped with over 300 computers, which are continuously upgraded and have attracted praise in an independent evaluation by the BCS.
Join an accredited Cisco Academy department and have access to laboratories fully equipped with Cisco networking equipment, including: routers, switches, terminals and specialist equipment for simulating frame relay and ISDN links.
Benefit from the Remote Global Cisco Academy and have access to our software whether you’re using the WiFi in our halls of residence or you’re at home.
We host high-performance computing platforms, including a Beowulf cluster and a grid distributed system, for concurrent processing of complex computational tasks. You can also access the equipment and licences for our own public mobile cellular network.
Access hundreds of PCs, Apple Macs, or the free WiFi zones across the campus and find the best place for you to study in our unique and vibrant learning space. The University is very diverse with a strong international presence and provides you with the opportunity to explore different cultures.
Study at a uniquely designed library and have access to more than 430,000 books, 9,000 electronic journal articles and benefit from a £1 million annual investment in new resources.
Employment & careers
Progress in some of the most attractive fields and industries as we prepare you for a range of cyber security jobs, including roles such as: information security manager, security analyst, security architect, security administrator, incident responder, security engineer, security auditor, security software developer and vulnerability assessor.
Graduates studying Cybersecurity have gone on to secure employment with a range of companies and organisations including: GCHQ, (ISC)2, Accenture, HPE, BT, PWC, SAGE, Sunderland City Council, Northumbria and Durham Police forces and the Cybersecurity Workforce Alliance.
Businesses and industries across the UK have identified a skills gap in Cybersecurity and there is a demand for cybersecurity professionals in the public and private sectors as well as in the not profit and education sectors. You'll benefit from the University’s close links with businesses and employers in the North East and join an industry-driven programme.
The cybersecurity provision is underpinned by strong collaboration with employers. The provision is further enhanced by the contribution from cybersecurity employers and external experts in a number of ways including a series of guest lectures, master classes and seminars.