BSc (Hons) Forensic Computing & Security

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UCAS Code:
G550
Institution:
B50
Delivery:
Sandwich (Thick) out of college.

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BSc (Hons) Forensic Computing & Security is ideal if you are particularly interested in a career involving computer forensics and/or computer security. Computer forensics and computer security is an expanding field, covering not only computers but other computing systems such as mobile devices, satellite navigation systems, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This course will give you the skills and knowledge that is necessary to excel in the security and/or forensics industry.

On this course, you are supported by academics with considerable experience in the security industry. The Cyber Security Research Group (BUCSR) are actively engaged in cutting edge research, and you will be encouraged to participate in a range of co-creation and co-publication projects, drawing on the expertise and knowledge of not only the staff within our department, but also other colleagues from across the university and experts from other institutions in the UK and Europe.

Our innovative approach to your learning opportunities will see you engaging in a series of practical, industry focused tasks, aimed at ensuring you graduate with the full range of relevant, up-to-date skills necessary to succeed in the cyber security profession. What's more, this course is accredited by the British Computing Society (BCS). To be awarded Chartered IT Professional status from BCS you will need to complete a year of further learning beyond graduation and meet other criteria, details of which can be found on the BCS website.

We understand that computing is a diverse subject and that it can be difficult to know what area you’d like to specialise in at this stage in your career. That’s why all of our courses within the computing framework share a common first year, giving you the time to really explore the subject before deciding on a specialism. There are courses that allow you to keep a relatively wide focus, as well as degrees that provide a greater level of specialism, giving you plenty of flexibility when it comes to which direction you want your career to take.

This course forms part of BU's framework of computing alongside the following other courses:

You only need to apply for one of the courses in the framework. If you change your mind and would prefer to study a different course within the framework, you will have the opportunity to change your final degree title during your study with us.

This course received an 87% overall satisfaction rating from our final year students in the latest National Student Survey, so why not book onto an Open Day to come and meet us, or join us on live chat now to find out more?

All statistics shown throughout this page are taken from Unistats, Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE), BU institutional data and Ipsos MORI (National Student Survey) unless otherwise stated.

Key information

Next start date:

September 2019, September 2020

Location:

Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus

Duration:

4 years full-time with a minimum 30-week placement or 3 years full-time. You will be enrolled onto the 4-year degree, but can opt out of the placement year

Accreditations:

The British Computer Society

Entry requirements:

For 2019 entry: 104 - 120 tariff points including a minimum of 2 A-levels or equivalent BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM. For more information check out our 2019 entry requirements.

International entry requirements:

If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS (Academic) 6.0 (with minimum 5.5 in each of the 4 components) or equivalent. For more information check out our international entry requirements.

Accredited by:

Course details

On this course you will be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators, technicians and research students. You will also benefit from regular guest lectures from industry.

Contact hours and assessment

Details of the assessment methods and contact hours for each unit of the course can be found in the programme specification.

Download the programme specification (pdf, 187kb)

Year 1

Principles of Programming: Covers the fundamental skills required to implement software solutions. Lab sessions will focus on the application of concepts to real-world problems, and you will test and debug a given program using a suitable strategy.
Computer Fundamentals: Enables you to understand the concepts and terminology of computer systems and computer security. You will do this through group based lab exercises where you will collaborate with other students focusing on problem based learning. This unit sets the foundations for you to further develop your knowledge of computing and cyber security.
Data and Databases: Develop your knowledge and practical expertise in the application of database design techniques, as well as your understanding of data processing.
Networks and Cyber Security: Learn the fundamentals of networks and how to secure them using security controls such as firewalls and intrusion detection & prevention systems. Understand how evolving technology, such as the cloud and IoT, impacts many organisations and how it facilitates their network security.
Application of Programming Principles: Having completed the Principles of Programming unit, you will use your knowledge to gain an insight into more complex system development. Lab sessions will allow you to complete team based exercises.
Business Systems Analysis and Design: Learn and understand the role that computer systems play within organisations, and the value they provide to stakeholders. You will have the opportunity to design, construct, and evaluate interactive systems to meet an organisation’s needs.

Year 2

Digital Forensics Fundamentals: Introduces you to the science of digital forensics and provides technical skills to manage a digital crime scene. Practical sessions will focus on developing skills to recover digital evidence from hard drives.
Ethical Hacking & Countermeasures: Will provide you with opportunities to develop skills in ethical hacking, and associated security techniques and practices. Practical sessions help you gain insight (via practice) of the relationships between security and social and technical techniques used to compromise that security.
Enterprise Security and Privacy: This unit provides a detailed picture of the security and privacy issues surrounding an enterprise, i.e. an entity that incorporates business, information and technology and where its value is greater than the sum of its parts. We will cover a number of services found in a modern organisation and an emphasis will be given to services outsourced in a cloud environment. This emphasis is motivated by the fact that cloud security has been ranked as the greatest challenge of business engagement with cloud service provision.
Project Management & Team Working: You'll gain experience of working in a team on an IT systems development project, which will prepare you for work placement in Year 3.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): You will be given state-of-the-art skills and understanding on the need for real-time monitoring and analysis of network hardware and software data feeds in order to provide security intelligence, rapid incident response, and data driven compliance reports.
Tools & Technologies of Data Science: Understand the challenges of Big Data analysis, including ethical, legal and professional implications. Gain knowledge of the most significant computing tools and technologies for dealing with Big Data: Hadoop and noSQL databases, MapReduce programming and other algorithm parallelization approaches.

Placement year

Final year

Core units

Advanced Digital Forensics: This unit builds on the knowledge of Digital Forensics Fundamentals and will introduce you contemporaneous issues and challenges of digital forensics. It will provide the competence to identify the history of events that lead to incidents and reconstruct attacks that organisations often face.
Security by Design: Today security is still an afterthought instead of a vital element in system design, often being considered after the realisation of a threat. This unit provides you with the opportunity to ‘build security into’ both the design and specification of secure systems, and the broader socio-technical context within which they are situated.
Individual Project: You will pursue a topic of your choice, demonstrate your ability to study independently and work toward the realization of an artefact that focuses on cyber security and/or digital forensics. The project is a significant piece of work, and will provide invaluable transferable skills.

Option units

Business Continuity Management: You will be introduced to the wider topic of resilience, which is the ability of an organisation to keep functioning during and after an attack, incident or natural disaster.
Cyber Situational Awareness: Cyber security managers should be capable of constructing and understanding the threat landscape in their organisations. Cyber situational awareness is an interdisciplinary, evolving complex topic requiring co-ordinated synergy between technical capabilities and human competencies. The aim of this unit is to provide the learner with the necessary skills and knowledge to manage cyber situational awareness as a main component in the development of a Security Operations Centre.
Cybercrime, Forensic Law & Practice: Examine the subject from the criminal angle and investigate the history and causes of cybercrime through the experiences of victims and law enforcement. You will also consider the technologies that stand behind certain cybercrimes, namely malware (viruses, worms, Trojan Horses, etc.), email spamming and denial of service (DoS) attacks, and consider how to handle a digital crime scene.
Information Assurance: This unit will introduce you to the management of risk and trust in Information Strategies, Operations and Systems. You will critically evaluate information assurance and security plans, select and execute relevant assurance techniques, as they apply in distributed and non-distributed environments.

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

Programme specification

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry.

If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

Placements

At BU, we recognise that placements are extremely valuable and can give you a head start when it comes to your future career. That’s why we offer every new student the opportunity to undertake a work placement as part of their course.

Your optional placement will begin after your second year of study and must last a minimum of 30 weeks. We will provide a great deal of support to help you find the most appropriate placement for the subject you’re studying and the career you’re interested in, which means you could be based anywhere in the UK, or even overseas.

The placement provides an excellent opportunity for you to gain first-hand industry experience. Find out more about how we support you during your placement.

Find out about BU students’ experiences on placements All you need to know about placements

How placements benefit you

The experience that you will gain during your placement is invaluable in helping to make informed decisions about your future career path, as well as enhancing employment prospects upon graduation.

What’s more, you can also choose to take your placement abroad, giving you the opportunity to develop yourself personally, academically, and professionally and gain skills to help you stand out in the job market. Many of our students find that they are offered permanent jobs after graduation by their placement companies.

Many new graduate positions are taken by people who have already had work experience as part of a course. Employers increasingly expect would-be recruits to have some kind of work experience, without which they are unlikely to be considered, regardless of their qualifications.

How long will your placement be?

What support will be available

The faculty running your course will offer the support of a Placement Co-ordinator.

They’ll help you plan your placement to make sure you get the right experience for you. That includes offering help and support if you need to move to another part of the UK – and even another country – to get the most out of your time.

We’ve also built close industry links over the years – so our network of employers that are keen to work with placement students is always growing. Or if you’d prefer to arrange your placement independently, we can offer advice on how to do that too.

Our placement students have previously worked with

Your application

For this course will suit applicants who are:

Analytical
Technical
Practical
Creative.

How to apply

What we’re looking for

This is a predominantly technical framework, especially in the first year, which is common to all the degree titles in the framework, and in the second year core units. Therefore you will need to have a deep and abiding interest in computing and IT, and in the use of computer technologies to create effective and efficient solutions that meet the needs of the end users.

You will need to be hard-working and committed to your studies, be a good team player, and able to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.

Selection methods

How we’ll assess your application

We look at individual applications and make a tailored offer based on your potential to succeed on the course considering a range of factors, including your academic achievements, work and other experience, predicted grades, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview/selection test.

If you meet one or more of our contextual data indicators for educational disadvantage (such as being in care, living in a low participation neighbourhood or in an area with less advantaged socio-economic characteristics), your offer could be between 8-24 points below the published tariff.

Our offer making process

Our offer making will typically be based on your most recent graded qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications on the UCAS tariff tables when assessing your application, although these may not be part of our offer.

If you do not meet the criteria of your original offer, we may still offer you a place. We will review your whole application and consider all academic qualifications (including those not in the offer) and the rest of the application to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will still confirm your place.

Our Unconditional Offer Scheme (2019 entry)

Applicants who are predicted to achieve strong academic results will be eligible for BU’s Unconditional Offer Scheme in recognition of their academic performance and potential to succeed at university. If you are selected for the scheme and commit to us as your firm choice of university, then we will match this commitment by making your offer unconditional, which will guarantee your place at BU.

You will receive a standard conditional offer based on the entry requirements for your course via UCAS Track and your offer letter – it will advise that you are eligible for the Unconditional Offer Scheme. We will then update your offer to unconditional should you choose BU as your firm choice on UCAS Track.

We believe that unconditional offers reduce pressure on applicants who will continue to strive to achieve the best grades possible. If you achieve ABB or above at A-level or equivalent, you’ll also be eligible for our Academic Excellence Scholarship.

Visit our Unconditional Offer Scheme FAQ page

Applying for year 2 or the final year

We have recently reviewed this course to take advantage of new approaches to learning and teaching, as well as developments in industry. As the aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, teaching, learning and assessment methods may have changed as a result of the review, you can find the relevant information for your year of entry in the appropriate programme specification.

Year 2 or final year new entrants programme specification (pdf 1.5mb)

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff points

We use the UCAS Tariff to show our entry requirements and will accept a combination of grades from your qualifications. You can use the UCAS calculator to see how your qualifications equate to tariff points.

For 2019 entry: The entry requirements for this course are 104 - 120 tariff points including a minimum of 2 A-levels or equivalent. BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM.

Excluded subjects: General Studies

GCSEs: This course requires a minimum of GCSE English and Mathematics grade C (or grade 4 in the reformed GCSE grading) or equivalent qualifications.

Numeracy and literacy: We need to be sure that you can express yourself in written English and have basic numeracy skills. We look at Level 2 of the National Qualifications Framework, which includes, but is not limited to, GCSEs, iGCSEs, Key Skills and Functional Skills Level 2. If you do not have formal qualifications to this level or have alternatives, we may still be able to consider your application – please contact the Future Students Enquiry team to find out more.

Other qualifications: We have outlined below other qualifications that we consider for this course. If you are studying a qualification that is not listed, please contact the Future Students Enquiry team. It may be that we can still consider it.

Access courses: 102 - 118 tariff points with any combination of Distinction, Merit, Pass grades.

BTEC qualifications:

Extended Diploma: 112 tariff points (Grade DMM)
Diploma: 104 tariff points (Grade D*D)
BTEC National Foundation Diploma/90-credit Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-level or equivalent.
BTEC National Extended Certificate/Subsidiary Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-level or equivalent.

Cambridge Pre-U Diploma: 104-112 tariff points including a minimum of 2 Principal Subjects

Cambridge Technical qualifications:

Extended Diploma: 112 tariff points (Grade DMM)
Diploma: 104 tariff points (Grade D*D)
Subsidiary Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-level or equivalent
Introductory Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-level or equivalent.

International Baccalaureate Diploma: 28-31 points overall including grade H5 from 2 Higher Level subjects.

Scottish Highers: 104 - 120 tariff points from Scottish Highers.

Welsh Baccalaureate: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-level or equivalent.

Extended Project Qualification: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by 2 A-levels or equivalent.

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with the Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if it’s included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider applicants for deferred entry.

International entry requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.0 with minimum 5.5 in each of the 4 components or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

If you do not meet the English language requirement for your degree then why not join our Pre-Sessional English course? Successful completion of our Pre-Sessional English course will meet your English language requirement, without the need to re-take IELTS.

Academic entry requirements

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students’ page.

We offer a number of preparatory programmes through Bournemouth University International College . These courses offer you progression from High School in your home country to a Bachelor’s degree at BU.

Options include:

Foundation Certificate for Computing

Careers

This degree will provide you with a broad range of technical computing knowledge, as well as allowing you to specialise in the forensic aspect of computing, covering investigation and IT security. This will make you a diverse professional who is equipped to take on a variety of roles once you graduate. 95% of our students on this course are working or studying six months after graduating.

There are a number of career paths open to you, especially in specialist to forensic computing and security roles.

Typical job roles

Industries worked in

Accreditations

This course is accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS) and you will also have the chance to complete Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification courses during your degree, making use of the facilities and resources at the BU Cisco Certified Local Networking Academy.

To be awarded Chartered IT Professional status from BCS you will need to complete a year of further learning beyond graduation and meet other criteria, details of which can be found on the BCS website.

Further study

Our staff

You can visit our department pages to read more about the expertise of other members of the Department of Computing & Informatics, and register now to come along and meet some of them.

On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. Please note that staff can change.

Dr Alexios Mylonas – Programme Leader for BSc (Hons) Forensic Computing and Security

Dr Huseyin Dogan – Senior Lecturer in Systems Engineering and Human Factors

Professor Vasilis Katos – Professor of Computing

Dr Michael Jones – Senior Lecturer

Costs and fees

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per year. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course. You can find full information about funding your studies and paying your fees in our undergraduate fees and funding section. That’s also where you’ll find information about the scholarships and bursaries on offer – including unlimited Academic Excellence Scholarships for UK, EU and International students.

Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise, and we’re committed to ensuring there are no hidden extra costs while you’re at university – that’s why we’re clear about what you can expect us to cover, and what your cost of living will be. You’ll also find you could benefit from a range of discounts as a student.

Find out more about budgeting and living expenses

No hidden extras

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course, including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

One set of study-related consumables such as a memory stick/ DVD
Materials for laboratory and field-based teaching activity
Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement.
A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
Disability and additional learning support
The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.
Lab coats, safety glasses
Compulsory/assessed fieldwork

Costs of living and other expenses you need to consider

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website.
Optional fieldwork travel, outdoor wear and footwear (where applicable)
Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses.

Repeat units

Course changes

Changes in 2017

Date	Changes to this course
14/11/2017	Where the change was made:Fees Change: After an annual review of the placement year tuition fee, a price increase in line with current inflation, equating to 3% has been introduced. Previous text: £790
30/9/2017	Where the change was made:Course details Change: Changes to all core and option units for students starting in September 2018 onwards Previous text: See Programme Specification for details
03/03/2017	Where the change was made: Programme specification Change: Change the assessment of the Information Assurance unit from 50% examination and 50% coursework to one single 100% coursework element (5,000 words) Previous text: 50% examination, 50% coursework
06/09/2017	Where the change was made: Key facts and 2018 entry requirements Change: 104 - 120 tariff points including a minimum of 2 A-levels or equivalent Previous text: The entry requirements for this course are 104-120 tariff points from 3 A-levels
06/09/2017	Where the change was made: 2018 entry requirements Change: GCSE English and Mathematics grade C (or grade 4 in the reformed GCSE grading) or equivalent qualifications. Previous text: This course requires a minimum of 4 GCSEs grades A* - C (or grade 4 or above in the newly reformed GCSE grading) including Maths and English or equivalent qualifications.

What employers think

Detective Superintendent Mark Callaghan

Cyber-crime is a fast growing area with criminals exploiting the speed, convenience and facelessness of the internet to commit a range of criminal activities.

What our students say

Harrison South

This course is focused on the real world, how you’re going to be able to apply it in a practical sense.

Hear from our staff

Dr Christos Gatzidis

It’s important not to disregard the impact of a BU education on an individual such as attention to deadlines, professionalism, facilitation of organised teamwork, and many others.