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MSc Cyber Security & Human Factors

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  • Delivery:
    Full time according to Funding Council definitions, Part-Time, Sandwich (Thick) out of college.

Cyberspace is a vast, complex and still evolving community that presents enterprise, industry and governments with on-going security management challenges, as it grows on an exponential scale.

Bournemouth University’s MSc in Cyber Security & Human Factors has been developed in response to the needs of the computing and security sectors worldwide. Graduates from this course will be equipped with technical know-how to protect and prevent, and the ability to assess risk and manage incidents.

On this course, you’ll gain an understanding of cyber security by investigating threat, vulnerabilities and impact risk, the contagion of fear, uncertainty and doubt, managing human factors in security, trust management and information assurance.

Part-time students can take each unit separately as CPD, building up to a full Master’s. 

The critical blend of topics that span from the boardroom through to operations has delivered real value.
Michael Eaton, graduate

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Cyber Security lab
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Student in Cyber Security Lab
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Talbot Campus
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Sir Michael Cobham Library at night

Key information

Next start date:

January 2020, September 2020, January 2021, September 2021

Location:

Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus

Duration:

September: 12 months without placement, 24 months with a 30-week placement or 18–36 months part-time. January: 18 months without placement, 30 months with a 30-week placement or 18–36 months part-time

Required subjects:

Computer science/IT Electronics Law Psychology Business Forensic Science/Investigation OR MSc in any subject (January 2020 entry)

Entry requirements:

For January 2020 entry: A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in a required subject, or equivalent. 

For September 2020 & January 2021 entry: A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject, or equivalent. 

International entry requirements:

If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS 6.0 (Academic) with a minimum of 5.5 in each component. For more information see our full entry requirements.

Course details

This course is delivered full-time and part-time.

Each unit can be taken separately as CPD with or without formal assessment. If you do elect to take the unit with assessment you can accrue academic credits towards a full Master’s.

Download the programme specification (pdf 242kb)

Entry requirements

Your application

Placements

The optional placement provides an excellent opportunity for you to gain first-hand industry experience and apply the learning that you have achieved through the course. The placement can be paid employment but voluntary work can be just as enjoyable.

Find out more about postgraduate placements

Careers

As the security of data is fundamental to any business, you will possess high marketability in the professional arena and be qualified to enjoy career opportunities in a wide variety of industries.

Costs and fees

You can find full information about the deposits required and how to pay your fees in our postgraduate fees and funding section, including details of the Postgraduate Loan (subject to fee status).

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per annum. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course.

Find out more about living expenses for postgraduate students

Cyber Security lab facilities

Our Cyber Security lab is something special. As the name of our facility suggests, it’s all about security here. From the labs we can see where cyber attacks are happening all over the world, and what attacks are happening and being stopped at BU.

Our staff

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. Read more about the expertise of other members of the Department of Computing & Informatics, and book on to an Open Day. Please note that teaching staff can change.

Course changes