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Ethical Hacking and Cyber Security (with foundation year)

Entry requirements


UCAS Tariff

80

5 GCSEs at A-C/4-9 including Maths and English, and at least one A2 level or a BTEC equivalent qualification.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Computer and information security

The foundation year of this Coventry University degree will be delivered from our CU Coventry campus. Course delivery from year 1 of the degree course onwards will be from Coventry University campus.

This course aims to provide you with a solid grounding for a career in ethical hacking and cyber security.

The foundation year of this course will introduce you to a range of digital technology content including fundamental software engineering and data storage concepts, the theory behind how networks operate, devices communicate and how such networks should be designed. It also covers information technology in business and the fundamental mathematical knowledge and skills required to solve relevant problems. Students who successfully complete their foundation year will then progress onto the Ethical Hacking and Cyber Security BSc (Hons) degree within Coventry University’s School of Computing, Mathematics and Data Science.

The degree aims to provide you with a strong practical and theoretical understanding of cybersecurity, hacking, digital forensics, security operations and the underlying associated computer science. Specifically, the degree is designed to help you develop skills in understanding who ‘hackers’ typically are, the techniques they use to break into systems and the way we defend against them. It also aims to develop learning how to examine computers and networks for digital artefacts, and how these can be used in a legal case, or as part of incident response. Finally, it seeks to increase understanding on how the network infrastructure connects systems, and the impact on security.

**Key benefits of the degree**
* Thriving community of ethical hackers with opportunities to participate in societies and live ‘hackathon’ type events

* Previous graduates have gone on to become security consultants, security engineers, penetration testers and other sector-specific roles

* Practical, hands-on approach to teaching, where you have the chance to demonstrate the theoretical aspects of the course through real-world examples

* Dedicated specialised learning environment with the Ethical Hacking Lab

See our website for further details.

Modules

Foundation year modules include: * Fundamental Pure Mathematics * Software and Databases * Networks and Communications * Information Technology in Business
On successfully passing your foundation year you progress to year 1 of your degree on Coventry University campus. In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related courses allowing you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on, in the second and third years, to specialist modules in your chosen field.   Modules * Cyber Security Fundamentals * Introduction to Programming * Networking and Computer Architectures * Information Security Management * Ethics and Legal Frameworks of Cyber Security professionals * Foundations of Computer Science In year two, you will continue to develop the skills and knowledge you’ve learnt. Modules include: * Practical Penetration Testing * Programming and Operating Systems * Foundations of Networking * Security Operations * Digital Forensics * The Internet and Web Technologies Placement year - There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement* can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future. If you choose to do a work placement year, you will pay a reduced tuition fee* of £1,250. For more information, please go to the fees and funding section. During this time, you will receive guidance from your employer or partner institution, along with your assigned academic mentor who will ensure you have the support you need to complete your placement. Your final year aims to bring you to the level to enter the world of work by consolidating your knowledge and skills from previous years. You could also work on a large final project in an area of your interest, with the support of a mentor and your Academic Personal Tutor. Modules: * Advanced Penetration Testing * Digital Security Risk and Audit Management * Applied Cryptography * Research Project Preparation * Research Project Delivery And optional modules in: * Reverse Engineering and Exploit Development * Secure Network Design and Management * Advanced Digital and Network Forensics We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated. Before accepting any offers, please check the website for the most up to date course content. For full module details please check the course page on the Coventry University website. *For further information please check the course page on the Coventry University website

Assessment methods

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which could vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods include: Formal examinations Phase tests Essays Group work Presentations Reports Projects Coursework Exams Individual Assignments Laboratories The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£7,950
per year
England
£7,950
per year
Northern Ireland
£7,950
per year
Republic of Ireland
£7,950
per year
Scotland
£7,950
per year
Wales
£7,950
per year

The Uni


Course location:

CU Coventry

Department:

School of Computing, Mathematics and Data Science

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

75%
Computer and information security

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Software engineering

Teaching and learning

77%
Staff make the subject interesting
86%
Staff are good at explaining things
82%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
75%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

79%
Library resources
74%
IT resources
81%
Course specific equipment and facilities
61%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

80%
UK students
20%
International students
87%
Male students
13%
Female students
89%
2:1 or above
20%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Software engineering

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£25,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

68%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
11%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
4%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

A specialist subject, and not surprisingly graduates tend to go into software engineering roles or related. The degree classification students achieved made a particular difference last year — computing graduates with the best grades were much less likely to be out of work after six months and employers can even rate a good grade as important as work experience. Most students do get jobs, though, and starting salaries are good — particularly in London, where average starting salaries for good graduates were getting towards £38k last year. Be aware that at the moment, recruitment agencies are much the most common way for graduates from this degree to get their first job, so it may be worth getting in touch with a few specialist agencies in advance of graduation if you take this degree to get a foot in the door.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Software engineering

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£25k

£25k

£29k

£29k

£33k

£33k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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