Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Computer Science (Information Security).

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B-A,A,B

Where an applicant is taking the EPQ alongside A-levels, the EPQ will be taken into consideration and result in lower A-level grades being required. Socio-economics factors which may have impacted an applicant's education will be taken into consideration and alternative offers may be made to these applicants. Required subject: A Level Computer Science or Mathematics or Physics and GCSE grade B/6 in Mathematics.

Access to HE Diploma

D:30,M:15

Pass in a relevant subject with at least 30 level 3 credits at Distinction and the remaining level 3 credits at Merit. Please note that the Access to Higher Education Diploma will only be acceptable if the applicant has had a considerable break from education.

Applicants with the Cambridge Pre-U are strongly encouraged to apply to Royal Holloway. Offers will be made on the basis of equivalent A-Level grades as can be found on the Royal Holloway website.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

We require at least five GCSEs at grade A*-C or 9 - 4 including English and B/6 in Mathematics.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

6,6,5 at Higher Level including either Physics, Computer Science or 5 HL Maths: Analysis & Approaches/6 HL Maths: Applications & Interpretation

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H2,H2,H3,H3

H2,H2,H3,H3,H3 including H3 in either Mathematics or H3 in Physics or H3 Computer Science.

Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)

D*D

Plus A-level grade B in either Mathematics or Physics or Computer Science.

Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)

D*DD

In a relevant subject (with significant programming content). Please see our website for the specific BTEC modules you must take in order to meet the entry requirements for this course.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DD

Plus A-level grade B in either Mathematics or Physics or Computer Science.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

D

Plus A-level grades AB including one of Mathematics or Physics or Computer Science.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDD

In a relevant subject (with significant programming content). Please see our website for the specific BTEC modules you must take in order to meet the entry requirements for this course.

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,A,B-A,B,B

Including either Mathematics, Physics or Computer Science.

Scottish Higher

A,A,A,B,B

Including either Mathematics, Physics or Computer Science.

Requirements are as for A-levels, where one non-subject-specified A-level can be replaced by the same grade in the Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.

UCAS Tariff

128-160

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Computer science

Computer and information security

Want to work at the cutting-edge of computing technology and help in shaping the future of our global society? Computers, intelligent devices and the internet are central to so many aspects of 21st century life, from business and industry to governance and our personal lives. Their potential for transforming economies, driving efficiencies and enhancing the well-being of societies is almost limitless. Our progressive curriculum will give you the knowledge and technical skills that employers need, and introduce you to pioneering ideas and technologies to help you to realise your ambitions.

We cover all the essentials of application development, from programming to software engineering, databases to web development, computer graphics to robotics, and information security. You will also explore the fundamentals of computing – what computers do, and how efficiently they do it – and learn about a host of advanced technologies, from computer games, digital sound and music, to concurrent and parallel programming, machine learning, bioinformatics, the internet of things, computational finance and more. From the outset, you will be experimenting with programming games, robots, Gadgeteer kits, Subversion, JUnit testing, Scrum-based Agile software and more, in our well-equipped laboratories.

We are a highly respected, research-focused department with a friendly approach and award-winning teaching. We offer a short-term summer work placement programme and a dedicated personal adviser to guide you through your studies. You will also be welcome to join our thriving Computing Society. We are one of only seven departments in the UK to hold the Athena SWAN bronze award for increasing female participation in computer science.

The programme’s modular structure gives you the flexibility to tailor your degree to your interests. We also offer you the opportunity to follow a specialist pathway that matches your career ambitions. At the end of year 1 you will have the option of transferring onto one of these pathways (Artificial Intelligence, Information Security or Distributed & Networked Computing), as well as onto a year-in-industry programme, or onto our longer and more advanced integrated masters programme. Transferring onto our Software Engineering pathway requires previous programming experience and early permission to take the Software Development course in year 1, rather than Object-oriented Programming.

Both the BSc and the MSci have received provisional certification by GCHQ (full certification will be received when the first cohorts graduate).

You will acquire problem modelling and analysis techniques, as well as knowledge of and practical experience in modern software-development methodologies and techniques.

You will develop extensive team-work skills, excellent coding skills, good communication skills, and a strong professional ethos.

You will have access to a very wide range of optional modules, including those highlighted in the specialist pathways.

A flexible degree structure allows you to keep your options open and follow your study interests and career ambitions.

Modules

Please refer to our website for information: https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/computer-science/computer-science-information-security.aspx

Assessment methods

Your course will be assessed by a combination of examinations and in-course assignments in the form of essays or presentations.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£25,200
per year
International
£25,200
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Royal Holloway, University of London

Department:

Computer 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.

67%
Computer science
69%
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.

Computer science

Teaching and learning

64%
Staff make the subject interesting
66%
Staff are good at explaining things
72%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
73%
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

83%
Library resources
78%
IT resources
91%
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?

85%
UK students
15%
International students
83%
Male students
17%
Female students
75%
2:1 or above
6%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

Software engineering

Teaching and learning

59%
Staff make the subject interesting
59%
Staff are good at explaining things
66%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
62%
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

93%
Library resources
71%
IT resources
93%
Course specific equipment and facilities
48%
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?

82%
UK students
18%
International students
75%
Male students
25%
Female students
76%
2:1 or above
6%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
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.

Computer science

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.

£28,000
high
Average annual salary
97%
high
Employed or in further education
82%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

70%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
9%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
6%
Information technology technicians

This is a newly-classified subject area for this kind of data, so we don’t currently have very much information to display or analyse yet. The subject is linked to important and growing computing industries, and over time we can expect more students to study them — there could be opportunities that open up for graduates in these subjects as the economy develops over the next few years.

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.

£28,000
high
Average annual salary
97%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

70%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
9%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
6%
Information technology technicians

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.

Computer science

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

£28k

£28k

£39k

£39k

£56k

£56k

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.

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.

£28k

£28k

£39k

£39k

£56k

£56k

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.

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here