BSc (Hons) Cyber Security and Networking

Welcome to the BSc (Hons) Cyber Security and Networking Programme!

Hello, aspiring tech leaders!

We are delighted that you’re exploring theBSc (Hons) Cyber Security and Networking Top Up degree programme. This highly-regarded course is delivered by NCC Education and awarded and validated by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).

School of Engineering and Computing

Why choose this programme?
- The BSc (Hons) Cyber Security and Networking online top-up qualification is awarded by the highly reputable University of Central Lancashire
- It has been specially designed for students wanting to complete the final year of their degree in a flexible, affordable, and accessible way.
- The programme is delivered by NCC Education via our Virtual Learning Environment or VLE.
- All teaching staff are UK based academics.
- The full-time programme is over 1 academic year.
- Part-time is over 2 years and recommended for those in full-time employment.
- You can study 100% online.
- You can study at your own pace, from your home country, and be awarded a UK university degree.
- Opportunity to improve your employment prospects within the IT sector or progression to postgraduate study.
- Access to a range of transferable skills and an appreciation of working in a diverse and multi-cultural environment.
- In partnership with CompTIA, graduates of this course will be offered the opportunity to achieve an additional professional certificate in either Cyber Security (CySA+) or Cloud Infrastructure (Cloud+).

What you’ll do

This distance learning programme equips students with the knowledge, technical and interpersonal skills necessary for taking part in the design, implementation, management, and security of modern computer systems. The programme modules are designed to provide students with the fundamental skills and knowledge required to meet the responsibilities and challenges demanded in the cybersecurity industry.

Study options

Full-time: 1 year
Part-time: 2 years

Fees

£4,000

Course level

Level 6 top – up / Undergraduate

Qualification

BSc (Hons)

Start date

March & September

Location

Distance Learning only

What you will study

Module title	Credits	Semester
Advanced Database Management Systems	20	Spring
Corporate Communications Systems Management	20	Spring
Cloud & Virtualisation Security	20	Autumn
Cyber Security Management	20	Autumn
Information Systems Project	40	Autumn & Spring
TOTAL CREDITS	120

Students also study the Information Systems Project. Full-time students begin this in their first semester and complete it in their second semester.

Modules taught in the March semester (beginning March, ending June)

Advanced Database Systems Management
Corporate Communication Systems Management

Modules taught in the Autumn semester (beginning September and ending December)

Cloud & Virtualisation Security
Cyber Security Management

Are you ready to start?

Apply Now

Core Modules

Advanced Database Management Systems

Code: CO3902

20 CREDITS / CORE / COURSEWORK

This module aims to build upon the student’s general understanding of database systems, ensuring that the student develops significant knowledge of the major topics (both theoretical and practical) pertinent to the development and management of modern database systems.
Corporate Communications Systems Management

Code: CO3904

20 CREDITS / CORE / COURSEWORK

This module aims to build upon the student’s general understanding of networking, ensuring that the student develops significant knowledge of the major topics pertinent to the management of telecommunications and computer networks for corporate systems.
Cloud & Virtualisation Security

Code: CO3905

20 CREDITS / CORE / COURSEWORK

This module aims to build upon the student’s general understanding of the Internet, ensuring that the student develops significant knowledge of the major topics (both commercial and technical) pertinent to the use of the Internet to conduct business electronically.
Cyber Security Management

Code: CO3903

20 CREDITS / CORE / COURSEWORK

This module aims to build upon the student’s general understanding of project management, ensuring that the student develops a significant understanding and theoretical underpinning of different approaches to project management and the development of a rigorous attitude to quality in information systems development.
Information Systems Project

Code: CO3906

40 CREDITS / CORE / COURSEWORK

This module provides the opportunity for individual in-depth study in a specialised area of information systems. It aims to develop the student’s ability to tackle, individually, a selected problem of suitable scale and complexity, and to develop the ability to present ideas in a series of written reports.

How you will learn

Our teaching methods will be varied, interactive and engaging with live delivery from UK academics in each topic of study. The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), is the area where you will work through the module materials created by the Module Leader, participate in the module discussion forums with other students, and discuss the content of the course through live chat sessions. Each week, you are expected to undertake the following tasks for each module you are studying:

Watch the video lecture for the topic, usually at the beginning of the teaching week
Work through the topic tutorial, undertaking tasks as directed
Contribute to discussion forums, answering questions and tasks set out by the Module Leader in the tutorial
Take part in a live chat session with the Module Leader and a group of other students, discussing the week’s topic (times to be set by the Module Leader)
Carry out private study, reading around the topics and additional tasks as directed by your Module Leader.

Assessment

This is a fully online distance learning programme. You will be assessed with a mix of assignments and supervised project work.

Four of the five modules are 40% assignment and 60% time constrained assignments (TCAs).
The assignments are released in week 3 and you will submit these in week 8 on the VLE.
The TCAs are released in week 15 and you will have 48 hours to download, complete and submit these via the VLE.

Who will teach you

Gary Budgen – Advanced Database Management Systems

Gary has considerable experience in a number of computing areas, especially databases and system security. He has previously held a senior lectureship at London Metropolitan University and is currently an IT lecturer at Redbridge College.
Chitra Balakrishna – Corporate Communication Systems Management and Cyber Security Management

Chitra is an academic and author with over 20 years of experience spanning across academia and industry in the areas of cyber security, data networking, mobile communications, technologies, and applications. She is currently a senior lecturer and program lead for cyber security at the Open University.
Abdullahi Arabo – Cloud and Virtualisation Security

Abdullahi has a PhD in Network Security from Liverpool John Moores University and is currently a Senior Lecturer in Computer Networks & Mobile Technology at the University of West of England. In the past he was employed as a Cyber Security consultant by BT and a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford where he led research on the security of connected home futures.
Steve Wade – Information Systems Projects

Steve worked as a COBOL programmer with British Steel before returning to Sheffield University to study for an MSc Information Systems which led to a PhD in IR (Information Retrieval). His research was in the implementation and evaluation of novel algorithms for text-based retrieval. He completed his PhD in 1989 and after this, took up a teaching position at the University of Sheffield in the Department of Information Studies. He left Sheffield to take up his current position at the University of Huddersfield in 1993.

Entry requirements

This is a final-year degree top-up programme. All students must join the programme having gained 240 academic credits.

NCC Education Level 4 Diploma in Computing and Level 5 Diploma in Computing (with Cyber Security)
ABMA Computing & Information Systems***
ATHE Level 4 and 5 Diploma in Computing + 3 EC Council units**
Informatics Diploma in IT and Advanced Diploma in IT
Informatics International Advanced Diploma in Computing
OTHM – Level 4 and 5 Diploma in Information Technology + 3 EC Council units
Pearson BTEC HND in Computing (Network Engineering)
Pearson BTEC HND in Computing (Cyber Security)
Qualifi – Level 4 and 5 Diploma in Cyber Security
Qualifi – Level 4 and 5 Diploma in IT + 3 EC Council Units
SQA- Advanced Diploma in Computing: Networking*
SQA – Higher National Diploma Cyber Security*
BCET (Brit College of Engineering and Technology) – Level 4 and 5 Diploma in Strategic Software Engineering****
Any similar qualification approved by UCLan

* This entry pathway is based on students studying optional Database units
This entry pathway is based on students studying the 3 EC Council units which are part of L5DC(CS).
* This entry pathway is based on students completing L4, L5 and L6 of the Computing and Information Systems Diploma and completing the NCC Education Level 5 Network Security and Cryptography unit and the 3 EC Council units.

**** This entry pathway is based on students completing Ethical Hacking and Information Security Assessment, Computer Forensics and Incident Investigation, Network Security Threats and Defence Mechanisms

Fees and funding

Pricing for February 2024 intake. Deadline for registration is 16th February 2024. We offer flexible payments for all students of up to 5 instalments.