MSc Ethical Hacking and Cybersecurity
Provisionally certified by the National Cyber Security Centre - part of GCHQ - this Masters degree develops the skills and mind set needed to tackle the growing threat of computer hackers. Computer security is a growing concern for organisations of all sizes. This Masters will put you in the ideal position to pursue a successful and often lucrative career. It’s not unusual for the salaries of graduates from this programme to start at £35,000-£40,000. The industry is currently experiencing a major skills gap and global demand for ethical hackers.
We’re the only university in the UK to offer a Masters programme in ethical hacking. We want to change the way you view cyber security to adopt an offensive approach. The best way to beat a hacker is to be able to think like one!
Aimed at Computing/IT graduates, our MSc Ethical Hacking and Cyber Security covers a wide range of subjects, including penetration testing, digital forensics, information security management, Malware analysis, port scanning, buffer overflows and password cracking. Our research-active teaching staff are at the forefront of new developments, allowing the programme to evolve to cover the latest techniques and guidelines.
There are two modes of studying this degree. Full-time, on-campus over one year or, part-time distance learning over two years.
In recent years, full-time on-campus class sizes have been around 10-15 people, and they’re unlikely to go higher than 20. This allows for closer relationships with academic staff and fellow postgraduates.
The part-time distance option offers a virtual lab for practical work and weekly sessions to meet staff, fellow students and get help.
Abertay graduates have gone on to work for organisations such as:
- Dell Secure Works
- Goldman-Sachs
- NCR
- GCHQ
Others have gone on to set up their own successful information security businesses.
Join us and start your career in a fascinating, rewarding and hugely in-demand industry.
Intakes
- Jan
- Sep
Application Processing Time in Days: 30
Minimum English Language Requirements
| English Level Description | IELTS (1.0 -9.0) | TOEFL IBT (0-120) | TOEFL CBT (0-300) | PTE (10-90) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expert | 9 | 120 | 297-300 | 86-90 | |
| Very Good | 8.5 | 115-119 | 280-293 | 83-86 | |
| Very Good | 8 | 110-114 | 270-280 | 79-83 | |
| Good | 7.5 | 102-109 | 253-267 | 73-79 | |
| Good | 7 | 94-101 | 240-253 | 65-73 | |
| Competent | 6.5 | 79-93 | 213-233 | 58-65 | |
| Competent | 6 | 60-78 | 170-210 | 50-58 | |
| Modest | 5.5 | 46-59 | 133-210 | 43-50 | |
| Modest | 5 | 35-45 | 107-133 | 36-43 | |
| Limited | 4 | 32-34 | 97-103 | 30-36 | |
| Extremely Limited | < 4 | < 31 | < 93 | < 30 |
Job Opportunity Potential
Career Guidance and Information Service
The Careers Service is here to support you with career decision making during your studies and after you graduate.
We provide a professional career guidance and information service for Abertay students and graduates to help them make informed career choices. We work closely with employers and academic schools to support you by developing your skills to maximise your employability.
The Careers Service can support your career planning in a number of ways, including:
- Developing your employability skills
- Identifying potential career options
- Helping you to find work experience
- Helping you to understand and demonstrate the skills needed to market yourself to employers
- We do this through face to face individual support with our professional advisors and group workshops.
PSW Opportunity
- 2 Years PSW is applicable after completing a minimum duration of 9 months course (like- Undergraduate, Postgraduate Level)
- 3 Years PSW is applicable after completing PhD level courses.?
Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria
The minimum entry requirement for all our research degrees is an Upper Second Class Honours degree (or equivalent) at undergraduate level in an appropriate discipline and/or a Master’s degree. In some cases, appropriate professional or experiential learning may be considered in combination with a lower classification of Honours degree.
If you're not from the European Economic Area (EEA) and/or Switzerland, you may need to apply for a visa. You can find out more about applying for a visa and collecting your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) on our Tier 4 visa page. To identify whether or not you need to apply for a visa, please visit the UKBA website.
If your first language is not English or your undergraduate/Master’s degree was not taught in English, you are also required to hold a suitable English language certificate.
If you require a Tier 4 visa, you must provide one of the following English language certificates:
- West African at B(4)
- NECO at B(4)
- IELTS 6.5 with no band less than 6.0
If you do not need a Tier 4 visa or are an EEA national, you are permitted to use one of the following:
- TOEFL 80 with no band less than 18
- Pearson’s PTE 61 with no band less than 56
English Language Requirements: Research
We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:
UKVI list of majority English speaking countries
If English isn't your first language or your undergraduate/Master’s degree was not awarded from a university from a UKVI designated English Speaking country, you're required to show evidence of one of the following qualifications:
IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component.
TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL “My Best Score” to meet our English language requirements.
CAE and CPE: total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
PTE Academic: 62 overall with at least 59 in each component.
NECO English at B (3)
WAEC English at B (3)
- Course Type: Full Time
- Course Level: Masters/PG Degree
- Duration: 01 Year
-
Total Tuition Fee:
18000 GBP
Average Cost of Living: 13632 GBP /year
Application Fee: N/A
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