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Cyber Security

MSc

Summary

Study level

Postgraduate

Award

Master's

Full time

1 year

Part time

1 year+

Location

Berlin, London, Manchester or Online

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Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology

What makes Arden University special?

Education for everyone, everywhere

Whether you're constrained by location, cost, time, or other life commitments, we're passionate about giving you access to higher education that fits into your busy, modern life.

You decide how and where to study

We offer a wide range of flexible undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in both our online and blended study modes.

Full support both online and on-site

We're also proud to offer non-standard entry, meaning your work experience and previous qualifications are taken into account when assessing your application.

Strong focus on employability

You will gain in-depth subject knowledge and transferable skills that employers from a huge range of industries will value. Many of our courses at Arden are also accredited by leading professional bodies in the UK.

Course Overview

Are you ready to accelerate your career in one of the most in-demand and financially rewarding fields today?

Arden University's MSc Cyber Security programme is aligned with the NCSC academic framework and equips you with the skills necessary to thrive in highly lucrative cyber security roles. In recent studies, 57% of businesses said they currently have unfilled cyber security positions* , and 1.8 million jobs in the field went unfilled in 2022 alone**. With such huge skills gaps and a burgeoning demand for cyber experts across the globe, this course will arm you with the knowledge you need to excel as an expert in cyber security across almost limitless industries.

What you'll learn

Our programme goes deep into cyber security, covering everything from understanding core concepts and standards to identifying vulnerabilities and risks within modern networks and infrastructures. You'll gain the expertise to design secure systems, making them resilient against potential attacks. We'll also teach you the technical skills needed to become an ethical hacker and proactive security tester, as well as how to perform digital forensics and incident management.

Additionally, you'll explore cloud, web, and mobile security concepts, becoming adept at recognising critical threats. We emphasise hands-on learning, allowing you to apply essential security techniques to test and protect against real-world attacks and recommend improvements.

Beyond the basics

Our commitment to your success goes beyond the classroom. Arden University offers access to industry-leading resources and certifications, such as Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals and Microsoft Azure Security Technologies. We cover the costs of these resources, so you only pay for your exams in many cases, making your degree great value for money.

Arden University is a Cisco Network Academy, providing you with access to free Cisco resources. You can self-study for Cisco courses and receive badges in key areas such as networking, Python and Linux that you can add to your CV. Arden is also an AWS Academy, so you’ll gain access to further free course content to complement your degree.

Planned first intakes: May 2024 (Berlin) and October 2024 (Online)

*Future of the Cybersecurity Job Market 2022

**The Cybersecurity Skills Gap Won't Be Solved in a Classroom

Accreditation and Memberships

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

This certification is a comprehensive programme that trains individuals in ethical hacking and penetration testing techniques.

Cisco Networking Academy

Arden University is a Cisco Network Academy. On our MSc Cyber Security, you’ll receive Cisco resources so you can self-study and add many of the Cisco networking, cyber, coding, and OSes digital badges to your CV.

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Added industry skills

Add to your skills with access to certified courses from Salesforce, Cisco, and Amazon.

Find out how

Course details and modules

Our MSc Cyber Security course delivers exciting and up-to-date module content that guarantees you’ll develop essential workplace skills. Just a few course highlights embedded into your modules include:

Building networks: Gain hands-on experience using Cisco IOS simulation software to design secure networks. You'll configure devices like firewalls, switches, and routers, ensuring network safety.
Learn ethical hacking: Master ethical hacking with industry-standard tools like MITRE ATT&CK, Cyber Kill Chain, and Metasploit.
Master digital forensics: Learn professional digital forensics and incident management skills, including evidence acquisition and analysis using industry-standard tools. Maintain ethical and legal standards during investigations.
Find and mitigate risk from vulnerabilities: Explore common cyber security vulnerabilities and apply mitigations using OWASP Top 10 guidelines.

Meeting the tutors and students online and then having the opportunity to meet again in person is such an incredible experience. The courses are well explicated and the tutors are great. Classes are engaging and students are supportive of each other. I’m proud to be an Arden student and I would certainly recommend this course to others.

Youssef Yehya

MSc Strategic Digital Marketing - Berlin Campus

The global demand for cybersecurity professionals is surging, highlighting a critical shortage in skilled talent worldwide. Similarly, in the UK, businesses are grappling with significant cybersecurity skills gaps, emphasising the urgent need for qualified professionals to address evolving threats.

Global skills gap:

The global cyber security market was estimated at $222.66 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12.3% until 2030.
_{Cyber Security Market Size & Trends}
Global cybersecurity job vacancies grew 350% between 2013-2021, from 1 million openings to 3.5 million. The number of unfilled jobs remained at 3.5 million in 2023, but the disparity between demand and supply is predicted to persist through at least 2025.
_{Cybersecurity Jobs Report: 3.5 Million Unfilled Positions In 2025}
In 2023, research found that the global workforce grew to an all-time high of 5.5 million, an increase of 8.7% and 440,000 jobs compared to 2022.
_{ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study: Looking Deeper into the Workforce Gap}

UK skills gap:

50% of all UK businesses have a basic cybersecurity skills gap and 33% face advanced skills gaps.
There were 160,035 cyber security job postings last year, marking a 30% increase from the previous year. 37% of vacancies were reported as hard-to-fill.
An estimated 11,200 more professionals are needed to meet the demand in the cybersecurity workforce.
_{Cyber security skills in the UK labour market 2023}

Course Modules

Information Security Management (20 credits)
Network Security (20 credits)
Secure System Design (20 credits)
Offensive Security (20 credits)
Cloud and Web Services Security (20 credits)
Digital Forensics and Incident Management (20 credits)
Advanced Computing Project (60 credits)

A modern assessment strategy

This programme has been designed to ensure you undertake a range of practical and authentic assessments.

These assessments will be portfolio-based, where you will submit real-world portfolio assets which you have created as a component of each course module using industry-standard tools and practices.

This means that by the end of your degree, you’ll have a professional portfolio demonstrating your cyber security knowledge and skills which you can use to provide evidence of your advanced capabilities to employers.

Other features of our assessment methodologies include:

Practice-driven

Your course assessments will be practice-driven, mirroring real-world practitioner skills to ensure that you graduate from your course ready to take on future challenges in cyber security with confidence.

The Advanced Computing Project

You’ll conclude your degree with your Advanced Computing Project. Here, you'll dive into a hands-on journey, solving real-world computing problems through research, design, and creation. You’ll be allocated a supervisor within your chosen topic area to support you through the project process and in the development of your project proposal – helping you emerge not just with a degree, but with practical industry-ready abilities to demonstrate to employers.

Additional study skills through vendor programmes, provided free of charge

The following vendor courses will be available for you to study in parallel with your degree. All the material on these programmes is completely free, giving you incredible savings and value for money. You will only need to pay for the final exams if you should choose to take them.

Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals (SC-900)

Digital badge with the option to pay for an exam to gain certification

Microsoft Azure Security Technologies (AZ-500T00)

Digital badge with the option to pay for an exam to gain certification

EC Council CEH (ethical hacking)

Arden covers the exam cost. Students will only need to pay an administration fee to take it.

Multiple Cisco self-study courses

Free Digital badges to study
Self-study courses with free course content with the option to pay for exams

Other additional learning resources you’ll have include:

Access to EC Council CEH content, which includes e-books, labs, videos, and the opportunity to take a certification exam.
Access to Cisco Packet Tracer, where you can build networks by configuring switches, routers, and firewalls, helping you advance your skills in a practical nature.

Hands-on experience with cutting-edge virtual labs

EC Council CEH – The supplementary EC Council CEH (ethical hacking) programme is integrated into the MSc syllabus through the Offensive Security and Cloud and Web Services Security modules. You'll also have access to the CEH content for self-study if you choose to take the exam, as well as the following industry-standard skills and tools:

Open source/footprinting and scanning tools such as Melegor, Metasploit, Nmap
Proxy and enumeration tools such as BurpSuite, Tor, Dig, NFS, SNMP
Vulnerability analysis and exploitation tools such as CVSS, Nessus, OpenVas, John the Ripper, Hashcat, PSExec
Anti-rootkit and malware generator tools such as Stinger, Divergent, Powershell
Sniffers, DDOs, and session hijacking tools such as Wireshark, Cain & Abel, TCP Dump, HULK, OWASP ZAP, sslstrip
IDS, anonymisers, and honeypot tools such as Snort, Boomproxy, SPECTOR
Wireless, mobile, and IoT tools such as Air Suite, Agent Smith Attack, IoTSeeker
Web and cloud tools such as ZAP, Burp AWS pwn, Sysdig
Digital forensic tools such as Autopsy, FTK Imager, RegRipper, CAINE

TryHackME - Students gain access to TryHackMe, a leading online platform for hands-on cyber security training. This provides a range of benefits designed to enhance your learning experience and help you build real-world skills:

Secure Virtual Environment: Practice your skills in a safe, legal, and ethical online environment without needing to install software on your personal devices.
Real-World Simulations: Engage in over 750+ labs covering both offensive and defensive security, from beginner to expert level, allowing you to experience realistic cyber security scenarios.
Gamified Learning: Make learning interactive and fun with bite-sized lessons and challenges that earn you points, badges, and a spot on global leaderboards.
Flexible Access: Study anytime, anywhere with web-based labs that are accessible from any device, making it perfect for distance learners.
Custom Learning Paths: Follow tailored learning paths that align with your career goals or focus on specific skills, with the flexibility to explore individual topics at your own pace.
Community and Collaboration: Join a global community of over 3 million users, where you can share knowledge, compete in challenges, and collaborate on Capture The Flag exercises.
Continuous Access: After completing your studies, maintain your TryHackMe account to access free content or opt for a subscription to continue your professional development.

Study options

This course is available to study full time through our blended learning study mode at our campus in Berlin, Germany, London Stratford and Manchester.

The course is also available to students via online learning. This gives you the convenience of being able to study worldwide, providing you with the same high standards of teaching but with lower tuition fees.

Part-time online learning

How does it work?

Studying this course online gives you the ultimate in convenience. You can enrol with Arden from anywhere in the world and study your degree from the comfort of home, without the requirement to attend classes in a physical location.

Our online students study their degree through ilearn, Arden’s university campus in the cloud. ilearn provides everything you need to study at university. It offers an integrated virtual learning experience, including your virtual classroom, lecture theatre, and access to our Library Portal. The portal includes an extensive digital library including thousands of journal titles, eBooks, and academic and industry databases which you can use to research your assignments and projects. All of these materials are provided to you free of charge, and contain all the research information you’ll need to complete your degree with us.

ilearn is also integrated with Zoom, making it easier to chat with your course tutor during your scheduled seminar sessions. You can even integrate our study materials into your Kindle, making it possible to study wherever you have your Kindle handy.

Studying online doesn’t mean studying alone. As well as receiving regular feedback and guidance from your course tutor, you’ll be studying with like-minded students who you can meet with through our Unitu community, and you’ll have access to community message boards to discuss your course and the topics being raised within it. We’ve even set up community boards embedded into each of the course modules so you can have discussions with your tutor and classmates on the topics you’re currently learning.

Online learning students resident in the UK can apply for a Maintenance Loan if they cannot attend their course in person because of a disability. Please find more information on our fees and funding page. If you're a student from Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland you can find information on Living Cost Loans from your student finance body.

Full time blended learning

How does it work?

Our blended learning study mode combines structured in-person learning with the flexibility of guided independent study. You’ll attend eight hours of timetabled, face-to-face classes each week, spread over two days at your chosen Arden University campus.
Alongside this, you’ll spend approximately 25 hours each week on independent study. You’ll use iLearn, our digital learning platform, to access key resources, submit assignments, and stay connected with your tutors and classmates. Whether you prefer studying in our on-campus learning spaces or at home, you’ll be supported throughout your journey.

Blended learning is ideal if you value regular in-person teaching and want the flexibility to balance your studies with other commitments. With classes concentrated over just two days, you’ll have more control over your time, while still benefiting from face-to-face interaction and access to university facilities.

This course is also available to study full-time at our Berlin, Germany campus.

Learn more about Blended Learning

Entry requirements

At Arden University we consider applications on a case by case basis. If you have significant work experience, have qualifications you have gained elsewhere, or a degree or qualification that isn't a clear pathway to this degree - we are more than happy to discuss your application.

What you need to study with us

Our aim is to make learning as accessible as possible by ensuring that you can study in a flexible and convenient way. That's why we keep our requirements simple. All you need is a laptop or desktop PC (we recommend one running the latest version of Windows), and a good internet connection. Through ilearn, our online university campus in the cloud, you'll be able to access your course calendar, support services, learning materials, and our online library containing thousands of ebooks, as well as tools for creating assignments, keeping notes, and collaborating with other students on your course.

Find out more

Standard entry requirements:

A 2.2 Honours degree in a computing-related subject, or an equivalent 2.2 Honours degree with 18 months of relevant computing work experience.

Typical non-standard entry requirements:

A minimum of 3 years of relevant computing work experience.
Your work experience should be in a computing or IT role.

English proficiency

Online Learning: IELTS 6.5 (no less than 6.0 in any element); or TOEFL iBT 90; or equivalent

Blended Learning in the UK or Berlin: IELTS 6.0 (no less than 5.5 in any element); or TOEFL iBT 60-78; or equivalent. Free English language support is also available at the Arden Berlin campus.

Alternatively, evidence you have previously studied in English; a letter to show that the Medium of Instruction was in English can be accepted

Course fees and funding

Funding and Scholarships

The Arden University Postgraduate Merit Scholarship offers UK Online Learning students with a 2.1 undergraduate degree or higher £2,000 off our postgraduate tuition fees. You can also apply for up to £12,167 funding from Student Finance England fund your studies.

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I am a student from

Use the dropdown above to find course fees and funding information for your country. If you can’t find information for your country in the dropdown, visit our International support page.

Meet the faculty

Dr. Rehman began his career in media, graphic design, and desktop publishing before moving into IT administration and support in the publishing and education sectors. He then made the transition into academia, starting out in multimedia and computing and business before moving onto computing programme leadership. During his 20 years in Higher Education, Mohammed has developed and delivered courses across all study levels and worked on a variety of initiatives and projects related to technology and enhanced learning.

Dr. Mohammed Rehman

Head of School – STEM

Career prospects

100% of our Masters students studying a computing subject are employed within 2 years of graduation*

*Source: 2020/21 Graduate Outcomes Survey

Right now, careers in cyber security are positively thriving, driven by the relentless surge in cyber threats which businesses and organisations face. This demand has led to very competitive salaries, often surpassing those of other comparable professions.

related courses

MSc Data Science

What will the MSc Cyber Security do for me?

Studying Arden University's MSc Cyber Security programme offers you a transformative opportunity to advance your career in a highly lucrative area of employment. In our era of escalating cyber threats and high demand for experts in the field, this degree guarantees you’ll learn cutting-edge knowledge and hands-on skills.

With additional free access to industry certifications, practical experience, and alignment with industry standards, enrolling on the course paves the way for a successful future.

Other key benefits for you include:

Arden University has a diverse workforce, and your studies will be supported by a department of committed and enthusiastic senior lecturers and lecturers who are experts in their chosen fields and draw upon a wealth of academic and industry experience. In addition, many of our academic staff are members of professional and regulatory bodies.
NCSC alignment: Our programme content aligns with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), ensuring you learn the most up-to-date and relevant skills.
Additional certifications: We offer access to a choice of certifications and badges through industry-leading organisations. This enhances your career prospects and opens doors to exciting opportunities.
Free vendor courses: Gain technical skills through free vendor courses like Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals, listed among Forbes' 8 best Cyber Security Certifications for 2023. All the course content is completely free to our students, you’ll only have to pay for the exam.
Cisco badges: Earn a series of Cisco badges such as in Linux and Python for free, further enhancing your expertise and employability.

What can I do after Arden University?

The modules you will study on this course each give you the underpinning you need to pursue or develop a well-paid and future-proof career in almost any field within cyber security.

Here’s a breakdown:

Information Security Management module

Future careers: Cyber Risk Manager, Cyber Risk Analyst, Cyber Research Analyst, Cyber Incident Manager, or Information Security Manager.

Networks Security module

Future careers: Cyber Risk Manager, Cyber Risk Analyst, Cyber Research Analyst, Cyber Incident Manager, Cyber Security Engineer, or Cyber Security Design Engineer.

Cloud and Web Services Security module

Future careers: Web Application Security Analyst, Web Application Tester, Security Operation Centre (SOC) Analyst, or Solution Architects.

Digital Forensics and Incident Management module

Future careers: Cyber Risk Manager, Cyber Risk Analyst, Cyber Research Analyst, Cyber Incident Manager, Cyber Security Engineer, or Cyber Security Design.

Offensive Security module

Future careers: Penetration Tester, Information Security Coordinator, Network Security Pen Tester, Web Application Pen Tester, Cyber Risk Manager, Cyber Risk Analyst, or Cyber Research Analyst.

Secure System Design module

Future careers: IT Security Consultant, Security Architect, Systems Administrator, or Information Security Analyst.

Our Masters students studying a computing subject have gone onto earn up to £90,000 within 2 years of graduation*

*Source: 2020/21 Graduate Outcomes Survey

Industry skills

EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

This certification is a comprehensive programme that trains individuals in ethical hacking and penetration testing techniques. It covers topics such as network security, vulnerability assessment, and countermeasures, enabling professionals to identify and address security vulnerabilities. CEH is highly respected in the cyber security industry, making it a sought-after credential for ethical hackers and security experts. Arden provides the course content free of charge and will cover the cost of the CEH exam. Students will only need to pay an administration fee.

NCSC alignment

Our programme content aligns with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), ensuring you learn the most up-to-date and relevant skills. The course has been aligned to the NCSC accreditation framework, which consists of the following five security disciplines: Human, Organisation and Regulatory, Attack & Defence, System Security, Software Security, and Infrastructure Security. Indicative topic coverage of the knowledge areas within these disciplines has been integrated into the modules and will be included as key content on the programme.

Arden students will receive the course content to select Microsoft Learn courses for free and only need to pay for the exam. These include:

Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals (SC-900)

An introductory course designed to provide essential knowledge about Microsoft's security and compliance solutions. It covers key concepts, including threat protection, identity management, and information protection, enabling learners to understand and navigate Microsoft's robust security ecosystem. This certification is a foundational step for those looking to pursue a career in Microsoft's security and compliance domain.

Microsoft Azure Security Technologies (AZ-500T00)

An advanced-level course focusing on security solutions within the Azure cloud platform. It equips learners with the skills to implement security controls, detect and respond to security threats, and protect data and applications on Azure. AZ-500T00 is essential for professionals seeking expertise in Azure security.

Cisco Network Academy

Cisco offers a range of cyber security training courses, equipping professionals with skills vital for safeguarding networks and data.

All these resources, which can cost upwards of thousands of pounds, are completely free for Arden students.