Introduction
Study at an award-winning university
We're the Times Higher Education (THE) University of the Year 2023. We've also been awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework – a reflection of the outstanding education we offer our students.
Why Cyber Security at ARU?
- Study in the Silicon Fen, home to Apple, Microsoft, Samsung AI and many more – the perfect opportunity to connect with top employers.
- Bring the world of work to life through Live Briefs; designed and developed with regional employers, such as PA Consulting and Kear Technology Solutions to give you exposure to ‘real world’ problem-solving.
- Gain access to the Cisco CCNA, CompTIA Security+ and EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) curricula.
- Explore our on-site specialist labs and our online virtual lab (NETLAB), which are equipped with cyber security and forensics tools and operating systems.
- We're a Cisco Networking Academy, a CompTIA Academic Partner, an EC-Council Academic Partner, VMWare Academy, and AWS Academy.
Cyber attacks make headlines across the globe, and demand for talented computing graduates is outstripping supply. With governments and organisations increasing their cyber protection budgets, there’s never been a better time to invest in your future career by studying cyber security at ARU.
We'll enable you to fine-tune your network and data skills, take an optional placement year, and make your mark in the global cyber security industry.
Course options
Key facts
Entry requirements
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Fees and paying for university
Facilities
Industry-standard facilities
As a Cyber Security student at ARU you’ll learn in lecture theatres and labs, and:
- use tools such as Kali Linux Penetration Testing Distribution, X-Ways Forensic, Autopsy, Cisco PacketTracer, OWASP ZAP and Burp Suite
- apply fundamental skills in penetration testing, digital forensic investigations and analysing how malware operates
- have access to award-winning IT facilities such as virtualisation software (VMware)
- utilize 24/7 remote lab cloud capabilities to offer anytime learning facilities with NDG Netlab.
Outstanding student support
As a student at ARU, you'll benefit from:
- the opportunity to take a placement year as part of your course
- ongoing careers and employability support
- business support and mentoring through our start-up hub.
Prepare for certification
Our Cyber Security degree includes access to the CCNA Routing and Switching and EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) curriculums. This gives you the chance to progress your learning to full certification – you’ll just need to pay for your exam fees.
Our curriculum supports key elements of industry leading vendor neutral CompTIA A+ and Security+ curriculums.
As a Cisco Networking Academy for more than ten years, our industry links ensure that you'll be equipped to meet the needs of the fast and every-changing world of computing with access to VMWare IT Academy, Microsoft Azure for Education and Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Academy.
Lecturers
Erika Sanchez-Velazquez
Deputy Head of School
Andrew Moore
Lecturer Practitioner
Ronak Al-Haddad
Lecturer
Bernardi Pranggono
Associate Professor
Charles Marrow
Senior Lecturer Practitioner in Cyber Security
Mahdi Maktabdar Oghaz
Senior Lecturer
Careers
What can you do with a degree in cyber security?
Our Cyber Security BSc (Hons) is designed to prepare you for a variety of high-demand roles in the cyber security industry, across a broad range of government and commercial organisations of all shapes and sizes.
ARU ranked in the top 10% in the country for graduates in employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2024), and 5th in the country for the proportion of UK undergraduates who are employed as managers, directors, or senior officials 15 months after graduating. We're also in the top 10% in the country for the number of graduates in employment and further study who agreed they are using what they learnt during their studies.
Popular job titles include security engineer, architect, software developer or analyst; ethical hacker/penetration tester; digital forensic analyst; and incident responder. Alternatively, you could pass on the knowledge and skills you gained on your cyber security degree as a teacher or trainer.
A typical starting salary in the cyber security industry is £25-30,000, rising to anything between £40-120,000 for a cyber security consultant.
Our students have gone to work as:
- Junior Security Analyst
- Security Engineer
- Threat Intelligence Analyst
- Application Analyst
- Security Consultant
Graduation doesn’t need to be the end of your time with us. We offer a range of postgraduate degrees including MSc Computer Science and MSc Cyber Security. You’re also in the perfect position to continue your academic career and move on to a PhD in Computer Science. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.
Employability and personal career development
Informed by employers, our courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they are looking for and gain a deeper understanding of how your academic learning relates to the world of work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.
To amplify your career ambition, you will need to actively dedicate time outside of your studies, whether you choose to explore placements, internships or volunteering. Or you could make a social impact by collaborating with our partner organisations through our volunteer scheme Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange (SHoKE). These all give you an edge, providing you with experience that you will be able to evidence on your CV and talk about in interviews.
Our Employability and Careers Service offers a range of expert advice and support to build your unique professional profile, including tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, and help to complete job applications. You’ll have 24/7 access to the Careers Centre, our comprehensive online digital resource, which empowers you to start building a Personal Career Development Plan from the very start. Design your future at ARU.
Tejasvi
"Figuring out the packet tracer files and configuring networks have been my favourite memories. They seemed so impossible at times and yet we managed to figure them out. It felt so rewarding!"
TejasviBSc (Hons) Cyber Security
Life in Cambridge
Our friendly, bustling campus is a stone’s throw from the centre of Cambridge, often described as the perfect student city.
Explore CambridgeWant to talk to someone?
Do you have a question that we haven't answered so far? Talk to our application experts. You can also ask our Student Ambassadors about life at ARU.
We're here Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm (please note we close at 3.30pm on the first and third Thursday of the month for staff training), and Friday 9am-4.30pm.
Placement year available
You have the option to take a placement year as part of this course. It’s a great chance to get hands-on experience in the industry you want to work in.
Your guide to placements
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