Cyber Security

Cyber security graduates are in demand, and a typical starting salary is £25,000-30,000, rising to anything between £40,000-120,000 for a cyber security consultant.

This course is designed to prepare you for a variety of roles, such as Cyber Security Analyst, Penetration Tester (ethical hacker), Security Engineer, Incident Responder, and Risk and Compliance Specialist. Graduates also move into roles in digital forensics, security consultancy or cloud security, working across industries such as finance, government, healthcare and technology.

Alternatively, you could pass on the knowledge and skills you gained on your degree as a teacher or trainer.

Graduation doesn’t have 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.

Previous students' roles include:

• Junior Security Analyst
• Security Engineer
• Threat Intelligence Analyst
• Application Analyst
• Security Consultant

We want you to be a step ahead when you graduate, so we offer:

• courses designed with employers
• tutors with professional industry knowledge
• hands-on learning through Live Briefs, internships and placements
• Ruskin Modules that help develop the skills employers value.

Alongside your course, there are lots of other opportunities to build your skills and experience:

• add value to your CV with an ARU Certificate of Professional Development
• get involved in a thriving volunteering programme
• develop your brilliant business ideas
• work with businesses to make a social impact.

We’re here to help you develop your CV and find that all-important role after graduation. Our Employability Service offers tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, help to complete job applications, and much more. You’ll have 24/7 access to an online Careers Centre too, which is packed with useful resources.

The support continues after you graduate, with lifelong access to our Alumni Career Centre.

Find out more about careers support at ARU.

A foundation year prepares you for the rest of your course, and focuses on general skills such as researching and referencing, numeracy and ICT, and communication. We'll also start to look at some more subject-specific topics.

Your placement year is a chance to put everything you’ve learnt in Years 1 and 2 into practice. Spend typically 9-12 months working for an organisation, developing your skills and gaining valuable work experience. Our Placements Team is here to help you secure a placement.

We assess your progress in a number of ways.

We'll often ask you to design, test and then critique the security solution to a known problem. You'll prove your solution by providing a practical implementation of it.

Throughout the course, case study projects let you apply the knowledge you’ve acquired during lectures. During practical sessions, you'll keep a logbook of activities completed and reflect on what you have learnt.

We'll assess your knowledge and understanding of key skills and critical security issues through multiple choice examinations and formal written reports, where you discuss your application of knowledge in a fictional context.

You'll be expected to conduct and apply research in the area of cyber security. In some modules, you'll be assessed through a research report related to a specific area of cyber security. You’ll also complete a Final Project in the last year of your course.