Course summary
Overview Prevent and prosecute digital crime, by shaping your IT skills for a connected business world that craves your expertise. You'll study twin, linked disciplines on this Master's: cyber security – protecting data and systems from cyber attack, and forensic information technology – detecting and collecting digital evidence of criminal activity. You'll explore methods used by hackers, and how to prevent or combat them. You'll also learn the procedures to follow after an attack, and how to present this information to investigators or court officials. In our computer labs and forensic facilities, you'll infect a virtual machine with a virus of your own, overcome anti-forensic tools that try to hide evidence of crime, and make a mock arrest of a cybercriminal. You'll dig into cryptography, hacking and formal computer languages, such as Linux. When you graduate, you'll be set to enter a sector with a massive need for trained cyber security and forensic information technology professionals. UK government figures from 2022 show 50% of businesses acknowledge having a skills gap in cyber security and forensics, which you'll be ideally placed to fill. What you'll experience On this course, you'll:
- Master parallel disciplines in digital security and forensic investigation, and expand your career options in a connected world that needs cyber skills more than ever
- Use our specialist facilities, including multi-platform network suites, pervasive computing lab for high performance computing, usability lab with eye-tracking equipment, forensics lab and crime scene simulations
- Investigate real-life case studies, identify digital trails, compile evidence and engage with ethical hacking, using current forensic tools and systems such as AccessData, Cellebrite and Tryhackme
- Explore contemporary cybersecurity issues: blockchain and cryptocurrency, money laundering, the Internet of Things, drones, and anti-forensic techniques
- Design and deliver your own forensic IT engineering or study project, shaping this Master's to your interests
- Learn formal logic, Linux and symbolic notation used in digital forensics and cyber security
- Law enforcement
- IT auditing
- Information security
- High-tech crime units
- Commercial investigation
- National security bodies
- Systems administration
- Security analysis
Modules
Core modules include:
- Computer Forensic Investigation and Cryptography
- Mobile Forensics: Issues and Practice
- Systems, Security and Hacking
- Master's Project
- Big Data and Machine Learning Applications
- Business Intelligence
- Cloud Computing
- Data Visualisation and Exploring Analytics
- Network Services and Cyber Security
- The Global Landscape of Cybersecurity
Assessment method
You'll be assessed through:
- written assignments
- presentations
- group and individual lab-based assessments
- dissertation
Professional bodies
Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.
- British Computer Society
Entry requirements
A second-class honours degree in a relevant subject, including Computer Sciences, Legal or Social Sciences, or equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications.
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5. |
| Cambridge English Advanced | Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162. | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162. | |
| PTE Academic | 62 | An overall score of 62 with a minimum of 59 in each skill. |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 79 | 79 with a minimum of 18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing. |
| Trinity ISE | Pass | Trinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components. |
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| EU | £10900 | Year 1 |
| England | £10900 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £10900 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £10900 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £10900 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £10900 | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £10900 | Year 1 |
| International | £19200 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Students who are resident in EU countries: please note that the net fee is inclusive of the Transition Scholarship.
Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice.
Fees may also go up in later years, in line with inflation.
Provider information
University of Portsmouth
University House
Winston Churchill Avenue
Portsmouth
PO1 2UP