Cyber Security, Privacy and Trust MSc

An overview of the degree and advice on selecting your courses

Overview of the degree

In today's society, we are critically dependent on computer software and data, yet these are increasingly under threat from cybersecurity attacks and breaches. This degree focuses on the computational principles, methods, and mechanisms needed to safeguard sensitive applications. You will learn how to evaluate, design, and implement secure and trustworthy systems in complex distributed systems and, subject to availability, you can also choose courses in related areas of policy and law.

Full-time students on this degree must be registered for exactly 180 credit points at all times.  Part-time students have the same course requirements, but spread out over two or three years.

Compulsory courses

The following courses are compulsory:

SPT will introduce you to the fundamental concepts from a breadth of topics in Security, Privacy, and Trust, and will provide you with the skills to perform a literature review and to begin to do research in the area. This is followed by the project proposal and dissertation.

Information about IPP and Dissertation

Optional courses

In addition, you must register for another 90 credits of optional taught courses, usually split evenly across two semesters, with at least 40 credits chosen from Security courses in Computer Science. The rest may be chosen from a range of areas including Security related courses in other Schools or other Computer Science courses.

This degree offers considerable flexibility in your taught course choices. Specific course options and requirements are listed in your Degree Programme Table, and are built into the Path programme builder, which you can use to help you put together a set of courses that works for you.

Degree Programme Tables 

Path programme builder

Course topics and advice on choosing courses

Course topics are groups of related courses to help you navigate our course options. The topics relevant to this degree are described below.

Please consider the prerequisites for each course before signing up. Not all students will be prepared for all available courses, but you should be able to find a selection that works for you. Courses in some topics tend to require more mathematics, while others may require more programming or other skills. The individual topic pages often provide some general guidance about this, but check the course descriptors if you're unsure.

Programming courses

Before finalizing your other courses, please check the advice on the Programming Courses topic page to see whether you would benefit from taking one of these courses to improve your programming skills. These courses do not count as one of your Security courses.

Programming Courses

Security courses in Computer Science

These form the core of your degree. See the link below for more information about these courses.

Cyber Security & Privacy courses

Security courses from other Schools

Note that courses in other Schools may have quotas on the number of students permitted. You are not guaranteed a place, so register as early as possible if you are interested in these courses. It is also a good idea to speak to the course organizer to make sure you have the appropriate background for these courses.

Other topics

You may also choose from other courses in Informatics or other Schools. Most courses taken by our students (including some popular outside courses) are listed in the Topic pages. The complete list of courses offered by the School is in the Sortable Course List.

Full list of Course Topics  (information about most MSc courses, according to topic)

Informatics Sortable Course List ( a compact list of all courses offered this year, sortable by semester, level, credits, etc.)