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:
- Computer Security — 20 credits of coursework in Semester 1 ( Replaces Research Methods in Security, Privacy and Trust (SPT))
- Informatics Project Proposal (IPP) — 10 credits of coursework in Semester 2.
- MSc Dissertation — 60 credits in the Summer.
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.
Advice on choosing courses
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. Some courses 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.
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
Some of the optional courses are useful for security students, but from other areas of Informatics. Most of these courses are listed in the Topic pages (for example for Machine Learning or Theoretical Computer Science), which provide more advice on these courses.
Full list of Course Topics (information about most MSc courses, according to topic)