2024/25 entry
BSc (Hons) Cyber Security
Why study Cyber Security at Liverpool John Moores University?
- State-of-the-art computing facilities with specialist computer security software
- Practical, hands-on experience incorporated into modules wherever possible
- High quality teaching from staff involved in internationally recognised research.
- Graduates increasingly in demand as IT security problems escalate
- Opportunity to undertake a 12-month paid industrial work placement
- Strong links with local and national organisations including Xyone Security, Fujitsu, IBM, Eutechnyx and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
- International Foundation Year course available offering direct progression onto this degree programme - visit LJMU's International Study Centre to find out more
- Start month: September
- Campus location: City Campus
About your course
The BSc (Hons) Cyber Security at Liverpool John Moores University is informed by internationally important research, which means your studies will be at the forefront of developments in this important field. The course is accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS).
As we increase the scope of our working and personal lives online there has been a rise in the number of attacks being made against information systems by hackers and other criminals looking to steal resources. It seems that on a weekly basis there is another news story detailing a new ransomware attack or a new vulnerability in a piece of software used by the public.
The UK government has identified a skills gap and therefore a need for more staff trained in Computer Security. Students graduating from the Computer Security course will be in demand by companies looking to fill their Computer Security roles with trained staff. LJMU has a growing national and international reputation for its research into computer security and this expertise ensures the degree is at the leading edge of developments in this discipline.
About the BSc (Hons) Cyber Security Degree
The Cyber Security course will teach you the skills required to be able to identify Computer Security issues, how to solve these issues and how to recover if a Security breach occurs. Students will learn some Digital Forensics skills to help them identify where attacks are being launched from and ways to secure their systems against them. There is a close relationship between Digital Forensics and Cyber Security, and it is necessary that professionals in both areas are aware of each others roles in securing computing systems.
Students will study Cyber Security topics such as Penetration Testing, Secure Software Development, Ethical Hacking, Applied Cryptography and Network Forensics. Modules will teach the required practical skills and the theory that underpins this material, as well as understanding of the business context for security. The modules are informed by internationally recognised research by the staff who teach the modules.
The Cyber Security modules are complemented by modules in Computer Science. We balance the specialist skills of Computer Security with broader topics in Computer Science such as Operating Systems, Databases Systems, Programming, and Computer Systems, that are required as context for applying security skills.
The curriculum is informed by consultancy with Fujitsu and Computer Security companies within the local area. This ensures that the course is up to date and producing students who can go straight into the industry.
Work-related Learning
Practical, hands-on experience to boost your employability is incorporated into this programme wherever possible. However the best way to really get a taste of working in the computer security industry or the IT industry in general is to take a year out after your second year and spend 12 months on supervised work placement.
This invaluable experience gives you a chance to put into practice the many concepts and techniques you have learnt on the course, as well as developing new skills. We highly recommend that you take up this opportunity, as it will greatly enhance your prospects when you come to negotiate your way around the competitive graduate job market.
Dedicated Facilities
There is a dedicated Cyber Security lab with its own private internal network that students can use to run experiments and look at the ways in which malware works. We teach Ethical Hacking using a virtual environment and this gives students a good practical experience of Ethical Hacking in the real world.
Upon Graduation
Students who graduate from the Cyber Security course are normally in work or further study within 12 months of graduating. Students on the course develop problem solving skills that are transferrable to employment, both in Computer Security and outside of the industry. Students have gained employment recently with GCHQ, Microsoft, Google, Ratheon, BT and Very. Students who continue onto further study have either started a masters course, PGCE or a PhD.
"LJMU has a growing national and international reputation for its research into cyber security and this expertise ensures the degree is at the leading edge of developments in this discipline."
Professional accreditation/links
Accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional.
Fees and funding
There are many ways to fund study for home and international students
Fees
The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as:
- library membership with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources
- access to programme-appropriate software
- library and student IT support
- free on-campus wifi via eduroam
Additional costs
Although not all of the following are compulsory/relevant, you should keep in mind the costs of:
- accommodation and living expenditure
- books (should you wish to have your own copies)
- printing, photocopying and stationery
- PC/laptop (should you prefer to purchase your own for independent study and online learning activities)
- mobile phone/tablet (to access online services)
- field trips (travel and activity costs)
- placements (travel expenses and living costs)
- student visas (international students only)
- study abroad opportunities (travel costs, accommodation, visas and immunisations)
- academic conferences (travel costs)
- professional-body membership
- graduation (gown hire etc)
Funding
There are many ways to fund study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you'll find all of the information you need on our specialist funding pages.
Employability
Security is often cited among the top five IT skills demanded by employers.
The need to improve knowledge and education in cyber security has long been acknowledged. This means that potential careers open to you as a graduate of this programme are wide ranging and include:
- information security analyst
- computer security consultant
- network or system administrator
- software or web developer
- data analyst, data recovery, data mining
- police force intelligence officer
- guiding cyber security initiatives
- computer forensic analyst
- network security management
- education provision
- IT project manager
Alternatively, many of our graduates continue their studies with a masters or research programme.
Student Futures - Careers, Employability and Enterprise Service
A wide range of opportunities and support is available to you, within and beyond your course, to ensure our students experience a transformation in their career trajectory. Every undergraduate curriculum includes Future Focus during Level 4, an e-learning resource and workshop designed to help you to develop your talents, passion and purpose.
Every student has access to Careers Zone 24/7, LJMU's suite of online Apps, resources and jobs board via the LJMU Student Futures website. There are opportunities for flexible, paid and part-time work through Unitemps, LJMU's in-house recruitment service, and we also offer fully funded Discovery Internships.
One-to-one careers and employability advice is available via our campus-based Careers Zones and we offer a year-round programme of events, including themed careers and employability workshops, employer events and recruitment fairs. Our Start-Up Hub can help you to grow your enterprise skills and to research, plan and start your own business or become a freelancer.
A suite of learning experiences, services and opportunities is available to final year students to help ensure you leave with a great onward plan. You can access LJMU's Careers, Employability and Start-up Services after you graduate and return for one-to-one support for life.
Go abroad
LJMU aims to make international opportunities available to every student. You may be able to study abroad as part of your degree at one of our 100+ partner universities across the world. You could also complete a work placement or apply for one of our prestigious worldwide internship programmes. If you wanted to go abroad for a shorter amount of time, you could attend one of our 1-4 week long summer schools.
Our Go Citizen Scheme can help with costs towards volunteering, individual projects or unpaid placements anywhere in the world. With all of these opportunities at your feet, why wouldn’t you take up the chance to go abroad?
Find out more about the opportunities we have available via our Instagram @ljmuglobalopps or email us at: goabroad@ljmu.ac.uk.
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What you will study on this degree
Please see guidance below on core and option modules for further information on what you will study.
Further guidance on modules
Modules are designated core or optional in accordance with professional body requirements, as applicable, and LJMU’s Academic Framework Regulations. Whilst you are required to study core modules, optional modules provide you with an element of choice. Their availability may vary and will be subject to meeting minimum student numbers.
Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated as appropriate.
Level 4
Core modules
Introduction to Programming
20 credits
In this module you are delivered programming and problem solving skills with no prior assumptions of programming experience. Given the importance of programming to computer science, this module will encourage you to study more specialised software development topics. You will gain an understanding of how software is developed and become familiar with a range of computer programming paradigms.
Computer Systems
20 credits
This module provides you with a basic knowledge in relation to the computing platform (hardware, operating systems, networks) upon which applications are developed and hosted. You will need this as support knowledge for subsequent modules at Level 5 and 6.
Professional Practice
10 credits
This module provides you with an opportunity to consider your future role as a computing professional. The tutorials and workshops will be used to develop strategies that you can use, providing opportunities for you to understand the field of Computing in a more effective way. You will develop your understanding of professionalism in computing, of working in the computing industry, and of the ethical frameworks and codes of conduct for the computing industry.
Data Modelling
10 credits
The module develops your ability to model data in various differing scenarios. You are initially required to manipulate and present data in spreadsheet based applications. Then, you are required to solve problems using a data modelling methodology (e.g. entity relationship models/normalisation), ultimately leading towards the construction of database based applications.
Introduction to Computer Forensics and Security
20 credits
This module provides you with the basic concepts, methods, techniques and experience of computer forensics and security. You will apply your knowledge and develop practical skills in the assessments by undertaking a digital forensic investigation and a security analysis of a case study.
Problem Solving for Computer Security
20 credits
This module enhances your software development, problem solving skills, problem decomposition and analysis skills. Your understanding of computer security will be developed through the use of a popular programming language. You will apply your understanding in two assessments. First, you will apply design and problem analysis techniques to a relevant case study scenario involving computer security. Second, you will translate such a design into a software solution.
Introduction to Web Development
20 credits
Increasingly, much of the world's software is being run in a web browser. Software offered over the Web provides many sought-after benefits in software deployment: ease of implementation, universality and ubiquity of access, and availability of server-side data and services. This module seeks to endow you with the necessary knowledge and underpinning technologies to develop for the World Wide Web. You will learn techniques and technologies to develop web applications, hosted on a web application server, using a server-side programming language to dynamically generate standards compliant mark-up, driven from a data source. You will use design principles which abstract content from aesthetic and utilises client-side dynamism to enhance the user's experience, using industry standard toolsets and web-focused API.
Level 5
Core modules
Group Project
20 credits
The module has two main purposes. First, you will be equipped with adequate research skills and experience of working on subject-related research topics, to lead into your final year project. Second, this module works to enhance your professionalism, including teamworking, which boosts employability and your awareness of what is expected in an employment scenario.
Database Systems
20 credits
In this module you will explore the operation of database systems through a scrutiny of modern RDBMS (Relational Data Base Management Systems), the SQL (Structured Query Language) and database connectivity APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). The module continues by exploring some of the managerial considerations of large-scale RDBMS. The module concludes by exploring the operation of emerging NoSQL (Not Only SQL) database systems. Overall, you will design relational databases, develop date driven applications, critically evaluate applications, and design appropriate non-relational databases.
Operating Systems
20 credits
Operating systems constitute the backbone of every system management task and knowledge of their structure and use is of high importance for any system/network administrator in modern networked environments. In response, this module introduces you to the fundamental aspects of operating systems and further facilitates the basis for system administration.
System Penetration Testing
20 credits
In this module you will consider the various stages of a penetration testing lifecycle and the necessary technologies available in performing software tests. This module follows on from skills developed in the Operating System module and prepares you for a boarder discussion of ethical hacking topics covered in the final year. You will be familiarised with common penetration testing techniques, security issues and software vulnerabilities as well as the methods, tools and techniques that can be used during penetration testing to detect such vulnerabilities.
Secure Software Development
20 credits
This module familiarises you with common software security problems and vulnerabilities, and the methods, tools and techniques that can be used during software development to prevent them, including formal techniques. You will undertake a group software engineering task involving the application of secure software development lifecycles to a software development task. As part of this task, you will be expected to undertake a variety of roles as seen in a secure software development teams (i.e., developer, software tester, vulnerability researcher, report and documentation author, etc). You will be expected to complete a report that demonstrates an understanding of how software should be designed, implemented, and tested to reduce the risk of security vulnerabilities.
Information Security Management
20 credits
Information Security Management generally refers to the wide range of activities that information security practitioners engage in, although typically excludes the actual development of secure solutions through software development. In this module you will focus on security risk analysis, management and information governance, and compliance aspects of being an information security practitioner.
Optional Modules
Sandwich Year - Computer Security
120 credits
The aim is to provide students with an extended period of work experience at an approved partner that will complement their programme of study at LJMU. This will give students the opportunity to develop professional skills relevant to their programme of study as well as the attitude and behaviours necessary for employment in a diverse and changing environment. This extended placement forms a key part of a sandwich degree. All placements need to be assessed and approved prior to commencement in line with the LJMU Placement Learning Code of Practice. The Code of Practice requires students to conduct themselves in a professional and responsible manner during the placement - failure to do so may lead to the placement being terminated prematurely. Placements are normally for one calendar year on a full-time basis. Split placements of a shorter duration may be permissible. There is an expectation that a minimum of 1200 hours will be spent in the workplace.
Study Year Abroad - Computer Security
120 credits
The aim is to provide students with an additional year of study at an approved overseas partner that will complement their programme at LJMU. This is an additional year of full-time study at an approved higher education institution. The modules to be studied must be agreed in advance, and must be appropriate for the student's programme of study. Assuming successful completion of this year, mark-bearing credit will be awarded by the Faculty Recognition Group. The grade conversion scale to be used will be made available in advance of the year abroad.
Level 6
Core modules
Project
40 credits
This module presents you with the opportunity to complete a substantial project in a chosen area relevant to your programme. The scope of what is an appropriate artefact varies between programmes and you will discuss this with your programme teams. This module will enable you to use rigorous development or scientific methods to produce an artefact, resulting in an oral and written report.
Network Forensics
20 credits
Computer networking is now a ubiquitous feature of modern life with the applications and services that we rely on daily being supported by the Internet. Conversely, as the services become more fundamental, the number and range of attacks levelled against them have increased both in severity and frequency. As such, modern digital forensics investigations are increasingly including some element of network investigation and network operators are increasingly employing forensic techniques to effectively manage their infrastructures. This module aims to develop your critical appreciation of both the theoretical issues of computer networks and their impact on digital forensic investigations, alongside the emergence of new networking technologies and how they will impact on network forensics.
Network Defence
20 credits
This module aims to develop your understanding of computer security and network defence. Through critically assessing a variety of security technologies for protection of computer networks, you will develop practical skills in the use of security countermeasure technologies and associated tools.
Ethical Hacking
20 credits
The growth of the Internet has spawned a great demand for secure computer systems. Ethical hacking provides the concept for finding vulnerabilities before real attackers do so that vulnerabilities can be fixed and associated risks mitigated. It also helps to test the cyber security defence of computer systems. In this module you will examine various ethical hacking concepts, tools, and techniques that provide solutions to fix identified threats
Applied Cryptography
20 credits
The spectacular growth of the Internet has spawned a great demand for awareness of security threats to computer networks and application of security techniques to network protection. In response to the demand, this module examines various security issues, cryptographic algorithms and security services that are essential for network protection.
Teaching and work-related learning
Excellent facilities and learning resources
We adopt an active blended learning approach, meaning you will experience a combination of face-to-face and online learning during your time at LJMU. This enables you to experience a rich and diverse learning experience and engage fully with your studies. Our approach ensures that you can easily access support from your personal tutor, either by meeting them on-campus or via a video call to suit your needs.
You will begin the course with a 3 day induction and then spend approximately 15 hours per week in the classroom. Independent study is a fundamental element of the course and accounts for about 70% or around 35 hours of your weekly study time. Teaching is mostly via lectures with more informal lab sessions, online activities and small-group tutorials to reinforce ideas discussed in the lectures and to give you a chance to develop ideas with staff and other students.
Work-related Learning
Practical, hands-on experience to boost your employability is incorporated into this programme wherever possible. However the best way to really get a taste of working in the cyber security industry or the IT industry in general is to take a year out after your second year and spend 12 months on supervised work placement. This invaluable experience gives you a chance to put into practice the many concepts and techniques you have learnt on the course, as well as developing new skills. We highly recommend that you take up this opportunity, as it will greatly enhance your prospects when you come to negotiate your way around the competitive graduate job market.
Support and guidance
Dedicated personal tutor, plus study skills support
Each student on the course is assigned a personal tutor during the induction week of their first year on the course. The personal tutor will help you settle into study at LJMU and advise you on any issues that arise that you require advice. They will have regular meetings with you, discuss your progress and give advice on how to improve your work.
Should you choose to undertake a years work placement, this support will continue as a supervisor that will stay in close contact during your placement.
Your lecturers
We are proud of our academic staffs high quality teaching standards and approachability. Informal staff-student relationships are excellent. If you decide to study within the School of Computer Science and Mathematics, you will be joining a relaxed and friendly environment in which staff are committed not only to their students welfare but also to ensuring that courses are continually developed to meet the needs of employers.
Assessment
Assessment varies depending on the modules you choose, but will usually include a combination of exams and coursework.
You will be assessed by a combination of coursework and exams plus an independent final year project which contributes substantially to your final mark. Your tutors will give prompt and constructive feedback via Canvas (our virtual learning environment), face-to-face or in writing. This will help you to identify your strengths as well as the areas where you may need to put in more work.
Career prospects
Security is often cited among the top five IT skills demanded by employers. The need to improve knowledge and education in computer security has long been acknowledged. This means that potential careers open to you as a graduate of this programme are wide ranging and include: information security analyst computer security consultant guiding cyber security initiatives network or system administrator network security management software or web developer data analyst, data recovery, data mining. Alternatively, many of our graduates continue their studies with a masters or research programme.
Course tutors
Our staff are committed to the highest standards of teaching and learning
Facilities
What you can expect from your School
This programme is delivered in the Byrom Street complex of LJMUs City Campus. Here you'll find high quality lecture theatres, meeting and seminar rooms plus social spaces and a large café. The Avril Robarts Library is just minutes away on Tithebarn Street.
Entry requirements
Please choose your qualifications below to view requirements
Grades/points required from qualifications: BBC-ABB (112-128)
Qualification requirements
GCSEs and equivalents
Grade 4 or grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics/ Numeracy.
GCSE Equivalences accepted:
• Key Skills Level 2 in English/Maths
• NVQ Level 2 Functional skills in Maths and English Writing and or Reading
• Skills for Life Level 2 in Numeracy/English
• Higher Diploma in Maths/English
• Northern Ireland Essential Skills Level 2 in Communication or Application of Number
• Wales Essential Skills Level 2 in Communication or Application of Number
A levels
BBC-ABB Minimum Number of A Levels: 2
Maximum AS UCAS Points: 20
BTECs
Extended Diploma: DMM-DDM
Access awards
Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications
Pass overall with a minimum of 112 points
International Baccalaureate
Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications
OCR Cambridge Technical
Extended Diploma: DMM-DDM
Irish awards
Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications
T levels
Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications.
You need to obtain the required UCAS points from a related subject area.
International requirements
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IELTS
6.0 overall with no component below 5.5, taken within two years of the course start date.
https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/international-entry-requirements
Please Note: All international qualifications are subject to a qualification equivalency check.
Application and selection
Securing your place at LJMU
UCAS is the official application route for our full-time undergraduate courses. Further information on the UCAS application process can be found here https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/undergraduate-students/how-to-apply.
The university reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the university. Where this does happen, the university operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.
Further information on the terms and conditions of any offer made, our admissions policy and the complaints and appeals process.