Official recognition for cybersecurity degree programme

Cardiff University’s MSc in Cybersecurity has been officially certified by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

The provisional certification has been made in recognition of the high-quality teaching and learning resources offered by the course as well as the breadth of content that is taught throughout the one-year degree programme.

Developed in conjunction with industry and aligned with NCSC recommendations, the MSc in Cybersecurity provides students with the very latest security principles, practices, tools and techniques.

As well as studying areas such as secure application development, risk management, malware analysis and digital forensics, students are given an understanding of the business continuity and transformation aspects that are crucial to cyber resilience in an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Led by a team of world-class cybersecurity researchers in a well-equipped computer laboratory with 24/7 remote access, the course prepares students for one of the most in-demand roles, with graduates placed in a variety of roles in cybersecurity, digital forensics and data sciences.

The course is run by the School of Computer Science & Informatics and is a part of the University’s Data Science Academy.

Cardiff University is one of ten universities to be certified by the NCSC, which is a part of GCHQ, in the latest round of announcements, joining a number of high-profile institutions from across the UK.

The NCSC degree certification programme recognises high-quality cyber education and is designed to help students make informed choices about pursuing cybersecurity degrees.

Official data shows more than half of UK students (52%) pursuing a cybersecurity-related Master’s degree chose an NCSC-certified course.

On making the announcement, Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, said: “It’s great to see more UK universities being recognised for their work in developing skilled cyber security professionals.

“Offering a certified degree helps prospective students make more informed choices about their future careers and employers can rest assured that graduates will be well-taught and have valued industry skills.”

Professor Peter Burnap, Director of the Cardiff Centre for Cyber Security Research, said: “I am absolutely delighted that our MSc has been provisionally certified by the NCSC and that Cardiff University has been recognised amongst the very best places in the UK to come and study cybersecurity.

“We place a very strong emphasis on developing the very best degree programmes so that our students know they are receiving a distinctive learning experience that makes them well equipped for entering the world of work.

“There has never been a more exciting and important time to start a career in cybersecurity and in conjunction with a number of high-profile research centres and industry collaborations that are based here at Cardiff University, we are fast-becoming the obvious choice to begin that journey.”

Dr Yulia Cherdantseva, cybersecurity education lead in the School of Computer Science & Informatics said: “I am delighted to see the MSc Cybersecurity gain certification from NCSC. This fits into a broad programme of activities in our cybersecurity education strategy, aiming at addressing the significant shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals worldwide.

“Cardiff University MSc Cybersecurity has been carefully designed in close collaboration with an Industry Advisory Board to ensure that graduates gain the skills which are sought after by employers. This MSc programme is an excellent next step for anyone pursuing a career in cybersecurity.”