Program Overview

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Course Overview

Are you looking to explore the rewarding field of cyber security?****Do you want to find ways of fighting against cyber crime?

According to IBM’s Data Breach Report, the global average cost of a data breach in 2023 was USD 4.45 million, a 15% increase over 3 years (IBM, 2023).

The demand for qualified cyber security professionals has increased exponentially, and Solent’s BSc (Hons) Cyber Security course is designed to teach you all the crucial skills to meet this demand and kick start your career in the field.

The course also provides a modern industry-recognised professional qualification, the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) “Introduction to Networks”​ certification which will equip students with the right set of practical and technical skills highly valued by the industry.

The course aims to:

• Deliver a structured programme that supports and challenges you to achieve the best of your ability and help you achieve your career aspirations in the cyber security field.
• Teach the fundamental technical, practical and critical thinking skills needed to succeed as a Cyber and Network Security specialist.
• Prepare you for a career as a network and cyber security specialist, ready to embrace challenges and contribute to the ever-changing world of computer networking technology
• Enable you to develop a range of subject-specific and transferable skills which can facilitate continued personal and professional development.

What you will gain on your Foundation Year:

• Provide knowledge and understanding of topics that are central to the study of cyber security and computing, which will help you to develop a strong grounding in cyber security and successfully progress onto our BSc Cyber Security undergraduate programme.
• Enhance your professional and transferable skills , preparing you for a successful future in this field.

This course is delivered as part of a partnership between QA Higher Education and Solent University. The programme is validated by the University and delivered by QA Higher Education.

Key Information

• Level: Undergraduate
• Entry Requirements: 48 UCAS points
• Tuition Fees: 2025/26: £9,535 (per annum)
• Duration: 4 years
• Start Date: October and February
• Next Application Deadline: October 2025
• Location: London/Birmingham/Manchester

Teaching and Assessment

• Lectures, seminars, and workshops: 9 – 12 hours per week
• Independent study: 30 hours per week
• Assessment: Coursework and exams

Blended Learning

The future is becoming more and more digital. Our blended learning approach allows you to develop all necessary skills to thrive in the digital era. You’ll get the best of both worlds with a balance of face-to-face and online teaching, building your confidence ready for success in the digital workplace.

Receiving the same number of live contact hours as face-to-face programmes, a typical timetable may include:

• Daytime students – If you are a daytime student, you will typically have 2 days of tuition per week – your sessions will be on-campus for 1 of those days and the other day will take place live online.
• Evening and weekend students – Evening and weekend blended timetables will typically follow one of the below patterns each week:
  • 2 evenings live online and 1 weekend day face-to-face on-campus, or
  • 2 evenings face-to-face on-campus and 1 weekend day live online
• Weekend students – If you are a weekend student, you will typically have face-to-face sessions on Saturday and online sessions on Sunday.

Please note that the blended timetable pattern will be decided by the scheduling team.

Visit our blended learning page for further information.

Modules

All units are core and are worth 20 credits unless specified.

Foundation Year

• Digital Media Technologies
• Foundation Computing
• Foundation Mathematics
• Group Technology Project
• Individual Degree Related Project
• Problem Solving

Year 1

• Problem Solving Through Programming
• Cyber Security Essentials
• Introduction to Databases
• Introduction to Networks and Security
• Network Applications
• Routing and Switching

Year 2

• Ethical Hacking and Pen Testing
• Network Implementation
• Network Security
• Network Systems Automation
• Research Methods Project
• Threat Intelligence Analysis

Year 3

• Cyber Ops
• Dissertation
• Industrial Consulting Project
• Cybercrime and Digital Forensics (Optional)
• Internet of Things(Optional)
• Network Management (Optional)
• Cloud Computing and Virtualisation (Optional)

Academic Requirements

• 48 UCAS points
• A minimum of two completed A-levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma at PPP or BTEC Diploma at MP, a T-Level Pass (D or E), or equivalent.
• We will consider mature students who haven’t recently undertaken a formalised course of study at A-level or equivalent, but who can demonstrate relevant workplace or voluntary experience, indicating their ability to complete the course successfully.

If you don’t hold UK qualifications, please see the Country Specific Entry Requirements to find out more about the qualifications we accept.

English Language Requirements

• GCSE English Grade 4/C.
• IELTS 6.0 with no component less than 5.5 in each band, or equivalent. Alternatively, applicants can sit the QA Higher Education English test.

Please note that if your qualifications are not in English, we might need certified translations in order to proceed with your application.

Interview

Admissions Interview |Academic Interview
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• Introduce yourself
• Tell us about why you want to study this course

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• Assessing your knowledge
• If you don’t meet the standard entry requirements
• If you’ve been out of education for a while

Careers

This course is the first step towards your career goals, providing the skills and knowledge needed to succeed.

Risk Management | Cloud Computing | Network Security
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Ethical Hacking | Data Analysis | Operating Systems

Developing skills that are industry-focused and transferrable, you will be the ideal candidate for jobs in a variety of fields and sectors.

Course graduates possess a broad array of skills and specialisms, making them well-suited for a diverse range of cyber security and computing roles.

Potential job roles this programme might open for you include:

Ethical Hacker | Cyber Security Auditor
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Cyber Security Analyst | Digital Forensics Analyst
Cyber Consultant | Cyber Defence Analyst

Tuition Fees 25/26

• £9,535 per annum

Access to a laptop/PC with a microphone, speakers, webcam and a reliable internet connect is required for accessing your live online sessions.

Included in your Tuition Fees

• Academic Support, including the Academic Community of Excellence (ACE) Team
• Careers and Employment Service
• Class hours (lectures, seminars and tutorials)
• Facilities (computers, on-campus wi-fi, printers, vending machines)
• Library resources, including a large online catalogue of books, journals and other more
• Online resources
• Social spaces (quiet study spaces, multi-faith rooms and spaces to socialise)
• Student Support (Welfare Team, Finance Team and more)

Tuition fees do not include the cost of course books you may choose to purchase, stationery, printing, photocopying, accommodation, living expenses, travel or any other extracurricular activities.

We recommend you allow an additional £200 per annum to buy some of the course texts which are around £30 each.