Master of Science - Network and Information Security (Professional Placement)

Cyber security, the umbrella term for computer, network and information security is of increasing importance – new legislation, technologies, vulnerabilities and threats necessitate frequent system updates.

This course offers a critical awareness of current developments and future trends in cryptography, network security and mobile/wireless security. Students will explore techniques and technologies to combat threats such as malware, social engineering, data leakage or zero-day attacks, based on understanding secure authentication mechanisms, access control, intrusion detection, information security policies and user education. A project/dissertation will enable students to study an area of interest in depth. It can be an excellent selling point.

Students get to use a state-of-the-art cyber lab, with specialist cyber security tools, resources and equipment. This enables them to work in a safe sandbox environment for practical experiments with malware, penetration testing, port scanning and other ethical hacking activities.

Kingston University allow students to take the option of a 12-month work placement as part of their course. The responsibility for finding the work placement is with the student; the University cannot guarantee the placement, just the opportunity to undertake it. Students may find securing a professional placement difficult as they are highly competitive and challenging, but they are also incredibly rewarding. It is very important for students to prepare and apply themselves if this is the route they wish to take. Employers look for great written and oral communication skills and an excellent CV/portfolio. As the work placement is an assessed part of the course, it is covered by a student's Student Route visa.

Graduates have progressed to work at Google, ECS and Lloyd's, in roles such as ethical banker, cyber security engineer and security consultant.