The NCSC – the UK’s leading technical authority on all things to do with cyber security – has certified the University of Gloucestershire’s master’s degree in the subject.
It marks a major boost for the university and its commitment to grow talent within the Gloucestershire, a county with ambitions to become the UK’s capital for the cyber sector with the forthcoming Golden Valley Development.
The NCSC, part of the Government’s GCHQ communications centre, runs its certified degree programme to help set a high standard of cyber security teaching across higher education.
Chris Ensor, NCSC deputy director for Cyber Growth, said: ‘Offering a certified degree helps prospective students make more informed choices about their future career prospects in cyber security and employers can rest assured that graduates of these will be well-taught and have valued industry skills.’
The university’s NCSC-certified MSc cyber security course is designed for those who would like to develop a career as a cyber security professional, or to take a leading technical or managerial role.
Delivered by the university’s School of Computing and Engineering, the course is suitable for those from a computer science or information technology education background, or those with no formal studies in computer science but with a significant interest in cyber security.
Professor Kamal Bechkoum, head of the school of computing and engineering at the university’s £4 million C11 Cyber Security and Digital Innovation Centre at Berkeley, said: ‘We develop our cyber and computer degree programmes in partnership with industry leaders, to equip our students with the very latest skills that businesses need.
‘Many of our cyber and computing students stay in the county following their graduation, further boosting Gloucestershire’s claims to be the cyber capital of the UK.’
Gloucestershire has been chosen by the Department of International Trade (DIT) to be showcased as a world-leading cyber cluster through the high potential opportunities (HPO) programme, which aims to help accelerate the growth of business and industry, boost local job creation and prosperity, and strengthen the UK’s sectorial advantage.
The university continues to develop a range of higher degree and degree apprenticeship courses aimed at businesses.
