MSci (Hons) Cyber Security (with Industrial Experience) Integrated Master's degree at Lancaster University

Software development is a collaborative and creative process. You will investigate the processes, tools, techniques, and notations required to successfully engage in the development of commercial grade software. Focusing on the key non-functional parameters of software reuse, scalability, maintainability and extensibility, you will explore the benefits brought by the rigour associated with object-oriented, strongly typed languages (such as Java). You will practice the concepts of composition, inheritance, polymorphism, interfaces, and traits and the commonly employed design patterns that they enable. You will also study the processes and notations associated with defining the relationships a

The creation of the microprocessor revolutionised global innovation and creativity. Without such hardware there would be no laptops, no smartphones, no tablets. Life changing technologies, from MRI scanners to the internet, would simply not exist. This module introduces the field of digital systems, the engineering principles upon which all contemporary computer systems are based. You will study the elements that work together to form the architecture of digital computers, including computer processors, memory, data storage and input/output. You will also unearth the ways in which these are enabled by digital logic, where George Boole’s theory of a binary based algebra meets electronics. Dis

Computing and data control many critical elements of modern society. It’s vital that there is a strong theoretical foundation to computer science. We begin by examining the hard questions at the centre of computer science. You will cover the fundamentals in logic, sets, and mathematics of vectors, matrices and linear algebra and their practical applications in software, such as computer graphics. Algorithms, abstract data types, and analysis of algorithms is introduced to allow you to make reasonable decisions about the design of your programs. Finally, you will get the chance to investigate the principles of data science to select, process and analyse data, and examine the way programs and

Software forms a central aspect of our lives. From the applications we run on our phones to satellites in space, all modern technology is enabled by software. In this module, you will focus on Software Development, the processes and skills associated with designing and constructing computer programs. Designed with your needs in mind, whether you have previous experience in computing or not, we adapt to ensure you gain the contemporary knowledge, skills and techniques needed to develop high-quality computer software. This includes a thorough treatment of the principles of computer programming and how these principles can be applied using a range of contemporary and established languages such

Computer science is a discipline that continues to innovate at a remarkable pace, changing nearly every aspect of modern life as it does so. We introduce you to a range of special topics that reflect the latest aspects of computing. Examples include physical computing, soft robotics, applications of AI, computer science innovation and tech entrepreneurship. The exact topics explored changes year by year to ensure you cover ideas at the cutting-edge of contemporary computer science thinking. Guest speakers will help stimulate debate and topics will include lectures and lab sessions to provide a blend of theoretical and practical skills. At the end of the module, you will understand multiple e

This module seeks to extend traditional development skills by covering core issues in computing operations. Developing expertise in this area is increasingly important as many software companies embrace the concept of DevOps, in which development and operations are brought together to ensure a unified approach to designing, developing, delivering and supporting complex software systems. You will gain an understanding of the key areas in computer operations, including systems administration, deployment and software evolution, while practical labs will be used to teach emerging DevOps tools.

Interested in how mathematicians build theories from basic concepts to complex ideas, like eigenvalues and integration? Journey from polynomial operations to matrices and calculus through this module. Starting with polynomials and mathematical induction, you will learn fundamental proof techniques. You will explore matrices, arrays of numbers encoding simultaneous linear equations, and their geometric transformations, which are essential in linear algebra. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors, which characterise these transformations, will be introduced, highlighting their role in applications including population growth and Google's page rankings. Next, we will reintroduce you to calculus, from its

An introduction to the mathematical and computational toolsets for modelling the randomness of the world. You will learn about probability, the language used to describe random fluctuations, statistics and the mathematical techniques used to extract meaning from data. You will explore how computing tools can be used to solve challenges in scientific research, artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science. You will develop the axiomatic theory of probability, discover the theory and uses of random variables and investigate how theory matches intuitions about the real-world. You will then dive into statistical inference, learning to select appropriate probability models to describ

We explore a practical and applied aspect of cyber security: penetration testing. You will learn common approaches and tools that attackers use to undermine the security of digital systems and gain first-hand experience of the weaknesses that can be present in real-world systems through guided work in highly controlled, small-group practical labs. The module will wrap the technical and theoretical aspects within the llegal, regulatory and ethical frameworks for the appropriate application of ethical penetration testing.

You will execute a cyber security project from conception to completion, working to meet a client brief and applying the concepts and skills gained so far in a practical setting. Working in a team, you will develop your skills in prototyping, project planning, management, design, user evaluation and testing strategies. Your group will be expected to deliver reports, code, and demonstrate a working system by the project’s conclusion. Projects will either seek to build a system that may be used as a cyber security tool, for example a vulnerability scanner, or follow secure software design methodologies to build an application, such as a communication tool. Lectures will advise you on how to ap

Human-computer interaction (HCI) is concerned with all aspects of designing, building, evaluating, and studying systems that involve human interaction. From a computing perspective, the focus is on enabling interaction through user interfaces and on creating interactive systems that provide a positive user experience. The module introduces you to the foundations of HCI, where you delve into human behaviour, technologies for interaction and human-centred design. You will review human perception, cognition and action, and relate these to design principles and guidelines. As part of this, you will discuss different paradigms of user interface and key technologies such as pointing. You will then

Investigate the deeper concepts that underpin computer networking and operating systems. You will explore the role, operation, and design rationale of the IP protocol suite that enables the global internet. Taking a top-down approach, discover how protocols such as HTTP, DNS, and TCP/IP operate on a fundamental level, and the metrics and tools we use to evaluate the performance of computer networks. Core operating system concepts will be built upon and expanded to develop an comprehensive understanding of the components of an operating system such as the kernel, scheduling, access control, memory management and file systems. Using simulators, you will explore first-hand how data is efficient

We introduce the foundational principles of systems security, focusing on Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability; and Authentication, Authorisation and Accountability (AAA). You will explore access control models, security policies and the mechanisms that underpin secure system design. You will learn about the main categories of cryptosystems (e.g. symmetric, asymmetric) highlighting their practical applications and limitations in real-world contexts. We also investigate common system vulnerabilities and the tools and techniques used by attackers. Through structured, hands-on lab sessions, you will develop practical skills in identifying, analysing and mitigating threats.

Delve into the key principles of artificial intelligence (AI), touching on the core concepts and philosophy of AI and discussing its presence and ethical challenges in the modern world. Throughout, you will unearth the underlying principles of search spaces, knowledge representation and inference logic that form the core of rule-based systems, before learning the principles of machine learning, clustering, classification, linear regression and neural networks. From this, you will have the grounding necessary to progress to modules in topics such as machine learning, computer vision, and NLP. You will also gain a deeper understanding of computational problem solving, exploring the very nature

Computer architecture has now reached a critical juncture where we are witnessing a steep change in computer performance, not due to the increased performance of individual processors, but through the inclusion of many, sometimes even thousands, of processor cores in a single computer. This requires new ways of thinking about these concurrent systems, and operating systems in general. Dive into the theory and practical application of advanced operating systems (OS) and associated hardware concepts. Through a combination of lab exercises and lectures, you will investigate the ways that modern operating systems are optimised to extract the maximum performance and efficiency from 21st century c

Extended reality (XR) refers to the interactive technologies that blend virtual and physical worlds into a hybrid environment or immersive experience. The technology is based on multi-modal platforms that integrate the use of widespread, wearable computing. In this module, you will explore different uses of extended reality within the reality-virtuality continuum and identify the needs and means of augmenting human senses. You will take an applied approach to the design, implementation, deployment, and evaluation of systems that are used to create an XR environment and deliver an immersive experience. To do this, you will study the latest trends in research, emerging technologies, and novel

The internet and the world wide web have now pervaded every aspect of our lives, from ecommerce and entertainment to logistics and social media. Increasingly, application software is no longer written for specific devices, but for internet web browsers. The internet has replaced operating systems as the de-facto platform for application development, making an already global phenomenon now commonplace. This module explores the various approaches to the development of internet applications, investigating both the client and server-sides, and discussing the trade-off of performance, scalability, privacy and trust associated with these approaches. You will review the role of ‘cloud infrastructur

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being rapidly adopted in both research and industry, via technologies such as generative AI and large language models (LLM). They are being used for a range of applications by enhancing cyber security through the detection of anomalies, identifying threats, and monitoring abnormal activities. However, AI itself is susceptible to various attacks, such as prompt injection, data leakages, jailbreaking, bypassing guardrails, model backdoors, and more. In this module, you will learn the fundamentals of AI for security and security for AI. This encompasses both how AI can be leveraged to augment and improve established cyber security techniques (from firewalls, risk

Understand security threats to cyber physical systems (CPS), such as industrial control systems, Internet of Things and connected vehicles, as well as techniques to mitigate these threats. Compared to traditional computer systems, CPS have limited resources and are typically deployed into a physical environment. This impacts the implementation of security techniques, as due to the environment they are deployed in you must consider both digital and physical attacks. This module introduces how to identify the appropriate security techniques to use for a CPS. You will come to understand how to write secure applications for CPS and which alternative mitigations are appropriate. You will also lea

Distributed systems are the foundation upon which modern large-scale infrastructures are built, such as Cloud and service-oriented architectures (also known as ‘as a service’). You’ll investigate the cryptographic techniques used to build such systems, and secure distributed systems themselves. You’ll study the design approaches to constructing a secure distributed system, including the common vulnerabilities and attack surfaces associated with distributed systems, and the widely adopted design patterns used to mitigate them. To ensure the correctness of such systems, you will be introduced to formal verification techniques covering system specification and the verification of their correctn

You will undertake a substantial individual project on a cyber security topic, typically involving the principled design, implementation, and evaluation of a substantial piece of software, experimental study, or theoretical work. To assist in this, a cyber security academic will provide a large range of project ideas covering the breadth of our School’s expertise, which you will rank by level of interest before being allocated to a supervisor. You will also have the opportunity to write your own project idea and find a supervisor that can support you, and projects can be carried out in collaboration with an external partner, such as a company. Throughout the project, you will be expected to

Computer networks have experienced an exponential growth in traffic and size since the early days of the internet. Packet network technologies underpin every aspect of our daily life. On this module, you will investigate how network technologies have evolved to cope with increasing demands, the architecture of devices, and protocols that facilitate end-to-end connectivity, while allowing control of connectivity properties like bandwidth and latency. You will explore cutting-edge research and industry perspectives regarding the challenges that face production network technologies, such as performance and security, and speculate on the future direction networking will take. Practical sessions

Dive into alternative programming language paradigms, beyond imperative and object-oriented programming. Emphasis is placed on functional programming languages and their unique constraints and features, such as more expressive type systems, immutability, pure functions and side-effects, lambdas, higher order functions, currying, map/reduce and pattern matching. You will also explore why functional languages bring about increased reliability and scalability and how they are now experiencing a resurgence within the software industry. Through hands-on laboratory sessions, you will learn a functional programming language, such as Haskell, and see how functional programming concepts are being int

Learn how to teach computer science as a discipline, including organising engaging activities that address the digital skills gap, and inspiring new computer scientists. Through practical sessions, you will build a foundational understanding of computing pedagogy, learning to recognise how learners study computer science and arrange teaching to respond to their needs. You’ll explore the instruments and methods for effective teaching practices, considering UK and global contexts, and the differences within primary, secondary, and higher education. The importance of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), ethics, safeguarding and integrity considerations in education will be highlighted thro

Computer vision is a branch of artificial intelligence which aims to build computer-based systems that can interpret and draw meaning from digital images. This module digs into the fundamentals of image formation, information relating to the human visual system, and image interpretation methodologies including convolution, edge detection and feature extraction, and comparison. You will tackle key problems in current research, including semantic segmentation, object detection and three-dimensional image interpretation. You will cover a range of approaches, from low-level image processing to convolutional neural networks. At the end of the module, you will be equipped to construct software com

Digital Health explores the utilisation of digital technologies in healthcare. These technologies have an ever-growing role to play in transforming health and care delivery and supporting individuals to improve their health. Discover the practical applications, implications, and how to enable technologies of digital health. You will survey sensor technologies that permit remote and automated patient monitoring and study the technologies and processes that enable patient-driven healthcare. You will also investigate the structure of health data in electronic health records and methods for the evaluation of digital health solutions. Alongside these applied topics, you’ll also learn about data g

Large scale distributed computing systems are now commonplace, implemented using ‘cloud infrastructures’ where computing and storage resources are pooled into data centres around the globe. In scientific terms, these are examples of distributed systems. Learn about the fundamental principles that underpin modern distributed systems, the abstractions on which they are based, and their characteristics. Emphasis is placed on the scalability and fault-tolerance of these systems, and you will dive into the commonly used frameworks for distributed systems, such as Google’s infrastructure, and highly distributed peer to peer approaches. Small group practical labs reinforce theory through hands-on e

Understand the challenges associated with developing firmware for embedded systems, which is increasingly common in everyday appliances due to a rise in cyber-physical systems, smart cities, and the Internet of Things. You will engage with relevant hardware and low-level programming as you study the architecture of microcontrollers (highly specialised, resource constrained computer processors that power embedded systems). Building on this, you will then learn about the state-of-the-art software development processes that facilitate the writing of highly efficient code for such devices. You’ll become familiar with industry standard protocols and techniques for integrating peripherals with mic

All programming languages are based on theoretical principles of formal language theory. In this module, you dive deep into formal languages representation and grammars, and how they relate to programming language compilers and interpreters. You will study formal language syntax and semantics, phrase structure grammars, and the Chomsky hierarchy. You will learn how to classify languages and explore the concepts of ambiguity in context-free grammar and its implications. In particular, you will learn about the compilation process including lexical analysis and syntactic analysis, recursive descent parsers and semantic analysis. Finally, you get to investigate the synthesis phase, where interme

Delve into machine learning, a fundamental concept in artificial intelligence that enables a computer to learn how to perform a task from data rather than traditional programming. In this module, you will study the key ideas and techniques behind machine learning and develop the practical skills needed to understand the implications and potential of machine learning in business and society. You will begin by looking at real-world problems, challenges, and current machine learning methodology. Building on this, you will cover a variety of approaches to machine learning, from decision trees to a wide range of deep neural networks, including multilayer perceptrons, convolutional neural networks

Gain a broad understanding of Natural Language Processing (NLP), a branch of artificial intelligence where computational methods are used to analyse and understand human languages. Throughout the module, you will be exposed to the core concepts surrounding the NLP pipeline, covering methods and techniques for data collection, cleaning, tokenisation, and annotation using a hierarchy of linguistic levels (e.g. morphology, syntax, and semantics). You will experiment with and comparatively evaluate different methods and techniques, including rule-based, probabilistic, machine learning and deep learning approaches. You will also learn to apply and adapt NLP pipelines and tools to real-world text

We introduce you to quantum computing's core principles and applications, contrasting its capabilities with classical systems. You will master Dirac notation and essential linear algebra, before examining quantum mechanics' four postulates, including qubits, gates, and circuit models. You will cover fundamental algorithms, including Deutsch's algorithm (implemented via Qiskit), Simon's problem, Bernstein-Vazirani, Grover's search (with BBBV Theorem analysis), and Shor's factorisation algorithm's impact on RSA cryptography. Quantum cryptography components address post-quantum security and QKD protocols, while quantum information theory explores superdense coding, the no-cloning theorem and te

In your final year, you will undertake a substantial project that focuses on a particular specification, design, implementation and/or evaluation. Through this, you will tackle a real-world problem that aims to develop your existing knowledge, understanding and skills within your chosen discipline. The project is typically achieved in conjunction with your placement; however, it can be completed at the University. Suggested topics will be provided by industry and vetted by our academics to ensure they offer the appropriate depth. If no suitable project with industry can be found, one will be provided by academic staff. You will have access to weekly meetings with an academic who will provide

Complete a 10-week placement and gain first-hand experience of working in a contemporary ICT-related environment, developing an understanding of professional practices and codes of conduct in industrial, commercial and professional settings. The University works with a range of organisations, from SMEs to large corporations and third-sector organisations, which you can be placed in. The organisation will set tasks that call upon the knowledge and experience gained throughout your degree, allowing you to apply it in a professional setting. Through an initial matching and application process, we ensure the biggest possible overlap between your interest and company requirements. You will be ass

Computer scientists often face problems for which there are no ready answers, therefore requiring future research. In this module, you will deepen your understanding of research methodology, the ‘classic’ empirical survey methods, case study, ethnography and experiment, and design and innovation as the context in which computer scientists apply research methods. On a fundamental level, you will explore how empirical research involves sampling, data collection, study design and data analysis, and how each of these involves trade-offs that can limit the validity of results gained and conclusions drawn. On a practical level, you will engage in a collaborative innovation project through which yo