Year One

Fundamentals of Software Development – 30 credits: Design, code, test and debug real programs in C++ and learn how software is built. 

Web Technologies and Platforms – 30 credits: Build dynamic, database-driven websites with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP and MySQL. 

Database Development – 15 credits: Model, normalise and query relational databases with SQL. 

Computer Networks and Protocols – 15 credits: Configure switches, firewalls and services, and master IP addressing and subnetting. 

Business Security – 15 credits: Assess organisational risk and explore penetration testing with Kali Linux and TryHackMe. 

Operating Systems and Networks – 15 credits: Compare and secure mainstream operating systems and the networks that connect them. 

Year Two: into security itself 

Your second year deepens your professional skills and turns your attention squarely to investigating, analysing and responding to threats. 

WebApp Development -30 credits: Build, secure and deploy a full web application and defend it against common web threats. 

Introduction to Ethical AI – 30 credits: Build, train, test and deploy machine learning models, and weigh the ethics of using AI. 

Project Management – 15 credits: Plan, schedule and control IT projects using structured and agile methods. 

Cyber Security Forensics – 30 credits: Acquire and analyse digital evidence across disk, memory and network with industry tools. 

Cyber Threat Analysis – 15 credits: Work with threat intelligence, incident response and security governance on a live scenario. 

How you'll learn 

Lectures introduce the theory, but you'll spend most of your time in the workshop and the lab building things. Nearly every module asks you to make something that works, whether that's a database, a configured network, a secure web application, a forensic investigation or a deployed cloud platform. Our network and electronics labs are genuinely well equipped, and behind them sits plenty of hardware and virtualisation, AI compute facilities and production web hosting, so whatever a module needs, we can support it. Microsoft 365 is provided throughout.  We keep classes small on purpose. Your tutors know you by name, they've worked in the industry themselves, and you can ask them for help when you need it instead of joining a queue. It's a friendly place to study, and that makes a real difference to how quickly you find your feet.  

How you'll be assessed 

You won't sit a row of exams at the end of the year that decide everything. Assessment is mostly practical: portfolios where you design, build and evaluate a solution, technical lab reports, presentations, a technical interview, timed problem-solving tasks and written reports. These are the same things you'd be asked to do in a job, and the feedback you get is meant to help you do better next time rather than just mark the work and move on.

Career opportunities 

This degree opens up the security and infrastructure jobs that organisations are working hardest to fill. Graduates typically go into roles like these: 

• Cyber Security Analyst - Monitor, investigate and respond to threats across an organisation. 
• Digital Forensics Analyst - Acquire and examine digital evidence from compromised systems. 
• Incident Responder - Contain and investigate breaches and trace their root cause. 
• Information Security Officer - Shape and apply the policies and controls that keep data safe. 
• Network / IT Support Technician - Configure, secure and troubleshoot the systems a business runs on. 
• Risk Analyst - Characterise risk by likelihood and impact and advise on mitigation. 

Where this could take you next 

Once you've finished the FdSc you can go straight into work, or carry on to the final year of the BSc (Hons) Cyber Security at University Centre Weston for a full Honours degree and a shot at more advanced and senior roles. 

UCAS Tariff - 60 points Applicants need a level 2 in English and Maths as well as relevant experience/qualifications in the subject area. You will need to have previous experience of qualifications in Digital.

We try to ensure that all as many costs for the programme you will study will be included within your tuition fees. We will endeavour to keep any additional costs you may have to pay to a minimum and some of the extra costs may be considered optional where it is deemed extra to your programme.   To be clear, your tuition fees pay for the following:  

• All teaching and lectures  

• Use of specialist facilities at UCW 

• Specialist Guest Lectures at UCW 

• Annual photocopying budget of £10 

• Use of computer equipment at any UCW campus  

• Access to Microsoft 365 whilst enrolled at UCW. 

• Access to careers advice during and after completion of your programme of study. 

• Use of Libraries and access to Journal databases, e-books and physical books. 

Compulsory additional costs  There are no compulsory additional costs apart from the need to have a PC that can run the required software.  Additional costs that you may incur should you wish to are:  

• Visits/Exhibitions that are seen as optional. (in 2025/26 the cost was £ 120) 

• Extra photocopying and printing above the initial £10 

• There is an optional overseas residential. In 25/26 we were quoted at a cost of around £500 however this may vary depending upon where the residential will be located 

• The total cost of the books you may wish to purchase £150 Approximately.