Master of Science in Cyber Security and Forensics

at University of Westminster - Cavendish Campus United Kingdom

Our course examines the best ways to design, build, maintain and evaluate software systems. It uses many of the technical aspects of computer science, especially programming, and aims to develop the professional attitudes, interpersonal and technical skills you’ll need in the software engineering industry.

The course provides a solid foundation in software engineering theory and practice to develop professional software systems. It will equip you to take up a wide range of career opportunities, including software engineer, web application programmer, software designer/analyst or website designer/programmer.

In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a year in industry (work placement) after completing the second year of your study. This will help you gain work experience and enhance your employability. You’ll be offered help and support to find and secure placement opportunities through various workshops and events organised by the Careers and Employability Service and the course team. Typically, you will be assigned into roles involving tasks related to software engineering.

Top reasons to study with us

• Our course will help you develop your problem-solving skills. We practise problem-based teaching, allowing you to develop your skills in analysing problems within contexts, so you can find the best technological solutions
• You'll be involved in real-life projects and gain hands-on experience of working either individually or in a software development team
• Our course reflects the dynamics of the software industry – you'll learn state-of-the-art techniques and subjects such as machine learning, AI algorithms, robotics and smart systems, the Internet of Things, Big Data technologies, complex heterogeneous systems, and cloud-based, distributed and parallel software solutions
• You'll qualify for free British Computer Society (BCS) academic membership for the duration of your studies. The BCS supports those working in the IT industry and has a commitment to making IT good for society. The organisation has over 60,000 members in 150 countries, and a wider community of business leaders, educators, practitioners and policy-makers. Membership of the BCS will allow you to continue your professional development and enjoy a range of valuable networking opportunities.     

Biomedical science is concerned with the detailed study of the human body, both in health and disease, with emphasis on the diagnosis and understanding of disease states and the mechanisms involved.

In Year 1 you'll study the important fundamental sciences, including biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, and human anatomy and physiology.

In Year 2 you'll develop your understanding of a wide range of disease processes, combined with the principles of laboratory procedures used to aid diagnosis and treatment.

Between Years 2 and 3, the sandwich placement is an excellent opportunity to experience the reality of work, usually in a biomedical diagnostics laboratory, pharmaceutical industry or a research institute. You will put into practice what you have learned at the University, learn new skills and gain hands-on laboratory experience. All placement opportunities are competitive and you will have the support and guidance of your department, the Career Development Centre and the University’s Placement Officer.

As part of the placement year you will undertake an academic module which will contribute to your degree and, where applicable, undertake the Institute of Biomedical Science Certificate of Competence. Sandwich year placements can be in the UK or abroad. 

In Year 3 you'll focus on the study of the complex nature of disease as it affects particular biological systems. You'll also study the laboratory procedures used in haematology, clinical immunology, cellular and molecular pathology, clinical biochemistry and medical microbiology, to diagnose and monitor disease. You'll also undertake a major research project, which will enable you to develop the skills you need for genuine scientific inquiry.

Pharmacology and physiology are two closely related disciplines. Pharmacology is the study of drug action and how medicines may modify disease states. Physiology is concerned with how the body and its systems are controlled, and in the changes that lead to disease states (pathophysiology).

This course will provide you with a sound understanding of the biological action of drugs and other biomolecules at the whole-body, tissue, cellular and sub-cellular levels, and their uses as medicines for the treatment of disease. It provides an ideal grounding for a career in the pharmaceutical industry or other areas of biomedical research, academia, the Scientific Civil Service and healthcare provision.

Opportunities exist for you to enhance your practical and related transferable skills within our research laboratories. Teaching is informed by high-quality research in relevant cognate areas, within the department.

Top reasons to study with us

• Build a successful career – this course will give you the knowledge and skills for a career in the pharmaceutical industry or other areas of biomedical research
• Make the most of our facilities – develop your skills in our fully equipped laboratories, and benefit from our APOLLO Patient Care Simulator platform
• Learn from our expert teaching staff – teaching is informed by high-quality research, delivering the forefront of current and cutting-edge science to students

Recent technological advances decreasing hardware costs and the ‘Internet of things’ has led to a rapid explosion in the amount of data generated in a variety of domains, including data-driven science, telecommunications, social media, large-scale e-commerce, medical records and e-health. Big data refers to the ability of exploiting these massive amounts of extremely heterogeneous in structure and content data that are routinely generated at an unprecedented scale from an ever-expanding variety of data sources. Business and industry used their big data to extract a better understanding of customers’ needs and behaviour, to develop targeted new products and to cut operational costs. The competitive advantages and productivity gains that big data brought led to a great number of a big data projects and a shortage of people with the required skills.

This course is aimed at people who want to move into this rapidly expanding and exciting area; it has a strong vocational flavour as it has been designed to build your knowledge and understanding of big data systems architectures and to equip you with the range of highly marketable, hands-on skills employed by the core technologies utilised in big data projects.

This course is highly regarded in both music business education and the industry at large. It will prepare you to become one of the next generation of music industry leaders and entrepreneurs. All teaching staff on the course are currently working in the music industry, and every week there are a number of high-level industry guests. You will need to be a self-motivated and open-minded student, as this is an intense course, but one which can help you to progress your career across a wide range of music business disciplines.

Working with music industry leaders and organisations, the course has developed a unique curriculum. You will be able to combine a strong underpinning of key business skills (entrepreneurialism, leadership, organisational management, and marketing with essential music industry management knowledge (strategic innovation technology, intellectual property and copyright) and academic concepts and theories relevant to the industry today.

Our Data Science and Analytics BSc will give you the combination of analytical, technical and presentation skills to convert data into valuable insights.

In a constantly changing global environment, the massive use of social networks and the Internet of Things are generating a huge and fast-growing amount of data. Data processing is carried out through increasingly complex and sophisticated computer capabilities and algorithmic models, and involves advanced storage technologies such as cloud computing. 

As a result, there is currently a great need for professionals who can process, understand and present this data in an appropriate and effective way. These skills are much needed by businesses, which collect data from customers, partners and from the market in which they operate to support evidence-based decision making. Governments rely on data to improve their policies and deliver better services as well.

Studying our course, you'll develop knowledge of the fundamental principles and technologies that underpin the disciplines of maths, statistics and computing with an emphasis on the skills and theories required in data science and analytics. You'll learn how to apply cutting-edge maths, statistics and computer science techniques and tools to collect, store, prepare, analyse and visualise data, while analysing and understanding organisations’ operations, environment and related issues. 

Top reasons to study with us

• Master key data science skills – You’ll learn how to make sense of data using various machine learning algorithms and statistical techniques, and how to use top programming languages such as R and Python for a career in Data Science and Analytics
• Boost your employability – You’ll have the opportunity to experience work-based learning including working for a year in industry, gaining skills that’ll give you an edge in the graduate market
• Use state-of-the-art computing facilities – You’ll have access to 34 specialist labs, various Operating Systems (Windows 10, Unix, Linux and Mac OSX), Microsoft development software for free, and VR hardware available in our labs to develop with
• Develop in-demand skills – Data analysis is a growing industry, with governments and businesses in need of professionals who can analyse data to support key decision-making
• Learn the fundamentals – You'll graduate with knowledge of the fundamental principles and technologies that underpin maths, statistics and computing

This course allows you to plan your own taught programme to match your interests and experience by selecting modules from a diverse range of option modules from a diverse range offered by the biosciences masters course in the School of Life Sciences, with the advice of the Course Leader. For example, you could combine modules on microbiology and molecular biology or those on haematology and clinical chemistry.

Alternatively, you can combine basic science with study of the communication or commercialisation of science. We also offer the opportunity to consider the increasing role of automation in diagnostic laboratories. Those studying part time are free to develop their module choices as they progress.

Whatever the combination, you will be able to expand your understanding of human diseases, their investigation and therapy, and develop your competence in the design and execution of a laboratory-based project.

This course (previously Business Intelligence and Analytics MSc) addresses the need to propel information-gathering and data organisation, and exploit potential information and knowledge hidden in routinely collected data to improve decision-making. The course stretches the artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and decision science themes to Business Intelligence, Data Science and Business Analytics.

You will focus on developing solutions to real-world problems associated with the changing nature of IT infrastructure and increasing volumes of data, using applications and case studies, while gaining a deep appreciation of the underlying models and techniques. You will also gain a greater understanding of the impact technological advances have on nature and practices adopted within Data Science, Business Intelligence and Analytics, and how to adapt to these changes.

Embedded into the course are two key themes. The first will help you to develop your skills in the use and application of various technologies, architectures, techniques, tools, and methods for data science. These include data warehousing and mining, distributed data management, and the technologies, architectures, and appropriate AI and ML techniques. The second theme will enhance your knowledge of algorithms and the quantitative techniques including AI, ML, and Operational Research (OR) suitable for analysing and mining data and developing decision models in a broad range of application areas. The project consolidates the taught subjects covered, while giving you the opportunity to pursue in-depth study in your chosen area.

Teaching approaches include lectures, tutorials, seminars, and practical sessions. You will also learn through extensive course work, class presentations, group research work, and the use of a range of industry standard software such as R, Python, Simul8, Palisade Decision Tools, Hadoop, and Oracle.

Our course examines the best ways to design, build, maintain and evaluate software systems. It uses many of the technical aspects of computer science, especially programming, and aims to develop the professional attitudes, interpersonal and technical skills you’ll need in the software engineering industry.

The course provides a solid foundation in software engineering theory and practice to develop professional software systems. It will equip you to take up a wide range of career opportunities, including software engineer, web application programmer, software designer/analyst or website designer/programmer.

You’ll study software development, programming languages, technologies and applications including Python, Java, HTML, PHP, UML, database technologies, machine learning, algorithms and data structures, web and mobile computing, Agile software development, Big Data technologies, cloud computing, concurrency and formal methods. Sharing a common first year with the Computer Science BSc Honours course to which you can transfer in Year 1, you specialise is Software Engineering from Year 2.

In Year 4 (Master's level), our integrated Master's course enables you to extend your knowledge and experience of software engineering gained at the BEng level by studying and developing systems of increased complexity, gaining a developer knowledge of new paradigms and studying advanced issues around cybersecurity – threats facing businesses and organisations that depend on IT systems.

Top reasons to study with us

• Our integrated Master's course will give you advanced software engineering knowledge
• Our course will help you develop your problem-solving skills. We practise problem-based teaching, allowing you to develop your skills in analysing problems within contexts so you can find the best technological solutions
• You'll be involved in real-life projects and gain hands-on experience of working either individually or in a software development team
• Our course reflects the dynamics of the software industry – you'll learn state-of-the-art techniques and subjects such as machine learning, AI algorithms, robotics and smart systems, the Internet of Things, Big Data technologies, complex heterogeneous systems, and cloud-based, distributed and parallel software solutions
• You'll qualify for free British Computer Society (BCS) academic membership for the duration of your studies. The BCS supports those working in the IT industry and has a commitment to making IT good for society. The organisation has over 60,000 members in 150 countries, and a wider community of business leaders, educators, practitioners and policy-makers. Membership of the BCS will allow you to continue your professional development and enjoy a range of valuable networking opportunities.

Working in the world of information systems can be exciting and rewarding as businesses become more and more reliant on information systems to support innovation, decision making and day-to-day operations.

The creative use of information systems can transform organisations. Successful enterprises require hybrid managers and analysts who can evaluate and use the tools, gauge the risks and provide the key insights and sound direction for strategic business planning.

Our Business Information Systems BSc will give you a clear perspective of the current nature and practice of business information systems, and will develop your understanding of the business challenges of an enterprise, and your ability to conceive and manage solutions which are increasingly ICT dependent.

You’ll integrate your skills of problem solving and information systems modelling with your knowledge of business processes and environments. You’ll be able to consult on, support or develop the technological platforms of an enterprise to achieve competitive advantage, building a career in roles ranging from systems developer to business manager.

Our course offers a short-term work-based learning experience that will give you the opportunity to work on a real-life problem, which is normally set by an external organisation as a small-scale project. This experience will allow you to put your new knowledge and skills into practice by addressing a real-life situation, usually within the context of a business-related problem.

In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a year in industry (work placement) after completing the second year of your study. This will help you gain work experience and enhance your employability. You’ll be offered help and support to find and secure placement opportunities through various workshops and events organised by the Careers and Employability Service and the course team. Typically, you’ll be assigned into roles involving tasks related to business information systems.