Government seal of approval for Northumbria cyber security degree

Northumbria University’s Cyber Security Master’s degrees have been recognised as among the best in the country after receiving full certification from the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a part of GCHQ.

Only Higher Education courses offering the top level of teaching, research and student experience are awarded NCSC certification, and Northumbria is now among an elite group of universities to be recognised in this way.

The certification not only recognises the quality of the facilities and teaching offered to students, but also the standard of the work they produce, the academic research which informs the teaching, and Northumbria’s links with the cyber security industry.

Guy Brown, Director of Northumbria’s London campus, where the Cyber Security Masters courses are delivered, said: “Northumbria University London Campus has a strong track record in both research and teaching in the areas of cyber security, Cyber Technology and wider Information Security Management.

“This programme certification from the National Cyber Security Centre reflects our commitment to this subject area, our research and practitioner informed curriculum, the fantastic campus resources and our wider activity in this rapidly emerging area.

“Cyber security is an incredibly fast-moving sector and as well as teaching our students the skills they need today we’re also futureproofing them for tomorrow.”

Northumbria University has a reputation as a leader in the field of cyber security research and hosts the annual International Conference on Global Security, Safety and Sustainability.

Held at the start of September, the conference is now in its fourteenth year and attracts speakers from around the world.

The conference is chaired by Professor Hamid Jahankhani, who is also programme leader for cyber security at Northumbria’s London Campus.

Speaking about the significance of the NCSC certification, Professor Jahankhani said: “It is encouraging that the feedback from this process has been very positive, from both students and employers, which is evident in increasing student numbers, student engagement, progression, and performance statistics.

“Furthermore, employers are also recognising the quality and employability of the students who graduate from Northumbria’s London Campus and as a result we have seen an increase in the number of students securing internships and employment with top multinational organisations.”

The NCSC certification is the latest recognition of Northumbria’s cyber security expertise – in 2019 the University was recognised as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research by the National Cyber Security Centre and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, said: “I am delighted that Northumbria University has had its Cyber Security Master’s degrees fully certified by the NCSC. It demonstrates our shared commitment to responsibly developing the cyber security talent pipeline.

“Offering a NCSC-certified degree helps prospective students make better informed choices about the quality of courses available and employers can rest assured that graduates will be well-taught and have valued industry skills.”

Commenting on the importance of Northumbria’s role in the cyber security industry, Professor Martyn Amos, Acting Head of the Department of Computer and Information Sciences, said: “Cyber-incidents can present significant threats to global commerce, personal privacy, and even democracy itself.

“There is huge demand for specialists who have been trained in how to detect, respond to, and prevent cyber-attacks, and our MSc courses provide a state-of-the-art grounding in the skills required.”

The NCSC certification has been awarded to Northumbria’s full and part time MSc Cyber Security and MSc Cyber Security with Advanced Practice programmes, which cover information governance and security, information assurance and risk management, wireless networks and security, and ethical hacking for cyber security, allowing students to develop practical skills as well as research and project management skills.

Find out more about Northumbria University’s Cyber Security courses.